Marriage is an alliance entered into by a man who can't sleep with the window shut, and a woman who can't sleep with the window open.

-George Bernard Shaw

I have dreamt of my own wedding since I was a kid. Imaging myself walking down the aisle with the man I loved waiting for me at the altar, wearing my wedding dress that I personally picked. Well that day has come. Today is my wedding day. The joy of the bride should be felt on her very special day that was noticeably missing on me.

Allegra had offered to arrange my out-of-style hair into a simple but elegant knot. While I was sitting in front of my dresser examining my diamond engagement ring Lucca had given me yesterday.

It was worth a fortune, I decided. Several times more expensive than the engagement ring Paolo had given me. I supposed Lucca had gone off the mark in making our union more realistic than necessary.

There's an old saying about that, wasn't it? 'Fool yourselves before you could fool others.' That must be it.

"Nervous, Your Excellency?"

I looked up and stared at Allegra through the mirror. "Huh? Not really. And please remove the 'Your Excellency' thing when you're talking to me, Allegra."

The straight-laced Italian girl shook her head. "I can't, my lady. Because starting today you are now the new Duchess of Caprielle."

I sighed. If I have learned anything in the past few days living in the luxurious villa of Lucca Cavelli is that his maids are very dedicated to their work and clearly adored their master.

"You must be shocked to learn that upon meeting the duke for only a matter of days, now I am marrying him." I said conversationally to Allegra as she put white lilies on the knot in my head.

"Not really," she answered, her concentration was fixed on her work. "Mama believes that true love is never measured in the time they spend together. There are couples that had been married for forty years yet they still don't really know each other, then there are some who only knew each other for a couple of days and knew that they made for each other."

"Your mother is a wise woman."

Allegra beamed at me through the reflection on the mirror. Obviously pleased by my remark about her mother. "She's working here at the villa for years as the duke's housekeeper. Mama loves His Grace as if he was her real son. Unfortunately, my sister gave birth and Mama needs to take care of my niece since my sister is working in Rome."

"Did you work here as your mother's replacement?" I asked, trying to learn anything about my groom-to-be.

Allegra nodded. "When my Mama needs to quit, I felt sad because I need to stop in college since Mama no longer has income from working for the duke. When the duke learned that his housekeeper's youngest daughter is still in college, he offered to fund my education until I graduated. You don't know how happy I am when Mama told me about it, Your Excellency." She smiled warmly. "In return I asked him to let me repay his kindness by working in his villa for the summer for free..."

"Instead he still paid your salary?" I concluded. I already knew that Don Lucca Cavelli was a good man. He already saved a drowning woman on a cold sea, didn't he? He even agreed to my insane plan in avenging the people who hurt me.

My maid nodded. "His Excellency insisted that the money is for my expenses in school. Don't worry, Miss. The duke is a good man and he will take good care of you. I never saw him so besotted with a woman before."

"I know." I smiled weakly.

"Now," Allegra said brightly. "Let's go and put on your beautiful wedding gown."

I sighed when my gaze travelled on my bed where the white French lace wedding gown that arrived early this morning from France. I don't know when Lucca had ordered the gown and I seriously doubted if that would fit on me.

Carefully standing from the chair where I've been sitting, Allegra picked the stunning gown and pulled the zipper down at the back so I could slide on the silk fabric. I let Allegra arrange my wedding down. I didn't know what to feel when Allegra zipped it behind my back. How the hell Lucca Cavelli hit my exact measurement?

The man was lethal. He could guess the exact measurement of a woman just after looking at her.

"Bella!" Allegra breathed. "You look like a princess, Miss."

"Thank you." I could feel my cheeks warming again from the unexpected compliment. Allegra might realize that I wasn't fully convinced of her compliment when she drew me on the full-length mirror. I gasped. Unable to believe what I saw, a beautiful woman with bright violet eyes staring back at me in wonder. If I didn't know better, I would think that I have a twin staring back at me.

Because the woman on the reflection wasn't Tatiana Rostova, the woman who always faded in the background, the wallflower heiress, but a beautiful and confident woman. Hard to believe that she could transfer into someone else entirely just for a few polishes.

"Let's not make His Excellency wait downstairs with the wedding celebrant and witness."

"Do you know the two witnesses Lucca asked?" I asked as we walked out of my room.

Allegra nodded, picking the bouquet of flowers on the dresses table. "Yes. Mr. Felipe, the family's butler in Palazzo di Cavelli and me." She sympathized with me. "Too bad your family couldn't attend, Miss."

Lucca must have provided that lie on my behalf. I knew that Italian men don't marry without the bride's family in attendance. And since my family knew that I was already dead they couldn't come.

As we descend on the stairs, my nerves are tingling, and my legs are wobbly. If not for the balustrade I was clutching tightly, my legs gave away. I noticed Lucca was standing with two other strangers in the receiving room. He looked very sinfully handsome in his black tuxedo who was animatedly talking to the two strangers.

