Chapter 22

Charles’s hand that had picked up the cards slightly crumpled them.

“It is the governess’s fault,” came Charles’s disgruntled voice.

“The new governess?” Marceline’s eyebrows raised. “I thought she was quite nice.”

Lady Annalise softly huffed and commented, “Your brother was the one who hired the woman, not me. He refuses to replace the current governess, when he clearly knows it is going to affect our reputation. He did this only to annoy me!”

“I believe brother Vincent is fully aware that doing something like that will also affect his reputation,” replied Marceline.

“Your brother doesn’t care about his reputation, and he’s ready to burn ours along with his,” Lady Annalise stated with a frustrated sigh.

“Speak to him, Marceline, and make him understand that this isn’t funny.”

Marceline licked her slightly dried lips and said, “I think you have a better chance of making him listen than I. Vincent doesn’t listen to me. It would be more right to say that he doesn’t listen to anyone but himself, which is never good company,” she stared at the deck of cards that were placed on the table.

“You do not have to worry about it, sister,” said Charles, looking up from the cards in his hand to look at Lady Annalise. “Leave it to me. I will take care of the matter.”

“Don’t act in haste, Charles,” Lady Annalise warned, “Do you think Vincent will sit quietly and let you harm the governess?”

“What did Eduard have to say about it?” Questioned Charles while Lady Annalise placed her cards on the table to show.

“Eduard is pleased that Vincent took the initiative to find a governess for Allie. Though he isn’t completely pleased with the woman’s status,” said Lady Annalise, and her eyes held annoyance. “We just have to wait for the governess to make a mistake, and it will be easier for us to kick her out.”

Vincent was the firstborn of Viscount Eduard Moriarty, who grew up on his terms and had an innate skill to annoy people and do what he pleased. And when it came to her, he enjoyed pressing her buttons. Lady Annalise still remembered what happened in the past, during the initial years she had married Eduard.

One of the years in the past, Eduard had to leave to meet one of the Baron, and she had finished her bath. When she stepped out of the room, cockroaches crawled on the bedroom floor.

‘AHHHH!’ She screamed.

Lady Annalise was horrified, not because she was scared of the little insects but because they were dirty and ugly to look at. She wore her shoes quickly and stepped on them. But they were too many to kill, and one even flew and came to settle on her chest.

‘AHHH! Why are there so many cockroaches here?!” She shouted and quickly dashed out of the bedroom. ‘Maids! Guards!’ She screamed for someone to come and clean the room.

Hearing light footsteps from the other side of the corridor, Lady Annalise turned and caught sight of the young boy with silver hair. He stood there, staring at her.

‘Looks like my mother’s ghost is not happy with you sharing her room,’ the boy spoke in a tone of indifference.

‘Is this your doing?’ Lady Annalise demanded, anger bubbling in her veins for being treated this way.

The boy stared at her, and a smile pulled up on his serious face, enough to step on her nerves. He said, ‘I heard cockroaches lay their eggs in women’s hair. You should be careful,’ saying this, he walked out from there.

Returning to the present, Lady Annalise clenched her teeth. She had tried to be as nice as possible, Vincent had always liked to irk her.

A servant stepped into the tearoom, pulling a trunk that belonged to Marceline. Marceline said, “I bought you something that will brighten your mood, mother.”

The servant opened the trunk, and Marceline stood up from the chair. Walking to where the open trunk was, she pulled a red velvety cloth in her hand and turned to the servant, who had been waiting on Lady Annalise and Charles. She ordered the servant,

“Clear the table.”

The servant immediately cleared the teapot and teacups from the table to make space for whatever Lady Marceline wanted to show. She placed the velvety cloth on the table before unwrapping it.

When the siblings’ eyes fell on the necklace, Lady Annalise asked in disbelief, “Is this…”

Marceline nodded with a gleam in her eyes. She said, “The pearls aren’t from oysters, but from mermaids.”

“You don’t say!” Lady Annalise’s eyes took in the shiny pearls that shone under the softness of the light of the many candles in the room. “Where did you get these from?”

“I had mentioned it to Mr. Ambrose on my last visit to his store. And tipped him with a large bag of coins in advance,” said Marceline, while Lady Annalise picked up the pearl necklace in her hand to observe it closely. “He said, it was the only piece he was able to get his hands on, and of course, it cost him quite a lot to bring it to Hollow Valley through the consignment, especially how in demand they are, not to mention almost extinct.”

Lady Annalise turned the necklace in her hand, noticing the silvery shine the pearls held along with its creamy texture. The necklace did elate her deflated mood.

“It is a wonderful birthday gift, Marceline. Thank you for the gift. I will be sure to wear it on the next occasion where it is worthy,” Lady Annalise praised Marceline, and the young woman beamed.

“I brought something for you too, Uncle Charles,” said Marceline, and Charles raised his eyebrows.

“How thoughtful of you. Don’t tell me it is mermaid’s blood. It has been a while since I last tasted one,” said Charles, watching Marceline pick a little box from the trunk and hand it to him. He opened the box and saw a simple looking quill with a black feather at its end.

“It has been more than a decade. These days it is very hard to find mermaids as they are hard to capture,” replied Lady Annalise, placing the necklace on the velvety cloth. “When Eduard asked what I wanted for my birthday, I told him about the incomparable blood of the mermaids. He said he would see what he could do.”

Marceline’s mouth watered, and she said to Lady Annalise, “I hope you wouldn’t mind if I take a few drops from it, mother.”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I share a few drops with my daughter,” Lady Annalise smiled. Noticing Charles’s blank expression, Marceline asked,

“Is it not to your liking, Uncle Charles?” Marceline tilted her head with a worried look on her face.

“It seems like you aren’t well versed with the quality of quills, Marceline. The merchant must have fooled you,” remarked Charles, closing the box.

Marceline held a thoughtful look, and she said sweetly, “Is that so? If I knew the governess was going to spill her food on you, I would have gotten you a scented soap.”

A nerve ticked in Charles’ jaw, but he hid it behind a smile. Lady Annalise said to Marceline, “Why don’t you go and freshen yourself? The journey back from Hollow Valley must have tired you.”

Marceline nodded, smiling back, she said, “Indeed it has been exhausting. I will see you later,” she offered a polite bow and stepped out of the tea room. The young woman continued to walk in the corridor, her chin up and her nose high with pride. When she saw Vincent instructing the butler in one of the corridors, the smile on her face turned appeasing, and she made her way there.

“Brother Vincent! I missed you,” Marceline greeted Vincent, who turned to her with a smile of his own.

“I wish I could say the same,” said Vincent. Alfie bowed at both of them before rushing to continue his work. “Don’t smile innocently, it doesn’t suit you, sister.”

The earlier deceitful smile disappeared from Marceline’s face and was replaced with her true expression, “I saw you hired a village bumpkin for a governess. It hasn’t even been a month since the last one.”

“Mm. Isn’t that precisely why one had to be hired?” hummed Vincent. He placed his hand on her head and said with a smirk, “Don’t be shy if you need some guidance from the governess.”

Marceline turned annoyed by his words, and before she could swat his hand away from her head, Vincent pulled his hand back and walked away from there.