A March Bride (18 page)

The noise of the crowd rose to a fevered pitch.

Susanna waved and smiled, a peace beyond understanding rising in her heart. This was her destiny. What God created her to do and be. And at the end of this life journey
with Nathaniel, she
’
d meet another amazing King face-to-face: Jesus.

Daddy leaned toward her, laughing, shouting,
“
I think they like you, Suz.
”

“
And I
’
m starting to love them.
”

Once they arrived at Abbey Road, she stepped out of the coach with Daddy
’
s aid, pausing for the photographers. She
’
d given permission to each approved media outlet to send one photographer to walk with her, at a distance, as she made her way down a carpeted path to the abbey
’
s entrance. It was tradition for the bride to walk from the road to the church on a red velvet runner.

Besides, this was Brighton
’
s day as much as hers and Nathaniel
’
s.
Their
day, their
first
wedding, would always be a private, special memory.

Avery met Susanna at the beginning of the walk and helped her lower her veil. When Daddy offered his arm, Avery picked up Susanna
’
s long train and they commenced the slow processional. As they made their way toward the ancient church down the path lined with hornbeam trees and potted hyacinth and hydrangea, the people cheered.

We love you, Susanna.

The walk stopped at the abbey
’
s ivy-covered walls where the archbishop met them, looking regal in his intricately embroidered robes. The Royal Brighton Orchestra began to play, filling the abbey with the notes of their own unique wedding song.

“
Ready?
”
Daddy said, holding on to Susanna as much as she was holding on to him.

“
Yes, I am. Very much.
”

Together they followed the archbishop down the long, red-carpeted nave.

Susanna
’
s heart fluttered at the first sight of Nathaniel waiting for her on the altar steps, amazing-looking in his own dark blue naval uniform replete with ribbons and medals, his silky hair clipped and trimmed, shining in the soft light.

When she arrived before him, he bowed ever so slightly and reached for her hand.
“
You are stunning.
”

With all the warm confidence of love, she held his hand and followed him up the steps, never looking back, never feeling so comfortable and safe as she did right now. In the garden of her husband
’
s heart.

1. Susanna has given up everything to marry King Nathaniel. But when he tells her that she has to give up her American citizenship, it pushes her over the edge. Some of my missionary friends feel very proud and possessive of the American heritage and citizenship. Giving it up would be letting go of their last hold on home. How do you feel about this? Would you hesitate to give up your citizenship—your last piece of
“
you
”
?

2. The reverend reminds Susanna that her citizenship is really in heaven. Not Brighton or America. This revelation is something I try to meditate on. I
’
m of the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ. What about you? Has this reality impacted you? How does it change the way you live?

3. Nathaniel has a romantic wound. The public rejection of Lady Adel. It causes him to hesitate with Susanna. But he faces his fear when he sets up the surprise wedding. Is there a wound in your past that causes you to be afraid of something or someone? Even the Lord?

4.
Love and marriage require a lot of giving, a lot of commitment. Susanna surrendered everything for love. Love is worth our all. Don
’
t we see this in Jesus
’
s birth, death, and resurrection? How He became His own creation because of love. How can we be more like Him? He
’
s worth giving up everything for love.

5. The Bible tells us that love covers a multitude of sin. It also enables us to trust and give, allows us not to cling to our own ways. We see this in the blending of low-country Georgia culture and European royal culture at the wedding reception. How can growing confident in His love for you enable you to love others more?

An Excerpt from A February Bride

I
f
wedding dresses could talk, Allie Andrews was fairly certain hers would have a sailor
’
s mouth.

Four
months later—to the day, actually, after she
’
d shucked out of her wedding dress in the backseat of the meant-to-be honeymoon car and gunned it down the highway with nothing but a bottled Yoo-hoo and her favorite faded jeans for company—the dress hung on the inside of her closet door, the once small tear in the seam now gaping and taunting her. Every time she opened the closet, that rip reminded her how she
’
d severed one of the few relationships in her life actually worth keeping.

Which was precisely why she had to give it away in the first place.

Allie grabbed her favorite purple sweater, the one she often wore to work at her antiques store since the air conditioner in the quirky old building refused to shut off year round, and tugged it over her head. She could use all the cozy
comfort she could get today at lunch with Hannah. She
’
d put it off long enough. After ditching her best friend
’
s brother at the altar, she
’
d fully expected Hannah to hold a grudge. Hannah
’
s unconditional love expressed through multiple phone calls and text messages had been almost worse than the cold shoulder—harder to face than a much deserved grudge—which was probably why she
’
d been avoiding this meeting.

Besides, Hannah looked so much like her brother.

Allie
’
s arm brushed against the dress as she adjusted her sweater, and the frothy number swayed on its padded hanger. The swish of the fabric only seemed to whisper more condemnation.

With a groan, she shut the closet door harder than necessary. She should just get rid of the thing, but it wouldn
’
t be worth the wrath of her mother, grandmother, and aunt. Yet even though they all threatened her within an inch of her life if she sold the dress or threw it away, not one of them would store it at her own house.
“
It belongs to you now, and will until you wear it. Then you pass it down to your daughter.
”

Right. A daughter? Not at this rate.