The older man on Lucca's left stopped talking when he caught my sight at the stairs. Lucca looked at the stairs and I felt my breath had been knocked on my lungs when I saw a flash of fire on those gray eyes as his gazed never left mine.

I felt the time had stopped and the world stopped from spinning while the people around us faded with the rest. We are the only people left staring at each other refusing to look away.

Somehow, I stood in front of him without remembering how. He gripped my right hand and squeezed it. I didn't know if this was for my benefit or his. But one is sure, there was no going back now we are about to get married now.

"Felipe," Lucca addressed the old man on his left. "I would like you to meet my bride, Tatiana. Darling, this is Felipe, my family's butler for decades."

"Pleased to meet you, my lady." The older man said in heavy accented Italian. "You don't know how long I've waited for this day to arrive when the duke finally took a wife and settled down."

I nodded slightly, unsure how to answer the very kind man. If he just knew that we are marrying all for the wrong reasons.

"Shall we begin the ceremony, Your Excellency?" The question came from the other man. He was clearly the wedding celebrant.

"Of course." Lucca answered, still holding me hand.

Mr. Felipe and Allegra stood next to us as they watched us wed. By my request, the wedding will be in English since I couldn't understand Italian.

The wedding celebrant started and looked straight in the eyes of the duke wondering what he was thinking...

I am patiently waiting for Tatiana to arrive in the receiving room of my villa with my family's trusted butler for three decades and the wedding celebrator who agreed to wed us on posthaste.

"The dowager duchess would be very upset if she finds out that you married without her, Your Excellency." The old butler remarked. "Bad enough that you chose to marry when she was out of the country."

I flashed a grinned to the man. "We can't help it. I am eager to marry my bride as soon as I can. I cannot let other wolves come and steal her. I'm sure Mama would understand my reason, Felipe."

An understanding crossed Felipe's face. "Expect a thorough inquisition when she arrives in weeks' time. I'm sure she will expect you to have a lavish wedding for all the cream of Italian society would envy. I could bet my life on it that the dowager duchess would plan your church wedding as soon as she stepped down on her plane."

I couldn't help but to laugh at my family butler's warning. I am sure that my mother would do something between those lines. I am fully expecting her to plan our wedding ceremony that would be held in church with hundreds of guests in attendance.

Too bad, Tatiana had something to say about it, knowing well how she doesn't like a very large crowd. It's because of her insecurities and shyness which I intend to reform once she starts her training for her confidence in the days to come.

"I must admit, sir." Felipe confided. "I am very curious on your bride—"

The man stopped when his gaze was caught on the stairs. I consciously followed the older man's gaze. I think I forgot how to breathe when I saw my bride descending slowly on the stairs with Allegra holding her white bouquet of lilies. Anyone who ever thought that Tatiana Rostova was plain clearly hasn't seen her when she's groomed properly. The woman was exceptionally beautiful, with her dark hair pulled into a simple knot with white flowers surrounded it and pretty lucid violet eyes staring back at him, she's anything but plain.

I instinctively held her hand, assuring myself that she's real and standing beside me in the pretty wedding gown I personally ordered from Paris for our wedding. I never imagine myself marrying a beautiful woman hidden beneath those drab clothes when I agree to her scheme.

Suddenly, I realized that I was gawking at my bride and completely forgot the other persons in the room. "Felipe, I would like you to meet my bride, Tatiana. Darling, this is Felipe, my family's butler for decades."

"Pleased to meet you, my lady." The older man said. "You don't know how long I've waited for this day to arrive when the duke finally took a wife and settled down."

The blush that I loved creeped through her pale cheeks and smiled at Felipe. Even now, simple compliments make her blushed wildly.

I next introduced her to the wedding celebrant who shook hands with her briefly before the ceremony started. I couldn't believe that I am really marrying today...

"...do you Lucca, take Tatiana Anastasia Spencer Rostova to be your lawfully wedded wife for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?"

"I do."

The wedding celebrator looked at Tatiana. "Do you Tatiana, take Lucca Domenico Cavelli to be your lawfully wedded husband for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?"

"I do." She answered softly, holding my gazed.

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife." The wedding celebrator grinned at my direction. "You may kiss the bride."

I smiled at the anticipation. I've been dying to do this part since the moment she resurfaced the morning I found her on the ocean nearly drowned. I put my hands on either side of her face and placed my lips to hers in a simple but ardent kiss.

The other people who were present in the room clapped their hands and said their congratulations to us.

Just like that I am now officially married.

I now have my own duchess.

Only I don't know how long it will last when Tatiana finally got what she wanted. She would seek for divorce and continue to live her life. The thought was damn awful to think when we would finally say goodbye to each other.