Chapter 90 - Ninety
It had finally arrived. The day that had been whispered about in every drawing room, written about in every gossip pamphlet, and anticipated with a mixture of excitement and dread by all involved. The day he Carson and Ellington became one. Eric and Delia’s wedding.
The morning began in two separate, yet equally focused preparation. At the Duke’s private residence, maids sent by a very excited Amber descended upon Delia’s room. They drew a warm, fragrant bath, styled her hair into an elegant low bun adorned with tiny seed pearls, and helped her into the magnificent wedding gown that seemed to have been spun from moonlight and snow.
Meanwhile, across the hallway in Eric’s room, Aiden was helping him get ready. The Duke stood stoic and silent as his aide made the final adjustments to his formal attire. It was not a simple suit, but a uniform that spoke of his high rank and noble lineage. He wore a crisp, black tunic, richly tailored, that gleamed with polished silver buttons and intricate gold braiding along the collar and cuffs. Heavy silver epaulets, fringed with delicate chains, capped his broad shoulders. A wide, charcoal-grey sash cut diagonally across his chest, fastened by a silver buckle bearing the Carson family crest. Below, he wore perfectly pressed white trousers tucked into high-gloss, black leather boots that shone like mirrors. His dark hair was styled neatly back from his forehead. He looked every bit the powerful, noble Duke he was, but his thoughts were not on his appearance. They were on Delia. He kept thinking about the night she had cried herself to sleep, and he wondered how she was feeling now, on this monumental day.
After the bride and groom had finished dressing, they both entered separate, waiting carriages to make the journey to the wedding venue: the grand St. Peter’s Cathedral.
It was almost time for the wedding ceremony to begin. The vast, echoing space of the cathedral was already filled with the highest echelons and aristocrats of Albion’s society.
The Carson family—the Dowager Duchess Elena, Duchess Lyra, and a beaming Amber—stood near the entrance, welcoming their guests from far and wide with a grace and poise that befitted their station.
"Congratulations on this wonderful day, Your Grace." One of the guests beamed.
"Thank you so much for coming." Lyra responded with a smile on her face.
"Thank you for honoring our invitation." Elena replied to an ambassador of a neighboring kingdom.
"I am so happy you could make it." Amber echoed to the ladies the society.