“Why does this matter?” Chedworth asked. His frustration, though he tried to keep it buried, sang loudly to her.
“A lunar eclipse, especially for witches, wizards and all things magical, is a time for inner transformation. A solitary task, meditation, when a person must look inwardly, centered on self,” he explained. “It also comes at an excellent time for a couple soon to be wed. Lady Antonia should spend time in the temple and Chedworth in the garden in meditation to seek all that is within—even that which is hidden from oneself and to search your subconscious for all truths.”
“What if we do not need to do so?” Chedworth asked.
“Then there is no harm,” Lord Saye responded. “Use the time to transform your heart and soul to prepare it for being joined with another.”
“So, only Antonia and I need be concerned with the lunar eclipse,” Chedworth said and while his tone was respectful to the ears, disbelief and irritation was in his music.
“No. It is a time for everyone. It is the two of you who are given the unique opportunity because you are to be joined and this can only strengthen what will bind you because you will have faced yourself before you face your spouse with full honesty.” Her father smiled. “An eclipse is also a symbol of the end of one chapter and the beginning of another, such as the end of a bachelor state to become a married one. Let go of the old and embrace the new. Lady Antonia will do the same.” He then frowned. “I do hope that you intend to marry the following day, because it would be the most ideal time.”
“We do,” Chedworth assured him.
“That is wonderful! During the eclipse, after you have meditated and looked inside yourself, you will then let go of your old self, your old life, your solitary life so that you will be ready to embrace the new.”
“We have rarely even noted when an eclipse occurs,” Lady St. Alban admitted. “I had not realized there were practices that should be observed.”
“I fear it is the same for many. Too often eclipses go unnoticed and if there is not an astrologist to tell you when there will be one, how can you know to prepare ahead of time?”
Samantha had prepared for every type of eclipse since she was a child, instructed by her father. Had she been at home instead of at Nightshade Manor, she would have already been preparing for her own meditation.
“A lunar eclipse is also a time for cleansing and release of negative energies that may have developed,” he added. “All should meditate, especially the women.”
“Why is that?” Lady St. Alban asked.
“An eclipse is a time to strengthen the connection with the power of the goddess and her cycle of nature. It is the perfect time not only for power, but to seek clarity and guidance from the deities and spirits.”
“How were we not aware?” Lady St. Alban asked.
“Likely it is a practice lost along the way,” Lady Saye answered. “My ancestors had not charted the stars and it was not something we paid any attention to until I met my husband. Samantha could have explained. I am not certain why she did not.”
“You wrote that Chedworth and Antonia should not marry on the twenty-sixth. You did not provide a reason, nor was I aware of the pending eclipse,” she defended.
“So long as there are no further delays,” Chedworth ground out and slumped back in his seat only to have Antonia’s father raise an eyebrow of warning to which Cassian began to chuckle then covered it with a cough, earning a similar look from her brother.
Yes, women were far easier to understand than the silent messages men shared between themselves.
Chapter 10
Cassian glanced at Chedworth who had slouched down into a seat beside the fireplace, arms folded over his chest. He was pouting, though would insist that it was brooding. It was still a childish reaction when a wedding was being put off for only a day. He also should not have laughed and hoped his cough covered it but suspected it had not. To increase his discomfort, Samantha’s brother, Malcolm Ellis, Viscount Kesteven, practically glared at him the moment he followed her into the drawing room.
No doubt warning him away because they both knew that Samantha could do far better in a husband than Cassian.
“What time will the lunar eclipse occur?” Antonia asked.
“Shortly after eleven that night, therefore, I advise to prepare for your meditations at ten-thirty.”
This response was met with groans.
“A late night is not so difficult,” Lord Saye insisted.
“And all the more reason why the wedding must take place in the evening,” Lady St. Alban announced with a challenging eye on her son, daring Chedworth to argue with her.
“Very well,” he finally grumbled.
“Now that it is settled, we must plan for how we can enjoy the festival of Haloa and honor the lunar eclipse in one night.”
As Samantha would likely wish to visit with her parents and brother while Lady St. Alban began making arrangements, Cassian started to slip from the room.
