They took Daisy to the orangery, where warm autumn light glittered through the windows, and the scents of citrus and bay hung thick in the air. Removing Daisy's heavy orange-blossom wreath and veil, Lillian set them aside on a chair.
There was a silver tray on a nearby table, laden with a bottle of chilled champagne and four tall crystal glasses.
"This is a special toast for you, dear," Lillian said, while Annabelle poured the sparkling liquid and handed the glasses out. "To your happy ending. Since you've had to wait for it longer than the rest of us, I'd say you deserve the entire bottle." She grinned. "But we're going to share it with you anyway."
Daisy curved her fingers around the crystal stem. "It should be a toast for all of us," she said. "After all, three years ago we had the worst marriage prospects imaginable. We couldn't even get an invitation to dance. And look how well things turned out."
"All it t-took was some devious behavior and a few scandals here and there," Evie said with a smile.
"And friendship," Annabelle added.
"To friendship," Lillian said, her voice suddenly husky.
And their four glasses clicked in one perfect moment.
— Lisa Kleypas
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