Sequel: Jackelle 2.0 ›
Kidnapped
Three
Brielle was sleeping peacefully when Georgiana burst into her room entirely too early and roused her.
“It’s time to start getting ready,” she said, snapping the curtains open. Brielle flinched and pulled the blanket over her head as sunlight hit her face.
“Why do I need to start getting ready this early?” she grumbled. “I’m not the one getting married.”
“Because you need to look your best for your brother’s wedding,” Georgiana said primly. “And you never know, you might meet a nice, eligible gentleman while we’re here.”
“Maybe I’d prefer a torrid affair with a ruffian,” Brielle muttered, and Georgiana yanked the blanket off of her, unamused.
“Up, Brielle.”
“Okay, okay. I’m coming.”
Brielle dragged herself out of bed and endured her mother summoning two maid girls into the room to get Brielle “looking her best.” She was primped and perfumed and cinched into a silky sky blue dress. Once Georgiana was satisfied that she looked like a proper duchess, Brielle was released from her room and she went in search of Byron. She found him looking a bit pale and nervous, fumbling with his tie.
“Good morning, sunshine,” she said, unnecessarily loudly. She smirked when he winced.
“Don’t yell,” he grumbled. Brielle hopped up onto his dresser and swung her feet.
“You deserve it for being hungover,” she said.
He wrinkled his nose at her and she stuck her tongue out.
“Come here, you’re doing your tie wrong,” she said. He sighed and turned to her so she could fix it for him.
“You do look very handsome,” she told him and he cracked a smile.
“And you look beautiful,” he replied, flicking her forehead. “For an annoying little sister.”
“Annoying?” Brielle scoffed. “You’re lucky to be blessed with a sister as amazing as me.”
The door opened and they glanced over to see Jack come in. Brielle glanced at him, surprised again by how much he’d changed. She had almost expected him to still be all gawky limbs, but he’d apparently grown into them at some point. Grown into them quite nicely, actually. He seemed surprised to see her sitting there with Byron but they both turned their attention back to the nervous groom.
“Are you ready? The ceremony will be starting soon,” Jack said.
“I think I’m going to throw up,” Byron replied. Brielle patted his cheek while Jack chuckled.
“You’ll be fine. You and Nadine go together, you know? All you have to do is walk out there and repeat what the minister tells you to say and then tomorrow you’ll take off for your honeymoon. All you have to do now is be thankful a nice girl is willing to marry you, and try not to fall on your face.”
“Thanks, that’s very helpful.” Byron rolled his eyes but he was smiling. Brielle hopped down off the dresser, fixing his hair.“I guess I better go out and take my position before I give Mother a heart attack.”
She gave Byron a quick kiss on the cheek. Brielle was a bridesmaid and since Jack was the best man, they walked together to the ceremony in an awkward sort of silence.
“Hopefully he doesn’t pass out while he’s in there alone,” Brielle quipped. “That might give Mother a heart attack, too.”
“I think he’ll pull it together,” Jack said, lips twitching. The ceremony was a little grand but it was beautiful; thankfully Byron really did manage to pull his shit together and had arrived on time. He looked genuinely happy when Nadine came floating up the aisle looking quite beautiful in her frilly white gown and impossibly long veil flowing behind her.
Brielle couldn’t help but smile as she watched them together, even though she knew her mother was now going to start nagging her incessantly to find one of those “nice, eligible gentlemen.” By Georgiana’s standards of nice and eligible it would be someone painfully dull. Brielle loved her mother but she’d sooner pull out a tooth than have Georgiana pick a husband for her.
Thankfully there were enough of her family members attending the wedding that she could primarily keep her dance card filled with them. She danced with her father and her uncle and shared one dance with her newly married brother.
“Congratulations, you didn’t throw up,” she teased. “I almost can’t believe you’re really setting aside your wild boy days to become a proper husband.”
“What about you? You think you’ll tie the proverbial knot?”
“If Mother had her way I’d be engaged by the end of the evening,” Brielle replied dryly and he laughed. He spun her as the song changed. Brielle had always loved dancing and was light on her feet, and eventually she had to share a couple of dances with the exact sort of eligible peacocks her mother was hoping she’d marry. She finally needed a break, dizzy from so much spinning and laughing. She blew a stay curl off of her face and made her way to find a refreshment table and track down water. She found Jack there too, eating some hor d’œuvres.
“Is there any water?” she asked, blowing at the curl sticking to her cheek again.
“There’s alcohol,” Jack smirked, nodding to the delicate flutes of champagne.
“Of course there is.” Brielle rolled her eyes, taking a flute anyway. It was better than nothing. She took a chocolate covered strawberry too and stood watching the dancing and revelry while she caught her breath. And if her hands were full, her mother couldn’t send another well-groomed sacrificial lamb to ask her to dance.
