Ordained

Chapter Seventy-Two

Dinner passed by without incident, the four women shared stories and laughed. Even Emmeline found herself joining in and enjoying the stories that Carmen told of Cassius as a child. Walking with them up the stairs when they turned in for the night, Carmen made a show of hugging Emmeline tightly before wishing them all pleasant dreams.

The guest wing was on the opposite side of the house to Emmeline's rooms. No doubt this had been done in an attempt to separate the three of them, but Carmen had misjudged Arabella and Madeleine if she thought they would stay put.

It was with a knowing grin an hour later that she opened the doors to her rooms when an almost soundless knock sounded. "How did I know?" She smiled as Arabella and Madeline rushed inside, pulling the doors closed behind them.

Arabella grinned devilishly. "And Madeline was too scared to come."

"I was not, I just asked if it was necessary."

Arabella gave her a withering look that made Madeline hold up her hands in surrender. "I came, didn't I?" She sighed.

Emmeline returned to her desk where a letter to Cassius was half written. She went to pick up her quill but quickly dropped the idea when the questions began to fly.

"Why aren't you engaged yet?"
"What is Master Cassius like?"
"Is he as handsome as I have heard?"
"Did you know that Count Claude's daughter has been saying at tea parties that she expects a ring from him soon?"
But the final question was the one they demanded be answered. "Why do you look so ill?"

Emmeline felt a surge of affection for her sisters-in-law. They had never treated her so warmly, and she wondered if they had always been so fond of her. Perhaps here, away from the overbearing influence of her father, she might be able to foster closer relations with the rest of her family.

Madeline held out her hand to her to join them on the sofas. Emmeline felt apprehensive but obeyed. Her feeling of warm affection cooled at little at the thought of having to answer their questions. She had known that an inquisition was likely when she had taken a good look at her appearance that morning, but that didn't make knowing what to say to them any easier.

The question of whether to tell them the truth or not, swung like measuring scales in her mind. If she told them everything, how she had been starved, ignored, berated, they would insist she come home, breaking her promise to Cassius. Even if she remained, Madeline would be sure to write to Justus, who would then tell Cassius and then who knows what would happen.

It would also not be beyond the realms of possibility for Arabella to take it upon herself to go and demand an explanation from Grand Duchess Marcellus herself, and that would be equally disastrous. Emmeline wanted to have her sisters-in-law stay for a few weeks, but she could see no way their visit would not be cut short if they knew how she had really been living since the pairing. So, with the heaviest of hearts, she resolved to lie to them, not completely, but enough to not cause them any serious alarm.

"Emmie, tell us the truth, why have you lost so much weight? You look so gaunt." Madeleine asked, still holding tight onto her hand.

Emmeline paused. "Well at first it was a diet to try and lose weight for the wedding." She began, both women protesting at once that such a thing was unnecessary given her already slight build. "But, it is also worry. I am so worried over what might happen to Cassius, Atticus, Maximilian, and Justus and Felix. I have found it hard to maintain much of an appetite."

Not a total lie, but definitely not the truth. She had been worried over what was happening at the front, any delay in hearing back from Cassius making her nervous. She had not, however, been so worried that it had prevented her from eating.