Ever After (Nantucket Brides 3)

Hallie and Cory exchanged a look of disgust. Cory picked up the remote and turned off the TV. “Oops.”

When the men started yelling and racing to get the TV back on, Hallie and Cory high-fived each other.

Beside them, Raine and Adam were silently laughing.

Hallie saw Todd enter through the kitchen. He nodded at her, but he said nothing as he went to the back of the room and sat down on the old desk chair.

When Hallie saw Jared and his wife on TV, she was shocked. Alix was pretty, but she also looked smart. Not what Hallie had thought a famous architect would have for a wife. When Alix turned sideways, Hallie saw that she was pregnant.

“Another one,” Hallie said, mostly to herself.

But Raine heard her and for a moment he looked at her as though trying to figure out what she meant. He looked back at the TV and just before he put a piece of popcorn in his mouth, he said, “Is Aunt Jilly feeling better?”

“Yes, she is,” Hallie said.

Raine didn’t look back at her, but from the way he smiled, she had an idea that he’d guessed about his aunt. She and Raine now shared a secret.

When the guests were at last seated, the groom and his brother arrived. They were both wearing dark blue uniforms, resplendent with gold buttons and braid on their shoulders.

“Men in uniform,” Hallie said with a sigh.

“Jamie has a uniform,” Max said.

“I guess he does,” Hallie answered, smiling at the image.

Graydon and his brother, Rory, were joined by another man who was very tall, with skin the color of honey and thick black hair. He had a way of walking that was truly majestic.

“That’s Daire,” Raine said. “He’s Lanconian.”

“Beautiful country,” Hallie said in admiration.

The three men walked down the long aisle to the front of the magnificent cathedral. The flowers were so abundant, Hallie could almost smell them. Next came the two bridesmaids, one a tall woman with long black hair, the other shorter and very pretty.

“Lorcan and Lexie,” Adam said. “Lexie and Toby were roommates in the house at the end of the lane.”

The camera panned to a tall, dark-haired man in the audience. He was so good-looking that Hallie drew in her breath. “Who is he?”

For a moment, no one answered. “Lexie’s husband,” Adam said. “Roger Plymouth.”

Hallie nudged Cory. “What do you think of him?”

Cory shrugg

ed. “Nicholas is better.”

Hallie looked at Adam in question.

“He’s a Montgomery cousin, Aunt Dougless’s son. He’s not here.”

“Too bad,” Hallie said with an exaggerated sigh. She glanced about the room at the men surrounding her. “I guess I’ll have to make do with you trolls.”

There were groans of pain, as though she’d wounded them, and Hallie laughed. It was nice, she thought, to belong. Even if it was temporary, it was wonderful to be part of a real live family.

They showed the bride arriving in a carriage with big glass windows, adorned with thousands of little blue flowers. It was so pretty that everyone in the room was silent.

The carriage stopped before the cathedral doors and Toby stepped out.

She had on a simple dress of white satin covered with delicate lace. The TV announcer said it had been handmade by members of the Ulten tribe of Lanconia. The dress had long sleeves and a high neck. It would have been chaste if it hadn’t fit Toby’s excellent figure so perfectly. Diamonds glittered on her head, her face covered by her veil. Her train was so long that it took her two bridesmaids minutes to pull it out of the carriage.