Chương 255: Chapter 255
They signed the license and the minister took it into his possession and told Erik he would drop it the next morning. "Thank you, for doing this and for making it so very special." Erik said to him.
"Anything for Bash and my Anna. I'm glad you both are so in love and I wish you the happiest life." He said.
Maggie took pictures of the decorated church and some of them alone and with the minister in the chapel. They all left in the cars and headed to a farmhouse not far from the church.
"Erik, where are we going?" Pearl asked.
"To consummate the marriage." He said, smiling. "I rented a house for us all."
Pearl smiled and kissed him. It was the middle of the night, but a woman greeted them at the door of the old, very old, looking farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, looking very awake and chipper. She was round and red cheeked and looked like what Pearl imagined Mrs. Potts from Beauty and the Beast might look like. Her Scottish accent was so thick, Pearl could barely understand her.
"Awrite! welcome. Ah hae yer rooms ready fur ye. huir uv a secrit." She said. Pearl just smiled and shook her hand.
"Reit thes way. Ah will hae breakfest ready fur ye in th' morn." She said, leading them down a hallway and up a flight of stairs. The entire second floor was for them. Three bedrooms and a sitting room and a bathroom. "I'll take the couch", Sebastian said, walking into the sitting room. "I sleep like shit anyway."
Erik and Pearl walked into the largest bedroom. It had an old stone fireplace and a big wooden bed with a handmade quilt over it.
"I feel like we are in twelfth century Scotland and I am your newly taken secret wife." She said.
"You are." Erik said, pulling her to him and kissing her. He turned her around and unzipped her dress, moving it from her shoulders and sliding it down and off of her legs. He unhooked her bra and slid her panties down and to the floor. She stood, completely naked, in front of him.
"You are so beautiful." He said. "And now you are my wife." He took his jacket off and Pearl helped him out of his waistcoat, shirt and trousers. He pulled her into his arms again, holding her close.
He laid her onto the bed and made love to her, gently. Making sure every part of her body was kissed while telling her he loved her, over and over again, with the light of the fireplace illuminating their skin.
"This feels like a dream." Pearl said, running her hands along his body, covered in sweat from their lovemaking. "I assure you, it isn't." Erik said, turning to her, looking into her eyes.
"And we will still have the big wedding?" Pearl asked.
"Yes. But this was for us." He said.
"Thank you, Erik. For making all my dreams come true." Pearl said.
He placed his hand on her belly. "Thank you for helping me realize mine." He said. "Your belly grows. I can feel it."
"Yes. Your baby is growing." She said.
"I can't wait to meet her." He said, smiling.
"Oh, it's a she now?" Pearl asked, giggling.
"I don't know. But I can't wait." He said. She ran her fingers through his hair until he fell fast asleep. My husband, she thought. The prince of fucking England.
She moved out from under him and pulled a robe from her bag that Maggie had packed and walked out to use the bathroom. Sebastian was up, sitting in the couch, drinking a scotch.
"When in Scotland." He said, holding up his glass. Pearl smiled and sat next to him.
"I want to thank you. For tonight. I know it was your doing. I know Erik would have never came up with all this. He is not as rebellious of traditions as you are. I remember you telling me you would do this, in the garden. And Maggie said the minister was your fiancé's father." She said.
"Yes." Sebastian said.
"Why? Why do that for him after he was so cold to you all these years? I know it can't be easy for you to just forgive like that, unless you really are a saint. Which I'm not convinced you aren't at this point." Pearl asked, laughing.
"I told you before. And I told Erik. I have no secrets when it comes to this. I didn't do it for him. I did it for you. It will always be for you." Sebastian said, not laughing at all.
Pearl leaned away in and looked at him.
"The first moment I saw you, I knew I would be connected to you, in some way, for the rest of my life. I felt it, like a rope was attached from my body, to yours. I can't explain it. And frankly, I don't want to." He said.
Pearl started to speak but he interrupted her.
