I felt sure that it was to be a simple ceremony, so the dress should not be too elaborate.
I came home from the theater on that last night. I had never been so excited in my life. Tomorrow was my wedding day. I was in turn exultant and apprehensive.
Lady Rosslyn. I murmured it to myself. Could it really be me? What would my mother say? And my father and Maria Willerton? Could this really be happening to me?
He was so distinguished, so handsome, so clearly of another world than that in which I had lived thus far. I began to wonder about my inadequacies. But he loved me. He would look after me. He would help me. And he wanted this marriage. He was so eager. I remembered how, so recently, he had had to satisfy his desires without it. It was only when he failed to do so that he had realized that he wanted to marry me.
All would be well. How I wished Kitty were here. She would have come to the chapel as a witness. One had to have witnesses, of course, but Jack would arrange that.
It was wonderful. If only, as Martha had said, Maggie were home. How excited she would be.
I was waiting long before he arrived in the carriage to take me to Knightsbridge. I went through agonies of fear and doubt as I waited. What if he did not come? What if he never intended to? Was it a huge joke? A revenge on me for refusing him? Terror seized me. He was not coming. I knew that Martha was peering out through the parlor window. Rose was beside her, all agog with excitement.
"O God," I prayed, "let him come."
I was being foolish. There were five minutes to go.
And there he was. Martha was at the door.
I went down and he said: "Sarah ... my bride," and I was happier than I had ever been in my life.
He kept his arm round me as we rattled on our way out of devastated London to Knightsbridge.
I had never been there before, but I knew from now on it would always be preserved in my memory.
" Tis not a long journey," said Jack. "We shall soon be there. What a joy that will be. And the ceremony is not of long duration."
"There must be witnesses, I am told," I said.
"Do not worry your head about that. I have arranged it all. It will be over very soon. We are now crossing the old bridge over the Westbourne, the bridge from which this place gets its name. Now we are almost there. What a desolate place to have built a mansion! But I suppose it was done long ago. Charles was saying the old place goes back some two hundred years. The ancestral home, you know. And that is World's End ... a rather notorious drinking house. Yes, my love. Indeed, we are there."
The carriage was drawing up.
It was certainly an ancient house. We had stopped before the gatehouse with a broad low arch flanked on either side by battlement ed towers. It was very imposing with its gables and turrets built in red brick. Indeed, it had the appearance of having stood there for all of two hundred years.
Jack almost lifted me out of the coach and, as he did so, an old man appeared, evidently some retainer.
"My lord," he cried, "my master is waiting for you. All is prepared."
We followed him to a large hall with a high vaulted ceiling and many windows. Weapons hung on the walls.
A young man hurried forward.
"Charles!" cried Jack. "This is good of you."
"It is my pleasure," said Charles. He was looking at me and smiling warmly.
"Come along, my dear fellow," he said. "Introduce me. Are you afraid to let anyone else see her? I must say, that would not surprise me."
"Sarah," said Jack, "this is my good friend Charles Torrens. Charles, you know all about Sarah."
"He has not stopped speaking of you for weeks," said Sir Charles. "You are the luckiest of men. Jack."
"I know it well," said Jack. "Shouldn't we get along to the chapel?"
"Impatient bridegroom, we understand your need for haste now that we have seen the beautiful bride for ourselves."
"Is the priest here?"
"Ready and waiting."
"And you have the witness?"
"I have. Blakeman and Jefferson were ready enough to step into the breach and give their services. All is as it should be."
"Then let us get to it," said Jack.
We were taken from the hall to a room in which two young men were waiting. Jack greeted them warmly and they were introduced to me. They were our two witnesses, James Jefferson, who was about Jack's age, and Thomas Blakeman, who was much younger.
"It is good of you to come along," Jack told them.
"But of course we came," said James Jefferson. "We know you'd do the same for us."
They were all laughing and merry, but Jack was impatient to have the ceremony performed, and Sir Charles Torrens said we would proceed without delay.
"I'll go ahead," he said, "and tell Reverend Martin that we are ready. He is doubtless deep in prayer. He regards this as a very solemn occasion."
Thomas Blakeman said, "Not too solemn, I pray. I am sure Jack will introduce a little gaiety into the proceedings."
Jack frowned and Charles Torrens said, "Listen, Blakeman, our friend Jack is about to make his solemn vows. It is not a matter to speak of lightly."
"Forgive me," said Blakeman. "I am sure you are going to be very happy."
Reverend Martin was waiting for us in the chapel. He was a man of medium height and was rather unusual-looking. His hair was of a reddish tint of fair and was thin and curly. His pale eyebrows and eyelashes gave him a startled look, and he had a short nose and long upper lip which added to his rather strange appearance. Freckles were visible on his forehead and across his nose. He did not appear somehow to suit his clerical garb and pious demeanor.
He took my hands and looked into my face.
"So, this is the bride," he said. "Mistress, you will have studied the marriage service. You understand the seriousness of this undertaking?"
"Yes," I said. "I understand."
"That is well." He glanced at the others. "I should like a few moments alone with the bride."
Jack suppressed an impatient protest and Sir Charles laid a hand on his arm.
"Reverend Martin knows what is meet at such a time, I'm sure."
"We shall say a prayer together," said the priest.
And they left us.
"You are very young. Mistress," he said. "But I believe you are aware of the gravity of this step you are taking."
"Oh, yes," I said.
"Marriage is a very serious undertaking."
"Yes," I said. "I know."
"You have given this deep consideration, I hope?" he went on.
"I have indeed."
"Very well. Let us now pray together."
We both knelt and he asked God to watch over me, to guide me in my marriage, and he went on in this vein for some minutes.
Then he rose and said: "I will call them in now, and then we will proceed."
I stood beside Jack at the altar and we went through the marriage service.
When it was over Jack kissed me tenderly. And Charles insisted that we leave the chapel so that our health could be drunk.
I said goodbye to the priest and gave him my thanks, which he received very graciously, before telling me that God would guide me through my new life. He then said goodbye to me.
In another room we partook of the wine which Charles Torrens insisted was appropriate on such occasions. Jack thanked him for allowing his house and servants to be used for our benefit and the two witnesses for coming to help us.
"It was nothing," said Charles Torrens, "only what one must do for one's friends if it is in one's power. Martin has very little to do when the family is not in residence. He was glad to be occupied and there is nothing he likes more than officiating at a wedding."