James swiped another glass of champagne and downed it in one. He placed it back on the passing silver tray and grabbed another before the footman could depart too quickly.
This was not at all what he had envisioned for the day of his wedding. He snorted, which caused a nearby guest to jump and nearly bumble into a dancing arrangement of wisteria.
Of course, he had not envisioned anything at all for his wedding, but here he was, and he could not avoid it nor wish it away.
His wife was circling the company, speaking quite confidently, and he was glad for her that she was so comfortable in this particular moment.
He felt like crawling under one of the massive flower arrangements and hiding with a bottle of champagne, devil that it made him.
But Jack? She was thriving. He wanted to celebrate for her.
After all, she now had everything that she had desired. She had financial stability, and she was a duchess. Her family was saved.
In every way, they had met her requirements. He had found her the perfect match.
It washim, even though in his heart he felt absolutely terrified, because this sort of happiness could only last for so long. The match would, in the end, prove to be a misery.
The night in her arms had been a revelation.
He was no stranger to ladies, and he would be a liar if he did not confess it. But last night had been unlike anything he had experienced in his entire life.
Not because she was singular or unique in person, which she was, but because they had shared a connection that he had never had with anyone else.
He had, for all intents and purposes, been alone. Entirely alone. A choice of his own design. Until last night. He had not been able to prevent himself from letting her in, just a bit.
Not only was she his friend, she understood him, and that had broken through the barrier necessary to keep him on the straight and narrow path of control.
He had given himself in a way that he had not known he could. Now he felt raw and vulnerable, and it was not an acceptable state of affairs. He longed to quickly plaster each and every brick in his wall back in place.
Yes, he had to make certain that this vulnerability was shored up immediately. He could not risk the burst of emotions that had preceded his father’s breakdown. He had to protect her at all costs, even if protecting her was protecting her from himself.
And he’d do it.
His gaze swung about the garden, but the sight that met him this time was not one of beauty. As his eyes landed on Drexel, his hand gripped his champagne glass so tightly, he feared he might crack the stem.
The man clearly had a death wish. And James was happy to oblige.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Truly, a best friend was the dearest thing in all the world.
Even with the support of her mother, her mother-in-law, and her siblings, Jack was uncertain how she would have maneuvered about the veritable battlefield of a wedding breakfast without Olivia at her side.
Olivia fairly beamed with every step.
Which was wonderful and a sign of true friendship, given the fact that she had not had a moment yet to take her friend aside and explain what had happened.
No, Olivia was acting as if all this had been planned, as if she had known about a wedding for days, if not weeks, which was remarkable, since Jack had not even danced with the Duke of Stone until recently.
How had things transpired so quickly?
All of her problems had vanished the moment she’d climbed that tree. She simply had not known it. They had put themselves on a course leading to this moment.
And now, while the old dilemma was now laid to rest? Another stretched out before her. One that could last her entire life.
A husband who did not wish to be wed.
With her mother-in-law never far from her, no one dared say a word against her.