“Will you stand still?” Andrew asked Timothy.

“Strangely enough, I remember saying that to you at the first wedding,” Timothy sighed as he straightened his waistcoat and tailcoat.

“I remember that too,” Andrew said and clapped his shoulder in an attempt at comfort. “This time, you’re the one making everyone in the congregation nervous.”

“Can you blame me?” Timothy hung his head. He knew he shouldn’t be anxious. The last couple of months had brought him the kind of happiness he thought had been out of his reach forever. Here he was, about to seal this future, and it felt too good to be true. Sometimes he half imagined Ellis would rise from the dead and take this perfect life away from him again.

He looked over his shoulder at the guests sitting in the pews between the pillars. He and Diana had opted for a small service in the chapel on his estate here in Devon. Timothy had a few family members, his staff, and Andrew in attendance. In the second pew, he could see Harrington watching him. When Timothy connected their gaze, Harrington offered him a big smile, full of his own excitement, to which Timothy nodded.

Since that night where Timothy had refused to let himself be tempted by whisky, he had realized all the more what a good friend Harrington had been to him. Since that night, he still hadn’t touched a drop and didn’t intend to. He’d even asked Harrington to place the padlock back on the drink’s cabinet again, but Harrington had told him it wasn’t necessary. He had restraint now.

On Diana’s side of the pews were Ethel and the other staff from her cottage, along with a couple of cousins she was rekindling friendships with after so long. The only people they were waiting on was Diana’s father, the Baron, and Diana herself.

Timothy looked to the door that was still closed before turning back to Andrew.

“What’s the time?” Timothy asked as his friend laughed.

“Really? You’re doing this to yourself? You know she’ll turn up, stop worrying.”

“I was just asking what the time was,” he shrugged, trying to brush off his nerves. It wasn’t easy. He was playing with the collar of his cravat every few seconds. In front of them, the vicar took up his place with his bible in his hands and offered Timothy a smile he was struggling to return. Andrew pulled his pocket watch out of his waistcoat.

“It’s…one minute,” Andrew said.

“One minute past?” Timothy said, flicking his head back to his friend. “Then she is late.”

“One minute to,” Andrew shook his head again. “Calm down, Timothy, you know she’ll be here.”

Behind him, Timothy felt a slight tug to his trousers. He turned round to see Jonathan there dressed in a smaller version of the same suit he was wearing.

“Jonny,” Timothy used the nickname that only he ever reserved for the boy, watching as the boy’s face pinged into a smile. He held his arms up in the air, asking to be picked up. “Now?” Timothy asked.

“Now,” Jonathan nodded.

“Very well,” Timothy laughed. “What will your mother say when she sees you no longer in your seat beside Ethel, eh?” He picked up Jonathan and balanced him on his hip, feeling his smile return. He was growing to love Jonathan already. What mattered to Timothy today was not only that he was making a commitment to Diana, but him too. He was making a vow to care for the boy as though he was his own.

“Is she late?” Jonathan asked, making Timothy groan aloud.

“Careful,” Andrew winced at his side. “Your new father is already nervous enough without such comments.”

“You’re not helping either,” Timothy said to Andrew, just as the door to the chapel opened. The organ music struck up, and he fell still, feeling somewhat fixed to the spot as the Baron’s face appeared through the doorway.

As the Baron stepped to the side, he revealed Diana.

Timothy felt his smile grow. Diana was dressed like the goddess he had always thought her to be. Wearing a bold white gown, fixed high on the waist with a deep neckline, her hair cascaded down her back. In the center of the dress was the moon brooch that he had purchased for her all those years ago.

When Diana saw Jonathan in Timothy’s arms, she raised her eyebrows, prompting Timothy to chuckle.

“Best get back to your seat, Jonny,” Timothy said in his ear and placed the boy back on his feet. Jonathan hurried to the pews and scrambled into his seat beside Ethel, just as Diana walked down the aisle on her father’s arm.

Timothy briefly looked to the Baron seeing how happy he was and knowing he bore a similarly ridiculous smile.

As Diana reached the altar, the Baron placed her hand in his and Timothy brought her close to his side.

The time had finally come. This very moment he had thought would happen five years ago. Of course, he still wished it had, but knowing now all that had passed, he couldn’t be more thrilled to have found her again. In a way, he would always be thankful for his own drunken foolishness whilst she was out of his life. For if it hadn’t been for that, he never would have won the house in Devon, nor would he have had the carriage accident which sent him straight to Diana’s door and discovering her again.

“Today, we are here to celebrate the joining of the Earl of Moray, Timothy Dunn, and Miss Diana Bartlett…”

As the vicar moved into the vows, Timothy never took his eyes off Diana, too relieved that he was finally able to marry her.

