After delaying it as long as she could, Isabel Asturias is ready to make her debut onto the marriage market. Like every other mama in town, Lady Asturias hopes to gain an audience for her daughter with the season's most eligible bachelor, the Viscou...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The day had finally arrived for the wedding of the incomparable and the Viscount. All eyes were on them, including the Queen's, for she had taken it upon herself to host the wedding of the season.
Though all eyes would be on the bride today, Isabel couldn't help but want to look her best, too, as she and her mother had a premier spot on the groom's side. Her mother teased that she wouldn't be surprised if Lady Whistledown wrote about this strange fact, which Isabel quickly dismissed, but the thought lingered in her mind.
There was a buzz in the church as the privileged guests prepared to witness the wedding of the season. Isabel counted herself lucky to be one of them as she walked into the church with her mother and sat in their designated pew. But unlike most who were eagerly anticipating the Viscount's arrival, Isabel was more interested in seeing his best man.
Soon enough, the two brothers took their spots at the front of the church. Isabel was so fixated on the smile Benedict gave her that she didn't notice the tight, solemn lines on Anthony's face.
The Sharma sisters soon arrived, first Kate dressed in lilac satin followed by Edwina in pure white. As Isabel watched the younger Sharma sister take her place beside Anthony with a smile on her face, she couldn't help but wonder what it felt like to be a bride.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..." the bishop began.
She had to keep herself from chuckling at Benedict's expressions during the vows stated by the bishop. At one point, he caught her eye and winked, which made her blush. She was grateful that all eyes were up ahead and far from her.
Her amusement was disrupted by the clattering of a bangle against the tile. The air sharpened around the crowd as everyone's eyes turned to Kate Sharma crouching down to pick it up and Anthony meeting her there.
The way he looked at Kate was the way Benedict had looked at Isa that night in the rain. Despite this being a wedding meant for everyone to witness, it felt like an intrusion to gaze upon their transfixed eyes.
Edwina must have noticed it, too, for she darted down the aisle with her veil flying behind her. As soon as Kate remembered where she was and that she and Anthony were not the only two people in the room, she hurriedly went after her sister. Anthony looked distraught for a moment before deciding he should follow them as well.
Enough time passed after the Bridgertons and the Sharmas had exited the church that the rest of the guests decided to retire to the reception in anticipation of whether the wedding of the season would even occur at all. Isabel tried to steer clear of the heavy gossipers who would be spreading all kinds of rumors about why Edwina had fled the scene.
In the midst of the confusion, she was pleased to hear a familiar voice.
"Isabel," Benedict said whilst strolling up to her.
Though she was glad to see him, she responded with, "Shouldn't you be inside with your brother?"
Benedict sighed. "I'm not sure there's much I can do at this point. We just have to wait for Miss Edwina to come around. Though I am beginning to doubt that will occur now that she has seen what was plainly in front of us all along. I fear I have felt it for quite some time, but only now after the bangles fell did I realize just how deep this entanglement went."
