A/N: Hi all, I just want to say a great big thank you to not only everyone who's reading this story and to masu jewel, Chelsietx, bee-327, G (guest), Mari (guest), Guest, danniso and Mathisblu for taking the time to leave me such lovely reviews on the latest chapter, but also, and I apologise I haven't done it before - I don't even know why it's taken me this long because this is just as important, but huge thanks to everyone for adding it to your follows and favourites list, too. I really do appreciate all the support and I'm glad you are enjoying it. It all means the world to me, thank you so very much.
Here's the next chapter for you all :) I hope you enjoy this one too. Please do let me know.
Standing in her closet just four days later, Clarisse studied her reflection in the full-length mirror in front of her as her ladies' maid fixed an elbow-length veil into the top of the chignon bun she'd had her hair styled into, with a detailed antique hair slide. She was getting ready to marry Joseph a little later that afternoon, and she had just slipped into her dress, a gorgeous ivory a-line, tea-length, off the shoulder half sleeve lace overlay dress.
It's nowhere as big as her dress was when she married Rupert, but it was still just as gorgeous and elegant. Better, in fact. And most definitely what she wanted. What they both wanted. They had talked through the night after getting engaged, and they had both agreed that, since she'd already had a big, lavish wedding, with hundreds of guests in attendance, their wedding would be small. A lot smaller, in fact, with only a handful of guests being invited.
"Oh, my dear," Béatrice said from the closet doorway, pulling her daughter from her thoughts, and watched as she slowly turned to her. "You look so beautiful."
"Do you think?" Clarisse asked with a small laugh and pressed a hand to her stomach as she glanced down at her dress. "I hope Joseph will like it," she said, looking back up at her mother.
"Oh, he will. I think he will absolutely love it," Béatrice smiled as she walked over to stand in front of her daughter and reached out for her hands.
"Thank you," Clarisse smiled contentedly and briefly closed her eyes as her mother leant closer and kissed her cheek before pulling back and looking at her. "Have you seen Pierre and Philippe?"
"I have, and oh my goodness, they look so handsome in their suits," Béatrice nodded with a smile.
"I can't wait to see them," Clarisse smiled, trying to imagine what they looked like in the suits that they picked to match Joseph's. "Has everyone arrived?"
"Nearly," Béatrice nodded, "the Lord archbishop is here, as are both your sisters, but when I came up to make sure that you were okay, we were still waiting on Joseph's family to arrive."
"Okay, hopefully they will arrive soon," Clarisse said with a small nod as she glanced towards the clock to check the time. With only forty-five minutes left to go until she had to make her way down, her stomach was already in knots without knowing that they were running late, and that now just made it worse.
"I'm sure that they will be here. Please try not to worry," Béatrice said softly, and Clarisse nodded.
"Tell me, how's it looking down there?" Clarisse asked. "Is it coming along nicely?"
"Oh, yes, it's coming along beautifully. It's very, very beautiful down there. The staff, especially Charlotte, have done such a wonderful job putting it all together and getting everything ready for the ceremony and after celebrations," Béatrice smiled, giving her daughters hands a gentle, yet reassuring squeeze. "I still can't believe that you managed to plan all of this in just four short days."
"I know, me neither," Clarisse nodded, "and what a whirlwind it's been."
"You can say that again, dear," Béatrice smiled as she studied her daughter a moment. "You know, I'm so proud of you. How far you have come, what you have achieved and accomplished over the years, with all you've been put through. It hasn't always been easy, but here you are today, happy and about to marry your best friend, someone you actually love."
"Thank you, mother," Clarisse said and let go of her mother's hands as she stepped closer, to embrace her in a hug. "I love you and honestly cannot thank you enough for all your help and support over the years. I don't know what the boys and I would have done without you."
"Oh, my dear, I love you too, but are you trying to make me cry?" Béatrice asked tearfully as they pulled apart, and she raised one hand up, briefly putting it up on her forehead while taking a hold of one of Clarisse's hands again with her other hand.
"No, I'm sorry," Clarisse said with a shake of her head and watched as she lowered her hand back down to take hold of her other hand. "But please, I beg you, don't cry, or you'll make me cry too."
"I'm trying not to," Béatrice replied with a small shake of her head and momentarily looked down at their hands clasped together between them. To try and compose her emotions. "Tell me," she said a moment later and looked back up into her daughters eyes. "Do you have all your something old, borrowed, new, and blue?"
"I do," Clarisse nodded with a smile. "My something new is my dress, my borrowed is the hair slider that you wore on your wedding day, and for my something old and blue, I cut a heart shape out of one of father's old light blue ties and had my maid sew it to the inside of my dress," she said while letting go of her mother's hands and lifted the hem of her dress, to show her.
