First Night Seduction
Part 2 Chapter 3
Easter Holiday Weekend
That had been seven months ago, they'd chosen this, the longest, four day, holiday weekend of the year for their marriage ceremony and a humanist celebrant to conduct it.
He'd given them copies of the questions and statements which were legal requirements along with suggestions of things for him to say as part of the personal part of the ceremony but Theo and Adrien chose to write their own vows neither knowing what the other would say nor what they would wear.
The celebrant stood waiting for them beneath a cupola made of Caracalla marble as were its columns and steps, their sixty or so guests were seated inside an open-ended marquee in front of it.
Some traditions they'd kept, sort of, Jeff would be Theo's Best Man and the girls were standing either side of the celebrant each held a cushion on which Jeff would place the rings.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the celebrant called above the quiet hubbub, as an edited version of the Adagio Theo and Adrien loved began, "I believe our grooms approach, please rise to welcome them."
He lifted his left arm from which side Theo and Jeff appeared; he wore a suit of midnight blue slubbed-silk, the same coloured shirt with ivory waistcoat and tie. Theo shook hands with the celebrant and hugged his nieces. When he looked across towards where Adrien walked towards them from the opposite side he laughed out loud. Adrien was dressed in a white linen suit, white shirt with a claret red tie topped off with a Fedora matching the colour of the tie.
"Please take your seats." the celebrant told the guests, he waited until all was quiet.
"We are here to celebrate the marriage of Theo and Adrien," he began, both men smiling broadly at his words.
The legal wording was soon over and Theo stepped a little closer to Adrien lifting his left hand as he took Adrien's second ring from the pillow Grace held.
"This ring is the symbol of my commitment to you and to us. There is no end in a circle as there will be no end to my love for you. With you my life has true meaning. I promise to be yours alone 'til death do us part," at his last words he twisted the two rings together.
Adrien took hold of Theo's left hand picking up the ring from Emily's cushion,
"Theo accept this ring as a sign of our marriage, my love for you and my dedication to us. You have made my life whole and filled it with laughter. You are the one who showed me how to be me and my life has been full of wonder since we met. I pledge myself to only you until our lives end."
"Ladies and gentlemen I am inordinately pleased to present Theo and Adrien our newlyweds."
Their guests all stood as they clapped and cheered,
"Well go on Uncle Theo, you know you want to," Emily giggled under the cover of the noise.
Theo took Adrien's face between his hands and kissed him gently.
"I love you," Adrien whispered barely loud enough for Theo to hear.
"I love you too," Theo answered just as quietly, leaning to speak into Adrien's ear.
Adrien beamed at Theo, threw his arms around him and pulled him into a hug,
"Holy hell Theo we're married," he chuckled.
"Yaaay!" Emily cheered, it had been she who'd first spotted Adrien's first ring for what it was.
"Come on then husband let's go greet our guests," Theo said after the license had been signed.
They both shook hands with Jeff and the celebrant then hugged the girls before walking towards their family and friends in the marquee, Adrien's mother was already approaching them,
"Oh boys I'm so happy," she smiled as all three wrapped their arms around each other; Dorothy reached to kiss first her son's then Theo's cheek.
"Really mum?" Adrien whispered.
"Of-course, a blind man could see you're made for each other.
"Don't you both look handsome?" Linda asked as she got to them, "Congratulations brother, although how you got him to agree to marry an old grump like you's beyond me."
"Oi! That's my husband you're talking about," Adrien laughed.
"May I remind you that he asked me first?" Theo added.
"Uncle Theo, Uncle Adrien," their nieces called together.
"What?" they called back turning to look at the young women.
There was an explosion of balloons and confetti falling from the double-height roof of the marquee, music filled the room and lights instantly created a party atmosphere. The newlyweds looked at Linda and their nieces, all of whom shrugged.
"Don't look at me," Linda made her denial.
"Nothing to do with us," Grace told them.
"Now that's a bare-faced fib, you knew what was coming," Theo wagged a finger at them.
"It's true," her sister maintained, "look," she held out a folded piece of paper she'd taken from her tiny handbag.
"When Theo and Adrien reach the second row of seats call their names. Leave the rest to me," he read aloud from the printed sheet.
"Dorothy?" Theo said with mock seriousness.
"Not guilty, but I wish I had," she laughed.
Theo looked at the rest of their family all of whom agreed with Dorothy's statement.
When he turned back towards Adrien the jigsaw pieces fell into place, he had his hands deep in his trouser pockets his head was bowed but when he tilted his head to look at Theo an amused look lit up his features.
"You!" Theo laughed.
"Did you really think I'd only have one surprise in store," he held open his jacket as a clue to the first.
"I'll be on my guard now you do know that?"
"Mister Jepson, Professor Leadbeater on behalf of the hotel staff many congratulations, your reception room is ready whenever you and your guests are," a young man said from beside them.
