“He’ll learn.”
She snorted. “Not from you.”
“And what does that mean?”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “What do you think?”
In response to this, Alistair brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.
It was the day of their wedding and, having finished with the ceremony, they had returned to Alistair’s estate for the post-ceremony breakfast. There were two hundred guests throughout the ballroom, spread across the many tables, each enjoying the food and the liquor that was on offer.
Yvette and Alistair sat at the head of the room; a large table that itself was set on a small stage, so they were above everyone else. And while Yvette was not such a fan of being the center of attention, she did rather like the idea of everyone seeing her with Alistair.
This is your life now, Yvette, so best get used to it. Not just a wife, but a duchess. Nothing will ever be the same again… and that is something to look forward to.
Nearly all the guests were people whom Yvette did not know, but that changed as the day wound on…
“Your Grace…” One of the first people to approach was a stunning woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. She beamed when she saw Alistair, who was up and out of his seat, taking her hand as he greeted her.
“Lady Emily,” he crooned. “So good of you to make it.”
Yvette’s stomach dropped. She knew of Lady Emily Pierce, of course, but she had forgotten how stunning the woman was. And while she knew too that the woman was no threat… she was rather pretty, and certainly familiar with Alistair.
“And this must be Her Grace. Officially.” Lady Emily turned her attention to Yvette. “It is so good to meet you again.
Yvette swallowed. “As it is you.”
“Truly,” Lady Emily continued, her smile dazzling. “I always said that Alistair here deserves the best, and I see that’s exactly what he got.” She winked at Alistair, who laughed. “If you ever need anything at all, please do not hesitate. Us, women of the ton, need to watch out for one another.”
“Thank you,” Yvette said kindly. “That is so nice of you.”
“Of course,” she beamed. “And if you happen to meet any men while you are at it, please send them my way.” She laughed and shook her head. “Not to sound too desperate but…” She trailed off when she spied someone coming through the crowd. “Well, as you are about to see, it is tough going out there.”
Alistair frowned. “What does that mean?” Then he saw who she was speaking of. “Ah… right.”
“There he is!” Theodore Merrick, the Duke of Carrowell, lumbered toward the table. “And there she is! Your Grace. Your Grace.” He bowed deeply to both of them. “It is an honor to be here today.”
Lady Emily scoffed and rolled her eyes. Yvette eyed the reaction, finding it rather curious. And just as curious was the grin that the duke wore when he saw it.
“Carrowell,” Alistair sighed. “Who let you in?”
“I came in through the back,” he joked.
“Better that you stayed there,” muttered Lady Emily.
“Yvette, you know Carrowell –”
“Call me Theodore,” he cut over Alistair and bowed again. “As I am best friends with your husband, you and I are best friends too. Surely, Alistair here has done little else but talk wonderful things about me.”
“He hasn’t mentioned you at all,” Yvette said before she could help herself.
Lady Emily burst into laughter. “Oh, I like her.”
Theodore chuckled, too. “She is both the good-looking one, and the funny one. Tell me, Alistair, what do you bring to the table?”
Yvette could not stop herself from smiling as she listened to and watched the three of them banter. It was a strange realization to have, but Yvette realized that she had never had anything like this growing up. As the daughter of a vicar, she had few friends, no social circle, and nothing that amounted to what this really was: a family.
Soon, Lady Emily and Theodore walked away – bickering to one another as they did -- and Alistair sat back down with her.
