The countess would not stop gushing about how HER daughter was going to marry a PRINCE the entire carriage ride home. Percy squinted at me thoughtfully the entire time and the earl was largely ignoring everything after giving a simple congratulation to me.
As we reached the house the countess started ordering servants around immediately to prepare for me heading to the palace for bridal lessons once everything was settled. My brother pulled me aside.
"You were meeting the prince the day you ran away?" he asked in bewilderment. "Why would you do that? If he was planning on proposing anyway, he should have participated like the rest of your suitors or written to Father directly asking for your hand. You said you did not want to get married so why…Were you trying to elope?"
