Chapter 61 Glory and Majesty

Chapter 61 Glory and Majesty
I woke up exhausted on the day of my wedding, having slept terribly, but I immediately bounded out of bed and flung open the curtains.
Even the gray overcast sky could not put a damper on my enthusiasm. I'd been promised that the skies would clear up by the afternoon, and I was confident that this was going to be the most beautiful and wonderful day of my life.
Despite my hectic schedule, I made a beeline for the dining room to get some breakfast. I had a long day ahead and so needed my energy. Plus, I was eating for two, although sometimes it felt like the little monster was even more ravenous than I was.
After that, it was straight up to the room I'd set aside for my team to get my hair and make-up done. As the girls got to work, one of Gavin's men popped his head in to let me know that the first guests had started arriving.
Between Jack's extended family and all of his business associates, I was expecting nearly a thousand people at my weddnig. Jack had tried to protest, saying he wanted it to be a more intimate affair, but I wanted the whole world to watch me walk down the aisle and become Allison Kent.
Finally, when everything was done to my satisfaction, I went through the rigamarole of getting into my dress. My belly was so huge at that point that I could barely lift my legs, but in the end, they got the garter strapped to my leg and me into my gown. All the girls on my team oohed and ahhed when I did a little pivot in front of the mirror, and for once, I had to concur. I looked absolutely fabulous.
My side of the family wasn't nearly as numerous as Jack's, but it still felt a touch crowded when everyone came up to pester me with their last-minute wedding advice. My cousin Susan even brought her baby, which irritated me a bit, especially when my team took a break from their duties to fuss over him.
And then, of all things, she had the gall to ask me whether we were going to have a playdate after I gave birth, meaning my child with her son Henry, as if I'd risk the health of the heir to the Kent empire by hanging out with her germ-infested rugrat.
No one irritated me more than my cousin Lindsay, however, who kept prattling on about how proud she was of me. Meanwhile, the last time I'd seen her, she'd been looking down her nose at me for dating Jack, so I found the whole thing incredibly hypocritical.
She also kept going on about how she'd enrolled in Crestwood and wanted to know if we'd be "study buddies" one day, as if I were going to waste another single hour of my life at that two-bit school.
All in all, I had grown quite annoyed by the time the orchestra began playing and the guests started taking their seats. I peered through the window to get a glimpse of Jack, but the altar was too far away.
I did see Gavin flitting around at one point. I'd insisted that he wear a tux, which he'd initially resisted. I had to admit he was quite handsome even if he looked a bit uncomfortable.
The back lawn had been transformed to my specifications, and that made me happy. I didn't want to say anything to my mother, but my wedding was going to make hers look like a county fair. I was also happy to see that most of the chairs were occupied.
The men looked quite dignified in their suits, but some of the ladies were wearing silly hats that made them look a bit like tropical birds, which made me smile. Most importantly, no one was wearing white, per my instructions.
At long last, the wedding coordinator let me know it was time to make my grand appearance. I dashed off to the bathroom for one final quick pee, and then my entourage and I set out.
There had been some talk of who was going to "give me away," but I wasn't anyone's property. I was a queen, and so I was determined to walk down the aisle on my own in all of my glory and majesty.
Clutching the enormous bouquet of flowers I had hand-selected, I waited until the orchestra began playing the Wedding March and then I stepped out into the light. Everyone turned to watch me make my entrance, which made me feel absolutely wonderful.
I could feel their eyes on me as I slowly made my way to the front, a squad of girls trailing behind me to keep the train of my gown from dragging on the ground.
It was only when I arrived at the altar that I finally saw Jack. He was standing there in the suit I had picked out, and I felt my heart swell with pride.
He looked absolutely magnificent, the little dash of salt in his hair lending him a gravitas far beyond his tender years. Best of all, he was standing straight and tall, looking every inch the man that I needed and deserved to have by my side.
After that, the fat little priest came waddling out. I'd tried to have him replaced with someone with a little more dignity and poise, but Jack had insisted, saying he had been with the family for many years.
Indeed, the priest was the one thing concerning the wedding which Jack had refused to compromise on, so I gritted my teeth and stood there silently as the fool blathered on about the responsibilities of marriage.
Finally, the priest turned to the guests and said, "Should anyone present know of any reason that this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Peering through my veil, all I could see was how handsome Jack looked and how much I longed for the ceremony to be over so that we could be in bed together. In the past few weeks, our busy schedules and his long hours had meant we had not had much alone time together, and I was yearning for his touch.
But I was jolted out of my reverie when a hush went up from the crowd. I turned my head and saw to my horror that there was a man stumbling down the aisle, looking like a homeless drunk. How had he gotten onto the estate and past Gavin and his team? And then I realized it was Malcolm.
"Don't marry her, son!" shouted Malcolm, his eyes blazing. "She's got the devil in her!"
Mortified, I looked around, waiting for Gavin or someone else to drag that lunatic back to the insane asylum where he belonged. But everyone was frozen in place, including Jack.
"I say, this is highly irregular," said the priest, sounding almost offended.
"For God's sake, do something!" I said, slapping Jack in the face.
That was enough to snap him out of his stupid trance. He turned and started running toward his father. As we all watched, Jack formed a fist and then knocked his father to the ground with one blow.
That set everyone in motion, with guests shouting and yelling, and finally, Gavin and his men came running in. With so many people running around, my view was partly blocked, but I saw Malcolm stagger to his feet and then get laid out again by what seemed to be a taser blast from Gavin.
The whole thing was incredibly embarrassing, so much so that I turned and fled. My perfect day had been ruined, and all because Jack had failed to keep his father under control!
Now, everything was ruined, and I could feel the walls closing in on me.