10
It's the lovely vineyard where the wedding is being held that's causing me to feel down in the dumps.
Both the Williams and Du Pont names are represented well at the wedding, but there doesn't seem to be much of an emotional connection amongst the guests.
The lives of two individuals are being used as collateral in an intricate fraud.
This has always been the situation in my family, but I didn't really start to believe it until quite recently.
Gabriel may be the first of us to tie the knot, but the rest of us will ultimately have to follow suit.
Perhaps I'll be up next.
In a perfect world, I wouldn't tie the knot.
I have no desire to be bound by archaic agreements, and nobody, living or dead, has any right to enter my home without my express permission.
At this time in my life, I feel contented.
There is just nothing else I can imagine that could be worse.
As I run my fingers through my hair and comb it out, I am overcome with a sense of loss that I cannot put into words.
My grandmother's parents and their siblings all had arranged marriages, as did my grandparents.
By maintaining strong ties and a strong defense network, the Williams family is safe from attack.
I can't help but wonder what it was like for my parents when they were my age, even though it has always been this way and none of us plans to depart from the courses that have been marked out for us.
While I no longer suffer from their mental agony, there are days like today when I find myself missing them tremendously.
If they were here right now, what would they say to Gabriel and the rest of us?
Where would they be and what would they say if they were here?
After Raymond assures me that "it's for the best," I nod my head in agreement.
For his part, Gabriel said, "She might still alter her mind," to which we all nodded sarcastically.
Please, please, please don't let Bella change her mind.
And Zee adds, "She won't."
And you'll appreciate her for it someday when you're older.
After taking a deep breath, Ann turns around to face Gabriel.
Keep in mind, Gabriel, that you are a Williams, and we don't choose our spouses.
Whatever happens today, remember that.
You must have faith in it because it is an age-old tradition that has served us well.
Gabriel shoots him an icy stare.
In the future, "when it's your time," the speaker promised to remind the listener of this fact.
Fyna, Ann's betrothed, is sitting well in the back of the room, but even from this angle I can make her out.
He is the sole member of our group whose future spouse has already been chosen over the course of many years, a distinction that Gabriel alone has.
Nevertheless, he and his fiancee seldom talk at all.
That he now resides in London may be a contributing factor, but I can't help but think there's more to it than that.
Does he feel any resemblance to our parents when he sees her?
Because, after all, our families lost parents in the same plane crash that she did.
Making an arranged marriage work is difficult enough without putting in extra complications.
I shake my head and search through my hair with one hand.
He will eventually have to face her.
Is it really that bad of an idea to propose to Olivia?
Is the question Raymond poses.
Let me put myself in your shoes, if you will.
Our most level-headed member, Gabriel, is thrown off by Raymond's words. He has been trained to keep a blank expression on his face when speaking to the media on our behalf.
The expression of sheer hatred creeps over his face as he turns his back on Raymond.
"What?"
Raymond's question is intentionally provocative.
You just can't stand the idea of Olivia hanging around with anybody else, can you?
If I understood you correctly, you didn't want her to be your wife.
Gabriel, gritting his teeth, mutters my favorite curse phrase, much to my amusement.
He hasn't considered that postponing the wedding was the best option Bella could have made for them.
When Gabriel sees Olivia standing at the end of the aisle with her father at her side, he feels a sense of calm wash over him.
Simultaneously, music starts to play.
When I see him beaming and unable to take his gaze off of her, I can't help but shake my head.
Seriously, you are an idiot.
My brothers and I all took a deep breath of relief when we saw Olivia's dad put her hand in Gabriel's.
Though it may not seem so at the time, I am certain that the choices they made the day before directly resulted in the conditions they are in now.
In my mind, their paths were destined to cross sooner or later, whether or not they were happy about it.
I'm glad it's via marriage, since I have a feeling that not even something as fundamental as marriage could keep them apart.
Throughout the ceremony, I look straight ahead, ultimately settling on Elise.
She looks amazing in this red gown that really brings out her curves.
In this position, she still commands and keeps our interest.
Elise wields her beauty like a weapon, and that makes me glad to have it in my arsenal.
She's the perfect shield, and she's great at keeping prying eyes away from me.
I need her aid now more than ever before.
The fact that so many high society women are interested in me makes me ill.
I may give the idea that I am oblivious to the speculation and rumors, but that is not the case.
Many people are interested in my future spouse, and at least a few families have traveled here today in the vain hope that I may choose one of their daughters.
There's something reprehensible about how ready they are to part with their own blood.
To see Elise at work with them will be the most fascinating part of my day.