Her Lord's Claim (The Forbidden Saga #4) - Maggie Ryan Page 0,21

if I can't be all he demands? How will I know what to do…” Her voice trailed off as her mind buzzed with thousands of questions for which she had no answers. Eyes widening as she looked toward the doors leading into the sanctuary, she said, “Maybe Pastor Reed is right and we should wait.”

Louisa reached her hand to her sister's cheek. “What is your heart saying?”

“That I love Lucas more than I ever knew was possible.”

Louisa smiled. “And Lucas loves you. Everything is as it should be. There is nothing for you to fear. Lucas will teach you all you need know,” Louisa reassured her twin. “Every day will be learning something new about each other. Follow your heart, Lucy, and you’ll find far more joy than you’ve ever dreamed of as well as that love you’re feeling now.”

Despite her sister’s heartfelt words of assurance, Lucy still felt unconvinced, her eyes darting to the door of the chapel where the men were waiting. “Perhaps Charles would not have wished for all that Lucas might desire,” she said as she lowered her eyes and allowed her hands to run down the front of the childish yellow dress. “I am not frightened to become a wife. I am frightened to become a child-bride. I don’t think… I'm not sure I can-can be like you,” Lucy whispered as she finally confessed the true aspect of her hesitation.

Louisa shook her head slowly, her smile soft, her eyes concerned and yet clear. “Lucy, we are twins but that doesn’t mean we are exact duplicates of one another in all ways. You don’t need to be like me. You need to be you. All I can promise is that you will desire to fulfill whatever role your husband will ask of you because you chose Lucas to be your husband, your teacher, your lover, your soul mate. You did not choose Charles.” Giving her a moment to process what she was hearing, Louisa paused before taking both Lucy’s hands in hers and giving them a squeeze.

“I will not lie to you,” Louisa said softly. “It won’t always be easy, especially because of the two of us, you’ve always been the one to have an innate need to test the waters, to push the boundaries. Some aspects of your new life will be harder for you because they will demand you give up some of that stubbornness. But, Lucy, I promise when you do let go, when you allow yourself to be free, you’ll experience such intense joy. All you really need to remember is that your heart made your choice and you must trust in yourself and, by that, I mean trust yourself to trust Lucas.”

Neither girl was aware when Edward quietly approached them until Lucy looked up and gave a start of surprise. He’d evidently wondered what was causing their delay. She blushed. Though she and Louisa had both been speaking softly, she couldn’t help but wonder how much of their conversation had he heard. Her question was answered when he asked one of his own.

“Lucille, now is the time to tell me the truth. Is your choice true?” When she opened her mouth to answer, he shook his head and held out his hand. She felt Louisa release her so she could take her guardian’s. Once his fingers engulfed her own, he smiled down at her. “This is the time to look deep within your heart and your soul, Lucille. Know that whatever answer you give I will support you. Though Lucas is my dear friend, you, little one, are my family. Living the life Lucas will demand is not going to be easy. You aren’t just giving him your heart, you are giving every part of yourself to his care, you’ll be learning at his feet lessons you can’t even fathom at this moment. All those things require not only love that I have no doubt you have for him in abundance, but also demand complete and total submission in all ways. You’ve already learned that disobedience earns you discipline. Marriage cleaves you to Lucas and those punishments will become more intimate. You’ll feel passion and joy beyond imagination, but don’t think there won’t be pain when you’ve earned discipline.” He reached up to brush her hair off her cheek. “Accepting pain will be hard enough, little one. Accepting it without the true desire to submit to the man doling out that discipline will never bring you nor Lucas the true joy

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