Emma shot both of them a rather nasty look before turning back to her future cousin-in-law. "We only need a bit more time," she hedged.

"Emma, darling," her husband said in an unbelievably smooth tone. "Could you come here for a moment?"

Emma eyed him suspiciously but walked over to the couch.

"Do you see the priest over there?" he whispered.

She nodded.

"Do you see anything, er, shall we say, odd about him?"

Emma tilted her head as she surveyed the portly gentleman. "He does seem to be leaning a little to the left."

"Just so. He's been here thirty minutes, and that's his fourth glass of brandy. I think we ought to get this ceremony underway while we are still able."

Wordlessly, Emma exited the room and went back upstairs. When she reached Belle's bedroom, she said, "I don't think we can stall very long."

"Not even a few minutes?"

"Not if you want to get married tonight."

Belle had no idea what that meant but decided she'd rather not find out. She picked up a piece of white Spanish lace and fixed it on her head. "I suppose we cannot wait any longer for Ned. You had better summon Alex to give me away."

Emma darted back down the stairs, grabbed her husband by the hand, and asked Persephone to begin at the piano. She and Alex met Belle at the top of the landing just as Persephone began thumping away.

"Good God," Alex said as the cacophony assaulted his ears. "Is that Beethoven?"

"I could have sworn I asked for Bach," Belle said, furrowing her brow.

"I don't think it's Bach, either," Alex said. "I don't think it's anything."

"We can only hope she doesn't start to sing," Emma said. She shot her cousin one last smile before she headed down the stairs as matron of honor.

"She could hardly do worse than you," Alex jibed.

Belle looked at her cousin who was already halfway down the stairs. "I don't think she heard you," she whispered.

"That's probably a blessing. Shall we go?" Alex offered her his arm. "I believe it's our turn."

As they floated down the stairs, past all of the pink and white roses Belle had specially ordered, her nervousness and disappointment over the hastiness of her wedding melted away, and all that was left was a deep sense of contentment and joy. Each step took her closer to the man she loved, the man whose life would soon become inextricably linked with her own. When she turned into the drawing room and saw him standing next to the priest, his eyes glowing with pride and desire, it was all she could do not to run headlong into his arms.

She and Alex finally reached the front of the room, and he placed her hand on John's arm and stepped away.

"Dearly beloved!" Mr. Dawes barked. Alcoholic fumes swept across Belle's face. She coughed discreetly and took a tiny step back.

Persephone missed her cue and kept banging away at the piano, enjoying herself immensely. Dawes turned to her with obvious irritation and yelled, "I said, 'Dearly Beloved!' "

Persephone's musical thumps died a slow and painful death.

Belle took advantage of Dawes's momentary distraction to whisper to John, "Are you sure he's a man of God?"

John bit back a smile. "Quite sure."

Dawes turned back to the couple. "As I was saying-Dearly beloved." He blinked a few times and surveyed the scant crowd. "Or rather," he muttered, "perhaps I should say the three of you."

Belle couldn't help herself. "There are four guests, if you please."

"I beg your pardon."

"I said," she ground out. "There are four guests. I realize that this is an irregular wedding, but I'd like to be credited with all four of my guests." She could feel John next to her, shaking with silent laughter.-

Dawes was not the type to give in easily to what he saw as a mere slip of a girl, especially after he'd been fortified with five glasses of fine brandy. "I see three."

"There are four."

His finger jabbed at Alex, then Emma, then Dunford. "One-two-three!"

"Four!" Belle finished with a triumphant motion toward Persephone who was watching with obvious fascination and mirth from the piano.

At this point Dunford exploded with loud laughter, which set off Emma and Alex, who had heretofore managed to keep themselves under control. Dawes grew quite red in the face and said, "She is the piano player."

"She's my guest."

"Oh, all right, you impertinent little chit," he grumbled, mopping his brow with a limp handkerchief. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here before fourwitnesses…"

The ceremony continued with blessed unevent-fulness for several minutes. John could hardly believe his luck. Just a few more minutes, he thought, and they'd exchange vows and rings, and then she'd be his for all of eternity. Fairly bursting with joy and impatience, he forced himself to resist the urge to shake the voluble priest and get him to speak faster. He knew that he was supposed to be savoring every moment of the ceremony, but what he really wanted was to be done with it all and retreat to some hideaway where he could be alone with his bride for the next week.

