Love's Unexpected Awakening Elowen's Choice novel Chapter 285

Sylvia listened, her feelings tangled up so tight they made her eyes sting. She nodded hard.

Elowen pulled her over and had her sit beside her on the daybed.

Cora appeared at just the right moment with fresh juice.

Elowen suddenly remembered something. "Wait. Your wedding date, the one written right into the Royal Decree. It's December first, right?"

Sylvia cradled the cup in both hands and nodded. "Yes. That's what the decree says."

"Then it's almost here." Elowen counted on her fingers. "If we're being generous, we've got less than a month. I need to move fast. When you leave this house, you're doing it in style."

Then her expression pinched with worry. "I've never run a wedding before. I barely know what I'm doing half the time."

"Ella, what are you scared of?"

The voice came from outside the door, bright, laughing, and confident.

Elspeth walked in wearing a deep plum jacket patterned with round floral medallions. She looked delighted with herself. "You're not doing this alone. I'm right here. When my two boys got married, I handled everything, front to back, top to bottom. The steps, the rules, the order of things. I know it all."

Elowen's shoulders dropped with relief.

She'd almost forgotten.

She smiled, eyes curving, and waved Elspeth over. "Auntie, come look. Sylvia's moving up in the world. Duchess Yvonne personally gave her a bracelet. It's huge. And it's gorgeous."

Sylvia's face went red the second she heard it.

Elspeth leaned in to look. "Well, I'll be damned. It really is."

Then she slapped her own thigh like she'd just made a decision. "No. Absolutely not. I have to give you a set of expensive bracelets too."

Sylvia blinked. "What?"

Elowen started laughing so hard she almost folded over.

Elspeth pointed casually. "Ella gets a pair too."

Elowen froze. "What?"

Elspeth didn't even flinch. "I have money. I'm allowed to be unreasonable."

Over the next several days, Duskmoor Manor turned into a storm of preparations.

Elowen threw herself into Sylvia's wedding as if it were her own responsibility to make everything perfect. The storerooms were opened. Bolt after bolt of fine fabric was carried out and compared. Gold and silver pieces and jewelry were inventoried one by one. Guest menus were drafted and redrafted. Return gifts, what kind, how many, how expensive, everything had to be weighed and decided.

With Elspeth working alongside her, the two of them often talked through details until late into the night. A few nights, Elowen didn't even bother going back, she slept in the guest room at Elspeth's place.

Cassian was left alone in their bed.

Before long, word made it back to the Crown Prince's Wing.

Tristan reported exactly as he'd been told. "Your Highness, the Duchess of Duskmoor hasn't shared a bed with the Duke in several days."

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