Lady Ashley was looking outside the window of the new townhouse that she occupied when Magnus and Casey decided to move into the Flemington Estate. The old dowager could stay there but she felt like intruding on the newlyweds.
She was sipping on her hot tea one afternoon as she was looking at the people down the streets of Fiktown that were looking around for shelter as the rain was pouring down from the sky. She smiled when she saw someone that she never thought will be seeing her again.
"Well, isn't that interesting?" she asked herself when the said lady was running down the streets to a place that most gently bred ladies would never associate themselves with. But not this lady for she would surely go there if someone told her not to.
"And I think it is time for me to plan another two weddings. One for James and the other for William. Oh, husband, I hope you're helping me to make this match," Lady Ashly prayed to her beloved, Lord Flemington that died when their grandsons were only children.
"I know that she will be the perfect match for our quiet William, beloved," Lady Ashley stated before she put down her teacup and she was pulling a leather-bound journal, the ones that she kept from anyone prying eyes for it contained so many things that can advance her above the polite society.
The old dowager countess was a gently bred lady, only to have it tainted when she trusted someone that she thought he will be the solution to her family's disdain. But then, Lord Flemington, who was a handsome lad and a catch for the mamas and debutantes had his eyes on Lady Ashley, who was a disgrace to the polite society after her father's bankruptcy.
"I will always look for you, no matter what you say or what you do, Ashley. For I am in love with you and only you," the journal's first words were quoted from her husband. It has been years since she heard his voice and felt his touch.
"I miss you, my love," she whispered before Lady Ashley was flipping the cover so that she can make a note of the lady that has caught her interest for her youngest grandson. The old dowager was one of the scandalmongers that have an influence on everything that she said to them.
In fact, she was the head of the scandalmongers.
Someone knocked on the door of the drawing room before Lady Ashley put her quill down as she was writing the necessary details to make sure that her plan of action will be fruitful and everything will be going according to plan. Lady Ashley turned and the maid curtsied to her as a guest was following her from behind.
"Beg your pardon, mum. There's one Veronica Quinnston here to meet you," the maid said before the guest was shaking off her hood and Lady Ashley was looking at her. She nodded at the maid before Veronica was giving her cloak to the maid and went to sit in front of the old dowager.
"How are you, my dear?" Lady Ashley asked Veronica before the young woman was smiling radiantly at her.
"I haven't been better since it is our tutoring day. I have been dying to meet you, my lady," she said as Lady Ashley smiled at her.
"Would you like some tea? Scones, perhaps?" she asked the young woman before Veronica shook her head.
"I would like us to start on the tutor as soon as possible, my lady. If that's okay with you," Veronica said before Lady Ashley chuckled softly.
"Ah, my dear. There are a lot of things that needed to be learned before you can venture out into the world. Most importantly, into Warydeval to get some juicy notes and tabloids on everyone. We start with your patience and how to achieve the scandalmonger's level of patience," Lady Ashley stated before Veronica beamed at her and took the hot tea that she served.
"If you say so, my lady. I think it would do me good as well," Veronica stated before the old dowager smiled and instructed her on how to be graceful and yet, deadly in the most uncommon way for a gently bred lady.
*****
Mary was making her way toward the blacksmith that has a shop in Fiktown, a neighboring town from Red Cast that she wanted to get her hands on a certain item that will be confiscated if she purchased it under her father's nose.
At least when I am here, my father thought I was in Hamptor, Mary thought before she was running down the streets of the alleyways and shops where the rain was pouring down like cats and dogs on her right now.
Thankfully, she was wearing her disguise in place, breeches and tunic as a runner for Lord Smith.
She stepped inside the smithy before her face was greeted with the feel of heat and her nose was greeted by the smell of leather, oil, and metal. It was nothing like home when the only thing that Mary smelled were flowers, gentle breeze, and fish.
This is much preferable to Red Cast, she thought before the old blacksmith that she had been meeting for the last couple of years after she knew that she wanted to be something other than a lady.
"Hello, Avery," she said as she was taking off her cap that concealed the long black tresses that she pulled on tight so that she could pass by as a boy in her disguise.
"Hello, Mary. Fancy seeing you here in the middle of the pour," he stated before Mary laughed as she was making her way toward her favorite section of the smithy.
The bows and arrows.
Mary took her time as she was examined the products that were on display before she made her decision to buy them. She had ordered a custom bow that would be balanced in her hands and no one will be able to draw the strings other than her.
It was the strongest and thickest string that she asked Avery to make for her bow.
"How much for this quiver and these set of arrows?" Mary asked, counting the pin money that she had on her person. She had been collecting them during her school years and right now, it will be a couple of months before she had to go out there and be the gently bred lady that her parents wanted her to be.
If only they knew what I was planning to do, Mary thought with a smile as Avery was looking at the quiver and arrows that she asked for.
"That would be 20, for all of them," he stated before Mary was blinking her eyes at her friend.
"20? That's more than what my bow cost,"
"Hey, you ask the special edition from someone that has custom-designed it for me. I'm just following the orders that he gave me if anyone purchases his products," Avery held his hands up in surrender as Mary sighed.
20 crowns for more of the essentials that she needed. Perhaps I can ask Papa about it, under the disguise that I needed to pay for my books and stationery, Mary thought before she was fingering her locket. It was a gift from one of her suitors that her father arranged and in a good faith that she would not be disturbed at the academy in Hamptor, she wore it.