John's hopes for a speedy ceremony, however, were dashed when he heard the front door to the house slam open with a resounding crash. Dawes looked at him in askance, and he nodded curtly, signaling that the ceremony should proceed.

Dawes fumbled forward even as heavy footsteps came crashing toward them through the hall. Determined not to interrupt again, Belle kept her eyes scrupulously forward, but John was unable to keep himself from turning around as a dark-haired young man burst into the room. His eyes were so blue that he could only be Belle's brother.

"Good God!" Ned Blydon exclaimed, jumping over a sofa. "Have you gotten to the part about objections yet?"

"Er, no," Dawes said, his bulbous nose glowing red in the candlelight. "We haven't."

"Good." Ned grabbed Belle's free hand and dragged her away from the makeshift altar. "Do you know what you're doing?" he hissed. "Who is this man? Do you know anything about him? What is going on? And how dare you send me a note saying only that you're getting married the next day? What were you thinking?"

Belle waited patiently throughout his tirade. "Which question do you want me to answer first?"

"Look here!" Dawes boomed. "Is this marriage going forward or not? I've got-"

"It's on," John said in a deadly voice.

"I'm a busy man," Dawes spluttered. "I've got-"

"Mr. Dawes," Dunford interrupted smoothly, flaying him with a devastating smile. "I must apologize for this interruption. It is scandalous that a man of your stature should be treated thus. Won't you join me in a glass of brandy while this matter is cleared up?"

Belle didn't-know whether to thank Dunford or throttle him. At this rate Dawes would be too drunk to perform the ceremony. She rolled her eyes and turned back to her brother, who was looking at her with concern. "Are you certain you want to do this?" he was saying. "Who is this man?"

Alex stepped forward and tapped Ned on the shoulder. "He's a good man," he said softly. Beside him, Emma nodded vigorously.

"Do you love him?" Ned asked.

"Yes," Belle whispered. "With all my heart."

Ned looked her in the eye, trying to gauge the depth of her feelings. "Very well, then. I apologize for the interruption," he said loudly. "But we're going to have to start over from the beginning, because I want to give my sister away."

"See here, young man! We're already more than halfway through," Dawes barked. "I'm a busy man."

"You're a red-faced drunk," Belle muttered to herself.

"Did you say something?" Dawes said, blinking vigorously. He turned to Dunford, whom he now perceived as an ally, and grabbed him by the shoulder. "Did she say something?"

Dunford carefully disengaged himself from the priest's grasp. "Don't worry, good fellow, you'll get paid extra for your troubles. I'll see to it."

Belle and Ned hurried up the stairs and had just reached the top when they heard Dawes say, "Is she going to play the piano again?" A loud whacking sound followed, the origin of which Belle didn't want to know.

Within seconds, Persephone began playing the piano with a vengeance, and Belle began her second procession of the day down the stairs to get married.

"You look beautiful," Ned whispered.

"Thank you." Belle smiled at his words, deeply touched. She and her brother loved one another dearly, but it was a bickering sort of love, not a complimenting one. When Belle reached the drawing room again, John's eyes were still shining at her with love and pride, but this time she also saw a trace of humor. She smiled back at him, a silly little half-smile to tell him that she didn't care that her wedding had fallen into a shambles. She only wanted him.

The ceremony proceeded remarkably smoothly considering the earlier mishaps. Persephone even stopped pounding the piano promptly when Dawes groaned, "Dearly beloved."

In due time John and Belle were man and wife.

There was much cheering when they kissed, although Dunford later remarked that he clapped more for the fact that the ceremony had actually made it through to the end than he had for the couple's happiness.

After the customary congratulations and requisite kissing of the bride by all the male guests (there were only three; it didn't take very long), Ned looked brightly at his sister and asked, "Where is the reception? I'm famished."

Belle's face fell. She'd forgotten all about a reception. And to think that she'd been complaining to herself because she hadn't anything to do. But then again, even though she was aglow with happiness over having finally married the man of her dreams, she felt that a celebration tonight would feel more like a dinner party than a wedding reception.