Page 49 of The Season of Lady Chastity

“We have yet to discuss such things, but—” Chastity paused, uncertain how her true feelings would impact her sister.

Prudence’s brow raised in question, silently prodding Chastity to continue.

“I truly hope he voices his intentions before we depart Oxburgh Hall.” With each declaration, her chest squeezed. And when her sister shared her smile, a new hope blossomed within Chastity.

“I think that would be wonderful. Enjoy your bath, dear sister.” Prudence nodded to the maids as she hurried from the room.

As the servant readied the tub, Chastity thought Bastian declaring his feelings for her would be more than simply wonderful.

Chapter 13

Ribbons of creamy white and cobalt blue streamed from the tall, wooden archway that had been constructed in the Montrose gardens for Luci and Roderick’s marriage ceremony. Enormous boughs of alder, blackthorn, holly, and pine had been hung from the arbor sometime during the early morning hours, utterly transforming the expanse of lawn below the terrace until Chastity did not recognize it as the area she and Bastian had walked through only the previous day. The grass had been covered with long bolts of white fabric, piled around the edges, to make it appear as if the entire party were surrounded by snow drifts. Candles were hung and lit in the trees bordering the lawn. The morning fog that had encapsulated the area only an hour before had lifted to show a bright sky above.

Lucianna was adorned in a shimmering silver satin gown that hugged her willowy body and accentuated her rounded hips. With her hair piled high atop her head with only a few curls escaping the pins’ hold, she was a vision. Pearl drops hung from her ears, and a matching necklace graced her throat. Despite her perfect dress, styled hair, and adornments, Luci’s smile put it all to shame. Her happiness radiated brighter than a thousand chandeliers.

The Duke of Montrose, an impressive, stately lord in his own right, was in every way outshone by his captivating bride.

Lady Camden had certainly outdone herself with the Christmastide wedding ornamentation. Not a single guest would question that Luci and her betrothed were exchanging promises for their future in the middle of a winter wonderland.

Everything was nearly perfect.

Chastity surveyed the small gathering for the thousandth time. Everyone had arrived in their finest attire with warm woolen cloaks and jackets. With only about two-dozen guests, it was not difficult to note that there were four empty seats.

One sat on the far side of Prudence for their father, who had yet to arrive.

Another sat near the front and was certainly meant for Luci’s father, Lord Camden.

Those two empty seats were not what concerned Chastity.

No, it was the seats in the row behind Chastity and Prudence where Bastian and his mother were meant to be seated that worried her.

“What are you looking at?” Prudence whispered behind her fan, low enough that Triston and Edith could not hear. “The nuptials are taking place in front of us, not behind us.”

Chastity would not admit she was watching—and waiting—for Bastian.

Turning back to face the vicar and Roderick and Luci, who stood below the adorned arbor, Chastity suppressed the urge to glance over her shoulder once more and up to the third floor—and the open window she suspected was Lady Mansfield’s chamber.

Her gown, another found in her mother’s possessions, was a deep ruby hue, and she wore a sparkling emerald brooch at her décolletage. Surprisingly, she’d garnered a few too many glances from attending gentlemen.

The attention hadn’t made her feel any sort of way.

She longed for one man to see her in the dress. Bastian.

However, he was nowhere to be found. He hadn’t joined the party milling about in the foyer before they’d all been ushered out onto the terrace and led down to the lawn for the ceremony. Neither had he slipped into his seat moments before the musicians began the soft melody that announced Luci’s entrance. Chastity was even starting to lose hope that he’d attend the feast directly following the nuptials.

The conversation she and Prudence had had the evening before in their room lost a bit of weight with each passing moment. She’d admitted to Pru that she longed for Bastian to seek a proper courtship with her; something she and her sister had never expected for each other.

Edith leaned forward and reached across Triston to grasp Chastity’s hand. “Do they not look lovely?”

Her brother’s wife sighed contently, her head tilting slightly as she gazed upon her bosom friend. It was a gesture innately capturing all that Edith was: kind, hopeful, and sentimental. Despite the rocky beginnings between her and Triston, they had prevailed and gone on to love one another more than any couple Chastity had ever witnessed—that is until Luci met Roderick and Ophelia met Lord Hawke.

For the first time, Chastity realized the three couples gave her a sense of hope that she hadn’t noticed she’d lacked before. Their couplings were not borne of dependency or the need to possess another, but of love. Each woman had been happy to surrender a piece of themselves to gain a companion who ultimately completed them in every way.

The same way Prudence had believed she and Chastity completed each other.

However, that was not true.

Both sisters needed something more, something the other could not give them. It was only that Chastity discovered that missing piece first.