Chapter 9

"Oh! You look lovely!" Rachel gushed, fussing over Lilian in her wedding dress. "Just lovely. Do you love it?"

Lilian smiled. It was hardly the dress of her dreams, but then it was made in under a week, so she shouldn't hold it to too high of a standard. Still, it was lovely for what it was. The dress was in cream silk with golden net lace over the skirt. The short sleeves were trimmed in gold lace that matched her gloves.

"I do," she said.

"I just knew you would!" Rachel glanced at the clock. "Goodness! We need to get to the church before it gets any later. Are you ready?"

Lilian took a deep breath. She was as ready as she was ever going to be. "I think so. Are you sure I look all right?"

"You look perfect. I'm sure he will think so as well."

Lilia flushed. She'd been trying not to think about Frederic and what he might think of her gown.

"Oh, you have nothing to be embarrassed about, Lilian. It's your wedding day! All you need to do is enjoy it."

She forced a smile. Rachel made it sound so easy. Lilian supposed that for most people it was. After all, usually, a wedding day was the culmination of a long, romantic courtship and engagement.

Lilian allowed herself a moment to long for a romance of her own before forcing herself back into the present.

She looked at herself in the mirror. She was every inch the picture-perfect bride. She would find a way to make this work.

She had to.

Lilian gave herself one last look and then headed to the carriage. As was common, the wedding itself was a fairly simple affair at the local church. Only the immediate family was present for the ceremony itself. The rest of the guests would meet them at Pembroke House to celebrate the happy occasion.

When they walked outside, Lilian and Frederic were given their own carriage to ride back in alone. She couldn't help her nerves as she took her seat beside him.

She felt obligated to say something, anything, but struggled to find a single word to fill the silence.

If Frederic was bothered by it, he hid it well. Lilian, on the other hand, struggled to sit still. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Are you happy?" she asked.

He frowned. "Am I happy?"

"Yes. I know this isn't something either of us had wanted originally, but now here we are, so are you happy?"

"I suppose. It saves me the trouble of finding a wife myself."

Lilian was surprised by her own laughter. "That is a very good point."

"And you? Are you happy?"

She thought for a moment. It was a shockingly hard question. After a minute, she found an answer that surprised her. "Yes, I think I am."

"And your reputation is clean?"

"Yes."

"Then it appears our plan was a success."

"So it was."

After a moment, she spoke again. "So, what happens now?"

"Now, we begin our lives."

"But what does that look like?"

"What do you want it to look like?"

"No more balls, at least not for a while."

"Done."

"Done?" Lilian blinked in shock. "But don't I need to make appearances for the sake of your reputation?"

"If you don't want to attend, I'm sure I can think of an excuse. Of course, if you do wish to attend, you are welcome to any social gathering I'm invited to."

"Right, but what do you expect of me? What daily duties will I have?"

He frowned. "Why would you have any?"

"I am to be a duchess. I just assumed that came with some kind of responsibility."

Frederic shook his head. "Well, you can rest easy. All I ask is that you stay out of my study and leave me to my work when necessary."

"And will it be necessary often?"

He sighed. "Just what are you trying to ask me?"

"I suppose I don't know. I'm just trying to understand what my life is going to look like now."

He sighed. "Well, what do you want it to look like?"

Lilian frowned. "I don't know. I don't think anyone has ever asked me that before."

"Well, think about it and let me know. As long as whatever you want doesn't negatively affect my family's name or my business, I will happily leave you to it."

"So, you envision us living almost separate lives?"

"Yes," he replied as though it were the most obvious statement in the world.

For a moment, all she could do was sit there, stunned. Just as she was finding her words, they came to a stop, and the carriage door opened.

The second she was out, everyone was staring at her. Lilian did her best to pretend not to notice. Frederic took her hand before leading her to their seat at the head of the table.

She barely tasted her meal. Even the roasted potatoes, usually her favorite, went unnoticed.

She could hear people talking and see them glancing at them. And why wouldn't they? After all, they were here to witness the culmination of Lilian and Frederic's love story.

Her heart began to pound in her chest as the meal drew to an end and everyone moved to gather near the dance floor.

Frederic stood, offering her his hand. "May I have this dance, Duchess?"

She swallowed. She didn't know why tradition dictated he ask it as a question. After all, it wasn't as if she could actually avoid it.

Taking a deep breath, she accepted his hand, letting him pull her to her feet and onto the floor.

"Ready?" he asked.

"No," she whispered, and the music started.

He led her through the familiar steps, her nerves so intense that even he noticed.

"Could you try to relax?" he whispered.

"I am trying, but there's so many of them watching."

"Of course, they're watching. They're here to see you."

"Funny I thought they were here to see us."

"We both know the wedding is truly for the bride."

Then, for a moment, Lilian dared to be bold. "You don't give yourself enough credit. I think you look quite striking in your suit."

"Striking enough for people to notice next to you?"

She could feel her face flush at his words. Suddenly, Lilian was very aware of the way he was cradling her fingers. She could no longer ignore the heat of his hand seeping through her dress where he touched her.

She swallowed, trying to push the feelings away.

"Are you all right?" he asked with a frown.

"I-I'm just fine."

Before he could ask too many questions, the song came to an end. He only hesitated a moment before stepping back.

"I hope you enjoy the party, Lilian."

Then he walked away, blending back into the crowd.

