63 Ola and the Sea Wolf (16 page)

That she looked like a bride at all was the choice of the Marquis and she would leave everything concerning herself in his hands.

In a way it would be an apology to him, she thought, and wondered if he would understand.

When she was ready, she suddenly felt afraid of leaving the cabin and she thought that perhaps, when she went into the Saloon, she would see a frown between the Marquis’s eyes and know how much he disliked the ceremony awaiting them.

‘Perhaps he would like to run away, as I have always run away when things become too difficult,’ she told herself.

Then she remembered they were, in fact, married already although she was sure that no one on
The Sea Wolf
knew anything about it except the Captain.

Only because Gibson insisted and she could think of no reason not to do so, she walked proudly with her chin up into the Saloon.

As she had expected, the Marquis was there and when she saw him she was astonished at his appearance because he was wearing evening dress.

Then she remembered the girls at the Convent had told her that in France the bridegroom always wore evening dress whatever time of day the ceremony took place.

But, as her wedding was in the evening, it actually was entirely appropriate.

He certainly looked magnificent and, gazing at him, she forgot her own appearance.

She saw that he was not frowning or looking disagreeable, but was regarding her with a smile on his lips.

“Thank you,” she said hurriedly, “thank you – so much for my – gown. I did not expect you to think of – such a lovely present – but I am very grateful.”

“If you are ready, I suggest we leave for the Church immediately,” the Marquis said. “There is a carriage waiting on the quay. In fact there are two as the Captain is coming with us as a witness and will be travelling in the second one.”

Ola did not reply, she merely followed the Marquis onto the deck and was glad both for the darkness and the veil over her face, which was a protection from any curious eyes that might be watching her.

There appeared to be nobody about and, when she stepped into the closed carriage waiting by the gangplank, the Marquis joined her and they set off immediately.

She thought she ought to speak to him, but, as he did not say anything to her, they drove in silence and there were only the lights of the villas and hotels lining the road to make her feel as if she was going on a strange voyage to an unknown destination.

The Church, however, was not far away and, when they arrived, the Marquis climbed out first to help her alight and then offered her his arm.

It was only a few steps to the porch and then they were inside the Church and, by the light of the candles on the altar, Ola could see it was small with stained glass windows and stone pillars.

What made it different were the mass of lilies in the chancel and the profusion of white carnations decorating the base of the pillars and the empty choir-stalls.

It gave the Church a beauty she had not expected and the fragrance of the flowers filled the air almost like incense.

The Marquis took her up the aisle to where the Priest was waiting for them and, when they stood in front of him, he immediately began the service.

The Marquis made his responses in a firm voice, but to Ola her own voice sounded so strange that she could hardly recognise it.

She knew that she was frightened and she felt as if she was making an irretrievable step into the unknown and yet there was nothing she could do. She felt as if she was being swept along on a tide carrying her into an unknown sea.

When the Priest blessed the ring, Ola felt the Marquis’s fingers holding her hand and his strength seemed to give her courage.

They knelt and she found herself praying that somehow their marriage would be a happy one and that the Marquis would not hate her because it was all her fault that he was married.

The Priest blessed them and, as they rose to their feet, he said in a kindly voice,

“I shall pray for your happiness.”

Then to the Marquis he added,

“You may kiss the bride.”

Ola felt herself stiffen, feeling perhaps that the Marquis would refuse to do so, but he lifted her veil from her face and threw it back over her head.

Then, as her eyes met his and widened a little in fright, he looked down at her before his lips sought hers.

It was a very brief kiss, more a symbolic gesture, and yet it gave Ola a sensation she had never known before as she felt her mouth possessed by the Marquis and her lips made captive by his.

The Marquis offered her his arm and they walked slowly down the aisle.

Above her, where the light of the candles did not reach the shadows of the roof, Ola, looking up, felt they were not alone, but were being watched by celestial beings wishing them happiness.

When they reached the porch, she gave a little gasp of surprise, for outside, lining the way to their carriage, was a Guard of Honour consisting of the seamen from the yacht.

She knew that the Marquis was surprised as well, but he smiled as he led Ola through the ranks of his own men, dressed in their smartest rig.

The carriage was no longer closed and, as they reached it, Ola saw that the hood was decorated with white carnations like those inside the Church and the horses had gone.

Instead there were two lines of seamen to draw them and, as soon as Ola and the Marquis were seated, they moved off with the Guard of Honour following them.

“Did you know this was going to happen?” she asked.

“I had not the slightest idea,” the Marquis replied. “In fact I thought the only people who knew our secret were the Captain and Gibson.”

Ola gave a little laugh.

“I am sure that it was Gibson who thought of something so exciting and so dramatic. It is just what he would enjoy.”

“Are you enjoying it too?”

The Marquis’s voice was deep and it made her a little shy so that she could not look at him as she replied,

“Of course – it is very – exciting for me and could we have a more – wonderful setting for our – wedding?”

She looked up, as she spoke, at the stars brilliant overhead and, as they drew nearer to the harbour, they could see the moonlight shimmering silver on the sea and the masts of
The Sea Wolf
silhouetted against the whole glory of the Heavens.

The Marquis’s eyes were on the rounded softness of her neck as she looked up, but he did not speak and Ola gave him a little shy smile.

“Thank you, thank you!” she said to the seamen as they brought the carriage to a standstill at the gangplank.

Then, as she smiled at them, they cheered her and the Marquis, waving their caps above their heads until they had reached the deck and disappeared inside the yacht.

“How can they have thought of such a lovely surprise?” Ola was asking as she went into the Saloon and found that the surprises were not at an end.

There were white lilies standing in huge vases on each side of the sofa and there were lilies on the Marquis’s desk and a profusion of white flowers decorated the table at which they were to dine.

