Genevieve pivoted to face the full-length mirror. “I’ll have to take your word for it,” she joked, as neither of them appeared in the reflection. “Why do we have this, anyway?”
Kendrick stepped behind her—or as close as he could get with her skirts in the way—and carefully did up the tiny hooks along her spine one by one. “Trust me,” he said. “You are one of the fairest women I have ever beheld, Genevieve.”
It was a beautiful dress—beyond the silk, it was more decadent than any she had ever worn, and it had a good deal of beadwork that caught the light, as well as an elegant drape that gave the impression of a train without actually dragging on the floor. But the rest… “Notthefairest?” she said with a smile, thinking of the fairytale rhyme.
“If I said, ‘the fairest,’ you wouldn’t believe me.” He turned her around gently and cupped her face, smiling. “Your beauty is from within. You glow, the brightest star in the dark, my heart’s gleam. It doesn’t matter what you wear. Though this dress suits you,” he added.
“My fingers can’t seem to stop twitching,” she admitted, lacing the offending digits together.
Kendrick wrapped his hands around hers. “Everything will be fine.”
“But what if?—”
“Our friends are here to help us handle it. But it may surprise you. I think you have put together something to be proud of.”
“And what’s that?” she said with a little laugh.
“A real community. Belonging. Hope.”
She smiled. “A kind thing to say.”
“A true thing. You gave me hope when I was lacking it.”
“Kendrick, no, that’s?—”
“Oh, yes, you did.”
“If we’ve made any kind of change, we did it together.”
“See, that’s why I love you. You argue with me, and you challenge me, and you’ve found a way to see through the dark. You’re a wonder, Genevieve. I hope you saved the first dance for me, even if it isn’t done.”
“We’re creating new traditions, aren’t me? You may have the first, the last. All the ones in between.” She set her hand on his jaw and kissed him with all the love that was in her heart.
His arms came around her and held her tightly. “Much as I’d like to continue with this,” he said against her lips, “if we don’t stop now, we’ll never go downstairs.”
“If we don’t stop now, you’ll crush my dress,” Genevieve said, laughing.
Kendrick let her go. “It’s going to be a new year and a new era for all of us.”
“That, it will,” Genevieve said, checking that the headband to which she had affixed her hair ornaments was still in place. She picked up the gloves dyed the same color as her gown and slid them on past her elbows.
“What do you think of the Ossuary being located somewhere other than London?” Kendrick asked suddenly as he pulled on his evening coat. “Or at least us having another place that isn’t this house?”
“I hadn’t thought of it. Why?”
“I wondered if hunting for a location with a bit more healthful air would be worth it, if we keep acquiring humans this way. London is not the most wholesome place. And beyond it being one of the largest cities and ample hunting grounds, I don’t see another reason to demand vampires stay within its city limits. Once we have instilled better habits and ensure that the laws are being followed, I see no reason why we couldn’t live elsewhere. Or have a second residence, the way the wealthy class do.”
“I wouldn’t mind a place with fewer ghosts,” Genevieve admitted. They shared a smile.
Then Ophelia knocked on the door, and it was time to visit the children before guests began to arrive.
Peter was unimpressed. Fletcher wanted to know how women sat with “that big ol’ tail.” Hannah was in raptures.
Ophelia smiled and happily turned in a slow circle so Hannah could have the full effect. She wore a green-and-gold gown that set off her auburn hair to a dramatic effect.
“Am I too late?” Elspeth asked, poking her head in the door. Her blonde hair had been curled and piled artfully around her head, and she wore a pale-rose gown with lace and ruffles.
“Pink is my favorite color,” Hannah declared upon seeing the full effect.
