each one fighting for dominance as her heart began to race and her palms started to perspire inside of her white satin gloves.
“That’s normal, I suppose. But there’s really nothing to be nervous about. We’re still several hours before the deadline.” Helena patted her hand. “It’s all worked out splendidly, hasn’t it? You and him. Not that I ever doubted it would.”
“Splendidly,” Calliope echoed.
But if that were completely true, why was she suddenly filled with the urge to turn on her heel and bolt in the opposite direction?
Pre-wedding jitters, she told herself as one of the doors slowly creaked open and a servant whom she recognized as her future husband’s valet gestured them inside. It’s just pre-wedding jitters.
“Calliope.”
“What?”
“It’s time to go inside now.”
“Of course. I was just…gathering my thoughts.” To be fair, there were a lot of thoughts to gather. The last thirteen days had gone by in a whirlwind of wedding preparations. Helena had taken the lead with everything, and Calliope had only been too happy to turn over control. The wedding didn’t concern her. It never had. The only thing that mattered was Leo…and he’d been nowhere to be found.
Oh, he’d been present. At least in body. They’d taken a stroll through Hyde Park together while Helena chattered on and on about rose ivory versus champagne ivory. He’d met her aunt and cousin (what a disaster that had been). They’d even kissed. If a cold brush of his lips against hers that had lasted for less than the tick of a clock counted as a kiss. But in all the time they’d spent together she hadn’t seen a single glimpse – not one – of the man who had comforted her out on the stone terrace. That man was gone, replaced with an icy stranger she didn’t recognize and didn’t care to get to know. Because that wasn’t her Leo. The Leo she’d fallen in love with in the moonlight. The Leo who had seen past all her hurt to the tender heart beneath. The Leo that had held her in his arms with such gentleness she’d been moved to tears.
Where had that Leo gone?
She just prayed when she stepped into the church she would find him again.
“I know I just said we have hours, but it’s really best not to push things. Here, let me take your shawl.” Removing the garment, Helena passed it off to one of the footmen standing by the carriage that would ferry the newly wedded couple off to their country estate and then fixed Calliope with an encouraging smile. “Are you ready, darling?”
“I’m ready.” And she was. Because she did love Leo. She did want to spend the rest of her life with him. She did want to have a family with him. She did want to grow old with him.
Of that, if nothing else, she was absolutely certain.
Lifting her chin, she started to put one foot in front of the other and before she knew it she was inside the church and standing in front of the man who was about to be her husband. Her heart warmed at the sight of him, and when he reached out to take her hand at the direction of the priest all of her doubts faded away.
Then his eyes met hers, and her stomach knotted.
“Wait,” she gasped just as the priest cleared his throat and prepared to begin the ceremony.
Leo frowned. “Calliope, what is the–”
“I’m sorry. I – I can’t do this. I’m sorry!” she cried, yanking her hand free. Her gaze darting wildly from side to side, she started to back down the aisle, nearly tripped on the hem of her gown, and then spun around.
“Calliope, wait,” he demanded. “Calliope, stop!”
She raced past Helena and out of the church. With nowhere else to run she jumped into the waiting carriage, then quickly turned the lock.
“Go!” she yelled at the driver, who hastily picked up the reins and slapped them on the horse’s rump. With a snort the gelding lunged forward and the carriage clattered down the cobblestone street, leaving Leo standing in its wake…
Hell burning in his eyes.
The carriage made it to the outskirts of London before it was overtaken by a galloping rider. Swerving off to the side of the tree lined road, the driver immediately stopped and dismounted. One glance at Leo’s enraged countenance and he wisely put as much distance between himself and his vehicle as possible while Calliope, after sneaking a terrified peak at Leo out the window, leaned