"Oh now I am going to cry," Béatrice nodded and covered her face with her hands a long moment, trying once again to compose herself, before shaking her head and looking back up at her daughter. "That is such a lovely thing to do."
"I wanted to honour him because he can't be here to help us celebrate today with us," Clarisse said softly as she stepped closer to her mother and embraced her in a hug. "And I wanted to have a part of him with me as I walk down the aisle and take my vows."
"He's here with us in spirit, my dear, and even though we can't see him, I know that he'll be right there beside you as you walk down that aisle and take your place beside Joseph," Béatrice whispered as she wrapped her arms around Clarisse's waist and just held onto her a moment. The both of them now thinking about the man who meant so very much to them both.
"I hope so, mother. I really hope so," Clarisse said moments later and took a step back from their embrace. "Now, before I definitely start to cry too. Might you have some motherly advice that you would like to share with me?" She asked and pressed a hand anxiously to her stomach. She was starting to feel nervous the closer it got to the time she needed to make her way downstairs. She just hoped that Joseph's family would make it on time if they hadn't already arrived.
"Yes, actually I do," Béatrice nodded as she wiped her tears away with her hands before brushing them together and taking hold of Clarisse's free hand in them. "I probably told you this at your first wedding, but it still counts today. Never go to bed on an argument, talk it out, even if it takes all night. Just talk it out. Oh, and, make love often."
"Mother!" Clarisse gasped, and they both laughed a little. "I remember you giving me the argument bit of advice at my first wedding, but I certainly don't remember you giving me that last bit."
"Do you not?" She asked, and Clarisse shook her head. "Hmm, maybe it's because I didn't want to give you that bit of advice back then. I mean your marriage to Rupert was arranged and well, you know I didn't really like him, thought he was much to old for you, so therefore I didn't want to tell you to do something that I felt you wouldn't enjoy," Béatrice smirked as Clarisse laughed nervously while raising her hand from her stomach and covered her eyes with it. "It's different this time around, though. You and Joseph love one another, and I know that you'll…"
"Yes, okay," Clarisse exclaimed, interrupting her mother, as she lowered her hand from her face and looked up at her. Her cheeks now flushing a rosy red. "That's enough now."
"Okay, dear. But I was only go-,"
"Nope," Clarisse said, waving her free hand now in front of her face as she closed her eyes. "Don't say it."
"Going to say, you'll connect more on an intimate level," Béatrice exclaimed in a hurry before laughing as her daughter opened her eyes and looked back at her, "but yes, you'll enjoy it more with him, too."
"Mother!" Clarisse gasped and started laughing. "I knew that's what you were going to say, I just knew it."
"Sorry, but it's the truth," Béatrice smiled and studied her daughter a brief moment as she pulled her hand free from hers and turned back to her mirror. To once again check her reflection with a contented smile on her lips. "It'll be time to head down soon."
Nodding, Clarisse slowly turned her head to look at her. "You were right."
"I was right about what, dear?" Béatrice asked as Clarisse raised her hands up and folded them together against her stomach before turning back to her.
"About not enjoying it with Rupert," she said and briefly lowered her gaze down to the floor before looking back up at her mother, "with him it was boring, bland, and predictable and I'm terrified that it's going to be the same with Joseph. That I won't enjoy it with him either."
"Oh my dear," Béatrice shook her head while stepping closer to her and raised her hands up to cup her face in them, "it's normal to feel this way, more so because you have been best friends for so, so long. But I can tell you now that it's completely different with someone you are in love with. It's more intense, more satisfying."
"That's another thing that I'm worried about," Clarisse said and lowered her gaze once again as her mother rested her hands now on her shoulders, "because we are best friends, and have been since we were young, I fear that I might disappoint him. Intimately. That I might not be, and that it won't be, up to his expectations, and vice versa."
"Oh, my dear, you worry too much," Béatrice said sympathetically as Clarisse looked back up at her, "that'll never happen. Not with the two of you. You are made for each other, and you can see just how much he's into you, and vice versa," she said and stepped closer to her, to give her another hug. "Now please stop worrying, it won't do you any good and will only make you more nervous. Especially when that time comes later."
"I'll try not to worry, but I can't help it," Clarisse said as they stepped apart and looked at one another. "Not when it's there niggling away at me."
"He's nothing like Rupert, Clarisse, and nor will he ever be," Béatrice said while putting one hand up to briefly cup her face, "that's all you need to remember. This man loves you, always has, and he always will. And I can tell you right now, that once you are married, he won't be able to keep his hands off you."