Page 43 of From Unwanted to Duchess
“Goodness, what a crush this is!” Evelyn gasped, looking around. “It reminds me of my first wedding.”
“Without the apricots, of course,” Charlotte quipped, and the three sisters chuckled.
Frances frowned. “Apricots?”
“Apricots are what saved Evelyn from a miserable life with an old man. Or rather, an apricot kernel,” Charlotte explained.
“I see,” Frances said, though she couldn’t find the humor in it. A man had died, after all.
“I always sound dreadful,” Evelyn said. “I know it. Please do not mind us. It was a terrible time for me. Besides, it wasn’t the apricot that killed him.”
“It is a long story, and we will not bore you with it on your wedding day,” Marianne piped up. “In any case, we do not have any stone fruit here, so we shall be quite safe.”
“I do not have stone fruit,” Frances agreed. “But I have a husband who can be like an immovable rock.”
“Oh, you misunderstand James,” Charlotte said.
“Indeed, he can be a jolly fellow if he wants to be,” Evelyn added. “Do you remember Christmastide twelve years ago, Marianne?”
Marianne chuckled. “When he decided to juggle the imported oranges and took out the wall sconces?”
“Yes,” Charlotte said with a laugh. “And I think one of Father’s busts.”
“He was livid,” Evelyn said. “Father, that is, not James. He thought it was all rather hilarious. Until Aunt Eugenia came in.”
“Indeed, I am certain if it hadn’t been for Uncle Frederick, she would have rung a right peal over his head right there and then.”
“Uncle Frederick,” Frances murmured. “I remember him.”
She smiled at the thought of Aunt Eugenia’s husband. She hadn’t known him well, but he had come to visit her once just before her mother died. It was a vague memory, and one that had only resurfaced during a recent conversation with Aunt Eugenia.
“I wish I had known him better.”
“You will know him through us.” Marianne patted her shoulder. “Now, how does it feel to be a duchess?”
“I imagine not much different than how you feel as a countess,” Frances laughed. “You have all managed to get yourselves titles, which is an achievement.”
“Yes,” Evelyn agreed. “The four of us shall make quite the set. A true force to be reconned with. Two duchesses, a marchioness, and a countess.”
“A set of queens,” Charlotte echoed. “I do not think that the actual queen would approve of such a comparison, but I love it nonetheless.”
“I love it, too,” Marianne said.
The four ladies stood together for a moment longer until two gentlemen entered through the front door.
“Ah, our husbands,” Charlotte said and took Evelyn by the arm. “We shall see you later.”
The two left, leaving Frances alone with Marianne.
“Is Lucien not here?” Frances asked, having grown accustomed to using the first names of her cousins’ husbands.
“No, Henry had a slight fever this morning. Nothing serious, but Lucien decided to stay behind with him. And I do not blame him. In fact, I would rather leave soon. My friend Judith has come to visit us for a while, and she is helping, but I do not like to be away from him for too long.”
“Henry?”
“Henry and Lucien.” Marianne smiled. “I hope you will find the joy of motherhood soon, too.” She squeezed her arm.
Frances’s heart sank a little. “I should think not, but thank you for your kind wishes.”
