Jane turned around as Edward approached her, smiling bashfully as he raised a glass in her direction.
She had spent the better part of a fortnight overseeing the preparations for this, and she was proud of it, thankful to have not yet grown tired of it. The decorations had come together nicely, the food was delicious and her guests seemed rather pleased with what she had provided. Receiving compliments for such a feat felt foreign, but she was not one to turn down praise.
Jane laughed. “You are too kind, Your Grace. I am not certain I did very much.”
“Do not be ridiculous,” Edward said pleasantly, looking amused by her humility.
He turned to look across the room, and his expression shifted into something more sincere. He nodded in the direction of her husband, who was standing near the door with his hands clasped at his back, speaking to someone Jane did not recognize, looking so at ease in his own home that it still occasionally surprised her. “Have a look at him.”
Jane did. She could not help it.
“I have known that stubborn bugger for a long time,” Edward sighed, “And I have never seen him look like that. Not once. I was under the impression that it was simply impossible for him to have an existence that was not tightly wound up and weighed down by the past. Not until you. You gave him his life back, Jane. And you gave him back his son. That is no small feat. You ought to be proud.”
She felt warmth spread through her chest and she beamed appreciatively.
“More than anything,” she told him honestly, “I am simply glad that I get to be with them. That is the thing that I am proudest of. That they are mine, and I am theirs. I had not thought I wanted it. I had been so certain that what I wanted was the opposite of this.”
“And now?”
“Now I cannot imagine the opposite,” she admitted. “I find I have very little interest that possibility and I am thankful I had taken a chance on the choice I made.”
Edward smiled at her as though he had something to brag about and had decided to be gracious about it.
“Well,” he smirked, lifting his glass again, “Here is to you, then. You deserve every bit of happiness this life has to offer. Every last bit of it.”
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
“Edward,” he corrected with a squint of caution.
She amended quickly, already fond of him. “Thank you, Edward.”
He nodded in approval, then turned and crossed the room toward Thomas. Jane watched him lean close to her husband’s ear once he arrived at his side and was entertained swiftly by the change of expressions across her husband’s face. It was quite the sight, to witness, as Thomas’ look of contentment shifted to mild attention, then finally settled on something that looked very much like exasperated resignation.
He turned to look for her across the room and, finding her watching, gave her a look that communicated plainly that their friend was insufferable.
She laughed, tilting her head placatingly before she continued to mingle among her guests.
Penelope found her next, coming across the room with her husband Cecil at her side, her pleased expression hinting that she was satisfied with more than just the ball.
“Jane,” she greeted warmly, reaching for her hands. “You look wonderful. And this – is absolutely lovely.”
She glanced around the ballroom with evident delight and Jane felt her heart swell with pride.
“I am glad you think so.” Jane looked past her as Cecil slipped away, headed in Thomas’ direction.
Godric was already there, engaged in a conversation with Thomas and together, the three of them seemed to immediately fall into easy conversation. It warmed Jane’s heart to see her husband making more friends, content to observe and wish him more happiness as he tried to lower his boundaries and let more, good people in.
“That is quite a sight. It surprises me as much as I enjoy it,” Jane remarked, as her lips pulled into a fond smile.
“That is a sentiment I share deeply,” Nora told her, appearing from nowhere in the way she occasionally did. “I do have some concerns about the potential attempts to oppress your husband made by my brother, but I am sure everything will be fine.”
She waved a hand in the air dismissively and Jane chuckled, understanding that it was a likely occurrence, but her husband was perfectly capable of handling himself.
Being here, with her own partner whilst surrounded by the same friends she had once felt separated from because she did not share the same attachments they did and feared she never would, was a surreal experience. It felt as though that was a lifetime ago now, and she found herself thankful for how far she had come now.
“I am very glad that I changed my mind,” Jane exclaimed suddenly.
Nora reached for one of her hands and held onto it while Penelope spoke,