Ola clapped her hands together.

“Who can have thought of anything so lovely?” she asked.

“I will see that everyone is thanked in the most practical manner,” the Marquis smiled.

She heard him ordering the Stewards to serve rum to all the Ship’s Company and champagne to be sent to the Captain and the other Officers.

It was time for dinner and the chef had excelled himself in producing a meal that was better than anything Ola had eaten since she had been aboard
The
Sea Wolf
.

Finally when dessert was put on the table, the Stewards carried in a large wedding cake.

“I am prepared to claim credit for this,” the Marquis volunteered. “I bought it today when I was choosing your gown.”

It was certainly a very impressive cake of three tiers, decorated in the traditional manner with horseshoes and artificial orange blossom, surmounted by a tiny but very French-looking bride and bridegroom under a silver canopy of lovebirds.

“We must cut it together,” Ola proposed.

Then she wondered if the Marquis would think such a demonstration of unity was unfitting.

But he agreed, saying as they rose,

“I should really have brought my sword with me, but I did not think it would be necessary on this voyage.”

Ola glanced at him quickly to see if he was talking bitterly, but he was smiling as he handed her a long sharp knife, saying,

“I am sure this will be far more effective.”

Ola put her hand on the knife and the Marquis covered it with his and once again she felt the strength of his fingers.

They gave her the same strange feeling she had known when he had kissed her, but she told herself that it was only because she was feeling shy.

The cake was cut and the Stewards, having left two slices on the table, carried it away to offer the rest to everyone aboard
The
Sea Wolf
.

A decanter of brandy was set before the Marquis and it made Ola think of the night she had drugged him.

As if he was thinking the same thing, he said after a moment,

“We have been through some strange experiences together, Ola, and perhaps the strangest of them all has happened today.”

She thought he was reproaching her and, after a moment, she said in a small voice,

“I – am – sorry.”

He raised his eyebrows.

“For what?”

“Having brought all – this about, I know – what you must be – feeling.”

“I rather doubt that.”

“But of course I know,” she insisted. “You had sworn never to marry and you told me that you hated women as I hated men and yet because I – forced myself upon you I am now your – w-wife.”

It was somewhat difficult to say the last word and she stumbled over it because it sounded so intimate.

She felt the colour rise in her cheeks.

“I think we have a great deal to learn about each other,” the Marquis said, “and, as we are both intelligent people, we are both well aware that what we said yesterday does not necessarily apply to today.”

Ola gave him a little smile.

“You are being kind to me,” she said, “but I want to say something to you.”

“What is it?” the Marquis asked.

He had made no effort to help himself to brandy. He was sitting back in his chair, his eyes on her face and he seemed relaxed yet almost as if he was seeing her for the first time.

“We are – married,” Ola said in a small voice, hardly above a whisper. “I know it was – necessary and there was, as you said, nothing else we could do in the circumstances. But I want you to be happy and I will do – anything you decide, when we return to England.”

“What do you mean by that?” the Marquis enquired.

For a moment Ola could not reply.

She was trying to find words to express the thoughts that were in her mind and yet would not formulate themselves as clearly as she wished.

She said after a long pause,

“If you want me to live – apart from you or if we are together at times because people would think it strange if we were not, I will try to – please you and behave in a way that the wife you would have chosen for yourself would behave.”

The Marquis did not speak and Ola, in the light of what she had said, thought perhaps he was considering her suggestion that they might live apart to be a good one.

She glanced at him and thought how handsome he looked and that there was something about him which would make him stand out in whatever company he was in and however many men there were around him.

‘He is so distinguished,’ she told herself, ‘and, in a way, magnificent.’

It suddenly swept over her that he was her husband, she bore his name and she was his wife.

Then, almost as if a voice from Heaven spoke to her, she knew that she did not want to leave him. She wanted to be with him, she wanted to talk with him – to listen to him.

She wanted – she could hardly express it herself – she wanted him to kiss her again!

As the whole idea was so revolutionary, so different from anything she had ever thought about the Marquis before, she felt her heart beating tempestuously in her breast!

In a panic she wanted to run away from the room in case he should be aware of what she was thinking.

As if he had made a decision, the Marquis asked,

“Give me your hand, Ola.”

He put out his own as he spoke and obediently she put hers on it and felt his fingers close.

“I think there should be no misapprehensions and misunderstandings between us,” he said. “I should tell you now exactly what I want of the future and what I feel about you at this moment.”

He felt her fingers quiver as he went on,

“It may be hard to make you believe it, but, as we married just now, I knew it was what I wanted and that you were, in fact, the wife I would have chosen for myself had we met under different circumstances.”

Ola was so surprised she could only stare at him, her eyes very wide in the light of the candles.

“Do – you – mean that?” she whispered.

“I mean it,” the Marquis replied, “and it is true. Perhaps I should explain to you, although it seems unimportant now, why I said I hated women and why I came on this voyage in the first place.”

“No!” Ola said quickly. “No, please don’t tell me! I have felt, in fact I am sure, you have been hurt and wounded and it was a woman who did it, but I would rather not know!”

The Marquis looked at her in surprise and she went on,

“What has happened in the past has nothing to do with me, except that you were there when I needed you most! So if it is possible – I would like us to start our life together anew – with none of the – miseries, the problems and the – difficulties that happened before we – met each – other.”

She made a little sound, which was almost a sob as she added,

“I have called you my Good Samaritan and that is what you were. If you had not taken me in your yacht when I was – desperate, my life would have been very – different. It would have been a – horror I cannot bear to – contemplate!”

“I understand what you are saying,” the Marquis replied, “and I think there is no other woman who would be so sensible.”