“Perhaps this wife of yours can teach you how to handle children,” Godric said, pulling Cedric from his thoughts.
He huffed out a laugh before taking another sip of his whiskey.
“Perhaps,” he said dryly.
“You should come to the wedding,” he added a moment later. “Meet Adeline and my future bride. She is admittedly a beautiful woman. At the very least, you could appreciate that.”
Godric grunted at that.
“I am not as easily swayed by beauty as you are, dear friend,” he replied, and Cedric grinned at the slight.
“Maybe not,” he mused, keeping his other thoughts of Deborah to himself, “But it would mean a great deal to me if you came. This might not be a traditional marriage, but…”
Godric smirked. It was the closest he ever came to a smile.
“I will be there,” he promised, then held up his glass, “To your future bride. May she have the strength to tolerate your nonsense.”
“To my future bride,” Cedric agreed with a chuckle, and they toasted.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“You look beautiful, sister,” Grace breathed, sweeping her eyes down Deborah’s wedding gown.
Deborah smiled, despite her nerves still being on edge from the wedding ceremony. Her mind might have decided to despise Cedric. Her body, though? Had other opinions. Warmth had swept through her hands and coursed through her entire body when he had taken her hands to recite his vows, shooing away the anxiety that had her entire body trembling before the priest.
It was the same when he had tenderly slid a tendril of her auburn hair away from her face when he’d lifted her veil, and when he’d pressed his lips against her forehead in an unexpected gesture to seal their vows. The moment his touch left her, though, and she took in the anxious look on her mother’s face after the ceremony was over, that nervousness returned, and now she feared she might vomit.
“Thank you, Grace,” Deborah replied, fighting the sick feeling rising within her, “I am so very,veryhappy that you were able to be here. And that you helped me make my gown so pretty.”
Grace beamed up at her, a world of hope shining in her eyes.
How I wish I had that hope.
Instead of saying that, though, she swept her hands down her skirts and marveled at her sister’s talent. Grace had taken the plain salmon pink cotton gown and transformed it into a thing of beauty. Slightly bolder pink string had been used to embroider butterflies and birds among the skirts, accentuated by small, glittering beads that caught the light and made it sparkle.
“You did this?”
Deborah and Grace both turned to the voice, and Deborah’s anxiety waned a little when she saw Adeline. She had wanted the little girl to be included in the day, and she was glad that Cedric, though hesitant about it at first, had agreed to bring her after all.
“Adeline, I am so happy you came,” Deborah greeted.
Adeline gave a careless shrug.
“This was my house once. I wanted to see my old room again. So, you made this?”
Deborah looked at Adeline, surprised. She’d had no idea that Adeline had lived in Cedric’s London house, but it made sense. Since her parents' death, the deed would have been returned to him. For a moment, she floundered, caught between wanting to ask more about Adeline’s past or answer her question.
“Good day,” Grace said, smiling sweetly as she curtseyed toward Adeline. “My name is Grace. I am Deborah’s little sister. And yes, I embroidered her gown. Do you sew?”
“My name is Adeline,” Adeline replied. Though she did not return the curtsey, her tone was at least polite enough. “My mother was teaching me how to sew before she died. But back then, I could barely sew a single straight line.”
Instead of becoming awkward over Adeline’s blunt confession of being an orphan, Grace readily turned the subject toward sewing.
“I could help you with that,” she said excitedly, “It is one of my favorite pastimes. My sister is quite talented as well.”
“Not as talented as you,” Deborah remarked, finally returning to her senses.
“But yes, I am sure we would both enjoy a visit from you, would we not, Adeline?” She asked, turning to the little girl.