Alexandra

Chapter One

A/N: Picture to the side is Imogen Poots, who plays Alexandra.

Alexandra simply loved weddings.

That was all she could think of as she watched her brother's friend, Archie, marry a lady he'd very recently described as being his perfect woman.

It was only the second day that they were in London, and the season had not kicked off fully, but they'd arrived early for the wedding. Archie and Nate, her brother, had been friends since Eton and Archie, who was actually Sir Archibald Spencer, baronet of Lonsbury, had helped Nate through every rough patch in his life. He'd helped Nate raise Allie, who had been rather young when her parents had passed away.

Archie was one of the kindest men she'd ever met, which was why she was glad he was marrying for love. He'd found his better half in a Miss Rebecca Williams, his young sister's governess. They'd met a year ago, and they had fallen in love as quickly as a match catches alight, or that had been how Archie had described it to them when he'd arrived at the estate, Somerhall, a month ago to personally invite Nate to the wedding.

"Oh, how I love weddings!" Her sister-in-law, Emily, breathed whimsically from by her side, probably thinking of her own wedding the year before. Now, she was bursting with child and was quite soon likely to give birth.

In fact, Nate had been reluctant to risk his wife and unborn child by travelling so close to the eighth month of her pregnancy. However, his obligation to Archie and Emily's assurance that the best doctors were to be found in London persuaded him to come. Besides, their other sister, Cassandra, also resided in London, which meant that they would have guidance in terms of which midwife and doctors to employ. Cassandra herself was the mother of two, which meant she knew such information.

"They are simply beautiful." Allie said, sighing in agreement, just as the ceremony ended with a kiss. It was a splendid moment, for it was rather obvious that neither Archie nor his new bride could see the others in the room. Their entire focus was on one another, and their attention couldn't be shifted.

The next few hours were spent in merriment as they celebrated the happy couple. Finally, most of the party dispersed while others remained for a small, private supper at Archie's home. Nate was invited and so were, of course, Emily and Alexandra. Cassandra and Kit, Allie and Nate's sister and brother-in-law were also invited. The only others who stayed were Rebecca's parents and brothers, Archie's mother, Rebecca's matron of honour and her husband and another friend of Archie's and Nate's from Eton, named Edmond Weaver.

As they milled about, socialising, Allie found herself wandering over to where the blushing bride was standing, laughing with her husband and her matron of honour, a girl only a year or so older than Allie named Susan.

"I don't think we have officially met," Rebecca began, grinning widely. "I'm Rebecca Williams or, rather, Spencer now." She said, with a little laugh as her eyes twinkled when she mentioned her new surname.

"Alexandra Whitlock, but most call me Allie." She smiled, somewhat awkwardly, for she had never spoken to Rebecca before at all. Archie beamed down at his wife, and Allie wasn't sure whether he had even heard a word of what was happening around him, overtaken as he rightly was by happiness.

"I'm Susan Winchester." Susan supplied. She was a petite girl, with hair red as flames and eyes just as bright. She seemed quite mischievous, but Allie wasn't sure if she was correct in her observations for she had been very sober all day.

"Well Lady Spencer, how does it feel to be married?" Allie asked, grinning as she saw Rebecca's face colour as she blushed vividly. Rebecca was pale, with dark hair that stood out against her skin, making her blush more prominent. Her eyes were the greenest Allie had ever seen. She wasn't exactly pretty in the conventional sense, but she was striking. She had the sort of face one remembered.