The Night Shines Golden

Chapter Two: The Lady of The Night

The wedding was spectacular. Marigold had never known that a church could hold so many flowers. Juliet Farrington (now Alldridge) was the most beautiful bride that she had ever seen, with dark hair like her brother, but with the dark eyes of her mother, who walked her down the aisle. Marigold had wondered where Lord Farrington was—no honorable father would miss his daughter's wedding, but when she saw an empty chair at the front of the church dedicated to Albert Farrington (1760-1804), she'd understood that his absence, unlike her own father's, was not by choice.

Wedding ceremonies bored her. As Juliet Farrington and her handsome husband-to-be (a marquis, apparently) pledged themselves to each other, her eyes wandered to Theo and she watched as he smiled as Juliet recited her vows, laughed when his younger brother whispered something in his ear, and rubbed a soothing hand around his mother's hand when she began to cry. She continued to steal glances at him whenever she could and stopped only when he turned around and caught her staring. She was so dreadfully embarrassed that she did not look at him once after that.

Marigold was not experienced with the feeling of being in love, but she knew it had happened to her and it was terrible. At the wedding breakfast, she witnessed Theo flirt with other young ladies, watching as he kissed their gloved hands and smiled dashingly. It sickened her. Did he have nicknames for all of them, too? She debated approaching him, but what would she say? She was not good at the talking part. Besides, she couldn't very well start a meaningful conversation by thanking him for preventing her from faceplanting. She had been so caught up in Theo that she didn't have the mind to be embarrassed.

Later that night, as Marigold, her mother, and sisters ate dinner at their large austere dining table, Lady Fairfax treated them to an extensive recounting of every conversation she'd had with Lady Farrington at the wedding. "And then—if you'll believe it, Lady Farrington said she'd like to invite me to tea sometime!" she said excitedly to no one in particular, as all three Fairfax sisters had long grown bored. "Do you know what this means for our family? Do you—"

"The second Farrington son is quite handsome," Malva said, interrupting their mother, "don't you think so, Mary?"

Marigold almost choked on a green bean. Coughing, she looked at their mother, expecting her to chastise Malva for her rather rude interruption. But she was looking at Marigold with narrowed eyes, clearly just as interested in her answer as Malva was.

"Yes," she replied, "yes, I suppose he is."

"You spent a great deal of time speaking with him this morning." Malva said, her tone accusative.

"Do you fancy him, Mary?" Myrtle asked in that high-pitched voice of hers, her eyes wide.

"Of course she does! Look at her face!" Lady Fairfax pinched Marigold's blush-red cheek rather painfully.

Marigold had had enough. If time on the grandfather clock was any indication, she was going to be late if she did not hurry. She would certainly not be sorry to exit this humiliating conversation. "May I be excused, Mamma? I don't feel very well."

"Lovesickness?" Myrtle asked in complete seriousness.

Marigold had to restrain herself from laughing at this as she hurried out of the room before her mother and sisters could poke at the secrets of her heart any further. She had to move quickly, anyway. Under no circumstances could she be seen by anyone in her family, or anyone in Mayfair for that matter. As quickly as possible, Marigold slipped a dark cloak over her head, effectively hiding her signature fuchsia gown and easily identifiable copper hair. Her lampless carriage already waited for her outside in the dark, and she knew that her mother and sisters would not notice her absence if the way they were arguing at the table was any indication.