- - -
"...so she has decided to finish this at last."
King Henry sighed. They had expected something of this sort, though he did wonder why she didn't just kill the girl. What's one more life for one of the bloodiest hands in Orilon? Alas, the Avingtons were always beyond comprehension. The question was what to do about it.
"Shall I inform the baron, Your Majesty?"
And what good would that do? In all likeliness, the baron would insist that they take action before the girl's plot, and where would that lead them? Destruction of the whole kingdom by Damian Avington? Lady Valentina was prepared to stake everything, they were all aware of that.
On the other hand, if his potential daughter-in-law's plan were to succeed, the baron's schemes would be completely destroyed. He himself could claim that there was nothing he could do, and the baron would just have to deal with it. The man was a cruel, blackmailing bastard, but not unreasonable. Yes, the Avingtons may take power later, but that would be a problem for the future. At least then, there wouldn't be a secret knife to his throat.
"No. You may leave."
His informant bowed and slipped out of the room, a perfect shadow. Another reason why the baron couldn't be told. He had insisted on using the eye as soon as the king had accidentally let slip of its existence, but it was the one of the few things the king had not backed down on. This was one of the only sources they had, the best one by far, his one victory of the little menace known as Valentina Avington, and the time was not yet right to use it.
The time would come, he told himself, like he did with many other things. One day. Just not now.
- - -
Catherine took a deep breath as Mary covered up her scars as best as possible with so much powder that she felt as if she was wearing a mask. She would not be able to compare in the slightest with all the beautiful ladies attending her party, of course, so the least she could do was to appear tidy in her best dress.
"There, my lady. What do you think?"
The makeup was thick, but a faint hint of the blemishes was still visible. On top of her already pale complexion, she looked like a ghost in the mirror. Catherine winced.
"Can't you use more, Mary?"
"It'd be too cakey, my lady. Besides, I think you look lovely already, and the scars are a reminder of what you've survived."
Mary was always so kind! Catherine smiled and anxiously hoped that her guests would agree and not think less of her house for them.
It was the morning of her party, and Catherine was surprised at how well she slept last night, though she was grateful for it, for she was feeling faint already. Her stomach was twisted in knots and her mouth was dry. It was the first social event Catherine was hosting by herself, her first time meeting Lady Valentina after what had passed in the temple, and her first interaction with Lady Delilah after the proposal from Lord Damian. The weight of any of these alone could have crushed her, and all three combined was almost too much to bear, but bear it she would. It would be a new beginning, like Mary said!
Catherine spent the rest of the busy morning making sure everything was in place. Too quickly, afternoon came, and the guests began to arrive. Catherine greeted them at the door and led them to the glass greenhouse where the party was to take place, before hurrying back to welcome the other guests. Lady Valentina, Lady Delilah, and Lady Annalise were the last to arrive.
"Good afternoon, Lady Catherine. How are you?"
"Thank you for inviting us. We're delighted to attend."
"It is nice to see that you are doing better. We were all quite concerned."
Catherine wasn't exactly sure what she sputtered out in response, but her most important guests seemed satisfied enough. Lady Valentina was sweet as usual, meaning that she probably didn't know about what happened in the temple, making Catherine feel even worse. She conducted Lady Valentina to the seat of honour and took the place next to her as the host.
Now, etiquette required that she speak a little to announce the start of the party, but the ladies were all busily chattering. Catherine muttered gently, utterly failing to draw attention. Seeing her distress, Lady Valentina coughed lightly, and the room immediately quieted, all eyes in their direction. Catherine shot her an appreciative glance but felt the burden on her heart increase even more, especially under the pressure of the gazes. She swallowed.
"U-um, thank you all for attending my tea party today! I hope you enjoy it and have a good time!"
The party began, and the mood relaxed. Catherine sat down, the first time she'd done so in hours, and instinctively touched the locket Lord Damian had given her.
She'd put it on as soon as she'd discovered it by her bedside and hadn't taken it off since, hiding it under her dress for the holy days. It was her one comfort, reassuring her whenever she felt nervous, as she did now. While the memory of Prince Oscar thrilled her in the worst ways, the recollection of her time with Lord Damian always cheered her.
Catherine missed Lord Damian terribly, though she didn't dare dream of seeing him anytime soon, with her disfigurement and the guilt of stealing from Lady Delilah. The latter had not bothered her quite so much before, for some reason, but after what had happened with Prince Oscar, the weight doubled down on her. Besides, she now looked nothing like the portrait in the locket, and feared that he'd be disgusted by the sight of her.
Ack, she was so unused to company that she almost lost herself in daydreams again! Thankfully, Mary's gentle nudge as she brought the tray of teacups pulled her back to reality.
"Then, shall I pour the tea for everyone?"
A rhetorical question no one answered. Unfortunately, she hadn't been invited to enough tea parties to know the standard procedure, so these rigid words her elderly governess had given her would have to serve. Beginning from the left with the guest of honour, Lady Valentina, she carefully poured out a cup of tea, forcing her hand to not tremble. Given that no one snickered or made any comments about her manners, Catherine decided that she was not doing too badly.
"Thank you, Lady Catherine."
"Y-you're very welcome, Lady Valentina!"
Lady Valentina smiled, more beautiful than any rose to ever bloom in the greenhouse, giving Catherine a burst of confidence. She continued around the table, successfully pouring a cup of tea for each of the ladies. There were a dozen in total, not including her, which was quite a large party. She'd invited so many because she hadn't expected all of them to accept, and was pleasantly surprised that they all did, though it meant more pressure to not embarrass herself.
Catherine admired Lady Valentina as she drank. Her mannerisms were all so elegant, like a princess from a fairytale. Lady Delilah, too, and all the other ladies at the party, were true, noble, aristocrats. In the lively greenhouse, Catherine felt strangely alone. She had chosen it because using the drawing rooms in the mansion would've felt like invading Lady Bryant's territory, but even now, she felt like an intruder upon a gathering of higher beings.
"Is that a species of Isvorian carnation, Lady Catherine?"
Lady Delilah's sudden question surprised Catherine, but at least she knew the answer. She'd made sure to study the immediate environment in case anyone asked.
"Yes! Father received it as a present from an Isvorian merchant last month."
"How wonderful. The colour is quite unique."
To her delight, Lady Delilah continued to converse with her, and the subjects were those that she could understand and contribute to. When their conversation ended, another lady came to speak to her. Lady Annalise and all the other ladies, even Lady Valentina herself, spoke with her, and seemed to even enjoy it. Catherine's heart skipped excitedly, gradually allowing herself to grow happier and happier as she confirmed that it wasn't just a figment of her imagination.
"I like your earrings, Lady Catherine."
"You enjoyed that book? Me too!"
"That's quite an interesting approach to the debate. Do elaborate."
Was this what having friends felt like? Catherine had no idea what the difference was between this event and everything previous, but if she could dare to believe that it wasn't just a dream, she would affirm that she positively loved it.
However, as time went on, she couldn't help but feel somewhat uneasy. The more she enjoyed herself, the more her guilt pierced her, until it was almost suffocating. Lady Valentina and Lady Delilah's kindness were like daggers to her sinful soul, as unworthy as she was. Part of Catherine wished it would all end and go away, for she was undeserving of their amiability, and every gentle word only worsened her betrayal.
Part of her, selfishly, wished that it would last forever.