Until Forever (Complete)

Chapter Fourteen

The world stopped spinning. Time stopped. Oxygen seemed useless. The room faded before his eyes and all that was left standing, was Ellie.

Bailey was certain that he died the second he heard Elizabeth say the words 'I do'. On the outside, he was a butler standing by and bearing witness to the marriage of his master and the woman he loved, but on the inside, a storm was brewing. His mind screamed at Ellie not to get married but his lips were unable to produce any sound. He willed himself to tell Ellie that she was making the worst mistake of her life, that he was the one who wrote those letters, that Frederick didn't really love Ellie because if he did, he wouldn't have a woman in his bed chamber!

Bailey had gone into Frederick's room to inform him of Ellie's presence but had been met with the barely clad body of a hysterical female. Frederick had only just shared his bed with another woman and was about to get married to Ellie.

The overwhelming urge to stop the marriage filled Bailey until his entire body trembled and sweat broke out on his skin.

There was nothing he could do, he thought as his fingers clenched into a fist. He couldn't stop it! It didn't matter how much he wanted to stop this silly marriage, he couldn't! He was the butler, after all. What power did he have over Frederick? What power did he have over a Judge in the House of Lords?! What power did he have over the fortune the Wellingtons possessed?! What power did he have over Ellie? He loved her, that was for certain. But, did she love him? Did she at least feel anything for the man who spent many sleepless nights writing letters to her? Did her heart beat stop when she read his letters? Or was she only in love with Frederick's family influence?

Bailey had nothing to offer the woman who stood before him. He couldn't provide for her, neither could he protect her. The world was against his love for her, the very essence of the society he lived in was against his love for her and the longer he stood there watching helplessly as Lord Wellington conducted the marriage between Frederick and Ellie, the more convince he was that he could never have her.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife.” Lord Wellington said, sealing the marriage between Ellie and Frederick.

~ ~

Ethan watched Gretchen from his position beside her in the carriage. Her entire features were clouded as her gaze remained planted on the roads outside.

The night before had been disastrous. With Elaine showing up and exposing the fact that Gretchen wasn't Elizabeth's real mother, Elizabeth had practically vanished into thin air. Gretchen had been hysterical all night and had not only refused to eat, she had refused to sleep even for a second. Ethan had to watch helplessly as Gretchen remained standing through out the night. And while Ethan knew Elizabeth would eventually be found, Gretchen hadn't been that optimistic.

The news came only that morning that Elizabeth's grief had taken her to Lord Wellington's estate and she had insisted on getting married to Frederick the night before. 

Ethan knew that Elizabeth's decision to get married without her family present had been done more to smite her mother, than to please herself.

Left with no choice, Ethan and Gretchen immediately climbed into a carriage headed for the Wellington estate.

The carriage pulled to a stop before the Wellington mansion and Gretchen began climbing down, not waiting a second for the footman to help her.

Ethan climbed down as well and watched Gretchen practically race up the stairs leading to the porch where Lord Wellington and Frederick stood waiting.

With a sigh, Ethan mounted the stairs.

“Where's Ellie?!” Gretchen's voice sounded faint and tired. Ethan was beyond worried for his pregnant wife.