“Are you alright?” Frances whispered, leaning closer to him.
Christopher glanced down at her, his eyes softening momentarily. “I’m fine,” he replied, his tone unconvincing.
“Are you certain? You look suddenly in a bad mood.”
His head snapped towards a man behind her who seemed to be lingering longer than he ought. Christopher shot him a glare and then turned to face Frances again.
“You should not worry about it. It does not have anything to do with you.”
Somehow, Frances was not too convinced of his answer. But they were interrupted by Phillip and Esther.
Esther beamed at her sister, pulling her into a quick embrace. “You look stunning, Frances,” she said warmly, her eyes twinkling with pride. “And, Christopher, it’s good to see you again.”
“Likewise, Esther,” Christopher replied, seeming distracted.
“Mind if I steal your husband for the night?” Phillip asked Frances directly, a smile playing on his lips.
“Oh, please do. I am happy to spend the time with Esther.”
The three of them smiled, but Christopher was the only one with a sour expression on his face. Luckily, it did not deter Phillip as he led them to a corner to get drinks, leaving the two sisters alone.
“I cannot believe you are all grown up,” Esther gushed, beaming at her younger sister. “You look like a vision tonight. That gown is an excellent choice.”
“Thank you,” Frances muttered, looking down at her dress. “It was Christopher’s choice. Though I am not sure if he likes it very much…”
Esther shot her a surprised look. “What are you talking about?”
“Nothing,” Frances muttered. She did not want to bore her sister with her marriage woes. She spotted Harriet in the crowd with her mother trailing behind at that moment. “Oh, look who it is. We are here!”
She waved her in the air to get their attention. As they approached, Frances noticed that Harriet looked as if she was enduring yet another of their mother’s lectures.
Frances nudged Esther gently, muttering, “I already know what she is going through…”
Esther laughed and then greeted their mother. “Lovely to see you, Mother, Harriet.”
Albina smiled proudly at her two married daughters. “Ah, so good to run into you here. I am just dreaming of the day when I can do the same for Harriet—though, she is not making the process easy for me.”
Frances shot her youngest sister a sympathetic look, but Esther decided to humor their mother.
“What is the problem, Mother?”
“Well, for one thing, she has a problem with everything. I was just telling her how she must meet Lady Eva this evening. She has the most eligible son,” Albina began, frustration evident in her voice.
“Mother,” Harriet interjected, her voice strained, “I’m sure Lady Eva doesn’t want to spend the entire evening talking about her son.”
“Of course she does. That is why she is here,” Albina insisted.
Frances could feel the tension brewing between the two. “Mother, why don’t Esther and I talk some sense into Harriet? You may go and greet your friends meanwhile.”
“Oh, that would be lovely.” Albina’s face lit up. “See? Marriage has been such a positive change for you. You already know the right thing to say.”
Albina happily trotted off to see her friends, while Harriet exhaled a sigh of relief.
“Thank you for that. I hope that you are not actually going to deliver a lecture, though,” she noted.
“Oh, of course not,” Frances assured her, and her sisters dissolved into laughter.
Arms linked together, the three sisters headed to the balcony. Once they were out in the fresh air and under the night sky, Harriet spoke up again.
