The Wedding of the Century & Other Stories by Mary Jo Putney, Kristin James, Charlotte Featherstone

it only encouraged the creatures. “I realize that none of you are qualified to understand gentlemanly behavior,” he said icily, “so you will have to take myword for it that a gentleman never discusses a lady, and particularly not in the public press. Kindly get out of my way.”
    The man said with a leer, “Just asking what the American public wants to know, Thorny.”
    â€œThe American public can go hang,” Justin snapped.
    Before the reporters could commit any further impertinence, several members of the hotel staff belatedly came to Justin’s rescue. They swept the journalists aside and escorted him outside with profuse apologies and promises that such persons would never be allowed in the hotel again.
    In a voice clipped by fury, Justin told the manager, “I hope that is true, because if there is another episode like this I shall move to quieter quarters.”
    Temper simmering, he settled into the luxurious Vangelder carriage. The sooner this damned wedding was over and he could take his wife home, the better.
    Â 
    S UNNY WAS WAITING IN THE Vangelder drawing room. She came forward with her hands outstretched, and if her smile wasn’t quite as radiant as he would have liked, at least it was genuine.
    â€œIt’s good to see you, Sunny.” He caught her hands and studied her face hungrily. “You were right about the publicity surrounding the wedding. I’m afraid that I was just rather abrupt with some members of the press. Has it been hard on you?”
    She made a face. “Though it’s been dreadful, I’m well protected here. But everyone in the household has been offered bribes to describe my trousseau.”
    â€œGold-lace garters with diamond-studded clasps?”
    â€œYou saw that?” she said ruefully. “It’s all so vulgar! ”
    She looked utterly charming. He was on the verge of kissing her when the door swung open. Justin looked up to see a tall, blond young man who had to be one of Sunny’s older brothers.
    â€œI’m Charlie Vangelder,” the young man said cheerfully as he offered his hand. “Sorry not to meet you in Newport, Thornborough, but I was working on the railroad all summer. Have to learn how to run it when my uncle retires, you know.”
    So much for being alone with his intended bride. Suppressing a sigh, Justin shook hands with his future brother-in-law. A moment later, Augusta Vangelder swooped in, followed by a dozen more people, and it became clear that the “quiet family dinner” was an occasion for numberless Vangelders to meet their new relation by marriage.
    The only break was the half hour when Justin met with the Vangelder attorneys to sign the settlement papers. His solicitor had bargained well; the minute that Justin married Sunny, he would come into possession of five million dollars worth of railway stock with a guaranteed minimum income of two hundred thousand dollars a year.
    There would also be a capital sum of another million dollars that Justin would receive outright, plus a separate income for Sunny’s personal use so that she would never have to be dependent on her husband’s goodwill for pin money. As an incentive for Justin to try to keep his wife happy, the stock would revert to the Vangelder family trust if the marriage ended in divorce.
    Gavin would have been amused to know that the value of the Thornborough title had risen so quickly. May Russell would have brought only half as much to her marriage.
    Impassively Justin scrawled his name over and over,hating every minute of it. He wished that he could marry Sunny without taking a penny of her family money, but that was impossible; without her wealth and his title, there would be no marriage.
    As he signed the last paper, he wondered if Sunny would ever believe that he would have wanted her for his wife even if she had been a flower seller in Covent Garden.
    Â 
    W HEN HER DAUGHTER ENTERED the breakfast