Heart's Content

Part Nineteen

{'The Duchess of Richmond's Ball' by Robert Alexander Hillingford from Wikimedia Commons}

After several weeks of tangible preparation and many weeks of planning prior to the Olivays' arrival, it came time for Genevieve and Sabien's engagement party. The ladies' gowns had all been brought to the estate a week before the event for the final fittings and none of the women could honestly say they were disappointed with the dresses they were given. Just as they had discussed, Suzanna presented Genevieve with a rose pink gown that complimented the color in her cheeks and for Lisette it was a pale blue that matched her eyes. Nadine had mostly shunned Lisette since their argument, only really interacting with her on a base level in front of the Sembrolines and otherwise avoiding her altogether, but she showed her appreciation for Lisette's choice in her own way, glad that her daughter did not decide to overshadow the bride-to-be by selecting a gown in a loud color.

It was a task in itself for Lisette to avoid having an encounter with her mother before the ball began, she wasn't keen on getting any last minute admonishments concerning how she should behave that night because as far as she could see they were unnecessary and only brought on by Nadine's incessant paranoia. She was grateful that Nadine's need to be useful, or more likely to be in control, was keeping her busy down in the ballroom and took her absence as a chance to visit her brother. She knew Sabien wasn't the fragile sort just as well as she knew that it wasn't likely for either of her parents to check on him because they really didn't see any reason to – in the end checking on him was probably more for her own benefit.

"Sabien? It's Lisette, may I come in?" She spoke after firmly knocking on the door.

"You may," was the call from the other side and upon her entrance, Sabien came striding out into the sitting room tugging the cuffs of his blouse out from his dress coat as he flashed her a pleasant smile which she couldn't help but return, "that new gown certainly does suit you."

Sabien approached once he was satisfied with the tidiness of his cuffs and gently collected one of Lisette's hands so that he might turn her in a circle in order to see the whole of the gown as it flowed out around her before he stood away from her slightly again, his eyes then met hers and he smiled with the sort of pride and affection that only a brother could show his sister, "you look quite lovely."

He was probably one of the only men from whom Lisette would ever accept a compliment and actually believe it to be true and she smiled with gratitude and shifted her weight from one foot to the other, swishing the skirt of her dress from side-to-side with the motion, "thank you brother, though I didn't come to show you my dress as you would have seen it once we joined the others."

"Oh? Then why did you come?" He asked curiously, his hands collected at his back. There weren't any words that needed to be said between them at that moment. They were both quite adept at letting each other know what they were thinking through looks alone, almost as though they could read each other's minds and with a somewhat solemn though reassuring look, Sabien knew what Lisette couldn't wait to say to him in the ballroom. He smiled faintly, a huff of air slipping from his straight, pointed nose as he looked down at the floor, "I see... well— I'm not dwelling on it."

It was an reasonable admission with no hesitance behind it, and even though her brow was furrowed, she smiled at him, "are you certain all is well?"

Sabien laughed and placed a hand on either of Lisette's exposed shoulders, giving her a firm nod, "Lizzie... you and I both know... that Ellory will always have a place in my heart, but with things as they are, we each must move on in our own way. I made my choice the moment I told Ellory what was to be," he sighed as he remembered that night and his smile turned a bit somber, "and as much as I regret having to inform her as I did... and as much as I rue being forced into making the choice, I cannot dwell on it anymore than I could blame Genny for things being as they are."