It was pale blue, adorned with lace and embroidery. The Duke had paid for it, and it was the finest thing that she had ever worn in her life. In comparison to the simplicity of the ceremony, she would stand out, and that was not what she wanted.
“You will look beautiful,” Sibyl corrected her. “And you are not to compare us any further. Today is to be about you, and that is that.”
“I suppose, but I–”
“Do not suppose anything. There shall be no sadness today, for it is to be about you and you alone. And your husband, of course.”
Cassandra could not help but laugh at that. They hardly knew the man, but they were pleased for her regardless. Even so, she was who they thought of.
“I still cannot quite believe that I will be a wife. I did not think that it would happen, especially not with a gentleman that I was so determined to avoid.”
“A man you would have ruined yourself in order to escape.”
“Precisely. I feel so foolish for it now, for if I am honest he is precisely the sort of man that I have always envisioned. He is loyal, and protective, and I cannot believe that I have been so fortunate.”
“And what of your cousins?” Anthea asked. “I assume they have heard of this match by now.”
“They must have, but my aunt has already said that I am never to speak to them again. If I know my aunt, she will not change her mind.”
“Of course she will. You are to be a duchess. That changes everything!”
“It changes nothing,” Cassandra sighed. “I shall speak with my mother, but there is only so much that we can do. If she has decided that I am going to ruin her daughters, then I will not see them again.”
“A shame,” Sybil joked, “for you could have been most incredible musicians together.”
Cassandra could not help but be entertained by the comment. She had always been so protective of her cousins, and had never wanted a word to be said against them, but she knew that her friend did not mean it.
“You should speak with your aunt,” Anthea pressed. “Once you are the Duchess, she will have to at least accept your invitation. She would be a fool not to.”
“I will,” she nodded.
And she meant it. She had nothing to lose in trying, for the worst that could happen was that her aunt would simply repeat that she could not see them. She would speak with her husband about it, and by the time her friends left she found that she was more excited than ever. Within a matter of hours, she would be a duchess, and at last she would feel as though she had real freedom. She giggled as she looked at herself, noting that for the first time in her life, she saw marriage as freedom.
Suddenly, her maid entered the room with a look of confusion on her face.
“His Grace is here to see you, Miss,” she explained.
“Oh! I– can he see me now?”
“I do not see the harm in it. Would you like to change your gown?”
She was tempted, for she did not wish to ruin the surprise, but she also did not wish to keep the Duke waiting. If he had come to see her, she reasoned, it had to be so that he could explain something important, and so she did not want it to wait too long.She put a shawl around her to hide at least part of it, and raced down to him.
He looked askance, unable to remain still, and when she cleared her throat to signify her arrival, he looked at her intensely. He could not seem to look away, and it made her heart race.
“Good morning,” she greeted.
“Good morning,” he replied with a bow.
“Do you think this will do?” she asked. “I did not want to do too much, but I shall only have the one wedding and so I would like it to be perfect.”
“As would I, which is precisely why I am here.”
Once again, he could not seem to look at her. He seemed to be hiding something, and Cassandra faltered at the sight of him. It did not make sense, for when she had seen him the day before it was as though there was nothing he wanted more than to marry her, even if she did not doubt that it was a mere arrangement for him.
“I see,” she replied.
“No, you do not. Lady Cassandra, I… I think that we should postpone the ceremony.”
