“Precisely, so you see the good in it.”
“No, you do not understand. It is the sort of marriage I would have wanted for myself years ago, but never for you. You have always been softer than I, more loving. You deserve to be treasured, not married and then cast aside.”
“I cannot convince you that this is a good match, can I?” Adelaide laughed sadly.
“No. Unless it becomes obvious that he is not the man I think he is, and that you are truly happy with all of this, I will not be happy about it. This is the sort of match reserved for the lowest, and regardless of what people may think of you, that is not who you are.”
But Adelaide did not quite know what separated her from other people who were disliked as much as her. Like them, she had been caught in a scandal, and that was the end of it, as far as anyone else was concerned. She loved her friend dearly, but Cecilia would never have heard a word against her, and was biased in a way that the rest of society was not.
“I am not going to dissuade you, am I?” Cecilia asked, her shoulders sagging.
“You cannot, I am afraid. This is far from ideal, but it is what must be done. It will not be so bad, and I will be able to see you as often as I do now.”
“Perhaps even moreso, for as it stands, you cannot even see your door from your front gate.”
Adelaide chuckled, thinking that her friend was not being serious, but then she saw the expression on her face. She raised an eyebrow, then crept to the window. The curtains had been closed, which was unlike her mother to request, so she peered through a gap.
Then, she saw them.
Many people had stopped outside, looking around as if trying to catch a glimpse of her. The sight was quite ridiculous, and Adelaide found a certain humor in it, but she also felt a great sense of unease. She hated that they were watching her home so brazenly, and that it was considered acceptable for them to do so.
She quickly walked away from the window.
She did not know what to do, for it would be a long week if she had to endure such an invasion of her privacy until her wedding day. But of course, her friend knew what to do.
Cecilia crossed the room, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Perhaps we should celebrate your engagement,” she suggested, “since you are adamant about going through with it.”
“I do not know that I wish to celebrate it, though you are right that I am adamant.”
“No, Addy, you do not understand. We should celebrate your good fortune.”
Adelaide did not understand at all, but her friend did not seem to care.
Cecilia smiled knowingly, before looping her arm around Adelaide’s and leading her out into the hallway.
“Lady Wynn?” she called. “Might we discuss something?”
Lady Wynn came out of the drawing room with a small smile. She did not question what it was about, and Cecilia spoke with such confidence that Adelaide struggled to question her, too.
“I believe it would be best that I assist Addy with the wedding preparations,” she explained. “I will take her to a nearby village, where there is an incredible seamstress who can help with her gown, and we can arrange for flowers for the ceremony, too. I do not suppose that His Grace would think of such things.”
“Oh, Cecilia,” Lady Wynn sighed wistfully. “Thank you, dear, but we cannot afford such things.”
“I am not expecting you to. I wish to give my dearest friend a wedding present, so that is what will be done. We have a friend who lives there, and we shall stay with her.”
Adelaide thought that her mother might burst into tears, but somehow she maintained her composure.
Cecilia gave her a triumphant look, and they left soon after in her carriage. Adelaide crouched between the benches so she would not be seen, and once they were a safe distance away from the city, she settled into her seat.
“We are going to stay with your friend Dorothy, then?” she asked. “She is the only one of your little group who is not in London for the social season.”
“Indeed, though Emma and Beatrice asked after you, too. They are part of the reason why I came to see you. I only came alone so as not to raise suspicion.”
Adelaide wanted to believe that Cecilia’s friends would love her as much as Cecilia did, but it was difficult. Cecilia was not like the other members of the ton, and though Adelaide knew that her friend would never keep bad company, it did not mean that the three other ladies would be pleased to see her.
It would be the first time she met them all, and she was cautious about what to expect. Not only that, but if Dorothy’s husband was present when they visited her, that would make it even worse, for it was highly unlikely that he would accept hosting a young lady with a questionable reputation.
The carriage arrived in the early afternoon, just after lunchtime, and Adelaide’s heart sped up. It was possible that everything had changed between her and her friend, and then she would be back where she had started.
