Chapter 9
Finally, the day had come when the guests would arrive. All the servants at the Duke’s household had been busy cleaning and preparing food for the past few days. The new employees, who had joined the Duke’s household not long ago, could hardly contain their curiosity about who the guests would be. It had been quite a while since someone visited the Duke’s residence.
“Do you think he will be handsome?”
“He must be. He’s probably more handsome than Young Master Martin.”
“Just how handsome and charming could he be for our lady to be in such a frenzy?”
The young maids’ excitement grew as time passed. Before long, the house began to buzz with activity. It seemed the guests had arrived.
“I think they’re here. How do I look?”
At Elizabeth’s question, Muriel and Lynn nodded vigorously. They had woken up at dawn to help the lady prepare herself. She was so particular that she repeatedly tried on and took off the dresses they had chosen in advance, saying none suited her.
Choosing hair accessories, selecting the ribbon needed to style her hair, and picking a fan—all these moments took a considerable amount of time. Thus, they had to put in double the effort to prepare the lady. It wasn’t just that; they were also busy tidying up the room, which had become a mess during the preparations. They felt exhausted even before welcoming the guests.
However, the two did not show any signs of fatigue. They knew that the lady’s mood could change at any moment.
“You look more beautiful than ever.”
At Muriel’s words, the lady smiled brightly. A lovely smile that made them forget how hard they had worked.
“Oh! They must have arrived.”
Elizabeth was half leaning out the window, turned, and hurried to the door. Muriel and Lynn naturally followed her.
The lady carefully but quickly held the ends of her dress and descended the stairs.
“Lady, be careful not to fall!”
Lynn said with a worried voice, but Elizabeth didn’t hear her. Only when they got close to the entrance could they catch up with her. But in reality, it was Elizabeth who had stopped.
“Am I truly okay?”
Elizabeth whispered softly while looking back at Muriel and Lynn. After seeing them nod several times, she turned her gaze forward.
“Count Hargreaves has arrived.”
As the footman’s voice was heard, tension appeared on the faces of the servants standing at the entrance.
A moment later, the door opened, revealing Martin speaking cheerfully with an unfamiliar face. Upon seeing that face, small gasps escaped the servants’ lips.
With dark hair and ash-gray eyes, Martin contrasted beautifully with Phillips, who had strikingly bright blonde hair and green eyes reminiscent of a lush forest—both were stunning enough to be captured in a masterpiece.
“Brother, it’s been a while!”
At Elizabeth’s greeting, Phillips approached with a bright smile. He elegantly removed his hat and bowed politely.
“Thank you for welcoming me, Elizabeth.”
When the lady extended her hand, Phillips bent down and kissed the back of her hand. It was a scene one could only read about in fairy tales. The servants watching the two were filled with admiration.
“Let’s go to the drawing room.”
With Martin’s words, the introductions between Phillips and Elizabeth came to an end.
Phillips escorted Elizabeth with the manner of graceful movements as if a prince had stepped out of a fairy tale. Unlike the cold demeanor of Martin, Phillips had a warm and inviting aura that put people at ease.
“He’s someone the lady would like.”
Muriel whispered softly in her ear as the three walked behind them. Lynn shared the same thought.
If one were to personify the warm sunlight of a spring day, it would surely be Phillips Hargreaves, given his bright and kind demeanor towards the lady.
Once they moved to the drawing room, the three sat on the sofa and chatted until the servants brought in tea. Martin looked at Phillips and initiated a conversation.
“Was the journey tiring?”
“How could it be tiring to visit an old friend? I enjoyed every moment of the trip.”
“And what about me?”
“I thought about how beautiful my sister is.”
“Oh my!”
Elizabeth blushed at Phillips’ words, and Lynn and Muriel’s eyes widened at this new side of the lady, though they quickly composed themselves.
“But who is that girl…?”
As Phillips’s gaze turned towards Lynn, she couldn’t hide her embarrassment. Reactions from people seeing her for the first time were usually like Phillips’s. After spending so much time with the same people, it was rare to encounter such responses.
