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Erabbed her husband by the hand, and asked Persephone to begin at the piano She and Alex an thu 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 as 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 disappoint 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 roo 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 fuhed discreetly and took a tiny step back

Persephoneherself immensely Dawes turned to her with obvious irritation and yelled, "I said, 'Dearly Beloved!' "

Persephone's musical thue 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"