“It’s time to start getting ready,” she said, snapping the curtains open. Brielle flinched and pulled the blanket over her head as sunlight hit her face.
“Why do I need to start getting ready this early?” she grumbled. “I’m not the one getting married.”
“Because you need to look your best for your brother’s wedding,” Georgiana said primly. “And you never know, you might meet a nice, eligible gentleman while we’re here.”
“Maybe I’d prefer a torrid affair with a ruffian,” Brielle muttered, and Georgiana yanked the blanket off of her, unamused.
“Up, Brielle.”
“Okay, okay. I’m coming.”
Brielle dragged herself out of bed and endured her mother summoning two maid girls into the room to get Brielle “looking her best.” She was primped and perfumed and cinched into a silky sky blue dress. Once Georgiana was satisfied that she looked like a proper duchess, Brielle was released from her room and she went in search of Byron. She found him looking a bit pale and nervous, fumbling with his tie.
“Good morning, sunshine,” she said, unnecessarily loudly. She smirked when he winced.
“Don’t yell,” he grumbled. Brielle hopped up onto his dresser and swung her feet.
“You deserve it for being hungover,” she said.
He wrinkled his nose at her and she stuck her tongue out.
“Come here, you’re doing your tie wrong,” she said. He sighed and turned to her so she could fix it for him.
“You do look very handsome,” she told him and he cracked a smile.
“And you look beautiful,” he replied, flicking her forehead. “For an annoying little sister.”
“Annoying?” Brielle scoffed. “You’re lucky to be blessed with a sister as amazing as me.”
The door opened and they glanced over to see Jack come in. Brielle glanced at him, surprised again by how much he’d changed. She had almost expected him to still be all gawky limbs, but he’d apparently grown into them at some point. Grown into them quite nicely, actually. He seemed surprised to see her sitting there with Byron but they both turned their attention back to the nervous groom.
“Are you ready? The ceremony will be starting soon,” Jack said.
“I think I’m going to throw up,” Byron replied. Brielle patted his cheek while Jack chuckled.
“You’ll be fine. You and Nadine go together, you know? All you have to do is walk out there and repeat what the minister tells you to say and then tomorrow you’ll take off for your honeymoon. All you have to do now is be thankful a nice girl is willing to marry you, and try not to fall on your face.”
“Thanks, that’s very helpful.” Byron rolled his eyes but he was smiling. Brielle hopped down off the dresser, fixing his hair.“I guess I better go out and take my position before I give Mother a heart attack.”
She gave Byron a quick kiss on the cheek. Brielle was a bridesmaid and since Jack was the best man, they walked together to the ceremony in an awkward sort of silence.
“Hopefully he doesn’t pass out while he’s in there alone,” Brielle quipped. “That might give Mother a heart attack, too.”
“I think he’ll pull it together,” Jack said, lips twitching. The ceremony was a little grand but it was beautiful; thankfully Byron really did manage to pull his shit together and had arrived on time. He looked genuinely happy when Nadine came floating up the aisle looking quite beautiful in her frilly white gown and impossibly long veil flowing behind her.
Brielle couldn’t help but smile as she watched them together, even though she knew her mother was now going to start nagging her incessantly to find one of those “nice, eligible gentlemen.” By Georgiana’s standards of nice and eligible it would be someone painfully dull. Brielle loved her mother but she’d sooner pull out a tooth than have Georgiana pick a husband for her.
Thankfully there were enough of her family members attending the wedding that she could primarily keep her dance card filled with them. She danced with her father and her uncle and shared one dance with her newly married brother.
“Congratulations, you didn’t throw up,” she teased. “I almost can’t believe you’re really setting aside your wild boy days to become a proper husband.”
“What about you? You think you’ll tie the proverbial knot?”
“If Mother had her way I’d be engaged by the end of the evening,” Brielle replied dryly and he laughed. He spun her as the song changed. Brielle had always loved dancing and was light on her feet, and eventually she had to share a couple of dances with the exact sort of eligible peacocks her mother was hoping she’d marry. She finally needed a break, dizzy from so much spinning and laughing. She blew a stay curl off of her face and made her way to find a refreshment table and track down water. She found Jack there too, eating some hor d’œuvres.
“Is there any water?” she asked, blowing at the curl sticking to her cheek again.
“There’s alcohol,” Jack smirked, nodding to the delicate flutes of champagne.
“Of course there is.” Brielle rolled her eyes, taking a flute anyway. It was better than nothing. She took a chocolate covered strawberry too and stood watching the dancing and revelry while she caught her breath. And if her hands were full, her mother couldn’t send another well-groomed sacrificial lamb to ask her to dance.