Evelina’s heart swelled with gratitude for her sisters’ support and as her eyes returned to her soon-to-be husband’s, her heart sang at the thought of his acceptance to allow her to keep their support close-by even in marriage.
“Also,” Her brows raised inquisitively as he spoke up again, his eyes fixed on her with a smile, “I would like to invite you all to a dinner at the Dunmore estate tomorrow evening.”
His eyes shifted to each person as his smile grew wider, “I wish for us all to get to know each other better; after all, we’re going to be family.”
“Oh, yes, we are!” Penelope’s exclaimed excitedly, her eyes sparkling with joy as she giggled heartily.
“Someone get me a glass! A toast must be had!” Clara beamed at the group, her eyes twinkling with warmth. “Congratulations, my dears! A toast to Evelina and Gabriel, may your love grow stronger each day!”
Her lighthearted comment elicited laughter from the gathered family, filling the room with a even more joy. However, amongstthe ton, there was one, silent with an awkward smile on their face.
Evelina’s gaze flickered to her father, observing his stunned expression as he seemed to struggle with processing the unfolding events. When their eyes met, he quickly averted his gaze, offering his congratulations in a subdued tone.
“Indeed, I can not help but be glad for the turn of events. I hope for a long happy life for you two.”
The weight of Clara’s earlier admonishment lingered in the air, casting a shadow over his usual composure. Despite the tension, Evelina appreciated his effort to convey his well wishes, accepting his gesture with a gentle smile that held slight empathy.
“Thank you, Father, truly.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
“Oh, goodness, just look at this estate! It’s positively magnificent!” Alexandra’s eyes were wide with wonder as she exclaimed.
As the carriage came to a halt in the Dunmore estate, Evelina followed as her sisters spilled out, their voices rising in excitement.
“It’s like something out of a storybook!” she couldn’t help but laugh at the bulging expression of surprise in young Penelope’s eyes.
Margaret couldn’t contain her awe either, “Indeed, it’s certainly grander than I ever imagined.”
“Do not tell me you’re beginning to regret denying taking the duke for yourself, are you dear sister?” Louisa’s tease elicited a light smack from her immediate elder sister.
“Impressive, indeed,” As the girls burst into a round of giggles, their father stepped out after them at last, his recent quiet, mellow demeanor vanishing in face of the sight before him.
He hesitated for a moment, then his eyes turned to Evelina, “You have done well,” he remarked, a rare hint of approval in his voice.
Her brows raised in surprise, and a shocked silence settled over the girls. Then at last, from the corner of her eye, she saw a grin spread across Margaret’s face, who then slung an arm around hers.
“Yes, very well done sister. A rich suitor, who has shown to be irrevocably in love with you! You, dearest eldest, have set the best standard for the rest of us!”
Evelina felt her cheeks flush as she laughed, “Do try to keep your voices down, would you-”
“Oh, look! The duke awaits us!” Penelope’s loud and excited tone cut her short, shifting her eyes towards the entrance of the house.
Surely, enough, there he was. Her soon-to-be husband, poised and ever handsome in the distance, a hand raised in welcome in their direction.
“He waits at the door to usher us in himself? How humble! Truly sister, you’ve struck gold with such a man,” Louisa’s wordsseemed to echo all their collective thoughts, and the girls nodded in agreement.
The air was filled with anticipation as the family walked towards where their host stood, the sisters’ giggles carrying across the air.
“Welcome, Lord Viscount, the lovely Balfour ladies,” Gabriel greeted them warmly, nodding at each person accordingly, his eyes however, returning to Evelina’s nearly immediately.
She blushed under his gaze. It had only been a few days since they’d last seen each other, yet he had an eagerness in his eyes about her presence. Witnessing these new sort of expressions and behaviors from him felt like it’d take forever to get used to.
“My, my, Your Grace,” Her father spoke, his tone filled with barely concealed awe as his eyes took in the magnitude of the mansion before them, “I had heard talk of the grandeur of your estate, however, this surpasses all expectations.”
“Thank you for your kind words, my lord,” Only for a millisecond did the duke’s eyes shift away from hers.
“My Evelina.”
