Marianne opened the note with trembling hands. She recognized the seal in the dried wax. She read the words written in an elegant hand, and her blood ran cold. What do I do now? How could I have been so stupid? I jeopardized everything with that one stupid sentence, with that stupid reaction. And now I’m probably going to disappear off the face of the earth and no one will ever know what happened to me. Everything she could imagine happening was extremely frightening, and she eventually stopped imagining due to mental exhaustion.
There was a knock on her bedroom door, and her sister poked her head in, holding out a letter. “He sent you another letter. Are you going to answer this one?”
“Ashleigh, please don’t tease me right now,” Marianne moaned. She opened the new letter and her eyes widened. “Oh dear.”
“What is it?” Ashleigh asked, coming in the rest of the way. She closed the door behind her and perched on the edge of Marianne’s desk. “Are you two going to plan to take down the villainess at the school dance?”
“Why would you even joke about that? Not only is something like that cliched, but it’s also so stupid!” She sighed. “I’m sorry. No, he’s letting me know that he’s also been invited to meet with Lady Silverthorn.”
“Also?” Ashleigh gawked, then covered her mouth. “Oh dear indeed.”
Thomas got out of his carriage in front of the tailor’s and went in, striving to appear normal and nonchalant. Jonathan followed him at a respectful distance. Dominic, the head tailor, came to greet him personally, and escort him to the second floor, where a large room had been filled with suits and accessories. Trying them all on would require at least three hours. Dominic motioned for Thomas to follow him to a window that opened onto a very small balcony. Across from the balcony, separated by merely three feet, was a similar balcony that was on the back of Madame Tulla’s Boutique.
“Good day, Your Grace,” the man standing on the opposite balcony said quietly. His black hair and dark features helped him blend into the shadows in the narrow alleyway.
“Luther.” Thomas sighed inwardly and climbed onto the railing and jumped over to the other balcony. Once there, he turned to Jonathan, still standing by the open window with Dominic. “Jonathan, if any messengers should come, don’t let them in, and come over to get me.”
“Understood, Your Grace.” Jonathan bowed.
“Well, sir,” Dominic said to Jonathan. “Will you join me in a spot of tea? I’ve brought an apple and citrus cake.”
“Thank you, sir.” Jonathan smiled. He and Dominic were old friends. While he felt for his master’s predicament, it wasn’t often the two of them could sit down and chat leisurely. He would enjoy this time.
Once inside the room, Thomas swallowed hard. His fiancee, Anastasia Silverthorn, sat at a small table, calmly sipping tea. The table was filled with various treats, a tempting sight to anyone looking in. For Thomas, it just made his stomach twist.
“How are you, Lord Friedrichson?” Anastasia asked. The light reflected off of her glasses.
“I am well. And you, Lady Silverthorn?” Thomas could play the polite game well.
“I have been better. Please take a seat. Miss Ludwig should be here shortly. She is entering the back of the store with Genevieve’s help.”
That would explain why Genevieve, Anastasia’s personal maid/bodyguard, was nowhere in sight. Instead, Luther and his twin brother, Klaus, stood against the wall. They looked out of place in the tea room filled with clothing and accessories. It looked like Anastasia had set up the illusion that she was here to buy clothing from the boutique, like she had set up for Thomas. She was good.
The door opened, and Marianne entered, followed by Genevieve. Thomas’ heart flip-flopped at seeing the girl he loved, the sunlight shining off of her auburn hair. He saw the nervousness in her brown eyes as she looked at Anastasia and then at him.
“Miss Ludwig, please join us. No need for formalities.” Anastasia motioned to the third chair. It was positioned so that all three of them would be able to see each other clearly, the light illuminating each person, rather than leaving one person in shadow or blinding someone.
Marianne gave a brief curtsy to be polite, then scurried to her seat.
“Would either of you care for tea?” Anastasia asked. “Or would you prefer a different drink? Miss Ludwig, you like the egg custard tarts, correct? Please have one. Lord Friedrichson, I also asked for the raspberry scones you like. Please, both of you, have something.”
Thomas interrupted her. “I am very sorry, but I cannot eat when I am on the edge of my seat like this.”
“I see.” Anastasia looked down briefly. “My apologies. When I am stressed, I tend to eat sweets, so I forgot that others are not like that. Klaus.”
Klaus stepped forward and set a book down on the table. Thomas went paler, and Marianne winced. The cover of the novel was garish: an auburn haired girl surrounded by beautiful men, while a blonde girl in the background looked on with disdain. The gold embossed title read “To Know You is to Love You: or, The Lily Princess Must Choose One!”
