Chapter 7
A gentle breeze swept through the garden, gently rustling the leaves and adding a delicate note to the melody of singing birds.
This morning, the air was crisp.
Cécille breathed in a lungful and stretched languidly. She sat alone at the table with a cup of steaming, hot tea in front of her. Her hands warmed comfortingly as she picked it up to take a sip.
She absent-mindedly perused the cosy little garden that she will be leaving behind in a few days time.
She was a bit reluctant to admit that she would miss it.
And that wouldn't be the only thing she would miss.
The staff, the lively atmosphere, the restaurants, the sweet sound of the bell that rang every morning, gently rousing her.
Her new friendship.
A sigh left her as she reminisced about her disastrous meeting with Clementine.
Their friendship was still in the budding stage but they would have to continue it through correspondence.
Long-distance friendship.
Dear soul, this was going to be a challenge!
Fortunately, the number of times they had met for tea was gradually increasing and, so far, their compatibility shined through.
Here's to hoping it will be one that last for years to come.
"One last ball to go... Thank the Lord that I already have a dress for it." She muttered into her cup.
Some influential Earl would be hosting this ball, her last one before returning home. The Dukedom of Avalon were going to be in attendance too.
So her father had the great idea to suggest they simply make the journey together.
Dear Lord Hugo was bursting at the seams with happiness about his daughter's new friendship.
And what better way to deepen that bond than for the ladies to get ready and fuss together?
And so, plans were made and Clementine was supposed to arrive a little later in the morning with her parents.
She was secretly looking forward to it.
It was akin to having a sleepover, right?
It was bound to get a little hectic though, so better enjoy the peaceful solitude now before the chaos descended.
****
At eleven a.m sharp, the carriage of the Avalon estate came to a stop in front of the villa. Duke Arron alighted from the carriage before helping the ladies out.
Cécille stood quietly beside her father and warmly greeted them.
Clementine threw decorum to the wild and rushed over to envelop Cécille into a hug, "Oh, I am so excited! This is a first for me! I can't wait to see your dress! And mother will be helping us too!"
"Calm down, dear. You are smothering the poor girl. Well met, Cécille." Duchess Mirabelle said while replacing her daughter to give her a hug.
The light, sweet comforting scent of her perfume reached her nose.
It smelled like plum blossoms.
"Well met, Lady Mirabelle." Cécille replied before letting go.
The new form of address now rolled off her tongue without any awkwardness. It had taken a lot of convincing on Lady Mirabelle's part to change it.
Something about how she only became a Duchess through marriage and that to friends and family she was only Lady Mirabelle.
Cécille knew when to give up a losing battle.
The Duke stood beside her father and warmly greeted her before saying, " well, we will leave you ladies to your preparations! Old Hugo and I are going to take care of some business in his office and gossip about the gentry!"
Lord Hugo spluttered indignantly, " pardon?! I am not that old! One year younger than you in fact! So what does that make you?! And I certainly do not partake in gossip!"
"Nonsense! Your gossips are crunchy enough to replace the biscuits accompanying the tea!" The Duke rebuked.
The Duchess sighed and dryly addressed her husband, " birds of a feather, darling. Birds of a feather."
The Duke laughed out loud before winking, " of course, dear! This is why we get along!"
The Duke then proceeded to drag a still spluttering Lord Hugo away all while laughing.
Cécille looked at their backs musingly before saying, " it is quite true, isn't it?"
Clementine scoffed, " truely, they are worst than mother and I when they are together. Some of the gossips are so outrageous I wonder whether they are just making things on the spot."
Lady Mirabelle gently chided her daughter, "no scoffing. And yes, those two are quite the pair..... But enough about them! Now is ladies time! We have a lot to do, so how about we get a start? We can chat and have our own gossip time whilst getting ready, all while sipping on sweet,tangy lemonade! Off we go girls!"
****
The sun sank slowly on the horizon, taking away with it the last few rays of light. Across the city, small, yellow glow of lights started to appear one after another.
At the villa, servants hurried about tending to their duties.
A small group of them were gathered together like busy bees, hurriedly helping the ladies get ready under Myrtille's and Martha's expert eyes.
Downstairs, Duke Arron paced near the entryway and complained, " we are going to be late! Again!"
Lord Hugo, leaning on the doorway, casually ignored him, " I wonder what The Earl has prepared for dinner. I am getting quite peckish."
