♡ TL: Khadija SK
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Theodore appeared in impeccable elegance, extricating Hazel from the swarm of Charlotte’s suitors who surrounded and tormented her, as deftly as one might pluck a turnip from a field without disturbing the surrounding soil—an astonishing feat of skill.
No one noticed Hazel’s departure except Charlotte and Lady Easton.
Hazel and Theodore made their way to the third-floor drawing room.
They sat across from each other at the tea table. Naturally, Ann brought the tea, and at Hazel’s request, she left the door slightly ajar before exiting.
Since agreeing to the contract with him, Hazel no longer asked Theodore about the purpose of his visits.
Instead, she sipped her tea quietly, occasionally gazing out the window, savoring the moments of stillness.
Suddenly, she felt grateful for him.
Without him, she’d be trapped today with Charlotte’s tedious and uninspired suitors, forced to endure their company.
Their grating voices, their hollow courtship songs…
‘Ugh, I can’t stand it.’
Hazel cherished the present moment.
All that could be heard were the birds and the wind in the garden, and the breathing of the person across from her.
Theodore understood the value of silence.
When conversation lapsed intermittently, he didn’t attempt to fill the void with random words to dispel awkwardness, nor did he fidget chaotically to break the quiet.
He sipped his tea calmly, occasionally glancing at her.
People say silence is a waste of time. Especially that silence between a man and a woman doesn’t foster a relationship’s growth.
But Hazel and Theodore learned much about each other through silence too.
For instance, Theodore noticed that the outer edge of Hazel’s eyes held a grayish hue akin to a blue speck, and that she smiled when hearing birdsong, leading him to suspect she might enjoy his estate as well.
Hazel realized his knuckles protruded surprisingly, and his hands were rough despite his polished appearance.
By the way, she recalled that he’d graduated swiftly from Oxford in an elite educational path before joining the army.
Typically, noblemen chose either university or the military after coming of age; few did both. So why had he?
Just as her curiosity about Theodore began to flare after a long dormancy, he broke the prolonged silence:
“I’ve prepared a contract. I believe you, Miss Hazel, prefer certainties over verbal promises.”
“True. Does it specify a duration? If you’ve brought it, may I have it? I need to review it.”
Hazel extended her hand. Theodore hesitated.
“I left it in the carriage. I could fetch it now, but what if we go together and you review it there?”
“Fine.”
Hazel rose without objection. Theodore offered his hand, and Hazel took it.
In that moment, a spark flared between them. It was undeniably there. But both were so lost in their thoughts they didn’t notice.
The spark was fleeting, vanishing quickly, and Hazel and Theodore walked side by side through the corridor, down the stairs, and to the carriage.
They felt eyes tracking them from everywhere: from the corridor, beneath the stairs, through the slightly open door.
It wasn’t just the family; even the servants watched them walk together with curious gazes.
“I felt like my back would be pierced by those stares.”
Once aboard the carriage, Theodore turned his back and asked:
“Did it happen?”
Hazel burst into a refreshing laugh.
“It’s intact. Anyway, I’m sorry. My family overreacts a bit.”
“Perhaps because they love you so much, Miss Hazel.”
Theodore recalled their exit from the Easton home.
From the third-floor drawing room to the carriage, the journey took about ten minutes, but for the first time in ages, he felt like a monkey in a zoo.
The stares—at least ten pairs—were fixed on the back of his head and his spine with such fervor that ignoring them was arduous.
“This is the first time I’ve accompanied a man who isn’t family.”
“That’s an honor for me.”
Theodore was sincere. At the same time, he felt grateful for the foolishness of the men who’d overlooked a clever woman like Hazel.
Thanks to their dismissal of her from their courtship lists, Theodore earned the privilege of being the first.
“The carriage you came in today is different from last time.”
“Last time, I was in a rush. I was eager to make a good impression on someone.”
Hazel laughed softly.
Since agreeing to the contract, Theodore had begun courting her openly.
If another man had done it, it might’ve seemed crude, but his overt flirtation, though blatant, wasn’t bothersome.
Was it truly all about face and background?
Hazel quickly dismissed this materialistic thought and extended her hand. Theodore produced the contract and handed it to her.
Hazel examined it carefully. As she did, Theodore observed her long, extended lashes, the serious eyes beneath them, and her fair skin tinged orange in the sunlight.
“A flawless contract.”
“It seems hiring an expensive lawyer was worth it.”
Theodore credited the lawyer, but Hazel knew the contract bore Theodore’s personal care, as it clearly included her demands.
She lifted her eyes from the document.
“I’ll sign.”
Theodore swiftly produced a pen.
Hazel flicked the cap off with a click and wrote her name in the signature space.
Hazel Langbelle Easton.
Then she glanced at the name beside hers.
Theodore Caron Bernier.
She stared at the contract for a while before it passed from her hand to Theodore’s.
He placed it in an envelope and said:
“It’ll be kept at the lawyer’s office— Wharton Law Firm in the city center. You, Miss Hazel, can review it anytime you wish.”
They’d agreed beforehand that, for security, the contract would be stored at the lawyer’s rather than each keeping a copy.
“Very well. So it starts today?”
“Indeed. And on that note, how about a short outing?”
Hazel parted the carriage curtain and peered outside. The weather was perfect for a stroll.
“Of course. By the way, I have a question.”
“Ask anything you like.”
“Have you received an invitation to Baron Lance’s ball?”
“Yes, I have.”
“Will you attend?”
“To be honest, grand balls aren’t to my taste.”
Theodore didn’t particularly favor balls, but he said this thinking Hazel might not like them either.
“I intend to go.”
So Hazel’s response surprised him.
“Then I must attend too.”
“Didn’t you just say they’re not to your taste?”
“Isn’t the person more important than the place? Even hell becomes paradise with a great companion. If you’ll allow me, I’d like to be your escort that day. Will you grant me that honor?”
“Very well.”
Theodore rejoiced at her swift agreement. Hazel felt a twinge of pain. Her conscience pricked her.
She was using the Bernier family to shield her dignity and the Easton family’s honor. Hazel couldn’t shake this feeling.
Moreover, she knew their meetings—and the rumors that would swell as a result—would end in parting, deepening her guilt.
Even in the moment she decided to attend the ball with him, she was thinking of the end.
***
Ann had been busy since morning.
It was a special day because Miss Hazel, whom she served, was attending a ball after a long hiatus.
Ann polished Hazel’s favorite shoes, retrieved the few pieces of jewelry she owned, requested fresh milk from the cook the previous day to pamper Hazel’s skin, and didn’t forget to add rose oil to her bath that morning.
But Ann’s greater task was something else.
“Ann, did you hide it well?”
Lady Easton and Ann spoke quietly at the corridor’s end. They resembled villains plotting mischief, their voices hushed and their foreheads nearly touching.
“Of course. She’ll never find it.”
Lady Easton’s face lit up with relief at Ann’s confident reply.
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