The little chapel was filled with the fragrance of roses and lilies that had been brought from the castle's greenhouses. 

Ian felt his head spin slightly as he walked up the steps to the altar, and he took a deep breath. 

He felt nervous and did not like it. What was he getting himself into? Anyway, it was too late to back out. Next to him stood his neighbor and friend Jasper Miller, an equally solid and reassuring presence, quietly reading the ceremony program. 

Jasper was carrying the golden ring that had belonged to Ian’s grandmother. From time to time, he looked up from the sheet of paper and looked...