"Well, if we have to wait any longer, by the time we get there dinner would have already ended!" The Duke riposted.
Lord Hugo rolled his eyes, " we still have an hour and a half left. And it only takes forty-five minutes to get there, so do calm down! One would think that you would be used to waiting on the ladies by now! It takes time for a woman to get ready."
Just as he finished his sentence, the ladies in question gracefully descended the stairs.
Lady Mirabelle looked quite risqué in a black, off-shoulder silk dress that skimmed her curves. Her saphire blue jewellery added an ethereal air to her look, making it quite mesmerising.
Duke Arron looked at his wife with mouth agape.
Lady Mirabelle raised an eyebrow and questioned, " well? Was the wait worth it, my dear Duke?"
Duke Arron closed his mouth and coughed awkwardly, " my dear, you are absolutely ravishing! It was more than worth it! "
Clementine scoffed at her father's words, "papa, you always complain then end up being completely bewitched by the end result! Do you not know any better by now?"
Lord Hugo approached them, " oh my! You ladies look absolutely beautiful! I might have to keep a closer eye on you tonight, Cécille!"
Clementine's silk dress was of a brilliant olive green that complimented her complexion and her hair piled in curls at the top of her head. The dress was off-shoulder just like her mother's, but more modest with a small ruffle at the bust. The big skirt of the dress rippled like water and shone with each movement.
Cécille stood next to her in a midnight blue velvet dress. The richness of the colour contrasted beautifully with her complexion and gave off a slight sensual look. This was a little far from what she usually wore. It was three-quarter sleeved with a deep square neckline. The bodice clung tightly to her upper body before flaring in a big ankle-length skirt at the waist. A puffy black lace petticoat worn under provided more body and movement. It peeked through with each step, adding a little more 'je ne sais quoi' to the entire look. Dainty silver jewellery encrusted with diamonds complemented the look beautifully.
"Papa!" Cécille protested with a blushing face.
Lord Hugo chuckled good-naturedly before saying, "Duke Arron, who was the one complaining about being late earlier, seems to be quite occupied right now so how about we go into the carriage and wait for them? Shall we?"
Lord Hugo stood to the side and politely let the Ladies pass before him.
Clementine took one look at her father's besotted expression, rolled her eyes and quickly walked out.
Cécille carefully averted her eyes and quickly followed behind her.
Better to get away from the amorous couple.
Fortunately they did not have to wait long. A few minutes later, the carriage was racing towards the Earl's mansion.
Cécille glanced at Lady Mirabelle's slightly swollen lips and thought it prudent to close her eyes and meditate till they reach their destination.
Clementine habitually ignored her parents' shameless behaviour and promptly put an end to Cécille's plan.
She gently elbowed her, "by sweet mercy! Are you really trying to nap right now?"
Cécille murmured back at the corner of her mouth, " I am meditating, not sleeping! Perhaps you should try it too?"
"Allow me to bluntly refuse! Come on Cécille! We have some pesky matters to talk about."
Cécille's eyes flew open and a frown creased between her brows, "what are you talking about? Pesky?"
"Being friends with me means that you will inevitably come into contact with some of my acquaintances. One of the most annoying ones will be present today."
"Acquaintances.....?" Duke Arron's voice echoed puzzlingly in the background.
"Dear, you have known him since you were a toddler. At this point, dare I say you are more than acquaintances?" Lady Mirabelle mused.
"Mother! Please do not start! Like I said, he is an annoying acquaintance!" Clementine insisted vehemently.
Cécille gave her a side glance, " an annoying childhood acquaintance. Understood."
"You don't sound like you understand?!" Clementine argued.
"Oh no! I perfectly understand! Do not worry about it!" Cécille replied calmly.
"He is an extremely infuriating man!! Everytime I see him I want to punch that obnoxiously handsome face!"
Lord Hugo and Duke Arron exchanged knowing glances while Lady Mirabelle discretely hid a smile behind her hand.
"Oh? So you find him handsome?" Cécille questioned innocently.
Clementine spluttered before grudgingly admit, " well, no one can deny that he is handsome.... But that is not the point!"
Cécille let out a perfunctory 'I see' before tuning out the rant she went on about.
She was looking forward to meeting that 'annoying handsome' man.
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