***

“Diana, you can just enjoy the breakfast, you know,” Timothy said at Diana’s side. She smiled up at him, picking up another little cake to nibble. Diana hadn’t stopped smiling since she had woken up that morning. With Jonathan on one side of her stuffing as many cakes into his mouth as he could manage and Timothy on her other, she didn’t think it would be possible to be sad again.

“I know,” she smiled, just as Timothy took her hand and squeezed tightly. Within his grasp, she could feel both her engagement ring and her wedding ring standing proudly. “I just want everything to be perfect.”

“And it will be. We can talk of this tomorrow and worry about it then. Today is our wedding day,” he assured her, lifting her hand to his lips and kissing the back.

She sank into that touch for a minute. They had been good and restrained themselves after their first joining. Yet, it had been difficult. Often, they would sneak into quiet corners to sneak kisses and stolen moments of bliss. Hands had wandered beneath clothing for stolen touches and brief released\s of anticipation, but they never went as far again. They had promised to wait for the wedding night.

Feeling Timothy kiss the back of her hand, with his lips lingering across her skin, she could feel the coil of excitement spiraling in her stomach and shooting somewhere much lower. Images flashed in her mind, and she couldn’t wait to be alone with him again, after all their guests had gone. At least then, they need not hold back anymore.

“The paperwork will be sorted. I promise you,” Timothy assured, pulling her mind back to the conversation in hand.

“But it’s all so complicated,” she complained, looking around the guests that were scattered nearby on little tables. The intimate ceremony made for a small breakfast too, and she could see every face smiling, all enjoying the food and happy day. “Andrew was telling me about the papers, saying everything that needs to be done and all the hoops we need to jump through. It just all seems so absurd when I have been caring for Jonathan for these last five years. I will just feel so much better when it is all sorted.”

“There’s no need to worry,” Timothy said, releasing her hand and returning to his food. “The solicitor will be here tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Diana looked up in excitement. “You kept that a secret. I thought we were going up to London to sort it after our trip to Cornwall?” They had planned a week’s honeymoon down at some lodgings in Cornwall with Jonathan. From what Diana had heard, there were many beautiful beaches in the area, and Jonathan would no doubt love exploring and playing with all the sand.

“I know how important this is,” he said softly. “I won’t be calm until we’ve sorted it either. Come tomorrow, the solicitor will be here with the official adoption papers. He’ll file them in London the next day, and Jonathan’s parentage will never need to be questioned.”

Diana sighed with relief and sat back in her chair, turning to look at Jonathan beside her. He was speaking animatedly with his adopted grandpa, the Baron. Somewhat delighted to find there was a child to take care of, the baron had already delivered multiple presents to their door for Jonathan. He said he was making up for missed time.

As for the new inheritance that was to be Jonathan’s, they had already arranged to hold the money and estate in trust for him, until he was old enough to take possession himself. The land would be maintained, and the gambling halls would be sold off so that he never need deal with the burden of them.

Seeing Jonathan smiling beside her, looking around at so many people, she was relieved not to feel like she was imprisoning him anymore. Now Ellis had gone, she never needed to demand Jonathan stayed inside again. A different kind of future was laid out before him, one that was happy.

“You’ll be an excellent mother to him,” Timothy’s words pulled Diana’s gaze to look back to him.

“I hope so,” she said, leaning forward and taking his arm, sinking into him.

“I know you will be. Because though you may not yet have the title officially in law,” he smiled at her, sending warmth through her body, “I have already seen how good a mother you are to him.”

“I’m so pleased you think so,” Diana realized that this was the moment. She had something important to tell Timothy and had decided to wait until after the wedding to tell him. Now was that time couldn’t be any more perfect. “Timothy, there’s something you should know.”

“Oh?” he asked, looking to her. “This isn’t a confession that there are more secrets, is it? You’re not hiding any more children who we need to adopt, are you?” Diana laughed warmly as he smiled at her.

“No, I promise. This one we won’t need to adopt,” she whispered and placed a hand on her stomach. She watched as Timothy’s eyes widened, then he flicked his gaze downward to where her hand was placed.

“Do you mean…?” he trailed off, just raising his eyebrows.

“Yes,” she nodded. “Our family is going to get bigger.” Timothy’s smile grew impossibly wide.

“I wish you had told me in private,” he grabbed her hand tightly.

“Why?”

“Because I can hardly kiss you and embrace you in front of our entire wedding party, can I?” he said, shaking his head. “You’re carrying our child,” he murmured, mostly to himself before looking down at her stomach again.

She saw something glisten in his eyes. When she realized they were unshed tears, she urged him to look up to her again.

“Is everything all right?” she asked, leaning toward him and entwining their fingers together.

“I was just thinking how lucky I was that wheel fell off my carriage the day I came here. That was all. Who would think I would have found my goddess wandering through the trees to come to my aid?”

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