“But with her gone, will you be alright? You’re welcome to come and stay at my home.” The offer so freely given and sincere, Esther could well be inviting a wolf into her home and she would never know.
“She is very clever,” Juliette agreed. Indeed, Alys had knowledge in areas that Juliette was likely never to understand.
At the second offer, she shook her head, perhaps just a bit forcefully. “Oh, no -- thank you -- that will not be necessary. The Countess will continue to see to my well-being.” That she was a very distant guardian did not require mention -- she would retain Ms. Han’s services, and she had Boris to keep her company. Staying alone in the guesthouse was a lonely prospect, but the idea of imposing on someone for the months it would take before their new home was ready…
“Alys intends to rebuild our parents’ estate,” she said, thinking this a better topic than her impending solitude. “It will be large enough for all three of us; I will not be in their way.”
Esther’s smile was kind, not offended at her offer being turned down — nobility had funny rules and while she not always observed them all, she respected the boundaries others placed in their private lives. “But of course, I did not mean to imply you would be anything but well taken care.” Speaking of which, “Oh, so you’ll be considering suitors soon? Or will your sister pick on your behalf?” The innocent question was put forward with earnest eagerness.
Juliette was younger than Esther, but she would’ve been married younger if the fates (aka father) had decided it so. Her mind turned to old suitors now turned friends, Evander’s pleasant demeanor and her fiance’s steady look.
In response to the question, Juliette’s eyes widened in an expression of something very like fear. “I… I do not think… anytime soon,” she said, lamely even to her own ears. Color rose upon her cheeks, its cause hopefully easily dismissed as the chilly breeze. “I… suppose it would fall to Alys to do so, if she… wished to,” she said, slowly.
The Countess seemed insistent that she not marry anytime soon (one of many reasons to adore her quietly) and Alys… when she had come to rescue Juliette from the Demiels, Juliette’s marriage had been discussed as something not to be considered so early, and had not come up in conversation since. Would Alys arrange something for her someday? Juliette supposed it would be too much to hope that the topic never resurfaced at all; she would have income of her own very soon, quite aside from any inheritance money (how much or how little in comparison to the way of life she was accustomed to was not something she could fully comprehend), so she was holding out hope of not having to consider suitors until much later (if ever) but…
The blush was missed, Esther tapped Juliette on the arm, smiling pleasantly, “Well, no rush then.” While she believed in getting married within the rules of the nobility, she did not believe in rushing it. If Juliette was so unsure then there was only waiting for her own benefit. As sole heir, Esther had always known her fate and such, but she had also always been accepting of it. It seemed like her friend was not as comfortable with the norms of society. To her credit, Esther remained silent on the matter, choosing to tug Juliette back towards the ballroom.
“Why don’t we have a dance? I believe my fiance is in need of a break after all the dancing I put him through.”
“A dance sounds lovely.” It was a means of getting out of this conversation -- and although Juliette was still hesitant about re-entering the ballroom, she supposed that she had to sometime. At least with her friend by her side, she might be less of a target than alone…
Arms linked together, even if their minds were in dramatically different places, the two young women turned away from the bare gardens and back towards the party.