And zero hope of getting over what she did to Marcus. Even if it was for his own good.

A knock sounded on her apartment door, and Allie dashed to get it, checking her watch. She needed to leave in less than ten minutes if she didn
’
t want to be late, and with a long-time friendship already riding on this lunch, she really shouldn
’
t push it by appearing like she didn
’
t care. She pulled the door open.

Hannah, looking at once like her best friend and a total stranger in a pink cashmere sweater and skinny jeans tucked
into boots. She looked great—like she hadn
’
t lost her best friend or spent the past several months comforting a broken-hearted brother at all.

Maybe Allie hadn
’
t mattered all that much to begin with.

“
I was just heading out to meet you.
”
Allie cautiously opened the door wider to allow her friend inside, bracing herself for . . . something. And not just the chill of the January air that rushed to meet her despite the heated hallway.
“
Did I mess up the time?
”

She took a step backward, and the heel of her boot caught on the striped rug under her feet. Maybe Hannah had changed her mind and decided to tell her off privately instead. Maybe she
’
d realized a polite lunch in public was way more considerate than Allie deserved.

“
I couldn
’
t wait another minute to tell you.
”
Hannah shoved her left ring finger in Allie
’
s face and let out an excited squeal.
“
I
’
m engaged!
”
She jumped up and down, her curly dark hair bouncing against her shoulders.

Engaged
.

The word twisted in Allie
’
s throat and refused to rise to her lips.
“
That
’
s . . . that
’
s . . .
”

What was it? Surprising? Not really. Hannah and Zach had been dating for about six months, but she supposed not everyone had to be together for several years before tying the knot. A long courtship hadn
’
t exactly worked out for her and Marcus . . .

“
I know, right?
”
Hannah pushed past Allie and sank down onto the arm of the overstuffed turquoise chair, exactly as she
’
d done a million times over the years. As if it were that easy to pick up. Like the past few months hadn
’
t changed everything.

Maybe they hadn
’
t.

Hannah held up her hand again, this time keeping it steady enough for Allie to focus on the significant princess-cut carat adorning her finger.
“
Zach is perfect. Well, no, he
’
s not. He
’
s pretty much a slob, and we don
’
t like any of the same movies.
”
She snorted a laugh.
“
But we
’
re perfect together.
”

Allie slowly sank to the edge of the couch near Hannah.
“
Right. I understand.
”
Sort of. She
’
d never felt like anything between Marcus and herself had been perfect. He was perfect, to be sure. As much as any six foot, dark haired, chocolate-eyed, car loving athletic guy could be. The problem had been Allie. She
’
d been the one to fall short, thanks to her family—and the curse that ran though her blood.

Once upon a time, when gazing into Marcus
’
s eyes and feeling the heady weight of that diamond on her finger, she
’
d thought she could break the family scourge. Break the effect of the words her mom had whispered when Stepdad #2 had roared off on his Harley, and when Stepdad #4 had slammed the door on his way to the bus stop, and when unofficial Stepdad #5 had plucked his clothes from the front yard and shoved them into a trash bag before calling a taxi.

“
Remember, Allie, this is what Andrews women do. We break hearts before we get ours broken.
”

She could still remember the firm set of her mother
’
s lips, the expressionless twist of her eyebrows, the wall of steel in her eyes. It was the same look Grandma had when anyone mentioned her first or second husband, and the same look Aunt Shelly got when she announced she was meeting another man from her online dating profile.

If a leopard couldn
’
t change its spots and a zebra couldn
’
t change its stripes, who was Allie to change her blood?

Since Marcus was way too gentlemanly to break a promise or dodge a bullet, she
’
d been the one forced to remove him from the line of sight.

A point no one seemed to understand.

Hannah grinned.
“
Of course you get it. I knew you would, since you
’
ve been engaged . . .
”
Her voice trailed off, and she averted her gaze to the carpet.
“
I didn
’
t mean to bring that up. Honest.
”

Her eyes radiated sincere regret, and Allie relaxed slightly. No firing squads. Just good ol
’
Hannah.
“
I was thinking George.
”

Hannah gave her a sharp glance, her brown eyes, as vivid as Marcus
’
s, sparkling suspiciously beneath her furrowed brow.
“
What are you talking about?
”

“
Maybe Bob.
”

“
I don
’
t get it.
”
Her voice hitched.
“
Are these guys you
’
ve dated since—
”

“
Calm down.
”
Allie winked.
“
I
’
m just trying to name that elephant in the corner. He
’
s been sitting there since you walked in, so I thought we ought to give him a collar and a home.
”

Hannah stared at her a minute longer before her lips quivered into a hesitant smile, then morphed into a full-out grin.
“
Funny. You had me there.
”
She straightened her shoulders and arranged her features into a deadpan mask.
“
Clearly, though, he
’
s a Steve.
”