Chapter Thirty
“What have I missed?” Lady Liliah Heightfield asked the moment she came through Grace’s dressing room door. “Oh! You’re lovely! We need to just adjust—”
Grace didn’t have to offer a greeting before Lady Liliah was adjusting a seam in her bodice that her maid apparently hadn’t had quite perfected.
“Good morning, my lady,” Grace replied once Lady Liliah had stepped back to regard Grace’s gown.
“Good morning! Are you in a fit of nerves? I was quite distracted on my wedding morning—”
“That might have had something to do with us fleeing our home and you marrying the earl in secret . . .” Samantha said in a dry tone, even as she grinned and came to stand by her sister.
“That may have contributed to the tension of the morning. But it was a glorious wedding, even if it was rather secretive. I’ve not regretted it one moment. I rather loved the intimate affair rather than the scads of people who would have attended otherwise.”
Samantha nodded. “It was quite dashing.” She turned to Grace then. “That was the first day I met your Lord Sterling.”
Grace smiled, awaiting the rest of the story.
“Indeed. I was quite out of sorts, my big sister rushing us both off from our home, basically fleeing our father and her marrying the scandalous Lord Heightfield in secret, and there he was, attending the wedding and nothing but a picture of calm, or at least, feigned calm. I found out later he was just as tense as the rest of us.”
“I imagine that most of the men were on alert lest Father make a surprise appearance at the wedding.”
“I’m sure that was the general concern,” Samantha replied.
“But it was utterly romantic.”
Samantha smiled. “It was indeed. I’d only just met the earl, and it was clear to see he was a man violently in love.”
“It’s rather clear that both of us are blessed with a love match.” Lady Liliah gave her sister’s arm a squeeze, then she turned to Grace. “And you as well, that much is clear.” She gave her head a little shake. “Lucas and I were quite taken with the change that has come over Ramsey. Never would I have imagined I’d see him in fisticuffs. Well,Ididn’t see him in fisticuffs, Lucas did, but you gather my meaning.”
Grace blushed slightly and nodded. “It is rather unlike him.”
“He finally found something stronger than his fear of scandal,” Samantha added.
“Yes. You,” Lady Liliah replied, then turned to Samantha. “That being said, we need to finish here and get you downstairs. What needs to be done next?”
Over the next quarter hour, the ladies assisted Grace in finishing the final touches for her attire. Grace had never had a sister, or a brother for that matter, but she imagined that the chattering, teasing, and advice from both Samantha and Lady Liliah was quite kindred to that of older sisters. The thought was a balm to her nerves all tight with anticipation. She had refused to evaluate her reflection in the mirror until everything was finished, and now that the time had come, she was hesitant to do so.
“Lovely,” Samantha whispered, stepping back and grasping her sister’s hand as they both smiled warmly at Grace.
Encouraged by their responses, Grace turned her gaze to the mirror and smiled at her reflection.
The gown was an amethyst purple, brighter than was the fashion, but the exact color of the irises she’d picked out. The bold color brought her creamy skin to life, accenting the darker highlights of her auburn hair, making it more coffee than the vibrant red tone it usually boasted. Her eyes were clear, highlighted by a hint of kohl, and her cheeks were tinted the faintest shade of pink. But what struck her most was the expression on her face.
Wonder.
Delight.
Expectation.
Love.
It was a combination she’d never seen on herself, and it became her quite beautifully.
She had started out the season convinced she’d fail, convinced that she wouldn’t fit in, and somehow would have to fake being the lady everyone thought she was trained to be. But studying her reflection, she realized that she was that lady: graceful, poised, loved. Well, graceful when not in motion, she amended. Just because she looked utterly ravishing didn’t mean she’d magically be able to waltz without stepping on toes.
It was a day of miracles.
Not a day of the impossible.
