That night, no matter how hard I tried not to, I dreamt only of my wedding. I remember my mother walking into my room with a proud smile on her face, the one I had longed to see all my life. I had finally done something right. I asked where Ingrid was, worried that I would make everyone in the church impatient.
"I wanted to do it myself," She replied, her voice happier than i have heard it in a long time, "I know it has not seemed like it in the past, but I am so proud of you, and am so glad that you have found happiness."
Shortly after I was sat in front of my vanity staring at my reflection. My mother had done a wonderful job with my appearance; My hair had been braided intrinsically and then brought into a bun in the back. My dress, influenced by the Queen's dress, was so white I feared even the slightest of touch would forever disfigure it without repair. It had a wide lace collar and the bodice was corseted until my waist where the fabric was fanned out. My mother gingerly dusted some pearl powder on my face before glancing into the mirror and smiling at me.
"You look beautiful my darling," She said, "Now come child! We mustn't be late getting to the church!"
We laughed as we raced down the stairs not caring that we were not behaving how a proper ladies should act, and got into the carriage careful not to get my dress dirty in the puddles. It took us thirty minutes till we arrived at the church, but in my dream it only felt like seconds. Before I knew it, I was ushered into the church awaiting my cue to walk down the alter. I heard the musicians begin from the other side of the door as they were opening and all I could focus on for a moment was the number of people who had come to the ceremony. I wrapped my arm around my father's outstretched elbow and matched my pace with his as we walked down the aisle.
"Do you, Charles Richard Anderson take thee, Mary Lee Collins as your lawfully wedded wife?" Asked the reverend.
Lord Bedford turned to me, his brown eyes glowing with warmth and happiness and the sunlight beamed down upon him through the stained glass window giving him an angelic aura, "I do."
The reverend then turned to me, "And do you, Mary Lee Collins take thee, Charles Richard Anderson as your lawfully wedded husband?"
I smiled blushing slightly as I turned to my fiancé, "I do."
"Then with the power invested in me, by the Church of England, I now pronounce thee husband and wife!"
Contrary to the applause I expected from the guests there was absolute silence. I turned toward the crowd only to find emptiness. I turned back around. The flowers in my hands had wilted and started to decay, my dress had faded from the beautiful white into a black too dark for even mourning. I looked up at my husband but this time his eyes, once warm and inviting, were now cold and piercing through me like a knife.
Looming over top of me he whispered with a menacing grin, "Welcome to the beginning of forever."
He was no longer the angelic man I thought he was... but the devil himself.
*********
I tried to read once I realized trying to sleep was hopeless and was exhausted by the time Ingrid had gotten me ready for breakfast. Mechanically I moved through the tasks needed to be done before I was presentable enough for table.
"Lady Mary?" Ingrid questioned while brushing the tangles out of my hair, "You are awfully quiet today, is everything okay?"
She placed the brush on the vanity and stared at me through the mirror, "No, Ingrid, I am afraid I am not."
YOU ARE READING
Lords and Bandits (#Wattys2017)
Random"We are merely stealing from a society in which has given nothing to us." ********* Mary has never had any desire to get married, in fact she despises almost everything about marriage. In 1864 marriages among the upper class were still more of a bus...
