A Season of Masks and Masquerades

Chapter 33: A Fortnight of Nothing

People mishear things once they perhaps do it twice or even more. But not Lord Valentine.

He knows what he hears and he knew what he heard that night. Not once but twice. It couldn't possibly be a mistake on Esther's side. She said it in her complete sense, both times, which in fact made lesser sense to Cornelius and he had to do something about it. Fortunately, he knew who was the person to reach out to.

"Where are you going with that gentleman coat on? Must I tell you, it is looking absolutely disgusting on you." Rebecca who was yelling at the gardeners since afternoon for the lack of her favourite lilac plants, informed him with a scowl as he made it towards his dark horse.

"Why, thank you." He replied with an overstretched smile and turned back to his trail.

The siblings apparently, were not on their best terms lately. Ever since Cornelius found out that Rebecca fooled him into believing that Edward went out of town that night while also scheming to keep the latter busy with fake wounds so he couldn't escort Esther to the dance, he couldn't keep a straight face in front of her. It was of course not punishment enough but Rebecca was finding this new change difficult to deal with.

In the past twenty-five years of her life, her brother had never turned his back to her and she was never a saint either, however, he always let her get away with everything.

She had never known her parents he was the only one for her but he was also enough. The father she heard about died in a battle fighting for the crown and the mother couldn't survive giving birth to her.

To anyone else, it was a tragedy of the worse kind, to her it hardly mattered. She didn't see why she would ever need her parents when she had her brother. But now with her brother turning his back to her, she was beginning to revisit the thought.

"Answer my question first." She called out loud and annoying causing him to stop in his steps. Cornelius took in a deep breath before turning to face her.

"The White's." He replied with the same plastered smile.

Rebecca chuckled but when no one joined, her smile died. "You don't go to The White's."

"I do. Starting today."

"I see." She muttered. "We really are changing a lot of things these days, are we not?" A painful smile danced on her face.

Cornelius did not find her question necessary and lately, he was only answering her most necessary questions.

At White's, the Marquess of Rosevale met the usual Saturday crowd which however was not a familiar sight to him at all. This was his first time walking into a bar of civilized people. Personally, he would never waste an evening at such useless places. His horse knew where the brothel was and the moment the sun went down and Cornelius climbed atop him, he knew where to take him.

It is obvious he had to whip the horse a few times to bring him here but the efforts all proved worth it when he spotted Lawrence sitting in a faraway corner, drinking to himself.

"What secrets are you downing this evening, mate?" Lord Valentine bellowed as he joined him.

Lawrence was a little taken aback at his unannounced and unexpected company but he overcame it quickly, he was quite good at that. "What secrets, Valentine, just living the evening."

"Living the evening sober? Never heard of that, eh." Cornelius laughed at his own joke, "Pour me a drink, will you?"

Lawrence began pouring whisky in both glasses. "What calamity brought the Marquess of Rosevale to a bar populated by men, I wonder."