After the War Is Over by Jennifer Robson Page A

best. Oh—here’s the soup. Which of these spoons am I meant to use?”
    “That one, just there.”
    By the end of the meal Charlotte had acquired a fine understanding of every single
     award, scholarship, and prize Robbie had won in the course of his academic career,
     as well as a detailed description of the medals he had been awarded, among them the
     Military Cross, for his efforts in evacuating his hospital during the Spring 1918
     Amiens offensive.
    Their dessert of strawberry ice cream had just been cleared away when Edward, who
     had been seated to Lilly’s left, stood up and waited for the room to fall silent.
    “Ladies and gentlemen, my honored guests, I beg your indulgence while I sing the praises
     of my sister Lady Elizabeth Fraser, the loveliest bride imaginable. I think you all
     know how dear she is to me, as indeed she is to all of us. Her courage, selflessness,
     and determination are a shining example of a life lived with meaning and purpose.
     To know that today she has married my greatest friend . . .”
    Here he paused, his voice catching, and he cleared his throatbefore continuing, this time in a lighter vein. “Quite frankly I had no idea that
     they had fallen in love, not until the moment that Robbie appeared at my hospital
     bed, a little more than six months ago, and confessed the truth to me. I am sorry
     to confess it, but I very nearly flew out of my bed and throttled him. She was, after
     all, my youngest sister.”
    A chorus of nervous laughter circled the table. The new Earl of Cumberland could so
     easily have objected to his sister’s marriage to a social nobody, but instead he had
     supported the match wholeheartedly. Further proof to Charlotte, if ever she had needed
     it, that Edward hadn’t an ounce of prejudice in him.
    “Fortunately for them, and for all of us who have gathered here today, I soon realized
     that I was wrong in my misgivings. Robert Fraser is the finest man I’ve ever known,
     and as such I believe him to be the only man in the world who is truly deserving of
     my sister. Nothing could give me more pleasure than to stand before you now and toast
     them on their wedding day. In this, I know I am departing from tradition, but I beg
     you to allow me: a toast to the bride and to the groom.”

Chapter 9
    A s soon as Edward had finished speaking, Robbie began his own speech, which managed
     to be funny and moving all at once, and featured a fine recitation of “A Red, Red
     Rose.” The guests were then directed to the music room, where coffee and slices of
     wedding cake were served, together with additional helpings of champagne for those
     in an especially festive mood.
    Edward seemed to be in his element, moving from guest to guest, ensuring everyone
     felt welcome despite his mother’s churlish behavior, delightedly sharing reminiscences
     of the bridal couple to anyone who would listen. He always had a glass of champagne
     in his hand, frequently refilled by a trailing footman, and as the reception continued
     he appeared, to Charlotte’s eyes, increasingly frail. Having abandoned his cane, he
     began to rub at his temples with whichever hand wasn’t holding his glass, and although
     he took pains to hide it, she could tell he was favoring his good leg. She longed
     to help, but there was nothing she could do, certainly not without embarrassing him.
    Needing a quiet moment to herself, she moved to an empty corner of the room, attracted
     by a pair of small, dark oil paintingsthat she remembered from her days as Lilly’s governess. They were overshadowed by
     enormous canvases above and to their right, both by Canaletto, but she had always
     preferred the Dutch burgher and his serious wife to the Venetian cityscapes. They
     weren’t handsome people, but they looked as if they had been good-hearted, hardworking,
     honest, and sincere in their desire to live a decent life.
    “May I join you?”
    Not recognizing the voice, Charlotte turned to discover a