we had it all

Luce could tell that her sister's approval faltered. There was an emotional distance in her eyes that belied her forced happiness. Lucretia may not have been good at deciphering her own feelings, but when it came to others, she was a calculating observer. She shifted her yellow eyes away from Belle and towards Bourbon, trying to seek some warmth there. At least her sister wasn't angry. Anything else she could deal with. "Thank you for your congratulations... and I'm sorry that I didn't come to you for approval," Luce admitted. "It happened quite fast. And unexpectedly. The side effects from the concoction I made for you caused me to come into season far earlier than expected," she tried to explain. Maybe if she could articulate how unexpected this had all been for her, Belle would find her sympathy.

"Only about a month or so. Just beginning to show. Bourbon has kept me well fed, so it may not be as noticeable as it may have been otherwise." Her stomach was filled out in a healthy way with only the slightest hint of pregnancy pooch. The weight looked good on her. She was no longer emaciated and the panic that always lurked in her eyes had begun to calm.