Agnes rose and hugged her sister just as Greta returned with the champagne. Cecily could smell fresh cakes, as well, and she smiled.
“And now, let the celebration begin,” Greta said.
The three women laughed.
***
The house buzzed with activity for the following three days. Cecily had never imagined that so much work could go into such a small wedding. Though it was going to be an intimate ceremony, her mother insisted on decorating the drawing room lavishly. Agnes described the decorations as they were each placed, and Cecily could not help feeling a little excited.
There were wreaths of white roses, lilies and gardenias hung on each wall. There were white satin ribbons connecting the wreaths and white lace doilies placed under each of the silver candlesticks. Cecily wished that she could see her wedding decorations. But she reminded herself of how fortunate she was to be getting married.
On the day of the wedding, Cecily was more nervous than ever before. She sat at her vanity, fondling her hairbrush and chewing on her lip. She and Val had not seen each other since he left to obtain the license. There was still much she didn’t know about him and much he didn’t know about her.
All she had to go on was his kindness and, at first, she had thought she could be satisfied. But what if they learned something about one another after the wedding that made them regret marrying one another?
“Happy wedding day, my dear sister,” Agnes sang as she entered Cecily’s bedchambers. “I will be assisting Greta with getting you ready.”
Cecily smiled as the women entered her room. She could not remember when she had last heard Agnes sound so happy. Right then, she remembered exactly why she had agreed to the marriage in the first place. At last, Agnes would be able to properly enjoy her debut Season, and focus on finding herself a good, loving husband.
“I am ready for my wedding makeover,” she said, grinning.
Greta clapped her hands and loosed Cecily’s hair.
“Then let us begin,” she said.
Agnes brushed Cecily’s hair gently. It was comforting to her jangled nerves, and she closed her eyes.
“Now, I am taking your curling tongs,” Agnes said brightly. “I am going to freshen up the curls in your hair and then tie them up in a high ponytail atop your head.”
Cecily grinned.
“I am sure it will look beautiful,” she said.
Agnes patted her shoulder.
“You will be the loveliest bride there ever was in London,” she said.
Cecily blushed.
“I certainly feel like it,” she said.
As Agnes worked, Cecily imagined what her hair looked like. She had seen styles like what Agnes described to her at social events before her debut ball. She had always thought they were elegant and beautiful, and she couldn’t help smiling again. Even though she couldn’t see herself, she knew that Agnes and Greta would help her look her most lovely.
“And now,” Agnes announced, putting down the curling tongs and patting the dangling curls. “I have some white roses. I am going to pin them around the hairdo, like a floral tiara.”
Cecily sighed dreamily.
“That will be wonderful,” she said.
Agnes worked adeptly at pinning the roses in her sister’s hair. When she finished, Greta helped Cecily get into her wedding dress.
“Tell me what it looks like, Greta,” she said. “Please?”
Greta patted her again.
“Of course, milady,” she said. “It is an elegant satin dress, with a waist ribbon made of lace and pearls. And your gloves also have lace around the cuffs.”
Cecily nodded as she imagined how it looked. Once Greta got it on her, she felt the fabric of the dress and the ribbon and was smiling again.
