“What are you doing?” he chuckled as he stepped back and released her.
“It is a little… tight,” she said. “Perhaps something looser fitting?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Is there time? Our guests will be here at any moment.”
Again, she looked at her reflection, her eyes falling on her stomach. It was not like her to be so worried about something like that, especially seeing as their guests were not those who they needed to be concerned with. But her brow furrowed, and he found her eyes, noting how they focused on her stomach as if something was wrong.
It is more than the gown… something has been on her mind all week.
“Celestine…” Carefully, he took her by the hand. “Is something the matter?”
“What? No.” She pulled her hand back.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes…” She looked away, which told Edward that he was correct. “I am just… nervous, is all. It is the first time that we have hosted my entire family. It is sure to be chaotic. And my mother…” She laughed, but it was forced. “She has not stopped bragging about having two dukes in the family. One would think that she married the both of you.”
Yes, something was clearly the matter. As said, Edward had noticed it all week. How distant his wife had been behaving, how vague and detached she always was when they were together. There was a problem, one she was dealing with internally, and Edward was desperate to find out.
About to press the point further, Edward’s words were cut short as Millicent burst into the room.
“They’re here!” she cried as she came to a stop. “Oh…” Her eyes swept over Celestine. “Celestine, you look stunning.”
“Thank you, Millicent. As do you.”
Millicent waved her down, but her cheeks colored just a little. Every day, she grew, and every day she seemed to transform more into a lady. Truly, it made Edward’s heart soar.
“Did you hear what I said?” Millicent gathered herself. “They are here. A carriage has arrived, just now. I think it is your mother.”
“Wonderful…” Edward groaned. Celestine cocked an eyebrow at him, and he grinned. “Just joking. I love your mother…” He then found Millicent and winked.
“Come then.” Celestine took his hand. “Let us get through this.”
Edward eyed the hand, considered once again raising the topic of Celestine’s inner turmoil. But a commotion from downstairs forced his attention back into the room, and he decided that such things would have to wait until tomorrow.
As Millicent had rightly claimed, Celestine’s mother was the first to arrive, as were her two sisters. Millicent swept down the stairs first, and she went straight for them. She was the same age as Isolde, and only a few years younger than Marigold. Consequently, the three girls got along famously and even before Celestine and Edward reached the lower landing, Millicent was leading them away, their heads together as they giggled.
“Your Grace!” Celestine’s mother beamed as she made for them. “And Celestine. Oh, that gown!”
“Evening, Mother,” Celestine said politely.
“I told you, there is no need to call me, Your Grace,” Edward said as he took her hand and kissed the back of it. “Edward, is fine.”
“Of course,” Celestine’s mother chuckled. “I ought to be used to it by now. What, with two dukes as sons-in-law. Who would have guessed?”
Celestine caught Edward’s eye and rolled her own at the comment.
Before they had a chance to lead Celestine’s mother away, it was announced that Ariadne and her husband Cedric had arrived also. So, the three of them remained; there to greet Celestine’s eldest sister and her husband.
It was all friendly, if not loud and chaotic. Ariadne and Cedric had Emily and baby Emmet with them, and while Edward had arranged for them to be watched over, Ariadne took some convincing to let go of Emmet.
“He will be fine,” Celestine assured her.
“I really should…” She watched as Emmet was carried away.
“It will be the longest she has been without him,” Cedric said dryly, as he often did. “I think it’s good for her. No sense mothering the child.”
“He is hardly five months old,” Ariadne snapped. “I will mother him all I want.”