It's not as if she would marry that person anyway.
"How about this locket? How much does it worth?" Mary unclasped the locket and handed it to Avery. The blacksmith was looking at her before his eyes were focusing on the locket. Mary thought it was made from gold but she never can tell which one was which.
Perhaps it was the only pyrite, ugh! She grimaced when her Papa thought her suitor will get away from handing her a gift that was made from faux gold.
"Hmm," Avery stated before his eyes were on Mary. There was a question in his eyes but he did not pursue it when he handed the locket back.
"Around 40," he stated before Mary arched her eyebrow at him.
"Crowns?" she asked before the blacksmith was shaking his head. Avery smiled before stating the real worth of her locket.
"Guineas,"
Mary opened her mouth like a fish and then closed it. Her mind was running inside her head as she never thought that she carried around that much money in a form of a locket. She bit her lower lips before she shook her head.
"I'll the bow first and then, perhaps next week I will buy the arrows and the quiver," she negotiated before the blacksmith was shaking his head.
"Can't. I will not be here next week. I will be visiting my parents in Norkins," he stated before Mary was biting her lower lips again. She really needed them as she has a few more weeks to prepare for her survival in the wild. And if she did not possess it...
"Fine, I will take the bow and arrows as well as the quiver. How much will that cost me?" she asked as she was feeling for her purse. She carried around 40 crowns in her reticule but then, she can always negotiate with Avery.
"How about you gave me the locket and I will make something else in return? And then, you can come to pick them up when it's ready. Consider a fair trade for the bow, arrows, and the quiver," Avery said before Mary was looking at him. She shook her head.
"Can't. It's a gift from my suitor. And Papa would be asking if I don't wear it," Mary said before her friend shook his head, chuckling softly.
"You drive a hard bargain, Mary," he stated before she smiled.
"No, I just know how to make you anticipate what I will bring next time," she said as the blacksmith was taking her custom-made bow as well as the custom-designed arrows as well as the quiver.
"That will be 45 crowns," Avery stated before Mary was making her puppy eyes at her friend.
"Don't put on that trick with me, Mary. It is the cheapest that I can give to you,"
"Yes, I know but I was the only customer that bought so many things from you before. Perhaps, you could lower it a bit for 40 crowns. For old time sake?" she asked Avery before the blacksmith was looking at her.
"You know I can do that—"
"And when I use this bow in my archery class at the academy, people would love to know where I got such an intricate bow that represents modesty as well as wealth. And they perhaps would ask where I bought them. It would be a shame that I would not share the location of your shop now, wouldn't it?" Mary baited Avery before the blacksmith was rubbing his neck.
"Are you sure you will be willing to share this shop with your friends? It might not be a special place for you anymore," Avery said to her before Mary smiled.
"And cut off your pin money? I wouldn't dare to do that to my friend. We are friends, right, Avery?" she asked before the blacksmith was sighing.
"Fine, 40—"
"Make that 35 and then we're settled," Mary interrupted before Avery chuckled.
"Fine, 35. And make sure to send my customers here, Mary," he said before he packed the stuff and handed it to her. Mary beamed at her friend.
"You would not regret a thing, sir. And I promise you there will be multiple orders from your shop next spring," Mary said before she slipped away from the smithy and running toward the inn that she was staying in Fiktown before she headed back to Hamptor tomorrow.
And perhaps later try her new bow in the forest close to that city later that weekend.
*****
James was walking inside the drawing where Lady Ashley, his grandmamma, was sitting by the window sipping on her hot tea. It was raining outside of Fiktown and he was shivering from his ride into town.
"You always know when to call me, don't you, grandma? And not to mention, it's raining right now. What if I got sick and we cannot travel to Scatterford as you planned?" James said as he flopped himself on the sofa. Lady Ashley sipped on the tea before she turned to look at him.
"Well, we cannot have that then. But fortunately for us, Scatterford was the city of culture and art. I'm sure that we can find a healer there if you're sick, James," his grandma said before Viscount of Kent was rolling his eyes at Lady Ashley.
"So, how's Magnus and his wife?" James asked his grandma before the old dowager was smiling at her grandson.
"They are well and I hope later, the princess will bear the Flemington heir soon enough," she said before James coughed.
"I don't need any detail for that, thank you very much," James stated before Lady Ashley rolled her eyes.
"Have you packed for your journey tomorrow? I don't wish to delay our travel just because you decided not to pack early, James," the old dowager said before her grandson cleared his throat.
"All packed and loaded. I cannot wait for you to take me on a journey that I will never enjoy," James stated before Lady Ashley smirked as she sipped on her hot tea.
"We'll see. I beg to differ when we arrive there," the old dowager murmured as James was narrowing his eyes at her.
"This is not one of the matchmaking progress that you planned, right?" he asked his grandmother before Lady Ashley shrugged.
Oh, dear. Not again, James thought but something resurrected in the back of his mind that has a blonde mane and amber eyes staring at him.
'I will always hate you, Lord James Flemington!'
James smiled before he was looking forward to going to Scatterford, in the hope that Lady Darla Lockwood, his mortal enemy, will be there and their fate collided for the first time after so long.