A Beast Sees No Beauty

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The sisters made their way down the hall at Juliet's lead, giggling to one another like it was their first soiree. The men were already seated in the drawing-room with a glass of brandy, and their wives patiently waiting for the other women to appear. They all laughed and conversed as if everything was normal, casting distrusting glances at their host every-so-often.

Vincent was at the front of the room, leaning against the mantle while maintaining a polite conversation with Juliet's four brothers and three brothers-in-law. When the women arrived, Juliet allowed them to enter first, re-joining their husbands with a kiss to their cheeks. Juliet entered last, soaking up the eyes of all her family and neighbors as she joined Vincent at the front.

"I hope I'm not too dreadfully late, Cordelia was fighting with my hair as usual and the others kept distracting me - are you even listening?" Juliet placed a hand on Vincent's arm, worried about his glazed eyes. He clearly wasn't listening to her.

"Yes, yes, your sisters kept you out later than expected, very well." Vincent cleared his throat, worried he might cancel all festivities just to keep Juliet here to himself. Juliet looked like an absolute vision standing before him, her red painted lips quirked upwards, and despite the fact he had seen the same smile over a thousand times, seeing her at this moment made it seem like the first. She was... breathtaking.

"Should we start dinner then?" Juliet suggested calmly, a quirked brow being the only indication that she knew exactly what hold she had over him. Vincent tried to hide his red cheeks but knew she had already noticed them.

"You mean to start dinner before you greet your brothers?" Cassio stood offended, but a smile soon covered his features. "Hello, sister."

Cassio was only a few years older than Juliet, but he had gone off to school young, leaving her the only child. Juliet still gave him her girlish giggle before hugging him close. "Oh, how I missed you, Cassio, and our jokes!"

Florizel was next, and the oldest of the gang. He stood an entire head taller than Juliet, plus some, but he was proud to wrap her in his arms, to know she was safe for a while. Then there was Lysander, who cast a knowing glance towards Vincent before releasing his sister. Finally, Duncan, who spun her around gleefully before returning her to discuss topics with the others.

Vincent stood to the side, feeling completely out of place. He was in a crowd of husbands and wives, neighbors and friends. Why did he ever think this was a good idea? There was no way they would ever accept him, or even allow him near Juliet again. So for now, he'll just quietly enjoy seeing his beautiful and captivating Juliet for one more night.

"I do believe that dinner is in order, yes?" Duncan hadn't changed a bit and was ever the hungry boy she knew as a child. Juliet couldn't help but laugh, enjoying the memories she had while still immersed in the moment.

"Of course, Vincent?" Juliet turned to him, holding out her hand. He quirked a brow at her openly affectionate gesture. "Stop being so unsociable, will you?"

Vincent couldn't help the chuckle that escaped as he left his glass to join the crowd. "Yes, I do believe that the place settings for dinner should be ready. Shall we?" He took Juliet's hand and tucked it into his arm, escorting her and leading everyone out of the room and back down the hall.

Juliet lifted the front of her skirt as she walked looking back to tease her brother and laughing with her sisters despite the short walk. Vincent couldn't help the smile that grew from watching her antics. She was so natural, so in her element at the moment.

Dinner was nothing but laughter and cheer, even Vincent was dragged into a conversation or two. The Chambers were a boisterous family, but the energy never died down. Conversation flowed naturally, and while Vincent was boggled at how they could each focus on multiple conversations at once, he was even more captivated by Juliet, who debated with one brother before laughing with one of her sisters, quickly followed by her whispering an idea to another brother amid a different debate. It was entertaining.