Page 96 of The Dragoneers of Longbourn and Pemberley
Papa was, mostly, relieved. He gladly gave his blessing to the match. Valeraine had — briefly — been his most unmarriable daughter, and now she had neatly solved the problem. The generous payment for Lelantos also didn’t hurt. He had worried about Valeraine’s happiness with the man who had so rudely blackmailed her, but that misunderstanding was quickly cleared.
Alyce, so generous in her jubilation, wished only the best for her sister. Though, there was the slightest bit of teasing for Valeraine declaring love for the man whom she had once declared her nemesis.
Merna was satisfied with the finances of Longbourn and deigned to give any further comment. Until, that is, Valeraine confided to her that Pemberley was Scaleheart (swearing her tothe utmost secrecy), and then Merna was a great supporter of her new brother-in-law.
Selaide was excited for the greater number of balls which she would attend because her sisters married well-to-do dragoneers.
Finally, Olivinta Pemberley — Valeraine’s future sister-in-law — was over the moon about the whole affair. She had worried about her rude brother’s romantic chances, and was excited to become better friends with Valeraine.
But even an announcement as great as the proposal could only overshadow Alyce and Mr. Nethenabbi’s celebrations for so long. After all, the Longbourns had their wedding to look forward to first, before they could plan Valeraine’s.
Alyce’s ceremony was held in the local church, packed to bursting. The Nethenabbi clan came in mass, many of them from their trading posts in the Azazres Islands and Fellarik. The dragons they rode in on were fully mad with nest-tetchiness and lit several fires on the Netherfield grounds. The Nethenabbis were used to this, and were well prepared to extinguish them.
The Longbourn family did not fill their side of the church quite so well, but their smiles were large and beautiful.
The ceremony was glorious.
After the wedding, of course, there was a ball held at Netherfield. Alyce wore her white wedding gown, resplendent and the star of the night.
Valeraine, now a favored daughter of Longbourn because of the money she had recently brought in, had a new gown. She had chosen a dark green, to match Lelantos, and delighted in the bold color. The neckline was off-the-shoulder, to display her scar. She was done with hiding. Perhaps for the next ball, she would finally have the opportunity to wear her cream gown.
The ball was largely a time of happy revelry, with only one notable exception: Miss Nedine Nethenabbi.
Valeraine could almost find pity in her heart for Nedine. Her place as the hatch-mother of Netherfield was supplanted, and the gossip said she would be moving to their townhouse in Kinellan City to attend the season there, with the obvious goal of finding herself a husband.
Valeraine was taking a rest from dancing, sitting next to Merna, when Nedine approached them.
“May I have a word with you, Miss Longbourn?” Nedine asked.
For a moment, Valeraine was terrified. Her back tightened, and she wanted to stay rooted to this chair forever, hiding from the tigress of Nedine.
Then, Valeraine mustered her courage. She had nothing to fear from Nedine. There was no gossip Nedine could spin that could hurt Valeraine (the worst had already been done, and more).
Valeraine was still terribly curious about what attack Nedine wanted to volley, and so she said, “Let us take a turn around the gardens.”
Nedine nodded, as if this acquiescence was only her due.
The wandering paths of shrubs and flowers had been adorned with candles, and a handful of other people were admiring the displays.
Valeraine waited for Nedine to begin the conversation. Valeraine, after all, had nothing she needed to say to Nedine.
“I heard the news of your engagement,” Nedine stated, her voice pinched.
“We will be wed next month,” Valeraine replied.
“How did you capture him? I’ve been working on him for years; dancing my only success.”
“Nedine, I insulted him, I upbraided him, and I argued with him.”
“So you’re coercing him?”
“No, I was merely devastatingly genuine, and he with me, and in baring our flawed souls to each other, we found that we fit.”
Nedine seemed not to be able to wrap her mind around this. “Your family is so poorly matched with his, particularly after the way that you’ve behaved in the derbies.”
Valeraine understood Nedine, because she had been trapped in that paradigm herself. Nedine was stuck thinking that a house’s status was paramount. She was not factoring in passion.
“My reputation is in tatters,” Valeraine said, “and by the end of the year Longbourn house will have no dragon or lands. I will be marrying Pemberley anyway. If you would like to see the proof, you are welcome to attend the wedding.”