"I will never do anything to disrespect Erik or your marriage. Know that. But also know that I don't have a choice here, either. If I did, I wouldn't be doing what I've done and will continue to do. I'm not that good of a man. It would be too painful. I know between the two of us, you would always choose him and I would never ask. But that doesn't change the connection I feel with you." He said, putting his head down. "I don't understand it, maybe I never will. But I'm here and I always will be, for you."
Pearl looked at him with sincere care and compassion. There was nothing worse than unrequited love. She knew it well. "Now, go back to your blissfully sleeping husband and get some rest. You have a lot on your plate these next few weeks." He said.
Pearl nodded and left him there, sitting on the couch, finishing his drink.
"Guid morn! hiner ye slept weel... ur at aw." The woman of the house said as they went to the dining room the next morning. Sebastian was already up and having tea. There was an enormous spread of square lorne sausage, link sausages, fried eggs, streaky bacon, baked beans, black pudding and haggis, tattie scones, fried tomatoes and mushrooms, and toast. It was glorious.
Erik thanked her and they began stuffing their faces. "Are Maggie and Auggie coming down?" Erik asked Sebastian.
"Don't know. I heard them... up late." He said, smiling. Dylan and Jim came down and asked for coffee.
"Ah hae coffee. huir uv a strang. loch ye." She said. Pearl mouthed "What?" to Dylan and Dylan shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.
"Well well well, there they are!" Erik said, smiling. Auggie looked like hell and Maggie, not much better. Auggie poured them each a cup of tea and stood at the counter. Erik nodded and Auggie smiled. Maggie sat next to Pearl, her back to him. Maggie sat her cup down on her saucer but wouldn't sit flat. She looked down and saw a huge diamond ring in the middle of the plate.
"What is this?" Maggie asked out loud. She picked up the ring and saw a stunning vintage filigree ring, with an old mine cut diamond in the middle that had to be at least two carats. She looked up at Erik and Pearl and then to her right, where Auggie was beside her, down on one knee.
"It was my grandmother's ring on my mother's side. The only thing my mother has of hers. She gave me permission to give it to you, when I asked for you hand. Which I am doing now. Magnolia, I love you. You are such an incredible woman. Smart. Kind. Tough as nails. I can't imagine going through life without you in my corner. I asked a good friend how I would know someone was the "one" and she told me something that will stick with me for the rest of my life. She said, 'At the end of the day, it's about being brave enough to do it, to cut your heart out and offer it for the taking, and we are only haunted by the ghosts that we trap within ourselves; we are not haunted by the ghosts that we let out." He said. "I don't want to be afraid. I want to love you, openly and bravely, for the rest of my life. Marry me, Maggie." He said. Maggie couldn't believe it. She was completely surprised.
"Yes. Yes I will marry you." Maggie said, hugging Auggie. He smiled and hugged her back, kissing her and thanking her.
"Sae much loove haur. Ah feel lucky tae be in it!" The woman of the house said. Erik offered a toast of tea and told his brother and Maggie they had his blessing and that he was happy for them.
They all left after thanking the woman for all her hospitality. Erik gave her an envelope of cash and the woman nearly fainted. "That's enaw tae feed mah fowk an' pay mah bills fur a year. thenk ye." She said. Erik hugged her and they left for the airstrip. Auggie and Maggie were staying another night in Edinburgh before returning home.
"I am so happy right now. I cannot believe you are my wife." Erik said as they prepared for take off. Pearl smiled and looked over at him, absolutely in love.
"I can." She said, winking. "I've had my eye on you for awhile now, Mr. Chamberlain." She said.
"Oh have you, Mrs. Chamberlain?" Erik said.
"Only call me that when you are completely and perfectly incandescently happy." She said, quoting Pride and Prejudice.
"Mrs. Chamberlain, Mrs. Chamberlain, Mrs. Chamberlain... " he whispered, kissing her.
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