Chapter 39 - Just Because I Wanted to Live (9)
Although the invitation stated the party began at five o’clock, the nobles all arrived at different times. Those from families of similar or lesser standing tended to arrive early, while those from families of higher station than the host would arrive ten to thirty minutes late.
Grayson, however, had never been late to any party. The time he set foot in a venue was always the exact time written on the invitation. Thus, as five o’clock approached, everyone gathered at the Count Mason's mansion began to glance toward the entrance.
But Grayson did not arrive at the stroke of five. Ten minutes passed, then twenty, and still he did not appear. Countess Mason laughed softly and said, as if it were no big deal.
"It seems Miss Edith is running late getting ready."
It was Julia who answered her.
"I doubt that. Before I left, the Duke came to pick Edith up, and they left together."
Marchioness Julia had just arrived. At her words, everyone turned to look at Belita, who, at a loss for what to do, finally spoke.
"Perhaps something came up on their way here? The Duke is a very busy man, after all."
"Even so, he's not one to be late..." one of the nobles who was fairly close to Grayson muttered. Belita, thinking she wanted to slap the man's mouth shut, said:
"Still, he made the promise to me directly, so he will definitely come."
That was the kind of man Grayson was. Whether they knew him well or not, everyone knew that he was a man who kept his promises.
But as time passed and all the invited guests had arrived, Grayson was still nowhere to be seen. The party should have started by now, with couples beginning to enjoy the dance, but no one moved, all waiting for Grayson who had promised to attend.
Belita felt as though she might suffocate and faint from anxiety, but she forced herself to maintain a smile, her eyes continually darting toward the door.
It was around six o’clock when a few noblewomen, weary of waiting, returned from the lounge. They had heard some astonishing news from the maids waiting outside.
"It seems Duke Myers won't be coming today. My maid told me that he is currently enjoying a dinner with Miss Edith at Vamont."
"Oh my, I just heard the same thing... They say he rented out the entire place."
All eyes turned to Belita. Gazes poured onto her, as if demanding to know what on earth had happened. The eyes of some held a mixture of accusation and ridicule. Among them were those who hadn't particularly wanted to attend the party but had come upon hearing that Grayson would be there.
Belita had never been in such a predicament in her life, and not knowing how to handle it, she could only dart her eyes around.
Unable to watch any longer, Countess Mason spoke up.
"He must have simply mistaken the date."
"How could that be possible?"
Lillian, who had been eagerly awaiting such a moment, quickly chimed in.
"I heard the Duke's Head Steward manages his schedule meticulously. Besides, according to the Marchioness, Edith also got ready believing she was coming to this party..."
"Then if the Duke couldn't have been unaware, does that mean he simply didn't want to come?"
"Was the story about the gift a lie, too?"
"To be honest, it was strange from the start. There's no way Duke Myers would approach a woman first and ask to attend a party."
Count Mason's face contorted, and Countess Mason was at a loss for words to rebut. They, too, only knew what Belita had told them; they hadn't witnessed the scene themselves.
The color drained from Belita's face.
She had exaggerated a few things, but she had thought none of it would be a problem as long as Grayson showed up. She had mixed in a few small lies, assuming the topic would never come up at the party, and even if it did, she believed Grayson would correct the details for her.
She had noticed a slight change in the way Grayson looked at her, but what did it matter how he looked at her when he was to be her husband anyway? All Belita wanted was the envious gazes of the other noblewomen.
But Grayson hadn't come. Instead, he had pointedly gone to Vamont with Edith, turning all of Belita's words into lies. And since this was the first time Belita had ever been so openly scorned...
"Hic..."
She finally burst into tears. A startled Countess Mason tried to soothe her, but Belita couldn't stop crying. As Countess Mason led her out of the party by the hand, Lillian couldn't wipe the smile from her face.
***
Edith had no idea what was going on.
She had prepared for the day assuming, of course, that she was going to the party at the House of Mason. She wore a dress for the occasion and had Lenny tie her hair up neatly. The reason she wore a hat with a dark blue veil instead of a black one was out of consideration for Grayson.
If she had her way, she would have worn her usual black veil and looked as if she were attending a funeral, but she didn't want to put Grayson, the man she would be living with, in an awkward position. So, for this party, she vowed over and over that even if her face was hideous, she would not appear like a madwoman.
Since her face would be covered by the veil anyway, she didn't need makeup, and her preparations were finished quickly. When Grayson came to pick her up, she was leisurely standing by her bedroom window, looking down at the gardens of the marquisate she would soon be leaving.
When she heard Grayson had arrived and went downstairs, Matteo was waiting for her on the landing, glaring.
"Don't do anything stupid, Edith. If you disgrace the family name one more time, Father won't let it slide."
*Of course he won't. A man like that doesn't change.*
After marrying Julia, Matteo had been living with his temper much subdued. His bullying was less violent and more insidious and perverted.
A memory from when her mother was still alive came back to her vividly. It was a time when her mother had to leave the house to accompany the Marquis.
Back then, Matteo had come to Edith's room, where she was hiding her presence. He sat on the sofa and, after some conversation, spilled tea on his own leg and commanded her.
"Wipe it, Edith. With your own hands."
At that time, she was still afraid of the Reynolds family and had to consider her mother's position, so Edith had no choice but to obey. As she wiped his thigh with a dry cloth, his persistent, sticky, and disgusting gaze lingered on her body for a very long time.
*Come to think of it, back then...*
Just as Matteo's breathing was growing heavier and Edith was becoming terrified, Predic had come in. She had forgotten that just as fear was consuming her, Predic had suddenly thrown the door open. If Predic hadn't come in then, something terrible would have happened.
Predic's appearance shattered the insidious and impure atmosphere. He plopped down next to a displeased Matteo and chattered on about useless things. Then, the Marquis and her mother returned.
*Could he have been trying to help me... No, that can't be right.*
Edith pushed the sudden thought away and, without answering Matteo, tried to pass him and continue down the stairs. Matteo roughly grabbed her arm.
"Answer me, Edith."
Matteo hated being ignored more than death. Edith looked straight up at him and spoke.
"I won't do anything crazy. The Duke is waiting, so could you please let go of my arm? It hurts."
Matteo seemed displeased with Edith's insolent attitude, but since Grayson was waiting, he had no choice but to release her arm. As Edith descended the stairs, she heard Matteo mutter behind her, as if chewing on the words.
"Vulgar wench."
Edith simply couldn't understand.
*I don't meet anyone, I don't do anything, yet you're the ones who act vulgarly. So why do you always say that to me? Is it just because my biological father came from a humble, rural family?*
Suppressing her displeasure and sense of injustice, Edith reached the first-floor hall and took in the sight of Grayson waiting for her in the center. The moment she saw him standing there so nobly under the light of the dazzling chandelier, the nausea she had felt because of Matteo vanished.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Her heart pounded.
There was no time to think about why her heart was beating so fiercely, so unlike its usual rhythm. Edith stared blankly at him as he walked slowly toward her, and when he offered his hand, she placed hers on top of it.
Together, they left the building and boarded the carriage. Even though they hadn't fully left the estate grounds, just being in his carriage with him made her feel like she could finally breathe.
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