Lilian was stunned as she made her way off the dance floor. As she walked, she almost bumped into Lady Beatrice.

The woman immediately plastered on a giant, fake smile. "What a lovely wedding," she said. "I must say, I'm amazed by just how much you were able to get done in such a short time. The pair of you weren't even engaged two weeks ago, were you?"

"What can I say?" Lilian forced a smile. "When you know, you know."

"And how fast you knew! I don't think I can even remember seeing the pair of you dance together before today. How did you meet?"

She took a deep breath. "Sorry, I was on my way to speak with my father, but I'll be sure to catch up with you later."

She rushed off before Lady Beatrice could find a reason she had to stay.

Only a few feet later, she ran into her new mother-in-law.

"Duchess!" Lilian said, forcing a smile. "How are you enjoying everything?"

"Oh, there's no need to be so formal. We are family now, after all. The wedding is lovely. I won't keep you long. I'm sure you have many people to see."

The black-clad figure made her way back into the crowd.

After that, it wasn't hard to find her father. He was still sitting at the table reserved for her immediate family.

Solomon was on his feet, a giant grin on his face the second he saw her. "How are you feeling, my girl? Was it everything you'd hoped for?"

"Everything is wonderful. Are you having a good time?"

"It's my daughter's wedding. How could I not have a lovely time?"

Lilian smiled. "I'm glad."

"And you? I would have thought you'd still be on the dance floor with your husband."

"We haven't had the chance to talk with everyone yet. I'm sure we'll make our way back out at some point."

"Quite right. Perhaps you could introduce Matthew to a few people? It won't be long before he's on the dance floor himself."

"I believe it will be quite some time," Matthew said from his seat, eyes wide in horror.

Rachel laughed. "Don't you start getting wedding fever on me now, darling."

"How could I not? They are just so lovely! Besides, I'm not saying he should get married now. Perhaps just put some thought into the kind of woman he hopes to meet. Maybe Lilian could tell him more about her own courtship. He'll need to learn soon!"

Matthew shot to his feet. "I think I'm going to go for a walk before this conversation goes any further."

He all but raced away.

Lilian couldn't help but laugh.

"Leave the boy alone," Rachel chided Solomon. "He's still far too young to even consider any of that."

"Oh, I'm only teasing him."

"I am aware, but is he?"

They turned back to Lilian, and Solomon spoke. "It was nice of you to come and check in with us, but this is your wedding. Go find your husband and enjoy it."

Her smile tightened. She didn't want to. She wanted to stay close to her family while she could. After all, in only a few hours, she would be alone in her new home with her husband and her mother-in-law.

But, of course, she could hardly say that.

Instead, she just nodded. "Right, I'll be on my way then, but feel free to come find me whenever you like."

"Please, just enjoy it, but don't worry. We promise to make sure to come and wish you well before we leave."

She struggled to keep her smile in place as she walked away.

Lilian didn't make it far before Matthew found her. He gave her an odd smile. "So, you've done it. You're married now."

"I am."

"How do you feel?"

She shrugged. "The same, I suppose."

"Do you feel like a duchess?"

She laughed. "I don't know. I'm not quite sure what that means, truth be told."

"Maybe it takes time. I'm sure by the next time Mother, Father, and I come to visit, you'll be duchessing all over the place."

She laughed. "Do you have the slightest idea what a duchess does?"

He sighed. "Not in the slightest, no, but when you find out, I expect you to tell me all about it."

"Don't worry, I will. Try not to let them wait too long to come by."

"I'll do my best, but given that you're going to be on your honeymoon, it's doubtful they'll want to come by for at least a few weeks."

Lilian tried not to let her face fall. "Right, of course."

"Maybe I could sneak by on my own?"

She shook her head. "You need to be careful sneaking out alone. It was one thing when we were together, but by yourself…" she trailed off.

"You don't need to worry about me. Truth be told, I've snuck out on my own quite a few times already."

"What?" Her jaw dropped. "Why would you leave me behind like that?"

"You weren't always available. What do you think I did home alone when I managed to weasel my way out of going with both of you to the balls?"

She groaned. "That is horribly unfair."

"I thought it was brilliant."

"I'm sure you did, but enjoy it while it lasts." A wicked grin crossed her face. "After all, now that I'm married, they'll be turning all their attention to you."

He scoffed. "I've got at least another year before they could reasonably even consider suggesting I should start considering marriage."

"A year goes by closer than you think. Tick tick tick."

He scowled. "I'll just have to go to university or something."

"If you're going to try that, you might want to get to work. They won't let you in if you don't have all your ducks in a row, and you rarely even have them in the same pond."

"At least, I didn't get lost in the forest on my way to the pond," he muttered.

"I get lost one time, and you never let me hear the end of it. Is that it?"

"One time on the property we'd lived in our whole lives. It was less than a five-minute walk. You ended up almost an hour away. Honestly, I still don't understand how you managed that!"

"With skill, Brother dear. With skill."

He snorted. "Is that what you call it?"

"If all you're going to do is mock me, perhaps I should walk you back over to Father and Mother."

"No! Please no. Give me peace while I can have it."

"Then don't give me a reason to."

Perhaps it wasn't how one was expected to spend their wedding, but Lilian spent most of the evening harassing her brother. Yet still, it seemed all too soon when the guests started to clear out.

Then she was alone with her new husband.