Eventually Yours

14 A Raven Among Doves

Despite the best of intentions, my mood remained sour for the days following my meeting with my uncle. As unsurprising as this fact was, given that seeing the man always set me to brooding before, I found myself feeling guilty after two days. I had been an ungrateful guest, hiding away in the rooms that the Harringtons had been so gracious to assign me rather than face Elijah again who had witnessed me at my weakest. But the time for avoidance was running out as I made my way outside to the carriage waiting to take myself, Benthem, and Madison to the Bolton ball this evening. They were already waiting inside for me, I realized as I climbed in and closed the door. The carriage jolted off the moment I was settled.

Benthem was watching me. Madison was doing everything in her power not to.

"What?" I asked him once we were on our way.

"What happened?" Benthem asked in reply.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure, Victor. I left for one afternoon and gave Elijah instructions to take you around town to run your errands and I get back to find you've both locked yourselves away and aren't speaking to each other or anyone else for that matter."

I clenched my jaw and peered out of the window of the carriage. So Elijah hadn't said anything. That seemed to mean something.

"Edward came back," I muttered through gritted teeth after a moment. Benthem sighed immediately in understanding. He leaned his head back on the carriage wall behind him and closed his eyes. "And it appears as though he is refusing to leave until I grant him his wishes."

"Which are?"

"Money, I assume."

"He didn't tell you?"

"I didn't give him the chance. I told him how I felt about his presence. I reminded him of the conversation we had the last time I saw him and that I had meant every word then and I still meant it now. My father didn't have the fortitude to cut him off when he had the chance. I suffer no such resignations."

Benthem gave a solemn nod before peering out through the carriage window himself. Madison said nothing, resigned to quiet observation as was so often the case with the docile elite ladies such as herself. And so, for the rest of the carriage ride, we sat in silence which was likely for the best. I was in no mood for idle conversation.

Necessity, however, dictated that I at least make an attempt at altering my sour mood. We were arriving at the Bolton estate in no time and a crowd was gathering outside of the doors. I could hear laughter and chatter before our carriage even came to a stop. I took a breath, tried my hand at plastering on a smile but that didn't work. It felt far too obviously false. So I settled for an expression of bored indifference and made my way out of the carriage with my friend and his wife.

I was approached immediately by a young woman in a white gown who simply walked right up to me and fluttered her eyelashes in a way that made me half amused and half concerned for her wellbeing. Skilled in the art of seduction, this girl was not. But I gave her a polite nod anyway and moved along the line with Benthem and Madison. We made it a few more steps down the row when another girl in white approached to welcome me with a polite curtsey and a wholesome grin. That was when I noticed it. The white. They were all wearing white. Every single one of them. Every girl who had vyed for my attention and even those who hadn't yet had the courage. Every available woman in town, wearing white. I blinked, dumbfounded, and turned to Benthem who seemed to be finding the whole affair much more amusing than I was. Even Madison seemed stunned.

"Oh," was all she said.

"Oh?" I asked.

"She tried to warn her," Madison muttered quietly.