The Chosen Bride

A Lady is Responsible

Lady Eleanor slammed the letter down on the table next to her and did her best to conceal her emotions.

Katherine sat next to the table on the small couch, working on her needlework. She turned her attention to Eleanor, "What happened?"

Eleanor pressed her hands over her mouth and took a deep breath, "Lord Jacque will be home within the next few days!"

Katherine looked back down at her needlework and sighed, "I am truly sorry, but I do not understand your problem?"

Eleanor started to pace the floor, the excitement and rage all churning in her stomach, "That bastard knew I would want to celebrate his return and so he has given me a short notice of his arrival so that I have to plan the party less extravagantly!"

Katherine did not reply.

It was something that had become quite common in the past few weeks. After her little picnic with Lord Drake, she had become an introvert. It was rare to receive any emotion from the young girl.

It was exhausting.

Eleanor missed to fire and passion the girl had. That is why she had picked her off the streets. She admires the young girl for being brave.

"You must help me plan!" Eleanor said as she sat down next to Katherine and grasped her hands.

"Eleanor, I could not possibly know the first thing about planning." Katherine protested.

Eleanor shook her head, "Then I must teach you! It is my responsibility to teach you how to do these things. What a better way to teach you then a return party for my husband." Eleanor stood and smiled widely, "I will wake up the dressmaker write away and then we can start on floral arrangements. Then I will do the guest list while you can write the menu."

Katherine opened her mouth to protest, "Eleanor, I—"

"Oh, you are right! Silly me, we don't need a guest list. As long as they are of nobility blood, they can come!" Eleanor interrupted.

Katherine shook her head, "I do not think—"

Eleanor nodded, "You are right. We sound desperate if we do not have a guest list. I have spare invitations packed away in my office. We should get to work immediately!"

Eleanor took Katherine by the hand and smiled, "This will surely get the two of us back into our high spirits!"

~~~~~

Eleanor could not contain her excitement as she watched the guest file in. Her husband was to arrive within the next hour.

Katherine was out dancing in the middle of the ballroom, dressed in a red and gold dress. She had also been forced to wear a floral crown, by request of Eleanor herself. She couldn't have her young cousin look scrappy the day her husband returned home.

It was the first time in a long while that Katherine looked happy. Mostly because she had already started to indulge in the drink, but nonetheless, Katherine looked happy enough to make Eleanor happy.

Eleanor slipped out the side of the ballroom and entered into a stairwell.

Someone grabbed her and pulled her into his chest, covering her eyes with a single hand.

"I did not expect the Lady of the house to be in a servant'a stairwell." A deep voice whispered in her ear.

Eleanor smiled, "Well, a lady has to have her fun at some point in time. She cannot always be uptight and strict."

"Only when her husband is gone, no?" The deep voice growled.

Eleanor turned, and placed a hand on the man's cheek, "I behave while you were gone, Jacque. No need to worry about me."