the ruse ; a klayley story

3. Shock and Delight

A.N : hey everyone! i'm finally updating this. happy reading ❤️ and thanks for being patient ❤️

It was the gratifying morning after the season's commencing Ford Ball. The moment these young misses' lives were reduced to had finally arrived. They would receive calls from worthy and eligible suitors. These young misses were to marry, raise a family and that would sum up their share of an ideal and fruitful life.

Every household inside the boundaries of Grosvenor Square which had a debutante was in preparations to be portrayed in their utmost grandeur, thus leaving a remarkable impression on every suitor that arrives, so that he may want to come back for their daughter. But in reality, most would be reappearing for the lady's family's fortune which would probably be theirs once they marry. Shockingly, the young ladies were aware of such intentions. But they did not seem to object. Being married off their very first season into a wealthy and respectable family was their purpose.

But such wasn't the case for the season's declared incomparable Miss Hayley Marshall. Finding love one day, one almost as pure as her mother's and father's was her aspiration. Sure, she deemed finding a love as pure and seemingly flawless as her parents' a severely difficult feat, she had to make an effort.

Hayley rose from a deep abyss of slumber with a squeal that indicated that the fair maiden was beyond enthralled. After all, this was the moment she had been prepared for her entire life. She stretched her arms out merrily as her chief hand maiden Rose entered her room, smiling heartily at  Hayley's antics. As Rose pulled the curtains for the dazzling sunlight to penetrate Hayley's room, Hayley said, with excitement oozing from her voice. "Have the chef prepare as many fresh biscuits as he can, Rose. There must be no compromises made". "Yes, Miss. Don't you worry. It will all be as perfectly splendid as you are". Rose replied with a kind smile and a flattered Hayley returned it. Hayley slipped out of the warmth of her bed and the relatively colder air collided with her delicate skin. She shivered whilst still smiling in joy. All of her hand maidens rushed towards her to attend to her and render their services and thus aiding her in getting dolled up and accentuate her beauty.

After half an hour, Hayley was prepared. She walked down the stairs from the corridors of her room, down to their living room. She was clad in an aquamarine colored frock which was not very bedazzled as she were to be home for the entire duration. She had her hair in her usual low bun and a delicate strand of her chestnut brown tresses falling down her face. She was radiant. She took a seat beside Lily in one of the couches. She looked to find her eldest brother Damon sitting on the couch opposite to her and their mother. He gave her a smug smile to which she rolled her eyes and instead focused on the announcer's arrival with names of suitors who had called.

Soon, the living room of the Marshalls was filled with sounds of indistinct chartering as several young men who considered themselves worthy of the season's finest debutante had arrived to call for her.

After sometime, Hayley found herself right where she had been before the time had passed. On the same couch. Just Lily had been absent from the spot. Instead, one of the many suitors lined up at the living room would occupy the spot beside Hayley at a time. To get acquainted with her of course. But another thing Hayley found was the lingeringly wary and stern glares sent to the direction of each young man by Damon from the opposite couch. That was beginning to infuriate her by the second. But being the flawless young lady she has been trained to be, she did not let her resentment against her brother in that moment creep it's way to her face.

Just when she had thought that Damon couldn't anger her further, he started making obnoxious and disrespectful remarks about each suitor while they were seated beside Hayley, thus subliminally insulting them and embarrassing them. Before Lily or Hayley could call Damon out on his seemingly inappropriate behaviour, the living room of the Marshalls which had been crowded a mere moments ago rid itself of it. The suitors that had come for Hayley were obliquely dismissed by Damon in a somewhat disrespectful manner. Lily clenched her jaw at her eldest son as Hayley accusingly stared at him. "What? None of these suitors are worthy of Hayley". Damon said without being the least bit fazed. "And don't worry, dear sister. I've made the necessary arrangements. I've decided who is to be your husband. It's Lord de Martel. He's a respectable man, he's legitimate and he has a liking towards you. It's settled". Damon imposed upon this piece of information on Hayley. She stood perplexed. "I shall not marry Tristan de Martel, Damon. What is wrong with you?". Hayley asked with a slight tremor in her voice. Her eyes were brimming with tears. This was not what she had wanted. She had wanted to marry for love. "As the man of this house now, I did what I had to. It's what our father would've done if he were here today. It's settled, Hayley. You don't have a choice". Damon said plainly. On hearing her brother's potentially unfathomable words, a tear rolled down Hayley's cheek. "I do. I do have a choice. You're just taking it away from me". She said with all her might and ran off, up the stairs and to her room and locked herself up, not wanting to engage into further discussions with Damon or anyone else.

At the Forbes house

This time, on the contrary to the Marshalls, stayed the Forbes. The living room was crowded with worthy suitors from all over the town. Unfortunately, not attributed by Lady Forbes' own daughters. But by their dear cousin, Miss Valerie Tulle. The young lady had seemingly charmed and secured herself callers with her elegance and grace which was on display at the Ford Ball the previous night. While the majority of eyes were on the declared incomparable Hayley, it seems that Miss Valerie had unknowingly and effortlessly gotten the ones who weren't pining after Hayley under her spell. What added to Valerie's luck was Damon's blatant disapproval of all of Hayley's callers. On getting dismissed from the Marshall's house, the suitors who had come all the way availed the opportunity of making a second call to Valerie who had lived just across the street from the Marshalls, under the roof of Lady Forbes.

Lady Forbes had gotten what she had wanted. The season's true incomparable living under her own roof. Their living room was lined up with a humongous amount of suitors, all trying to sweep Miss Valerie off her feet. Even Stefan Marshall had been seemingly enchanted by the beauty.

Whilst Miss Tulle was surrounded by young men eager for her attention, Charlotte, Camile and Caroline just sulked in a corner table. Charlotte watching the scenery unfold with immense envy, Camille watching the same hopelessly and as for Caroline, pangs of profound hurt pierced through her heart as she watched Stefan, her bestfriend Elena's brother for whom she had immense love in her heart fighting for Valerie's attention. Stefan was a good friend to Caroline but he didn't feel the same about her as she did about him. Caroline watched helplessly as every bit of hope that one day Stefan would finally acknowledge her feelings for him slip away into an abyss.

Next Day.

Two emotions ran through the heart and the veins of the citizens of London. Shock and Delight. Delight for those who had engaged themselves heavily in the season's preparations and Shock, reserved for just Her Majesty. The reason being her misjudgement about Miss Hayley Marshall. The proclaimed Diamond of the season was declared unworthy and undesirable and the sudden emergence of Miss Valerie Tulle, the season's true incomparable, the one who had outshined the Diamond of the season with her brilliance.

Disappointed in Hayley and her own judgement, the Queen demanded for her helpers to move past it and commence the preparations for tonight's opera.

A.N : It's finally done! i cannot begin to tell you how difficult this was but i enjoyed regardless. do vote ❤️