Chapter 413: Reunion [3]

"Are we late?" Damien inquired as he entered the room.

"No. Two of our guests have not long arrived. Are you done with your task?" Eloise inquired, hoping Damien wouldn’t have to leave again.

"I am. Olivia and Viola," Damien greeted the pair. "Have you come without your husbands? Trying to get away from them?"

"My husband needs to visit the palace, and then he will come to us," Viola explained.

"I didn’t think to invite my husband, but he already had plans for the day. That gives us good reason to plan again and have everyone gather. The estate looks so colourful again," Olivia said, changing the topic with a compliment.

"I have my wife to thank for that. I haven’t seen so many flowers around the estate in years. She did well," Damien said, slipping his arm around Eloise’s waist.

"She did. I am going to need her help for the wedding," Olivia considered.

"I have already thought of a few flowers to use for the wedding. Oh, excuse me," Eloise said, parting from the group to greet the guests. "Millie, how are you?"

Millie fidgeted with her dress. "I’m wonderful. I hope that I am not too underdressed."

"Of course not. You look lovely as always. Is this a dress that you made yourself? You said you were working on one," Eloise said, admiring the colourful dress.

Millie smoothed out the front of the dress with her hands. "It is. It took me a few days to make, but I finally did it. I have some cloth left over, so I thought about making one for you. Am I truly not underdressed?" she whispered.

"You are not. I believe you are the best dressed here, since you are matching the theme I had in mind. I should have stuck with the first dress I had in mind. Jane has gone to change her dress," Eloise said, considering following suit herself.

"Your dress is lovely, and you are as radiant as the sun. Your cousin is not far behind me, so you don’t have time to change. I believe another carriage was arriving behind us as well," Millie shared.

"It might be Rosalie or one of the siblings’ guests. Oh, look at me. Allow me to introduce you to everyone else. I have spoken of Countess Tompkins before," Eloise said, helping with the names. "And the lady beside Damien is Mrs Olivia Bailey. Iris is marrying her son."

"Oh, there are a lot of big names in here," Millie said, fanning herself as a wave of nervousness washed over her.

"I view you as my family, so you mustn’t feel small beside them, and they are quite welcoming. Once you get to know them, you will realise you have worried all for nothing. Viola has been quite excited to meet you," Eloise shared.

"Truly?"

"Yes. She wants to meet you since I have told her of how good you have been to my father and me. She wants to hear stories and will likely share some of her own. She’s planning to visit my father’s home, but after Reece has left," said Eloise.

"Does she? Then I should be ready to prepare her a little treat," Millie said, starting to relax.

"Viola, this is Millie. She is the one I said lived next door to my father and me. Millie, this is Viola," Eloise said, glancing at Olivia, who was in deep conversation with Damien.

"Finally, I meet the woman I have heard so much about. It brought me comfort to know she had someone at her side for the wedding and while dealing with her family affairs," Viola said, offering her hand to Millie.

"Likewise," Millie said, shaking Viola’s hand. "I heard much of her visits to your home. I am glad she has someone of your status to help her. Heaven knows the ladies in this town would have sought to trouble her if there wasn’t anyone."

"Indeed, they would have. I have needed to set a few in their place. I swore that I wouldn’t argue as I did in my younger days anymore, but since I came back here, I have gone against my word. There is no helping me," Viola chuckled.

"Then I am beyond saving, since I keep my broom at the front door to chase away any nosy neighbours. It keeps me feeling youthful with how often I run to get it," Millie joked.

Viola snorted and covered her mouth with her hand. "How unladylike of me. I wasn’t expecting to hear of a broom. Eloise, would you please excuse us and see to your guests?" she asked, holding Millie’s hand. "I will introduce her to Olivia."

"Reece!" Iris’s call got Eloise’s attention.

Eloise turned around to find Reece hugging Iris, and a woman who could not hide her pregnancy standing behind him.

"It is about time that you have returned. Was the journey well?" Eloise asked, waiting eagerly for her turn to be hugged.

Reece stepped away from Iris and turned to Eloise. "It was a good journey. We took so long because we needed to make a few stops," he said, hugging Eloise. "It is time that I introduce you two to my beautiful wife, Lucia Wilkins."

Lucia shyly stepped forward and curtsied to greet Eloise. "I am excited to meet the two of you and thankful to be welcomed into your home. It is quite grand," she said, still in awe as she looked around.

"Thank you, and it is lovely to finally meet you. Reece wouldn’t stop talking about you during your last visit," Eloise said, eager to know more about Lucia.

"He spoke quite a lot about the two of you," Lucia replied, placing her hand on her belly. "I want to apologise for not showing myself sooner."

"You don’t need to apologise. Reece was the one who needed to do the introductions. A letter would have sufficed, but at least we have gotten the chance to get to know each other today. We thought you were going to arrive with a baby in your arms," said Iris.

Lucia rubbed her belly. "Oh, no. We are not near there yet. It feels as though the days are going by slowly."

"Is that good or bad? Are you ready for the child to be here?"

"I am, but at the same time, I am scared about the birth. Your brother hopes it will merely slip out," Lucia said, laughing at the hopeful thought.

Iris shook her head. "He’s never been good at knowing what to say. Leave him to the men. Eloise and I will introduce you to the other ladies."

Lucia laughed softly, and some of the tension left her shoulders as she no longer felt nervous about meeting Reece’s family.