With a quick intake of breath, she shifted out of sight. She should have known he’d realize she was watching him.
They hadn’t had much time together since her parents had arrived, and she missed him. When she’d greeted him earlier in the morning, she’d wanted to throw her arms around him and feel his solid strength against her. Her mother had hurried her along, but not before she’d seen the burning ember in his eyes telling her that he wanted to hold her too, and that he would tonight and every night hereafter and forevermore.
Hereafter. Forevermore.
Her chest tightened at an incoming, all-too-familiar sensation. One she’d felt only a few other times in her life. The last was in June. On her wedding day. In the front hallway of the Newport cottage. As she’d walked outside to get into the carriage.
The swell was like a rising tide, drawing nearer, threatening to drag her under. She flattened herself against the wall and closed her eyes. “Calm down, Victoria. Calm down. You can do this.” She took several deep breaths, exhaling and inhaling slowly.
She hadn’t expected to feel this again. Not with Tom. He was different from her other fiancés. He wasn’t a passing fancy or mere infatuation. She wanted to be with him. Longed for him. Had dreamt about when they could finally be together as a true husband and wife.
But to be together forevermore?
“Oh, Lord,” she whispered through trembling lips. The haunting images of a bleak, black, sightless future rushed in to taunt her. She pinched her eyes closed to block them out. “No!” she almost shouted. Her heartbeat slapped hard against her chest, propelling her across the room to the door.
She had to leave. She had to get away before she was sucked under and drowned by her fears of the future. With a sob building in her chest, she clattered in her satin wedding shoes through the hall, down the stairs, and out the back door of the house.
A rush of sea breeze laden with the scent of baking lobster swirled around her. For a frantic moment, she huddled against the back of the house, panicked that Tom might see her and try to stop her. Ahead of her lay mile after mile of sand dunes and beach grass. She had to get as far away as possible before he noticed she was gone.
A sob slipped out, but she cupped her gloved hand over her mouth and started running.
*
Tom stood at the front of the gathering under the canopy and twisted the wedding band in his pocket that he’d reluctantly taken from her that morning. The longer the ring was off Victoria’s finger, the greater his urgency to put it back on. He shouldn’t worry about her precedence for running away at her weddings, but the thought nagged him nevertheless.
A trickle of sweat slid down his back between his shoulder blades underneath his shirt. He resisted the urge to scratch it. Instead, he reminded himself why Victoria wouldn’t flee from their wedding. She hadn’t loved any of the other men the way she did him. This time she had no reason to run, not when their love was so real and powerful.
Even though many of the guests were still quietly chattering among themselves, they were studying him too. He had no doubt they were wondering how he felt to be marrying Victoria Cole, the incredibly wealthy heiress to Cole Enterprises.
He hoped he looked more composed than he felt. He’d known she was rich. He’d seen listings of Cole Enterprise’s assets when he’d researched Henry Cole before taking the bodyguard position. But he’d miscalculated exactly how wealthy Victoria really was.
Thankfully, he hadn’t known or he would have worked even harder to push her back to Nathaniel. To ease his conscience, he’d told Henry he didn’t want any financial support. He wanted to take care of Victoria on his own.
Henry hadn’t wanted any part of that plan and had insisted Victoria have access to her money and all of the luxuries she wanted. After a great deal of arguing, they’d finally compromised. Tom would provide for his and Victoria’s everyday needs. But Victoria would have access to her account to use at her discretion.
Tom glanced at the front row, where Victoria’s mother was already seated and talking pleasantly with Henry’s sister and her children. In looking at her now in the latest fashion with the regality of a queen in her fancy gown, he’d never guess she’d once been a simple