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“You will make the most beautiful bride, Miss Whitworth,” she said.
Rowena blushed.
“You are too kind,” she said. “It will be your dress that makes me beautiful.”
The modiste waved her hand before excusing herself so that the assistant could help Rowena get dressed once more. Nancy would be next for fittings, and Rowena was to help her mother and sisters choose the fabrics for their dresses. But as she thought about the modiste’s compliment and her sisters’ delight at her sudden wedding, her heart ached.If only I were marrying for love and not convenience,she thought sadly.
When she was dressed once more, Rowena sat while her mother and sisters had their fittings. She glanced at Nancy, who was engaged in animated conversation with their mother while the modiste worked her magic on the viscountess. She suddenly realized that though her elder sister’s voice was light and she was all smiles, there was a marked sadness in her eyes. The sight made Rowena’s heart grow heavy.
It was clear Nancy was trying to appear that all was well, but Rowena could see that she still carried with her the loss of her beloved husband. Rowena couldn’t imagine how painful it must be for her sister. No doubt, she remembered shopping for her own wedding dress, a joyful occasion, and Rowena feared her own impending wedding had brought it all back for Nancy. She could only hope that she herself would never experience such heartache.
Perhaps it is best that I donotlove Andrew,she thought. Never loving him meant that she would never feel the pain of loss, should he die before her. And it would certainly mean that, should he become like her own father, her heart would not be broken, as her mother’s had been. It truly was for the best that she had not found a love match. She could be content with Andrew allowing her the promised freedom, without the risk of getting hurt in any way.
Shortly after that, the women finished their initial fittings. The viscountess arranged for the final ones to be done at their home before the wedding, so the dresses could be left with them when all was done. Then, they left the modiste’s and headed to Gunter’s for tea.
“I will just die if I don’t eat something,” Sybil announced dramatically. “All these wedding plans are exhausting.”
Rowena and the viscountess giggled, while Nancy, who was rather quiet, smiled indulgently.
“And to think you will be doing it again soon for your own wedding,” Rowena teased.
Sybil put the back of her hand to her forehead in the same dramatic fashion.
“Oh, good God,” she gasped. “We haven’t even reached my debutante ball yet.”
It was Nancy’s turn to laugh.
“That will be another taxing event,” she said.
All four women were laughing as they entered the teashop and found a nice table by the window.
As they seated themselves, Nancy motioned for a waiter, and Rowena stared out of the window at the busy street beyond. The day had, indeed, been exhausting, both physically and mentally. She wondered if she would even make it to the wedding, as drained as she already felt. But it felt good to hear the women in her family enjoying themselves, as they had always used to whenever they were together. It was getting easier to accept the reasons for marrying Andrew.
Before the waiter came to take their order, the doorbell chimed as the door opened. Rowena glanced toward the door idly, her eyes widening and her heart leaping into her throat when she saw the Dowager Baroness of Elsbrook, Lady Viola, and Lady Kinswood entering the shop together. Rowena immediately wished her party had chosen a table closer to the back of Gunter’s. She tried to look away before any of the women saw her. She was too late.
Her future mother-in-law met her gaze with cold eyes. It was only a second before she looked away to follow her company to a corner table, but it was obvious that she had intended to cut Rowena. Rowena’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, despite not having done anything for which to be ashamed. Thankfully, the others had not noticed. All she wanted then was for herself and her family to leave the teashop and return home so that she could hide in her bedchambers. Maybe for the rest of her life.
“Rowena,” Sybil was saying, snapping her out of her trance.
“Pardon?” she asked, putting on a painfully false smile.
Sybil giggled.
“You spend so much time woolgathering, you will be late for your own wedding, Sister,” she joked. “I was asking you which flowers you think you should have in your wedding bouquet.”
Rowena nodded, pretending to think carefully about the question. Truthfully, she was trying to shake off the discomfort she felt since the baroness had cut her. It was clear the woman would never accept her as her daughter-in-law, let alone like. Rowena saw that, if she was going to marry Andrew, she would have to find a way to avoid his mother as much as possible.
“I’ll tell you what, Sister,” she said, mustering a softer smile. “I will leave that decision completely up to you.”
Sybil gasped loudly, which drew the attention of some customers at nearby tables, and probably, Rowena thought, the attention of the baroness. But Rowena refused to look in her direction, focusing instead completely on Sybil.
“You are the best sister ever,” Sybil said, beaming at her.
It was Nancy’s turn to gasp dramatically. She looked at Sybil with the most exaggerated hurt in her eyes.
“Well, I can see how unloved I am,” she said, putting her hand over her heart.
Sybil giggled, and Rowena joined in despite her discomfort. The viscountess gently chided her daughters, though it was clear she was enjoying watching her girls, who were all now young ladies, in such high spirits.
