He raised an eyebrow at the tone. She looked pointedly back at him.
“Yes,” he said finally. “That is a fine idea. Come.”
At least he kept a firm hold of her hand as they waded across the ballroom. Better still, when he introduced her to friends and acquaintances of his, Caspian was sure to stay close, offer her praise, and put on airs of being smitten with his new wife.
Or rather, he is trying to be. I wonder, is it so hard for him to pretend that he loves me? Or is he working as hard as he can not to overdo it, lest we have a repeat of the last time…
“Happy is not the word I would use,” Caspian explained to Lord Elmsmere, one of the many random lords who called for Caspian’s attention as they night wore on. “I would prefer in love.”
“And you look it too!” Lord Elmsmere agreed.
“She makes it so easy on me,” Caspian said simply. “Does she not shine like the north star?”
“Glowing, Your Grace. Glowing!”
“Tell him, Thalia. How happy we are.” Caspian looked at her expectantly.
“Oh, yes…” Thalia gave her head a quick shake and brightened. “So in love that it hurts. Sometimes, I wonder how I got so lucky.”
“Wonderful,” Lord Elmsmere crooned. “Marvelous.”
The words spoken were the right ones, but it was the way that they were said that irked Thalia.
All evening, everyone who they spoke with, it was the same thing. Caspian would tell them all how in love and happy they were, while doing nothing to show that he was. His tone was flat. His expression was bored. And while he held her hand throughout, it was done awkwardly and with no affection whatsoever.
Slowly but surely, Thalia began to lose hope.
Her plan had been to stay by Caspian’s side the entire evening. To radiate joy and positivity, to show him that it was not such a bad thing to find comfort and happiness beside one’s own wife. But he was resistant, even disinterested, and as the evening wore on, Thalia started to accept that perhaps nothing would change him.
“Oh, look who it is.” They were walking across the ballroom together when Thalia spied someone not so far away who she was very much hoping to see.
“Who?”
“Lady Seraphine,” she said, pointing to show the Duke who she meant. “Rosaline’s younger sister.”
Caspian saw her. “Oh, yes. So it is.”
“Might we…” She started to pull her husband over.
“I was meaning to speak with Lord Cashmere.” He indicated in the opposite direction to where an old and stuffy lord was standing. “Business.”
Thalia clicked her tongue. “I suppose I can come and find you? I won’t be long.”
She hadn’t wanted to leave Caspian’s side once this evening, but her plan was failing, and she was forced to admit that no amount of false hope would change that. Caspian was who he was, and it was about time she accepted it.
“As you say,” he said to her. “Just don’t be too long.” Caspian let go of her hand and walked in the other direction, not once looking back.
Thalia sighed with relief to see him leave her. She wanted more out of him. She wanted to like him. But he just made it so difficult!
“Seraphine!” Thalia cried out when she hurried toward Rosaline’s younger sister. “I was hoping to see you tonight!”
Lady Seraphine was just eighteen years old, meaning that this was her debut Season. She was a spitting image of her older sister, but with rosy cheeks and pink freckles smattered across her forehead. Pretty, without being breathtaking, she was the type that any man would be happy to find himself with.
“Thalia!” Seraphine beamed and threw her arms around Thalia in a hug. “You made it.”
“Me?” Thalia laughed as she pulled away. “You are the one who I was not so certain about. I worried your father would lock you up after what happened with Rosaline.”
“Have you heard from Rosaline?” Seraphine asked. “She has not sent word since she ran away. I am so worried. Tell me that she as written to you.”
