Emma smiled softly. “Yes, you did. You stood there and said your vows.”
“I actually went through with it,” Dorothy whispered, voice trembling slightly. “It still feels... unreal. Like I’m watching someone else live my life.”
Cecilia reached over to squeeze her hand. “It will take time to settle in. But you’re not alone. We’ll help you every step of the way.”
Dorothy looked out the window again, watching the servants bustle below. “I keep thinking about the ceremony, the words, the rings... but I can’t seem to grasp it. Like it happened to someone else. Is that strange?”
Emma’s voice softened. “That’s normal. Change always feels like a stranger at first.”
“Now,” Cecilia added with a half-smile, “you’re the Duchess. That’s no small thing.”
Dorothy exhaled slowly, her heart still fluttering with a mix of excitement and doubt. “It’s a lot to take in. But... I suppose this is my new life now.”
Dorothy’s eyes flickered toward her sisters, a faint furrow creasing her brow. “You know, it never felt like it does in the novels I’ve read. All those grand romances and whispered promises… I always imagined it would be like a dream. But today...” She paused, searching for the words. “It felt so different. Real and cold in places, heavy even. Nothing like the stories.”
Emma exchanged a knowing glance with Cecilia before answering. “That’s because those books, darling, are stories. They’re meant to enchant, to transport. Real life... is much more complicated than a tale penned for leisure. But I promise you, soon, you will experience these emotions you read about.”
Cecilia nodded, her voice steady and kind. “Marriage, especially one of duty and title, brings responsibilities that those novels rarely show. But you will come to know romance. Soon.”
Dorothy’s voice carried a trace of skepticism as she glanced between her sisters, her brow furrowed. “You both speak as if I am destined to experience the very romance that fills the pages of those novels. As if I am to fall headlong into love and all the sweetness it promises.”
Emma smiled gently, her eyes softening. “Love often surprises us, Dorothy. It comes when we least expect it, and it can soften even the hardest of hearts.”
Cecilia nodded in agreement. “His Grace may seem stern and unyielding now, but you never know what lies beneath. Time has a way of revealing a man’s true nature.”
Dorothy let out a short, humorless laugh. “Do you truly believe that? Have you seen His Grace as I have? That cold, calculated man, so upright and unreadable. Do you honestly think someone like him is capable of loving as those heroes in our books do? Loving with passion and tenderness? Loving in a way that his insides burn when I stand close to him?”
The room grew quiet. Neither Emma nor Cecilia offered a response, their faces giving Dorothy the answer that she needed to hear. Dorothy’s eyes flickered downward, and she inhaled sharply.
Just then, Martha entered the room, her face lighting up with a warm, bright smile. “Madam, your bags are all packed and waiting downstairs,” she announced cheerfully. “Everything is ready for your journey.”
Dorothy rose slowly to her feet, brushing away the lingering weight of the morning’s emotions. She gathered herself, steadying her resolve.
As she made her way toward the door, Lucy suddenly appeared, bursting into the room and throwing her arms around Dorothy in a tight embrace. “I’m going to miss you so, so much,” Lucy whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. “But if you ever feel lonely, I’ll come visit and help you through anything.”
Dorothy felt the warmth of her cousin’s words but held back the tears threatening to spill. She pressed a hand gently to Lucy’s back and whispered, “I’m not going to cry. I won’t. I’ll see you soon, Lucy. I’ll miss you too.”
As they parted, Lucy’s arms slowly slipped away, though her gaze remained fixed on Dorothy with fierce affection. Together with Emma and Cecilia, they began the gentle descent down the grand staircase. Martha followed closely behind, carrying the last of Dorothy’s packed belongings.
Cecilia’s voice broke the calm as they reached the bottom of the stairs. “I do wish Philip, our brother, were here,” she said with a small sigh, the faintest trace of melancholy in her tone. “He always had a way of teasing you, of making you forget any sadness that might be troubling you. Without him, this goodbye feels... quieter. Sadder, even.”
Dorothy glanced at Cecilia, seeing the truth in her sister’s words. But Cecilia’s expression softened, and she turned to her. “But you, Dorothy, must see this as a blessing. You are a duchess now. That title will open doors, create opportunities, and most importantly, give you a chance to shape your own life. You can live on your own terms now. Define your own happiness in the space you find yourself.”
Emma nodded. “Life’s trials are never without reason. Sometimes it takes hardship for us to see the light that follows. You must be patient. Everything will get better.”
Dorothy breathed deeply, letting their words settle in her heart. Their lives, full of experience and resilience, had taught them that time could heal even the deepest wounds. She would wait, then, and hope for herself and for the new life that awaited her.
“I know you both only want to make me feel better,” she said gently. “I am grateful for that more than I can say.”
Her gaze settled on Emma, and a small, sincere smile softened her features. “Emma, thank you for being a mother to me when Mama passed away so early. You took on so much withoutcomplaint, and I don’t think I ever properly thanked you for that.”
Emma reached out and placed her hand lightly on Dorothy’s arm, sharing in the unspoken understanding between them. “You don’t have to thank me. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
They embraced, the three sisters holding each other tightly in a moment so charged with emotion it seemed to stretch time itself. Dorothy felt the familiar prickling at the corners of her eyes, the tears she’d been holding back since morning now threatening to spill free. But she clenched her jaw and blinked fiercely, refusing to let the tears fall. Not yet. Not here.
When the embrace broke, Dorothy stepped back and found her father standing before her, his stern gaze fixed on her. He was a man of few words and fewer displays of affection, but his presence carried a weight all the same.
“I trust you’ll do well,” he said quietly. “I know I may be strict, but I have your best interests at heart.” His eyes softened just a fraction. “I’m proud. I managed to raise three beautiful daughters who’ve made me proud.”
