“Arabella,” Alexandra approached.
A sincere smile bloomed on her face. Alexandra was a genuinely nice person, and Arabella truly valued their friendship. It was a thorn at her side that she had to lie to her friend about thismarriage. Looking up at her, smiling so brightly, was making her feel bad.
“Or should I say, Your Grace?” Alexandra smiled and curtsied.
“Please,” Arabella finally managed to smile, the true one. “Do not ever call me Your Grace. But look at that! You are the first person to do so.”
“Well, I knew from the moment we met, both of us debuting, that you were something else, Arabella.”
“Oh, so you knew that in the future you would be close friends with a Duchess, did you?”
“Well, I was not aiming this high,” Alexandra teased, “but I knew I wanted you around.”
Arabella opened her arms, and the two friends hugged. Finally, she felt some warmth in her body.
“Your Grace,” a voice interrupted them.
It was Gerald’s friend, Morgan.
“I am sorry to interrupt this cordial moment,” the Marquess said, looking at Alexandra. “I wanted to offer my congratulations.”
And condolences, Arabella thought. She was aware that Morgan knew of the arrangement she had with the Duke. And even if he did not, he seemed to know the Duke very well to realize what kind of life Arabella had signed herself up for.
“Thank you, my lord,” she said politely.
Morgan bowed and then inclined his head again to Alexandra. Arabella glanced upon her friend only to see her look at the Marquess with interest. He was a handsome man, with that dirty blonde hair of his and hazel eyes. Perhaps something good would come out of her wedding. If she could not be happy, it did not mean that other people could not as well.
“May I introduce you, my lord, to my good friend?” Arabella said softly. “This is Miss Alexandra Leeston. And may I introduce the Marquess of Whitmore, Morgan Harding?”
“It is an absolute pleasure to meet you, Miss Alexandra,” Morgan said, boldly taking Alexandra‘s hand and kissing her gloved fingers.
Arabella watched the scene with glee as Alexandra’s cheeks blushed. Alexandra, who was always daring and outspoken, may have finally found her match.
“Your Grace.”
It took her a moment to realize that this was addressed to her. And even then, it happened only because she recognizedthe voice calling her immediately. Gerald. Calling her by her title, not her name. She was no longer ‘Arabella’, or even ‘Miss Arabella’ to him. Now she was ‘Her Grace’, equal to him in station and yet further away than ever.
“Your Grace. We need to sign the registry. Morgan,” he addressed his friend, “you need to come too as my witness.”
“Of course,” Morgan said.
He took one long look at Alexandra, bowed, and smiled.
“Miss Alexandra, may I be so bold as to ask if you are coming to the Statham ball? I will make sure to write my name in your dancing card.”
Alexandra was so stunned that she did not say anything, just bowed and nodded. Morgan smiled back and left for the vestry.
“Your Grace,” Gerald repeated. “You must come too.”
She nodded and followed him to sign the official document that made her a Duchess while signing off the rest of her life to uncertain happiness.
* * *
After they were done with the documents, they went outside. The Albury estate was massive, with big gardens, a little lake at the edge of the estate, a well-preserved maze that was supposedto be a wonder of gardening, and a huge, elegant building that was the main residence. As she was looking upon what was supposed to be now hers, she felt as if she did not belong.
“Arabella,” her father called.
She gathered as much of a smile as she could and approached her father, who was waiting for her under a big tree. Her sister was further away, looking at the exquisite roses of all colors and types that were growing in the rose garden.
