MARCUS'S POV
He'd been standing next to Damien for forty minutes.
In that time Damien had straightened his cuffs three times, looked at his watch twice, and had a conversation with Richard that Marcus couldn't hear but that had ended with Richard putting one hand briefly on Damien's shoulder in the way he did approximately once a decade.
The chairs were full.
Not many....sixty people, maybe less. The guest list that Damien had reduced three times in the meeting with Celeste and that was exactly right for the east garden, exactly right for the morning, exactly right for two people who had always kept the things that mattered most close and private.
Richard was in the front row.
Alexander beside him, which had required a brief negotiation about seating that Marcus had mediated and that he was never going to mention to anyone. They'd arrived at a arrangement that satisfied both of them which meant neither was entirely happy and both could live with it.
Mei's chair was empty.
