"Seeking the Niceties of Marriage", by Gratiana Lovelace, 2021 (Done)

Ch. 14: Another Wedding

"Seeking the Niceties of Marriage", Ch. 14: Another Wedding, July 11, 2021 by Gratiana Lovelace (Post#1397) 
(An original Regency Romance story copyrighted by Gratiana Lovelace, 2021; All rights reserved);  [(1) story cover above left]

[Illustrations: I cast my stories as I write them. So from time to time, I will illustrate my story with actors and such, including: Richard Armitage as Lord Edward Carlisle, Daniela Denby-Ashe as Lady Emily Creighton Carlisle, Blake Ritson as Lord Kittredge Wells, Polly Walker as Lady Patience Creighton, Bill Nighy as Lord Nigel Creighton the Earl of Stoke, and others as noted.]

[Author's Note: This original Regency romance is a work of fiction, and as such, any character names, scenes or other descriptions were written at the creative discretion of this author. And this is a gentle and tender romance (G to PG-13), but with some frank discussions about love and marriage put to humorous effect. This is my disclaimer.]

Ch. 14—Another Wedding

One week. In one week, Lady Rachel Gosford—Lady Emily Carlisle's cousin—will be wed to Lord Montague "Monty" Withers, Lord Edward Carlisle's cousin. And Lady Emily and Lord Edward are promised to stand up with their cousins as Matron of Honor and Best Man, respectively.

It is a disaster waiting to happen. Oh! Not that Lady Rachel and Lord Monty are to wed. These two have long been attached to one another from childhood—and lovingly betrothed since her fourteenth birthday and his eighteenth birthday. So now that the intended bride is ten and eight years—with her groom being two and twenty years—the wedding will proceed, in one week.

Unfortunately there is a slight problem with their wedding party. It is not that the wedding breakfast lost its venue nor food. No, the issue lies with their main attendants, the Best Man and Matron of Honor—respectively, Lord Edward and Lady Emily Carlisle, the newlyweds of soon to be three weeks.

For with Lady Emily's seemingly with child state achieved almost as soon as she and Lord Edward married—a state for which Lord Edward is [exceedingly] and masculinely proud—his poor young wife is beginning to suffer all the effects of the morning pregnancy illnesses that usually affect soon to be mothers. With Lady Emily experiencing a particularly virulent form of stomach upset.

Of course, Mrs. Griffin as the Carlisle House's Housekeeper had to be told of Lady Emily Carlisle's delicate condition. And she promises to be ever so helpful in promoting calm and comfort in her Ladyship's new home of Carlisle House in London. Though redecorating discussions [will] have to wait until Lady Carlisle feels better—once [she is] in her fourth month of pregnancy, in two months time—all other accommodations Lady Carlisle wishes will be attended to swiftly. And Lady Emily's Ladies Maid Miss Pruitt also has an inkling of the upcoming blessed event.

So thus relieved of one burden from her mind—of household harmony with Lady Carlisle as Lady of the House—Lady Emily and Lord Edward Carlisle look forward to the wedding of their cousins upon the coming weekend.

***

But as the week progresses toward Lady Rachel's and Lord Monty's wedding day, Lady Emily's constitution becomes steadily worse—with everything affecting her and making her sick in the mornings, especially flowers—which she usually adores, but not in her current [with child] state. And what is a wedding without flowers, pray tell? Exactly.

So Lady Emily feels that she must bow out of being her cousin Lady Rachel's Matron of Honor and to even decline to attend the wedding—to avoid Lady Emily from capitulating the contents of her stomach during the wedding service. And Lord Edward is so concerned for his young bride Lady Emily and he wants to be continually by her side, as lying chastely in her husband's arms seems to be the only comfort that aids her—in addition to some ginger laced tea and thin crackers—that Lord Edward feels that he will also have to bow out as Best Man to his cousin Lord Monty.