“Lady Silverthorn, I can explain-“
Anastasia raised her hand and cut off Marianne’s words. “There is no need for an explanation. For better or for worse, news of your relationship leaked out, and we are all caught in the aftermath. I have asked you here to suggest a way to deal with it. I asked for secrecy so as to avoid more unsavory rumors.”
“Lady Silverthorn, you can do what you like to me, but I beg you to not retaliate against Marianne!” Thomas burst out. “None of this is her fault. It is mine and mine alone.”
“No, that’s not true!” Marianne cried. “I made a mistake and started everything.”
“Would both of you be quiet and listen to me?” Anastasia asked abruptly, clattering her teacup down against the saucer. The other two became silent. Anastasia sighed and pulled off her glasses, setting them down on the table. Without her glasses, she looked softer.
“Miss Ludwig, Lord Friedrichson, I am not attempting to blame or retaliate against anyone here. I understand that Miss Ludwig would be wary, as she barely knows me, apart from rumors. But Lord Friedrichson, I had hoped you would think a little better of me, since you have known me since childhood. I may be calculating, but I am not cruel or a villainess, despite how this author has painted me.”
Marianne shivered slightly. Even though these words were said in an even tone, she could see genuine sorrow in Anastasia’s eyes. She glanced over at Thomas, to see him staring at Anastasia in surprise.
“I want to ask a simple question. Do you, Thomas, wish to annul our engagement and take Miss Ludwig as your fiancee? Please do us all the honor of speaking honestly.”
Thomas gritted his teeth and nodded.
“And do you, Marianne, wish to become Lord Friedrichson’s fiancee?”
Marianne nodded, clenching her hands.
“Thank you for being honest about this, since this will make our discussion easier. The first order of business is annulling our current engagement. The second is putting pieces in place for your new engagement. I have ideas, but I would like to know if you have any?”
“Huh?” Thomas stared at her in shock. “Wait, you’re okay with this? What?”
Anastasia calmly picked up a cherry tart and moved it to her plate. “I see no reason why I should oppose it. We were engaged as children without our input. Why can we not do something about it now?”
Marianne sank back in her chair and felt like bursting into tears. Things were going to be okay. Anastasia looked at her, and used tongs to place an egg custard tart and a bunch of fresh grapes on Marianne’s plate.
“Genevieve, will you please make another pot of tea? This one has gone cold.”
As Genevieve moved in to remove the tea pot, Anastasia put a raspberry scone and cherries on Thomas’ plate. She then picked up her fork and knife and started cutting her tart apart. “From what I see, Lord Friedrichson, breaking the engagement from your side will be fairly straightforward. There is a current trend in high society of building relationships with the so-called ‘common folk’. It has to do with our new king trying to build a more connected society, rather than one divided by class. Therefore, I believe that we can build a compelling case on your side for the engagement to Miss Ludwig. It may be more complicated on my side, but I have a plan to take care of it.”
“How will you do this?” Marianne asked. She ate a grape, feeling more at ease.
“It has mostly to do with my own actions, so no worry for you. Lord Friedrichson, your task will be to approach your father and lay out the following points: you have fallen in love with a classmate and wish to marry her after graduation. As this is the planned time for your and my wedding, not much will change there. As long as you can persuade your father, it is easy. Since your family is higher-ranking than mine, it would be churlish of my older brother to refuse this annulment without paying legal damages.”
Seeing a look of confusion on Marianne’s face, Thomas told her, “Lord Silverthorn passed away seven years ago, and his son Dmitri became the head of the family.”
“I see. Thank you for explaining. And my condolences for your loss, Lady Silverthorn.”
“Thank you. Your concern is appreciated. Miss Ludwig, I believe the best course of action for you would be to continue in your daily life as much as possible. The otome novels are read more by commoners than nobility, and it’s very possible that you will be under scrutiny from those who suspect the truth. I urge you to act like you are ignorant of the novel, and if anyone tries to engage you in conversation about it, ask them about the novel and get them talking. If you can deflect suspicion away from you and onto the absurdities of the novel itself, all the better.”
“Understood. However, my little sister has told me that many of her schoolmates suspect the truth. How should I act if they try to worm it out of my sister?”
“Can she be trusted?”
Marianne considered it. “For a while, yes. I think she’ll eventually get tired of the secrecy and want to become popular.”
“In that case, urge her to keep it secret as long as possible. You know your sister best. When you think she is getting close to telling, explain to her what we are trying to do. That will give her another layer of secrecy to be excited about. That should buy us enough time to finish everything.”
Marianne nodded, and started eating her custard tart with relish. Thomas sipped his tea and asked, “My father should return from his trip tonight. He usually makes sure to have dinner as a family the following evening. I believe I can talk to him after that.”
