*
T he great hall had been transformed Christmas morning for the wedding ceremonies. The Balfour chapel was far too small to accommodate the many wedding guests. Rows of Christmas trees decorated with candles and poinsettias lined the hall. And the dais had two more trees at the far end of the room. The orchestra was set up to the left of the dais and was playing incidental music until the ceremony was to begin .
An aisle between two banks of chairs led to where the ceremony was to be performed. The guests had already gathered and were seated, waiting, and chatting quietly amongst themselves .
Robert was the only family male who could escort Amelia down the aisle. But as he was the other groom, he was unavailable, so George volunteered to escort both Amelia and his daughter to the altar at the same time .
The grooms were already in place and waiting. And once the brides were ready, the music began to play and the bridal march began .
Diana turned to Amelia and said, “Sister, we are about to undertake our new lives. Thank you for raising such a wonderful man for me to marry .”
“And thank you for teaching me how to welcome you into the family .”
The three started down the aisle and when they arrived, the two brides were welcomed to stand beside their loving, and soon to be, husbands .
The End
Curious to read how Diana’s and Robert’s relationship evolved? Then enjoy this complimentary short story featuring the beloved couple .
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More sweet historical romance
T urn on to the next page to read the first chapters of Annabelle Enchants the Rejected Earl , my best-selling Amazon novel .
Annabelle Enchants the Rejected Earl
Chapter 1
“D o you Beatrice Hathaway take Abraham Urwin to be your lawful wedded husband ?”
Annabelle sucked in a deep, nervous breath as she waited for Beatrice to answer the dreaded question. She knew what her sister would say, everybody in the room did, but there was still a little moment of hesitation. Annabelle felt certain that Beatrice would not be marrying this man if she had a choice... but of course, she didn't. Their father had chosen Lord Urwin for her husband and that was the end of it. Otto Hathaway was not a man to be disagreed with about things, especially not when he thought he had his daughter’s best interests at heart .
He wanted his daughter to have a man who could financially support her and their offspring forevermore, and Lord Urwin could definitely do that. With his chain of banks to keep him financially afloat, they would never have to face any money issues .
The pair certainly did not match in Annabelle’s mind. Beatrice had flowing, wavy red hair which spilled down her back in a very pretty way. The lacy, bejewelled dress still managed to show off her svelte, curvy body which most girls would kill for. Beatrice did not even need a corset to make her figure appear that way, which Annabelle often found utterly infuriating. Beatrice’s youthful pale skin was flawless and her blue eyes piercing. In fact, her eyes were the only difference that her and Annabelle had. If Annabelle’s bright green eyes were blue, the girls could have been mistaken for twins, rather than sisters .
Beatrice was beautiful, no one could deny that, and Abraham was... something else entirely .
Abraham Urwin’s look was very different to his fiancée’s. His greying hair and sagging skin gave away his age, as did his terrible posture. Life had been good to him, but he had worked very hard to achieve everything that he owned, and that showed. Annabelle was not exactly sure of his age, she hadn’t ever thought to ask, but it was very obvious that he did not look good with her stunningly beautiful sister. They looked very silly together, more like father and daughter than husband and wife .
It was a shame to have Beatrice taken away from the world by this man, purely because of his wealth. As she stood in front of their family and friends looking spectacularly stunning, a pang of sadness tugged in Annabelle’s heart .
“I do,” Beatrice finally gasped with very little certainty. “Yes, I do .”
“Urgh, I certainly would not!” Annabelle’s best friend, Catherine Wakefield, whispered into her friend’s ear as soon as those words came out. “He is a terrible match for her. Everybody here can see it. She should be with a much younger, much more handsome man .”
“I know, but what can she do about it?” Annabelle shrugged, trying to shake off her moroseness as she did. “It has happened now .”
She could keep her tone bored and unbothered as she discussed marriage because it was an issue that seemed too far from her life. She had only just turned eighteen, whereas Beatrice was twenty years of age. It was a problem that was at least two years away. For now, Annabelle could continue on exactly as she was, without worrying too much about what the future might hold for her .
She would miss her sister, but she could still be glad that it was not her holding onto some man’s hands, agreeing to be his wife forevermore .
“I wonder who your father will choose for you?” Catherine mused thoughtfully. “I bet he is already searching .”
“I do not think I shall let him pick,” Annabelle replied with an air of nonchalance. “I will choose a husband for myself .”
Catherine giggled at that idea. Lord Hathaway was the most terrifying man that she had ever met. Her own father had a powerful presence and he liked to control her life, but he was nothing like Annabelle’s father. There was no chance that he would allow her to make her own decisions. She was dreaming .
Annabelle did not care much for the laugh, she felt herself strong enough to do whatever on earth she wanted. She had always had a much more powerful will than her sister, her friends would come to see that in time .
“I do not want to get married anyway, I would much rather take care of myself .”
“Oh, I do,” Annabelle’s other friend, Edith Stanbury cooed on the other side. “I cannot wait to have a husband to take care of me. I am truly looking forwards to being a mother and a wife .”