CHAPTER FIVE
"Sister, do you think the roses or the lilies would be more fitting for the bouquets?" She asked, her voice slightly trembling with her emotions.
With a gentle smile, Sarah gave her a knowing look and replied, "I already stated I think the lilies would complement your gown beautifully, Jane. Their elegance and simplicity will enhance your natural beauty."
She nodded as she added, “After all, you declared them, not so long ago, to be your favorite flowers.”
Jane responded with a heavy sigh. “This is true, but times have changed, have they not, sister? I am to be marrying aduke. Father has not stopped boasting.”
She bit her lip as she continued, “This is not something for us to take so lightly, sister.”
Sarah only lifted her head and gave her a reassuring smile in response. Jane raised a brow at her sister. She could tell something was on her mind.
However, she’d learned it was sometimes best to let Sarah properly articulate the words she thought before speaking them. So she decided to wait.
She nodded thoughtfully, her fingers tracing the delicate embroidery on the veil she picked up next.
They continued to deliberate on the details of the wedding, their conversation ebbing and flowing with a mixture of excitement and an underlying apprehension.
In the grand sitting room of their ancestral estate, the hustle and bustle only increased the anticipation in the air. Then at last, Jane spoke, her poignant words piercing the atmosphere.
"I must confess, I feel very unprepared for this marriage, sister. I might just be beginning to rethink the whole thing,” Her voice was filled with vulnerability and uneasiness.
Surprisingly, Sarah remained unusually silent in response, her quiet a stark contrast to the expected reassurance and care she would give out during their conversations.
Jane’s brow raised high. Sensing the gravity of the moment, she turned to Sarah, her eyes searching for solace in her sister's gaze. The latter had an expression fixed, one she knew all too well.
She could see the wheels turning in her sister’s head. She sat up straighter as she spoke.
"Just say it, sister. I know you have something on your mind.”
Sarah’s eyes shifted to hers. For a second, she opened her mouth, but the words seemed to backtrack before they came out. Her eyes shifted from Jane without a word.
Jane waited. As the seconds stretched into eternity, the room seemed to hold its breath, waiting for Sarah's words. Anxious now, Jane sat even straighter, eyeing her sister closely before she broke the silence again.
"I know you well, Sarah. Whatever it might be, I implore you, do please speak your mind," She urged, her voice slowly growing with urgency and desperation.
Sarah, finally seeming to gather her courage, met her sister’s gaze and spoke with a quiet resolve, "Sister, I feel there are… aspects of this union you must consider before sealing your fate. I fear the path ahead may not be as rosy as it seems."
The weight of her words settled over them like a heavy shroud, spiking a slight confusion along with an unsettling in Jane’s system.
“What exactly is it?”
Sarah bit her lip, her eyes reflecting a mix of concern and resolve. At last, she broke the short silence, her voice measured and cautious as she went on.
"Jane, I must speak my mind. I am deeply troubled about your impending marriage. I do not feel you should further this. It might be best to end things as it’s quite early still.”
“What?” Taken aback by this sudden suggestion, she raised a questioning brow, "And why would you not rejoice in this match? Marrying a duke is a great honor for our family."
Sarah shook her head gently, her words deliberate and laden with worry, "It is not the title that concerns me, sister. Not when there are heavier aspects to consider.”
She paused and shook her head again. “The rumors surrounding this Colin Grove are dark and foreboding."
Jane's eyes widened in surprise, her heart quickening even more with curiosity and apprehension. "What rumors do you speak of, sister? You must tell me all you know.”
With a deep breath, Sarah leaned in, her gaze locking with hers, "Whispers of his character, Jane. They speak of deceit and cruelty, of a man who may bring you more sorrow than joy."
Jane's eyes widened in disbelief as she urged her to elaborate, "I am most confused. You shall have to further explain theserumors about him. I have never heard such things. From whence did you hear all this?"