“Make sure he is in a genial mood.” Anastasia refilled the tea cups. “Extol her accomplishments rather than her beauty. She has been in the top ten students in the academy since enrolling two years ago, on a scholarship from the Imperial Library. Her family is a well-respected and liked merchant family in the city, with plans to expand to the nearby cities in the next five years. Things like that.”
Thomas smiled for the first time in days. “You really do pay attention to everything.”
Anastasia smiled softly. “I have to.” She put her glasses back on. Marianne surveyed her, and found that the glasses did sharpen her face. But when it was known that Lady Silverthorn was not a mean person, the glasses actually added to her air of dignity, rather than an air of menace.
They enjoyed the treats for a while, then Klaus came forward to mention that it had been almost two hours. Thomas excused himself, bowed to Anastasia, kissed Marianne’s hand, and left the same way he had come.
“Miss Ludwig,” Anastasia said. “I have arranged for this clothing to be here for the purpose of selecting an outfit for you to wear when meeting Lord Friedrichson’s family. It is imperative to make a good first impression. His father is a good man, but his mother is somewhat strict. Once you know her, she will be charming and kind-hearted, but you must make the effort to engage with her.”
“Lady Silverthorn, I apologize. I know you’ve gone to a great deal of trouble, but I haven’t got the money. This is a high-end boutique. And I can’t ask my family to spend this much.” Marianne was embarrassed.
“There is no need for that. I am paying for this. Consider it an engagement gift.” Anastasia stood up before Marianne could protest. “I believe this blue and brown linen gown would suit you well. The likelihood of you being invited in the evening or to a full meal is rather unlikely. For the first meeting, Lady Friedrichson would likely invite you to a tea party, and Lord Friedrichson would stop by briefly on some pretext.”
“How do you know these things?” Marianne asked in awe. She had decided to accept Lady Silverthorn’s generosity, to a point.
“As I said earlier, I have to notice everything. Will you try on the dress?”
A folding screen was brought forward, and Klaus and Luther left the room. Genevieve helped Marianne with her clothing while Anastasia prowled around the tables full of accessories.
“Bear in mind, Miss Ludwig, that for a lady, appearance is her first weapon. Lady Friedrichson prefers simple styles during the day, and more ornate styles in the evening. I would suggest wearing your hair in a braid, and perhaps wearing a blue ribbon with it. For a tea party, simple earrings would be acceptable. With the weather, it would likely be held outside, so a hat is necessary.”
Marianne surveyed herself in a full-length mirror. The dress was a bold blue, with soft brown embroidery on the bodice, short sleeves and full skirt. She stepped out to see what Lady Silverthorn thought.
Anastasia walked all the way around her, her lips pursed. She finally stopped in front of Marianne and gestured to the skirt. “It should be shortened about one inch to be more appropriate for daytime use. I will notify the tailor. Does it fit well otherwise?”
“Yes, it’s beautiful. I’ve never had a dress like this.”
A soft smile appeared on Anastasia’s face. “I am glad. Materials like linen are becoming more popular as summer approaches. While some nobles look down on it, I believe it done in this style will help impress the idea that you are a practical, respectable young woman, worthy of marrying the Archduke’s son.”
“Thank you,” Marianne whispered. She looked down. “I can’t thank you enough for this, Lady Silverthorn. I never imagined that you would like this.”
Anastasia shrugged in a very ladylike way. “I am calculating, to be sure. I weigh the cost of every action and reaction. I know that breaking this engagement will benefit us all in the long run. Therefore, it benefits me to also assist as much as possible. Lord Friedrichson and I have never been more than friends, so I have no emotional attachment to tie him to me. Unlike the otome villainess.”
Marianne winced even as she laughed. “I don’t know if any of us will ever live that down. Thankfully, I’ve never been a fan of that type of novels.”
“Nor I. I fail to see the appeal in multiple men trying to seduce you.”
They shared a smile. Anastasia then helped Marianne pick out a pair of dressy yet sensible flats, a pair of gold and sapphire earrings, and a wide-brimmed hat. Marianne tried to argue with Anastasia about paying for everything, but Anastasia refused to listen. She arranged for the dress to be altered, blue and brown ribbons to be added to the hat, and for everything to be delivered to the Ludwig family house.
“Do you wish for me to visit your family and explain everything to them?” Anastasia asked at some point. “Your parents may catch wind of some rumors from customers. I would not wish them to feel this was done behind their backs.”
“Perhaps?” Marianne said. “I feel it would be better to wait until Thomas talks with his father and gets permission.”
“I understand.”
When they were done, Genevieve escorted Marianne out the back door. She last saw Lady Silverthorn curtsying to her as she left.
To be continued…
Random English Major Thoughts 