He Made Her His Bride to Punish Me for Jealousy novel · Chapter 3 of 24

Chapter 3: The Marriage Desk

At city hall the clerk confirms the license is valid and Kerry's own was withdrawn under Dawson's signature; Margo arrives wearing Kerry's ring and offers to sign an annulment only if Kerry lies to two hundred guests.

"Get in the car," Constance said. "My friend is still at her desk, and she isn't going to wait for us until Monday."

Constance's driver took us across Providence without a word.

My mother stayed in the Thornbury parlor with the housekeeper and a blanket, and made me promise to call her before I did anything brave.

The Saturday marriage desk at city hall was a small window at the end of a quiet hall, with a paper sign taped to the glass.

Constance's friend was a thin woman with silver hair and reading glasses on a chain.

She slid a printout under the glass and put her finger on three lines.

"Application for a marriage license, filed on the third of October," she said.

"Applicants, Dawson Thornbury and Margo Winslow."

"It was issued the same day, and it came back this afternoon with both signatures and the officiant's."

"I never applied for anything with Margo," I said.

"You wouldn't have. It isn't your name."

"Our license," I said. "Dawson and I picked it up together in September."

The woman turned a second page toward me.

"Your own application with Mr. Thornbury, the one from September, was withdrawn on the third of October. The withdrawal form has his signature."

I stared at the page.

Behind me, quick footsteps came down the hall, and a man's voice said, "I got your message, Grandma, I came as fast as..."

Dawson stopped at my shoulder.

"What is that?"

"Read it," I said.

He bent over the glass and read for a long moment.

I watched color leave his face from the top down.

"I signed a planner's authorization form," he said. "In October."

"Margo said it was so she could pick up permits and church paperwork without bothering us."

"She put a stack of papers in front of me, and I signed all of them."

"And the folder at the altar," Constance said.

"The folder was a prop." His voice rose. "She said it was a prop. She printed a fake certificate for the photos. I signed it as a joke."

"You signed it," the clerk said, "in front of an officiant and a witness, and it went through the proper channels. It is valid."

Dawson put one hand flat on the glass.

"I never agreed to marry her."

"You signed a marriage license, Mr. Thornbury. That's what the signature means."

"Can it be undone?"

"There are ways, and they take time, and she would have to cooperate or a judge would have to hear you."

I should have said something cutting.

All I could think was that Margo had known about this for three weeks.

She had sat next to me at my last dress fitting and held my hand.

"Is she here?" Dawson said suddenly. He pulled out his phone. "I called her from the car. I told her to come and explain."

"You called her," Constance said.

"I needed her to tell me it was a mistake!"

Constance closed her eyes briefly.

The hall door opened behind us.

Margo came in with her hair still pinned for the wedding and a cream suit that had not so much as a crease in it.

She was alone, and she wore my ring.

She looked at Dawson first, then Constance, then me, and her face went soft.

"Hi, Nelly," she said.

"Take it off."

"It's a nice ring. Dawson chose well."

She turned her hand so the stone caught the hall light.

"You've seen the paper, I guess. I'm sorry you found out like this."

"I wanted it to be a surprise for you both."

"A surprise," Constance said.

"I was going to explain everything tomorrow, Mrs. Thornbury. It's honestly a technicality."

"Dawson and I can undo it any time we want."

"Then undo it," Dawson said.

Margo smiled at him.

"I'd be glad to. It's a little complicated, but I'm sure we can work out the paperwork."

"Tonight."

"Not tonight, honey. It's Saturday."

She turned back to me and lowered her voice.

"Here's the thing, Kerry. I'll sign an annulment the same day you do something for me."

"What."

"Tomorrow at noon, you stand up in front of the same guests and tell them it was all a joke."

"You say you were in on it, you and Dawson set it up for fun, and you're sorry the video got out."

"You say that, and I'll sign anything he asks."

Nobody breathed.

"You want me to lie to two hundred people," I said, "so you'll stop being married to my fiancé."

"I want my friend back, Nelly," Margo said. "I don't see why that's so hard."

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