Chapter 8

Lilian wasn't surprised when there was a knock on her door not long after she retired to her room after dinner. It had been strange having everyone at the table, but if she was honest, she hadn't hated it. She'd been surprised to find Frederic had even been charming. She opened the door to see Matthew, a smile gracing her face at the sight of her brother.

"So that was him, then?" he asked, welcoming himself inside without waiting for an invitation. "The man you're going to marry."

"Yes, that was him."

He grunted.

Lilian frowned. "Matthew, I am the one who needs to go through with this, so why do you seem to have more reservations than I do?"

"Because it simply isn't right! You shouldn't need to get married just because you ran into someone while out on a walk!"

She shook her head. "I understand you're upset, and it's very sweet of you to get so outraged on my behalf, but it truly isn't the end of the world."

"How can you say that?"

"Because it's true."

"What?"

"For a moment, let's put aside the situation that got us here. I want my time on the marriage market to end."

"But I thought you were excited to be out."

"I was when I first came out. Then I had to actually be out." She shook her head. "It's exhausting. In all this time, I've never met someone who caught my eye or caught the eye of anyone else. Is this how I wanted it to happen? No, but I won't say I'm not relieved I won't have to play their games anymore."

"So what? Do you want me to be happy for you?"

"I wouldn't go that far, but I want you to be at peace with it. I am."

He sighed. "Are you sure? This is truly something… you want?"

"Yes," she said, her voice stronger than she felt. "It is."

"All right," he sighed. "Then I'll leave it be and support you in this."

"Thank you, Matthew."

He nodded.

Then a genuine smile split Lilian's face. "Now, we've got two weeks, so I want to plan one last outing together."

"Truly?"

"Of course! How could we not have one?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"I'm not sure yet, but we need to do something exciting!" After all, once she was married, Lilian doubted she'd ever get another chance.

"Leave everything to me. I'll come up with something."

"I knew you could!"

"Did you have a day in mind you'd like to go?"

She thought for a moment. "I was thinking next Wednesday."

"Next Wednesday it is. Don't worry. I'll make sure everything is perfect."

And a few nights later, Lilian was more than ready to see the results. She quickly found out that planning a wedding was far from the exciting adventure she had expected it would be. Lilian was surprised to find she couldn't force herself to care about the shade of china they used for dinner or the number of hors d'oeuvres offered before dinner.

The only thing that truly excited her was her wedding gown. She was still worried it wouldn't be finished on time when there was a knock on her door.

She opened it to see Matthew holding out a small bundle.

She lit up. "I'd forgotten what day it was!"

"Mother and the Dowager Duchess of Pembroke must really be keeping you busy."

Lilian grimaced. "You could say that. I'll be relieved when all of this is finally over, but no more talk of that tonight." She snatched the fabric from his hands. "I'll be ready to go in ten minutes."

Matthew grinned. "I'll see you out there."

Alone, she quickly changed her clothes before sneaking out her window. Matthew was already waiting when she met him by their usual tree.

"There you are. Ready to go?" he asked.

"Would I be here if I wasn't?"

The pair slipped into the night, easily blending in with the others on the street.

"So what do you have planned?" Lilian asked.

"Nothing too elaborate. I thought we could go for a walk, maybe stop in the market. By that time, it will probably be late enough that we need to head home."

"Sounds lovely."

"I'd hoped you would say that."

The pair made their way down the streets, letting the city wash over them.

"So, how are you feeling about tomorrow?" Matthew suddenly asked, shattering Lilian's peace.

She groaned. "Do we need to talk about this?"

"I can understand why you wouldn't want to, but this is the last chance to back out before it's too late. After tomorrow, you'll be the Duchess of Pembroke."

"Yes, thank you so much for reminding me. I'd managed to stop thinking about it for a whole five minutes."

He chuckled. "If it's that bad just to think about tomorrow, are you sure you should be doing this?"

"Not this again."

"Please humor me one more time."

She sighed. "Very well. It isn't that I'm dreading tomorrow or whatever it is you're worried about. It's just—it's a big change. I'm going to assume a new position. I can hardly imagine what my life will look like tomorrow, but that doesn't mean I don't want to do it. I just want to enjoy one last night where I don't need to worry about anyone's expectations of me. Can you let me have that now?"

He sighed. "I can hardly say no to that."

"Then don't."

The pair lapsed into silence for a little while. Soon, they found themselves in the stall-lined street that made up the market.

They made their first stop at the stall of a fruit vendor.

"Good to see you both again!" the merchant greeted them. "It's been a while since the last time either of you stopped by. What can I get you both tonight?"

"I think we're going to keep it simple tonight. Let's go with a plum, two peaches, and a green apple."

"Coming right up."

They finished their purchases and continued on their way, eating as they walked.

"Is there anything special you want to try and find while we're out tonight?" Matthew asked.

Lilian shook her head. "If I see something I like, wonderful, but I'm not here to shop. I simply want to enjoy a night out with my brother."

"Well, we can't have that. It's a special occasion. You deserve something nice to remember it by."

"Sounds like you already have something in mind."

"And if I did?"

"Then I'd expect you to tell me what it is."

"Patience, Sister dear." He grinned, leaving her no choice but to follow behind him with no idea what he had planned.

"Matthew," she groaned, but he didn't respond.

His plan became no clearer as they made their way from stall to stall. When she was starting to wonder if there really was a plan or if he was simply teasing her, they came to the next booth.

It was a small stand selling little pieces of metalwork and painted porcelain. When Matthew made it over, the man behind the counter smiled before turning to her.

"You must be Lilian. I have something for you. One moment." The man rummaged around for a moment before pulling out a small box. "Go ahead and open it. Tell me what you think."

Lilian opened the box and couldn't help but smile. It was nothing too fancy or ornate. An awl in the shape of a lily of the valley and a needle case with the flower embossed on it.

"These are lovely!"

"I wanted to get something better, but I wanted it to be something no one would question why you had it or where you got it, so this is what I came up with."

"It's perfect, and I'm sure I'll get plenty of use out of it."

Especially since once she was married, Lilian wasn't sure what she would spend her time doing aside from things like needlepoint.

"I'm so relieved you like it. I didn't really have a backup plan if you didn't."

"Now, I almost wish I hated it if only to watch you flounder."

"Sadly, you've missed your chance now."

"I'm sure I'll have another chance sometime tonight."

"I look forward to seeing you try."

Lilian turned back to the shopkeeper. "Your work is exquisite. Thank you for making this. It is truly lovely."

"If you want to thank someone, you should thank my son. He has made most of my wears since taking over the workshop. That boy has saved me so much time."

"Well then, please pass my praise along to him."

"I will. I'm sure he will be pleased to hear it."

She thanked him again, and the pair continued on their way down the crowded street. They spent the rest of the evening enjoying each other's company and the freedom of the common folk before making their way home as the moon rose high in the sky.