Sweet Revenge Ch. 07

"You may tell Lord Rawlins that I accept his proposal. I will be his wife."

Her father squeezed her shoulders and nodded his approval. "You are doing the right thing Karina. You will see, everything will work out for the best."

Karina was not convinced, but she was already committed. "Please tell him that I wish to proceed with the wedding as quickly as possible." She met her father's astounded gaze. "There's no point in delaying. If Lord Rawlins is going to claim the child as his, we should act with haste."

Her father beamed and nodded his approval. "I will send a message to Stuart tonight." He gently caressed her cheek. "Tomorrow, you shall be a bride!"

Karina found no joy in the words, but she nodded and smiled tremulously as her father left her room. Once he was gone, she hung her head in abject despair. If she were not pregnant, she would have spent the rest of her life mourning the loss of her true love, but as it was, she had to pick up the pieces of her shattered heart and move on.

Her baby deserved the best life she could give it. Now that she had made the decision to marry Lord Rawlins, she would try her best to make him a good wife. If everything her father said about him was true, he deserved at least her loyalty, if not her heart.

**********

The wedding the next afternoon was a very small affair. William had arranged for a clergyman to come to his home, and the wedding was held in the ballroom, with only the family and a handful of servants in attendance. Though Karina looked pale, she was beautiful in her dress of white satin.

Karina felt as if she were somehow removed from the proceedings. She floated listlessly through the ceremony, replying dutifully in the affirmative when it was required of her. However, the best she could manage for her new husband was a weak smile, as he squeezed her ice cold hand reassuringly.

Almost before she knew it, the wedding was completed, and Stuart lifted her veil and kissed her warmly on the lips. She kept her eyes lowered, refusing to meet his stare. The combination of her nerves and the extremely tight dress conspired to leave her feeling very warm and slightly dizzy, and she was grateful to have her new husband's arm for support. She turned to receive a hug of congratulations from Elizabeth and then Mrs. White, before her father embraced her and kissed her cheek.

He whispered low beside her ear, "You're doing the right thing Karina. I'm very proud of you!"

Karina blinked back the tears that burned the backs of her eyes. She smiled weakly at him and nodded. She felt a sharp pang of regret over the way things were turning out, but she couldn't change them. She had resolved to make the best of her situation, even when her heart was breaking. Stuart led her into the dining room for their wedding breakfast. The cook had labored for most of the night to prepare the feast, but Karina could barely look at the food. Everyone else was in high spirits, and Karina did her best to appear happy.

Much sooner than she would have wished, the meal was over, and it was time for her to accompany Stuart to her new home. She bit her lip to stop it from trembling, as she was accompanied by Mrs. White to her room. Karina stood stiffly, while Mrs. White carefully undid the hooks and ties holding her wedding gown in place, and she helped her into a deep blue travelling gown of soft velvet. The shade exactly matched Karina's eyes, and she looked stunning in the dress.

Karina said her goodbyes to the servants and shared hugs and kisses with her father and Elizabeth. Her father raised her chin with his finger and smiled into her eyes.

"I love you, Karina. I know that Stuart loves you too, and I am sure he will be a good husband to you."

Karina nodded her acceptance and turned to let Stuart hand her into the waiting coach for the short ride to his home. She smiled and managed to keep her chin from trembling, as she gave her family one last wave. She watched forlornly out the window, until they had turned a corner, and her childhood home disappeared from view.

Releasing a sigh, she settled back against the cushion of the seat beside her new husband. He placed a hand possessively on her knee, and she looked up to see him smiling at her warmly.

"Are you alright Karina? You have been very quiet this afternoon." His tone was very solicitous as he watched her closely.

"Yes, I'm fine," she murmured with a small smile. "I am just tired from all the activity over the past few days."

She looked down at her hands folded primly in her lap. She was dreading the coming night alone with Stuart, and she swallowed hard to remove the lump in her throat.

Stuart sensed her unease, and he mentally grinned as he looked down at her. He was going to enjoy educating her in the duties of being his wife. His fingers lightly fondled her leg, traveling a bit too far up her inner thigh for propriety, and he watched as a vivid blush spread over her cheeks and he felt her leg stiffen beneath his hand. She squirmed slightly beside him but made no protest. He gloated silently. She would do more than squirm tonight! She would be begging for mercy before he was done with her.