House of Roots and Ruin by Erin A. Craig
Author:Erin A. Craig [Craig, Erin A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2023-07-25T00:00:00+00:00
* * *
âYou didnât say she was joining us,â Marguerite grumbled as I stepped onto the terrace an hour later. Iâd dressed in my best afternoon gown, pale blush linen with ladders of crocheted lace set into the bodice. It looked like the thing a bride-to-be ought to wear as she planned her wedding. Iâd felt confident and assured as I walked through the halls of Chauntilalie. But three seconds of Margueriteâs grousing already had me feeling wilted.
âWeâre looking through wedding details,â Dauphine said, the corners of her painted lips tight. âWhere else would she be?â
âYou didnât say that either.â Marguerite sipped at her tea, its surface dotted with tiny lilac petals, appraising me with a cool eye before turning away, making her stance completely known.
âNow, then,â Dauphine said, setting aside her own cup of tea and picking up a pen. The table before us was a mess of paper and ink, color swatches and a calendar. âWill all your sisters serve as attendants?â
âThe cursed girls? Theyâll be coming here?â Marguerite rubbed at her temple. âThis truly is too much to bear.â
âMother,â Dauphine hissed.
âAttendants, for the wedding,â I repeated, trying to ignore the older woman. âIâm sure my sisters will be here, though Iâll have to ask them. They still havenât heard about any of this, obviously.â
Iâd have to write them all and explain my news. I was sure Honor and Mercy would be delighted for me. Annaleigh too, probably. Pontus knows if Iâd ever be able to locate Lenore to tell her. And Camilleâ¦
Part of me believed she would be happy. After all, I was marrying into a duchy; it would be a great honor for our family, help solidify her alliances on the mainland. But even stillâ¦
Sheâd not wanted me to leave in the first place. Telling her that I was to remain here forever might not go over well. Would she try to stop it? A sliver of worry flickered within me. I could absolutely imagine her writing to Gerard, making up an excuse why the wedding should not take place.
âPerhaps your older nieces could serve as flower girls.â
âThatâs sweet of you to include them both. It would have been difficult to choose just one.â
âOh my dear, youâll have far more than just them! The flower ring is one of the most important parts of the ceremonyâother than the vows, of course. Youâll need at least eight for the traditional blossoms. Alexander will probably want alyssums as wellâ¦,â she murmured, jotting the note down. âSo nineâ¦Are there any flowers particularly meaningful to you?â
âIâ¦Iâm not sure. I donât even know what a flower ring is.â
Marguerite let out a noise of strangled surprise. âYou dragged me back for this? Why on earth are you allowing Alexander to marry this incompetent girl?â
Dauphine took a sip of her tea, stifling a sigh. I wasnât sure if it had meant to be directed at her mother-in-law or me. âI should have guessed the People of the Salt would have considerably different traditions than us.
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