Generally, the women of Trona tended to show their hair. Most people found it odd that she was wearing a hat so meticulously. When she became flustered and couldn’t say anything, Elizabeth spoke up.
“She’s my maid who joined us recently.”
“Really?”
As Phillips’s face lit up with interest upon looking at her, Elizabeth pouted and voiced her displeasure.
“Are you more curious about my maid than my face, brother?”
“Of course not.”
Phillips laughed, easing Elizabeth’s feelings. Lynn and Muriel were worried that the lady might get angry, but contrary to their expectations, Elizabeth smiled sweetly.
“I’m almost hurt by it.”
Moments later, the door to the drawing room opened, and a maid placed teacups on the table. She skillfully poured tea into the cups of the three and bowed.
After the maid completed her tasks smoothly, Elizabeth gestured to her, and the maid understood the cue and quietly left the room.
Only Martin, Phillips, Elizabeth, and the two maids remained inside the room.
“Brother, now that you’ve come to our house, please stay for a long time.”
At Elizabeth’s words, Phillips’s lips curled into a gentle smile. He set down his teacup and slowly began to speak.
“Is that okay? I saw Geist Forest on my way here, and I thought it would be nice to take a look around.”
“Then how about we go on a picnic tomorrow?”
“Elizabeth, Phillips just arrived. Let’s plan to go in a few days.”
At Martin’s words, disappointment spread across Elizabeth’s face. She seemed greatly let down by her brother’s refusal to listen to her.
Although she wanted to spend the whole day with Phillips, her brothers always excluded her. They spent their time hunting in the nearby woods or practicing clay shooting—activities she couldn’t join.
Since Phillips was someone she rarely saw, she wanted to spend as much time with him as possible.
“No, I’m not tired at all. And we’re not going today; we can definitely go.”
At Phillips’s response, Elizabeth’s face lit up instantly. The joy on her face eased Muriel and Lynn’s expressions. If things hadn’t gone as the lady wished, they would have had to endure her irritability when they returned to the room. Thankfully, Phillips’s answer spared them from that.
“Then I’ll tell the kitchen to prepare a picnic basket. Brother, how about I borrow Phillips’s words?”
“Are we going far?”
Martin’s face scrunched up slightly in displeasure. Elizabeth briefly gauged Martin’s mood before turning her gaze to Phillips.
“Is it not allowed, brother? The deeper you go into Geist Forest, the more beautiful it becomes, right, Lynn?”
“…Yes, my lady.”
At Elizabeth’s question, all eyes in the drawing room turned towards Lynn. Seeing Martin’s cold gaze upon her made it hard for her to speak, but she couldn’t remain silent.
He let out a small sigh at her answer. The sight of his displeasure made Lynn’s heart sink. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being disliked.
“If we go far, it might be tiring. Are you sure you’re okay?”
When Martin asked again, Elizabeth nodded gracefully, her face confident. Unable to break his sister’s stubbornness, he reluctantly decided they would have a picnic tomorrow.
Although there were many things he wanted to do with his old friend after such a long time, it seemed best to clear his schedule for his sister. He could easily picture her making the maids miserable if things didn’t go her way. It wouldn’t be so bad to accommodate the lady’s wishes for just one day since Phillips would be staying for the week.
“Lynn, you should come along too.”
“…Yes?”
At Elizabeth’s words, both Martin and Phillips turned their gazes towards her.
Lynn alternated her gaze between Phillips, who smiled silently at her, and Martin, who showed no expression, and she could only respond cautiously.
“Of course, my lady.”
“Brother, then you two enjoy yourselves. I think I need to prepare for tomorrow. Let’s say we’ll leave around 11 o’clock.”
Satisfied with Lynn’s response, Elizabeth stood up, greeting them with a bright voice.
The thought that she might get to spend even a moment with Phillips while he was there made her feel that it was okay to step away for now. There was also much to prepare for tomorrow. She needed to choose her outfit and accessories for the picnic and take care of her skin. A satisfied smile graced Elizabeth’s face as she left the drawing room.
