She studied the gowns again, two of them were older morning gowns, more suited for walking in the park than anything else, and the third, perhaps too heavy in its material, but undoubtedly the most suitable of the three, was an evening gown—silvery blue in color. Helena let out a small sob. It was the gown that Matteo had secretly matched his waistcoat with during the Woodacre Spring Ball.
The memory invoked her feelings upon recognizing his gesture. She had been surprised, touched. She realized that she was already falling in love with him then.
Helena pulled out the gown. She hugged it to her chest.
When a meek Becky returned, Helena smiled kindly at her.
“Come, let us resume.”
She gestured to the silvery blue gown that she had hung over the screen.
“Aye, m’lady.” Becky said, and she proceeded to dress her mistress.
When she was ready, Helena looked once more at her reflection in the mirror. She would just have to hide behind her sisters.
Would it be altogether wrong if she did not attend the wedding at all? She sighed. She must go, of course. If only to lend credence to Matteo’s marriage to Chastity.
Despite the incidents that morning, Helena had finished with her preparations relatively early. She moved to the window as she heard Becky let in the servants in charge of removing the breakfast things. Looking out, she noticed how the roses looked beautiful today. Perhaps she would go there.
“I shall be out in the gardens, Becky,” Helena said. “Thank you for your assistance this morning.”
Sitting on the pergola bench, Helena tried, very unsuccessfully, to empty her mind. Perhaps she chose the wrong place to do so, or perhaps the task was simply impossible to accomplish. Her time would be better spent admiring the flowers. She stood up and ran her fingers over the smooth petals of the pink roses.
In an hour’s time, the wedding would take place. The days leading up to it had seemed so surreal that now, when the actual hour was upon them, she still felt as if it were not reality.
Was she still in denial? Was a tiny part of her hoping against hope that it would not happen?
From the open window of the Blue Room, the longcase clock sounded the hour of ten. In half an hour, they must all be out and ready to board the carriages. She knew it would be up to her to remind her sisters of the time and up to her still to herd them to the front door.
Her parents, she knew, would be riding their own carriage.
She had not spoken to her mother since she had told her exactly what she felt regarding her and her father. Helena had no idea how she had taken it, or if she cared at all.
But she had resolved on one thing, and it was that she would take care of her sisters because she loved them—and not to please her parents any longer. She would decide for herself; she would no longer be their puppet. She would fight for her sisters and fight for herself. It was time that she took control of her own life, however small her means were. This she vowed.
Helena went back inside the house. She went up the stairs and headed for her sisters’ bedrooms. Faith’s bedroom being the closest, she knocked on her door.
“Faith?” Receiving no reply, Helena opened the door only to find her bedchambers empty. She went to Grace’s room next, which was directly opposite Faith’s.
“Grace?”
There was no answer as well. Opening the door, she was once again greeted with the same scene: an empty room.
“Where is everyone?”
Left with only one place to go, Helena walked towards Chastity’s door.
The muffled sounds of conversation stopped her from knocking. She pressed closer, trying to discern what was happening.
“Chastity… you must…”
It was Grace’s voice sounding very much as she did when she was trying to persuade someone.
Puffing out her cheeks, Helena turned the door handle and went into Chastity’s room.
She was right, all three of her sisters were there, and they, all of them, stopped and looked at her as she stood by the doorway.
“Helena, you must speak to Chastity!” Grace moaned.
