All eyes turned to Arabella the moment Lord Lucien asked that question.
It did not faze her one bit.
She had long anticipated this question, even before they arrived at the hall. The whispers among the maids, the lingering stares, the subtle mockery masked behind polite smiles, she had noticed it all. She knew this moment would come, and she had prepared myself for it.
So Lord Lucien asking the question, and everyone suddenly focusing their attention on me, did nothing to shake her.
Arabella could feel Sophia's hand tighten around her hands. She turned to sophia and saw the worry written all over her face, her brows drawn together, her lips slightly parted as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.
She squeezed her hand gently and leaned closer.
"Don't worry," she whispered softly. "Everything is going to be okay."
She gave her a small, reassuring smile, one she wasn't entirely sure she felt, but she needed her to believe it.
