Fragile Hearts (TID - Will Herondale fanfic)

Chapter 45: Dinner

Will looked up as Jem entered the room. To his right sat Gideon, and Nora was at his left. Caspian was sitting at the chair beside her. Jem entered with Tessa by his side, and Will didn't miss that look of utter happiness in Jem's eyes. He could feel it radiating off his parabatai.

"Is your cook always singing?" Gideon was asking in an awed tone as Jem and Tessa came in. Henry looked up and, on seeing them, smiled all over his friendly, freckled face.

"We were beginning to wonder where you two were—," he began.

"Tessa and I have news," Jem burst out. His hand found Tessa's, and held it; she stood seemingly frozen as five curious faces turned toward them—six, if you counted Sophie, who had just walked into the room. Will flashed his parabatai what he hoped was an encouraging smile. In the kitchen Bridget was still singing one of her awfully sad songs.

"Well, you have to tell us now," said Charlotte, smiling. "Don't leave us dangling in suspense, Jem!"

Jem raised their joined hands and said, "Tessa and I are engaged to be married. I asked her, and—she accepted me."

There was a shocked silence. Gideon looked astonished, and Sophie stood holding a pitcher of cream, her mouth open. Both Henry and Charlotte looked startled out of their wits. Caspian just blinked, seeming terribly awkward. None of them could have been expecting this, Will was sure; after all, Shadowhunters did not marry Downworlders. Will turned slightly and saw Nora's expression. It was a mixture of pride and joy.

  Will turned and noticed Jem's smile beginning to slip, and he rose to his feet.

  He raised his glass of wine. "I do not know two finer people," he said, "and could not imagine better news. May your lives together be happy and long."

  Will looked at Tessa and smiled at her. Then his gaze slid to Jem and he lifted his glass.

  "Congratulations, brother."

  A flood of other voices came after his speech. Sophie set the pitcher down and went to embrace Tessa; Henry and Gideon shook Jem's hand, and Will stood watching it all, still holding the glass. Nora came up beside him, slipping her hand into his discreetly. Through the happy babble of voices, only Charlotte was silent, her hand against her chest; Tessa looked worriedly over at her. "Charlotte, is everything all right?"

  "Yes," Charlotte said, and then more loudly, "Yes. It is just—I have news of my own. Good news."

  "Yes, darling," said Henry. "We won the Institute back! But everyone does already know—"

  "No, not that, Henry. You—" Charlotte made a hiccuping sound, half laughter, half tears. "Henry and I are going to have a child. A boy. Brother Enoch told me. I didn't want to say anything before, but—"

  The rest of her words were drowned out by Henry's incredulous whoop of joy. He lifted Charlotte entirely out of her seat and threw his arms around her.

  "Darling, that's wonderful, wonderful—"

  Sophie gave a little shriek and clapped her hands. Gideon looked as if he were so embarrassed that he might conceivably die on the spot, and Will exchanged bemused smiles with Jem. Tessa was beaming; Henry's delight was infectious. Will looked at Nora and saw her and Caspian grinning. Henry waltzed Charlotte across the room and then back again before suddenly stopping, horrified that waltzing might be bad for the baby, and sat her down in the nearest chair.

  "Henry, I'm perfectly capable of walking," Charlotte said indignantly. "Even of dancing."

  "My darling, you are indisposed! You must remain abed for the next eight months. Little Buford—"

  "I am not naming our child Buford. I don't care if it was your father's name, or if it is a traditional Yorkshire name—," Charlotte began in exasperation, when a knock sounded on the door, and Cyril poked his tousled head in. He stared at the scene of gaiety going on in front of him, and said hesitantly: "Mr. Branwell, there's someone here to see you all."

  Henry blinked. "Someone to see us? But this is a private dinner, Cyril. And I did not hear the bell ring—"

  "No, she is Nephilim," said Cyril. "And she says it's very important. She will not wait."

  Henry and Charlotte exchanged bewildered glances. "Well, all right, then," said Henry at last. "Let her up, but tell her it will have to be quick."

  Cyril vanished. Charlotte rose to her feet, smoothing down her dress and patting her disheveled hair. "Aunt Callida, perhaps?" she said in a puzzled voice. "I can't fathom who else . . ."

  Will looked at Nora, confused. She only tightened her grip on his hand.

The door opened again, and Cyril came in, followed by a young girl of about fifteen. She wore a black traveling cloak over a green dress. Even if Will hadn't seen her for five years, he knew who she was instantly—by her black hair, by the violet-blue of her eyes, by the graceful curve of her white throat, the delicate angles of her features, the full swoop of her mouth.

Will drew in a sharp breath, his heart feeling as if it had stopped beating all at once. He distantly heard Nora say his name softly, distantly felt Nora squeezing his hand.

"Hello," she said, in a voice both surprisingly soft and firm, nothing like Will remembered. "I apologize for interrupting your dinner hour, but I had nowhere else to go. I am Cecily Herondale, you see. I have come to be trained as a Shadowhunter."

Heads snapped towards Will's direction.

Cecily seemed to be staring right at him. He could see a certain anger in her eyes.

"Cecily," Will breathed.

Cecily lifted her chin in a somewhat defiant manner. "That's my name." Her eyes seemed to scan the room. They landed on Nora and widened.

Will narrowed his eyes. His heart was beating so hard that he was sure that Nora could hear it.

"Ella?" said Cecily. "You're here?"

Charlotte looked between the two.

"Pardon my interrupting," said Henry. "But you two know each other?"

"Yes," Nora said. "Cecily, have you eaten?"

Cecily shook her head, glancing at Will's and Nora's linked hands. "There was no time."

"Great," Nora smiled. Will silently thanked her. "Come and have dinner with us, Cecily."

Cecily nodded and Will and Nora sat down.

Cecily sat opposite of Nora.

"Are you alright?" Nora leaned over and whispered into Will's ear.