Chapter 3
At Kingsley Manor, Riley and Earl Benjamin Kingsley had just concluded the marriage ceremony and were about interrupted the applause: “Your Grace, please wait.”
Lillian and I appeared at the entrance.
bridal chamber when a voice
The Earl glanced at me in surprise, and so did all the guests, seeing me dressed in the same white vell Riley wore. Murmurs spread through the crowd.
“What is happening?”
“Why is Rowena here? Then who is the bride?”
Riley lifted her veil, saw us, and stumbled backward into Benjamin’s arms.
“Benjamin,” she murmured softly, her head tilted upward.
He hugged her protectively, but frowned at me and asked, “What are you doing here?”
I smiled. “Today was meant to be the wedding of Rowena Donovan–you and I were to be married. Why, then, when you saw me entering here, did you not seem the least surprised that the bride walking in was Riley?”
“Or did you know I wasn’t your bride all along?”
His reaction indeed raised questions: seeing me, who should have been the bride, and showing no shock when Riley stepped forward…
Riley hurriedly stepped forward to explain. “Sister, please don’t be angry. Last night you kept saying you didn’t want to marry the Earl. You had too much to drink and wouldn’t wake this morning. When the bridal procession arrived, I had no choice but to step in for you.”
She wore an expression of sisterly concern. I looked at her and said sarcastically, “But sister, you were the one who said you didn’t want to marry General Callahan last night, insisting we stay up all night talking and that you must sleep in my room. Was that all to slip into my gown and leave my room without detection?”
“No wonder I drank the milk you brought me and collapsed–so you could impersonate me and take my wedding!”
Riley’s face went pale and she recoiled, stammering, “No–no- that’s not true. Sister, it was you last night saying you refused to thought, since you didn’t want him, I would stand in for you. I only meant well.”
marry
the
Earl just
The Earl saw tears in her eyes and pulled her closer with pity.” Auto–added to the Library a, since you refused me and Riley and I have exchanged rings, she is my wife now. Causing more trouble now changes
He added, “Which proper daughter would put on her wedding gown and storm into another house to make a scene?”
They both shifted all blame to me. A scheme to me, then smear me… at least I had proof.
I took a small box from my dress and held it up. “Your sister claimed she acted out of concern and that she spoke on my behalf, as if forced. Sounds pathetic… like a helpless victim.”
Riley wiped her tears and sniffled, “We are sisters. I couldn’t bear to watch you suffer. Perhaps you had someone else in your heart, and didn’t want the Earl–but he treated us with such kindness that I couldn’t bear for him to lose face because of you. That’s why I took it upon myself to replace you.‘
She looked earnest,
I regarded her coolly and replied, “That may be. But I found this in your room last night, so I assumed you and the Earl were betrothed in secret.”
I opened the box gently. Inside was a stack of heartfelt love poems penned by the Earl for Riley–and one of his necklaces.
I drew out the poems. “Each line here is heartfelt devotion. Are we to believe that the Earl’s deep affection for my stepsister is entirely false?”
Chapter 3
