Page 6 of A Sinful Viscount's Mistletoe Affair
So she was not expecting anyone to come and visit her in her room that evening. When she opened the door and saw her sister Faith standing outside, wrapped in a cloak over her night things, she smiled happily.
“Oh, do come inside!” she urged her. “It is cold out there in the hall, and I have a fire burning in here.”
Faith followed her into the room, and the two ladies sat on the bed.
“It is just like when we were children!” Faith said with a smile.
Isabella sighed a little sadly. “I do miss you, you know, now that you do not live with us anymore and are off on your travels all the time or at your own house with Benedict.”
Faith put her arm around Isabella’s shoulders. “I know, dear sister, and I know it must be hard for you, here alone with Mother and Father. At least we are lucky that we get on well with our parents, though. Think how lonely it must be for people who do not have that blessing!”
Isabella nodded. “You are right, of course. We are very fortunate.”
“And in any case, I think that Benedict and I will have to curtail our travels, for a little while at least, now that we have a child on the way.”
Isabella smiled. “I am so happy for you, Faith. We all congratulated you at dinner, in public, but I am glad to have the chance to tell you again, now that we are on our own, how delighted I am for you both. And the child will be the luckiest and most loved child ever to walk this earth, I am sure of it!”
Faith grinned and glanced down at her belly, which was just beginning to display only the faintest swelling of early pregnancy. “We are both very happy too. It has taken a little while to happen, as you know …”
Isabella nodded. Her sister had never gone into much detail, but she knew that the lack of a child in those first few years of her marriage had caused her some sadness and worry. But it seemed over now, and there was only joy to look forward to.
“I hope the child will have a sibling in due course,” Faith said. “And then perhaps they will be as close as you and I were when we were children and as we continue to be.”
Isabella remembered all the nights she had sneaked into Faith’s room and climbed into bed with her, how they had cuddled up under the covers and stayed there all night. Faith had always protested how cold her feet were, but had never complained too much when Isabella warmed her frozen toes between Faith’s warm ones.
Isabella felt a pang in her heart at her own prospects of having a child. One day, surely, she would find a man who she liked enough to marry, and then perhaps she too would be blessed with a family of her own. It was her greatest hope, but only if she could find a man who would appeal to her mind and who would treat her as an equal.
Faith reached into the folds of her cloak and drew out a small package wrapped in brown paper. She handed it to Isabella. “This is a gift for you from our travels in Italy. I did not want to give it to you in front of anyone else, as it is rather special. Or at least, I hope you will think it is special.”
Isabella let out a gasp of delight. She knew that some might see her love of trinkets and gifts as childish, but she simply adored receiving mementos from Faith’s travels and hearing the stories of where she had found them.
She slowly unwrapped the paper and felt the heaviness of the item within. The paper revealed a cameo broach with the face and shoulders of a beautiful woman engraved upon it.
“Oh, Faith, it is wonderful,” Isabella breathed, turning it over and over in her hands and gazing at it in wonder.
“Of course, it is a replica,” Faith said, “but it is a copy of a very famous image of the goddess Venus, who, of course, you know, is symbolic of love.”
Isabella nodded. She knew quite a bit about Roman mythology, but she always had a thirst for more knowledge.
“I wanted to give it to you because I think this festive season might be important for you. I know that Father and Mother are having this house party partly because they want to offer you the chance to get to know some suitors, to find a husband, and I wanted this broach to remind you that you do not need to settle for anything less than true love.”
Isabella looked at her sister and felt a surge of love for her. She knew how lucky she was to have such a close confidante in Faith, and the timing tonight was perfect for them to have this conversation.
“A love match is what I have always hoped for, as you know,” Isabella replied. “But I have been beginning to wonder whether I am perhaps being a little naïve to think that such a thing is possible for a young lady in my position.”
Faith shook her head. “I thought the same during my first couple of Seasons. I did not meet any gentlemen who I really liked, and perhaps because I was rather standoffish from those that approached me, I did not receive any offers either. And I began to give up hope of finding love. I thought that perhaps I would have to settle for someone who I liked rather than who I loved. But then I met Benedict, and everything changed in an instant.”
Isabella smiled. She knew the story of how her sister and Benedict had met at a picnic and talked for hours about their passions and interests. Everyone around them had seen they were on the brink of falling in love, even on that first meeting. Their courtship was something of a whirlwind, and their marriage had been a very happy one ever since.
“So what I am trying to say to you, Isabella,” Faith went on, “is that it is worth waiting for the real thing. Do not let yourself be pushed into a match you do not think will make your heart joyful every day. I have that with Benedict, and I know that many would say I am lucky, but I think it is what I deserve and what you deserve, too.”
Isabella nodded. “Thank you, Faith, for the gift, and for the advice. I think that Papa has some ideas about the Duke of Harbridge, and I am not sure what I think about that.”
Faith shrugged. “Do not dismiss him, Isabella. There might be more to him than meets the eye or more than you have seen in him the only time you have met him. But do not settle for him if you do not think you can love him. Promise me that?”
“I promise,” Isabella said. “I will wear the broach every day to remind me of what we have talked about tonight.”
Faith smiled. “I hope it brings you luck. Now, I will leave you to get your beauty sleep.”
