~ 29 ~

                                    

                                          

A few weeks had passed and Eloise walked into her mother's sitting room, nervousness and excitement bubbling up within her. Lady Violet looked up from the book she was reading, a smile on her face as she saw her daughter enter the room.
"Ah, Eloise," Lady Violet said kindly. "You seem very cheerful today. Did something happen dear?"
Eloise's other siblings were all gathered in the room, some reading, others engaged in conversations. As they saw Eloise enter, they all turned their attention to her, curious about the reason for her cheerful demeanor.
Benedict looked up from the sketch he was working on, a small, knowing smirk on his face. Anthony and Daphne glanced at each other, both wondering what their sister had to say.
Colin looked up from the newspaper he was reading, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.
Eloise took another deep breath, her gaze shifting to her siblings' faces. Their expressions ranged from curiosity to intrigue, clearly eager to hear what she had to say.
"You're all probably wondering why I've been so happy lately," she began, her voice gaining confidence. "Well, the reason is that I proposed to Valerie the other night."
There was a moment of stunned silence as the siblings absorbed the news. A mixture of surprise and confusion passed over their faces.
Anthony was the first to speak, his voice steady but with an undercurrent of disbelief.
"You... proposed? To Valerie?"
Daphne's eyes widened, her surprise evident in her expression. She looked between Eloise and the rest of the siblings, as if expecting one of them to burst out laughing any moment now.
Benedict chuckled softly, shaking his head with a fond smile. He had known about the proposal beforehand, but watching his siblings' reactions was just as amusing.
Colin looked completely baffled, his mouth hanging open as he struggled to process this entire situation. 
Benedict chuckled, clearly enjoying the surprised reactions of his siblings. He shot a sly grin at Eloise, as if to say "they had no idea, did they."
And then, to everyone's surprise, Gregory spoke up.
"Can I be the ring bearer?"
"Yes Gregory you can! And hyacinth..you shall be a flower girl how about it?" Eloise suggested to hyacinth who had been pretty quiet about it. 
Hyacinth's eyes widened with excitement, her face lighting up at the suggestion.
"Really? I can be a flower girl? I would love to!"
Gregory's face also lit up, a wide grin spreading across his face.
"And I get to be the ring bearer? Awesome! I won't drop it, I promise!"
Colin's mouth was still hanging open, his eyes comically wide as he tried to process this new information about his sister.
Anthony, meanwhile, had a look of disbelief and slight bewilderment on his face as he stared at Eloise.
He cleared his throat, trying to find the right words to say.
"Eloise... you do realize you're defying pretty much every social convention with this decision, right?"
Colin took a deep breath, gathering his courage to speak up to his older brother. He knew that Anthony could be difficult at times, especially when it comes to following societal conventions.
"Actually Anthony," he began, his voice laced with conviction. "I think you're being too harsh. Love can't be defined by rules and conventions. If Eloise is happy with Valerie, then we should be behind her decision."
Daphne smiled softly at Colin, appreciating his supportive words before shifting her gaze to Anthony. She could see the worry written across his face, and she tried to offer a soothing tone in her response. "He is right Anthony." Daphne smiled in awe of Eloise and her relationship with Valerie.
"I understand your concerns, Anthony," Daphne continued. "But in the end, isn't Eloise' happiness what's most important? We should trust her judgment in this matter." Daphne replied gently. 
Anthony let out a deep sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly as he tried to find the right words to say. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his expression conflicted.
"I want Eloise to be happy too, but I can't ignore the fact that this situation is going to cause quite a stir in society," he said, his voice edged with frustration. "The Ton will not approve of this. It will bring a lot of unwanted attention and criticism on our family."
Lady Violet had been quietly listening to her children discuss the situation. She had her own worries and concerns, but seeing her children so divided, she knew she had to speak up.
"My dear children," she began, her voice soothing but firm. "I understand the difficulty of this situation, but I believe in supporting Eloise's decision. Remember, our family has always marched to the beat of its own drum."
"Mother is right Anthony, we can't continue to live our lives scared and worried what the ton might think. We have to live a little isn't that right brother?" Eloise looked over at Benedict. 
"She is quite right!" Benedict said wrapping his hand around his sisters shoulder smiling brightly and ruffling  her hair. "My little sister is going to get married, I am too excited!" Ben cheered. 
Hyacinth and Gregory both laughed with another at the happy moment. "This is so exciting.." "I know I cannot wait!" The siblings said jumping around. 
"Congratulations Eloise!" Colin said hugging Eloise. 
"Yeah we are excited for you!" Daphne said smiling. 
"Thanks guys." 
It was amazing to know that Eloise had such a supportive family.
She couldn't wait to marry Valerie.