Chapter One
England, 1813
Bennett Lockwood, the Earl of Dunsby, never had an issue with bread… until now. He sat in the pew next to his sister, Elodie, who was happily eating her buttered bread. The chapel was quiet, save for the sound of Elodie’s loud, incessant chewing that seemed to echo off the walls.
They were gathered here to celebrate their cousin’s wedding to his good friend, Miles. He felt a profound sense of pride that he had brought these two together, knowing the pain they had both endured in their pasts.
Glancing at Elodie, Bennett leaned in and whispered, “Do you mind?”
His sister gave him a look that appeared innocent, but he knew better. “What is wrong?” she asked, matching his tone.
“Why did you bring bread with you to Edwina’s wedding?” he asked, trying not to let his annoyance show.
With a slight shrug, Elodie replied, “I was hungry.”
Melody, his other sister, chimed in from the pew behindthem. “I tried to convince her not to bring it, but she wouldn’t listen.”
“Of course not,” Bennett muttered under his breath. His sisters were nearly identical, with the same blonde hair and bright blue eyes, but that is where the similarities stopped. Elodie seemed to defy convention, whereas Melody followed the rules, almost to a fault.
Elodie held up the piece of bread towards him. “Would you care for some?”
Bennett ignored her offer as he turned his attention back to the front of the chapel where the short, round vicar had just concluded the service.
With a wide smile, the vicar announced, “And now it is my privilege to officiate the marriage between Lady Edwina Lockwood and Lord Hilgrove. Please come forward.”
The happy couple stood from their seats in the back, their beaming smiles radiating pure happiness. The congregation promptly rose as the couple made their way down the aisle, hand in hand. They stood before the vicar, their eyes fixated on each other.
As the vicar began the ceremony, the audience settled into their seats, eagerly awaiting the moment when Edwina and Miles would finally be announced as man and wife.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Elodie couldn’t quite seem to contain her excitement. “This is my favorite part,” she whispered to Bennett. “I love it when they kiss.”
Bennett lifted his brow. “I do not know why, considering we caught them kissing all the time at Brockhall Manor.”
“Yes, but now they are kissing as husband and wife,” Elodie replied. “It is completely different.”
After a chaste kiss, Edwina and Miles proceeded down the aisle and disappeared through the chapel doors.
Bennett stood up from his seat and adjusted the sleeves on his jacket. “Well, they are officially married now. Shall we return home for the luncheon?”
“But that isn’t for another few hours,” Elodie protested before taking another bite of bread. “And this dress is starting to itch from the net overlay.”
Melody had also risen from her seat. “You could always return home and change into a different gown,” she suggested.
With a shake of her head, Elodie said, “Mother would never allow it. She specifically chose our gowns for Edwina’s wedding and wouldn’t want me to change for any reason.”
Bennett placed a comforting hand on Elodie’s shoulder. “What a burden you must endure. Whatever shall you do?” he teased.
“You are a man and cannot possibly understand what women must endure in the name of fashion,” Elodie responded. “Besides, I fail to see anything wrong with our old gowns.”
Melody adopted a tone that sounded very much like Mother’s. “They may be suitable for the countryside, but they are much too plain for the upcoming Season,” she explained. “We will need to distinguish ourselves from the other debutantes if we hope to secure a brilliant match.”
“Do you truly wish to marry your first Season?” Elodie asked. “Because I certainly do not.”
Melody tilted her chin defiantly. “It matters not when I marry, butwhoI marry,” she declared. “I want a love match.”
A small smirk graced Elodie’s lips as she quipped, “And I want a unicorn, but we all know that will never happen. Love matches are just as elusive as mythical creatures.”
“Unicorns aren’t real,” Melody said.
