The Usurper's Queen | COMPLETED

02 | of conflicts and poison

      A few days after the feast, my uncle's family travelled all the way from Aldridge to Rhyland, and I knew that they did not come just to chit chat.

Supper was extravagant as usual, as expected of an Earl's household.

    As usual, Gilbert and I would fight over a particular dish as if our lives depended on it. As for tonight, it was rabbit stew, and he argued that my portion was larger, and I argued that it was fitting, as he had eaten almost half of my jar of sweets last week.

I then spooned the stew into my mouth, smiling sweetly at Gilbert victoriously, and he scowled bitterly in return. My cousin Benedict, however, was pale-faced and anxious, and barely ate a single mouthful.

        "He is acting as if marrying Grace Ainsworth is a death sentence," I whispered to Gilbert. He nodded, but then he said, "I agree, but Annie, I'm still mad at you."

As soon as supper ended, Mother instructed Lisbeth to take us, the younger ones, to the sitting room while my parents, my aunt and uncle, and my cousin Benedict went to my father's study to 'discuss' something.

        "I find it odd," Lisbeth said while closing the door to the sitting room. "Grace Ainsworth is far from ugly, and House Moreau doesn't exactly have any problems with the Ainsworths, besides hating the Queen, of course. Why does Benny look so anguished?"

       "Because he already has a mistress, silly!" Corinne suddenly exclaimed, unfazed by how taboo the topic was. I gasped in shock, and even Lisbeth was staring at Corinne with her eyes wide open.

        "What did you just say?" Lisbeth said in disbelief, but Corinne was still calm and relaxed.

       "He impregnated a girl. That's why he is so distraught," she sighed and sat down on the sofa, nonchalantly putting her feet on the leather ottoman.

I was both shocked and disgusted when I discovered about Benedict's philandering ways. I knew that Benedict was far from being moral and chivalrous, but I hadn't expected him to do such a thing.

      "Well, you can just pay her off and everything will be settled, right?" Lisbeth stammered.

If Benedict's infidelity were to be exposed, it would implicate likely herself as well, as House Moreau and House Winterbourne are closely related.
        If people find out that Benedict had been sleeping around, what will become of Lisbeth's reputation?
        What would become of Lisbeth's marriage? Who would want to marry the first cousin of an infamous philanderer? Surely, she must be as bad as he is!

        "The problem is, we can't," Corinne said, and the cheeky smile on her face faded. "She isn't a simple peasant girl we can just pay off. She's a noble lady from a minor family, but a noble nonetheless. That stupid dummy, I already told him to keep his hands off of noblewomen but he didn't listen, and now look where it has gotten him to!"

        "No, where it has gotten us to!" Lisbeth exclaimed, her face flushed red. "If everyone were to know about the animal that Benedict is, I would be shamed along with him! All of us would be shamed with him!"

I scooted nearer to my twin brother, having grown afraid of Lisbeth's sudden mood swings. I knew that if I were to enter her sight for even a split second, she would find a way to release all her anger on me.

        "That girl," Gilbert suddenly said. "What is her name?"

Corinne glanced at Gilbert and smiled.        "I thought that no one would ask!" she giggled. "She is one of Baron McCarthy's many daughters. Not exactly powerful nor wealthy, but beautiful. Everyone born to that family is strikingly beautiful," Corinne added.