"Thank-you although we two may be some time, I have a husband to take in hand, seems he's been up to no good," Theo laughed brushing glittery confetti from his shoulders.
"Is that a promise?" Adrien mouthed.
"You bet your sweet ass," Theo replied equally silently.
Theo had booked, well stopped the entire hotel sited deep in the Cambridgeshire countryside from being booked by anyone else would be the more accurate description, but that was easy to do when you owned it and the magnificent botanical gardens in which it sat. The building and the lawn behind it where stood the cupola and marquee couldn't be seen from the nearest road; mind you Theo's security team at the gates and patrolling the grounds would deter anyone from trying to intrude.
"So where's the honeymoon?" Paul Spence asked as he shook Adrien's hand.
"Don't know, this torment won't tell me."
"Congratulations Theo, you've got one of life's good guys," he added shaking hands with him.
"So have I," Adrien added as he took hold of Theo's hand.
Sixty or so guests, those staying at the hotel, had witnessed them taking their vows, which had happened as late in the day as was possible around forty more joined them a couple of hours after, none of them knew the real reason for the gathering.
"Uncle Adrien the rest of your invitees have arrived, the event manager just told me," Emily told him looking a little flushed.
"And why would he be telling
you
that young lady?"
"Well I was," she began, "sort of hanging around," she mumbled this last.
"Were you now, why would that be?"
"Look that's not important, what is important is that you and Uncle Theo need to shake a leg and get back to the holding pen before you have a rebellion on your hands," she laughed.
"I'll go and find him but I'm sure he'll be interested to know you've taken a shine to that quite dishy young man."
"Hey you're married and don't you think he's a bit young for you?"
"I can still appreciate a good-looking fella you know, despite this," he held up his left hand and wiggled his ring finger.
"Where's your enga,"
"My what?" he warned her.
"Your first ring," Emily finished.
"Still here come and look a bit closer."
So perfectly were the two rings made it was, unless you looked really closely, impossible to see the joint between them.
"Bloody hell that's brilliant!"
"And now they won't ever come apart."
"Really? That's awesome!"
"Rather like your Uncle Theo," Adrien smiled, "come on you break right I'll go left, let's find him so we can greet the rest of the gang."
"Hello people," Theo boomed happily when he and Adrien returned to the marquee, their nieces had followed them and stood with cameras at the ready to capture the moment their uncles let the cat out of the bag, "sorry for keeping you waiting my husband couldn't find me in the soiree already underway."
"But if you'd like to follow our nieces they'll guide you to where everyone's having a good time," Adrien added.
"Woah, hold on," it was Gareth the man who ran T.J.'s so well, "what did you just say boss?"
"Husband, he said husband, I know he did," Hugh the head barman at T.J.'s retorted.
"You're right he did," Marcus the head of security there added.
"I most certainly did, something over two hours ago Adrien and I married beneath that very cupola," Theo waved a hand towards the far end of the marquee.
"Brilliant!" Gareth shouted, "Congrats boss, you've finally made an honest man of him huh?"
There was applause, cheers and plenty of happy hugs before they followed the two young women, Adrien on the other hand pulled Theo in the opposite direction.
"This way," he murmured, not wanting anyone to follow them -- well not yet.
"What're you up to?" Theo asked as Adrien led him towards one of the hotel's smaller reception rooms.
"Ta-dah," Adrien smiled as he opened the door.
Inside the room had been transformed into a photographer's studio.
"Did you really think I'd let today pass without having some proper photos taken?"
"We can get some outside as well," even after dark," a young pretty woman said as she joined them, "hello again Professor."
"Hello Jeanie, this is my husband Theo, Theo this very talented lady and her equally talented sister are our official photographers."
"The Professor's plan was for me to take some shots of you both then we can bring in your family, get the parents of the groom type photos and then whoever wants a memento of the day can come and pose. Carrie will wander round your party taking more candid shots as well as ensuring no-one misses their chance to come here."
Neither man was truly comfortable in front of a camera but Jeanie and Carrie made the experience more fun than they'd expected. It was while Jeanie took a last couple of shots of Adrien that Carrie showed those already taken to Theo via their laptop.
"That one, Theo pointed to the screen "send me that one now please," he told her giving her his email address, it was a picture of Adrien leaning against a wall, arms crossed over his chest watching Theo being photographed.
"On its way Mister Jepson."
"Theo please, Mister Jepson's for business hours."
Carrie smiled,
"If you're sure, can I show you this one please?"
It was a photo she'd taken as her sister had been arranging two chairs on the dais, Theo and Adrien were standing to one side, Theo had his left arm draped over Adrien's shoulders and Adrien had raised his left hand to link their fingers and was looking at their joined hands as Theo looked at him, he nodded as soon as he saw it.
