CHAPTER 05

"I have plenty of time, " Cassie said

"I see you choose the black dress, it will show off a lot of your assets without being slutty. And who are you? Marcella asked Susan.

"She is my lady," Cassir answered before Susan could. She will help me dress and take care of doing my hair or anything else I need done, I will see you downstairs in the ball room at eight thirty." Cassie said dismissing her mother.

"Who told you eight thirty?" Marcella asked her.

"That was what I was instructed by the butler, " Cassie said.

"Do something nice with that hair!" Marcella said and left. Both Susan and Cassie laughed.

"Ok, you win Susan you can do my hair the way you want," Cassie told her. Susan smiled.

Laura, Nathan's mother walked into his office to find him still looking at maps.

"Nathan!!" She yelled.

"Hello mother, you look beautiful"

Nathon said looking up from the map and went over and kissed her cheek. Laura was wearing a long black silk dress that had tiny diamonds on the bodice and on the sheer layer of the skirt. Her black hair was twisted up into a bun.

"Why are you not dressed yet? Your guests will start arriving any minute." Laura told him. He looked at her with a confused expression on his face.

"Really, sorry mother I got side tracked by my work," he told her.

"Those old rocks and clay is not what I would call work." Laura told him.

"Yes, I know mother," was all he said.

"You need to go get ready now. You have fifteen minutes nit a second more."

Yes mother, but I don't know why you had to have an elaborate party, when we could have just gotten married and been done with it," Nathan said with a smile.

"Nathan! Go get ready," Laura told him again and then left his office to join her husband in the entrance of the mansion. A few minutes later she heard a man and woman coming down the stairs having a heated argument.

"I don't know why you didn't find out what was being said, your going to make us look like fools" Marcella said to Victor. Laura cleared her throat. Marcella stopped talking instantly.

"Lord and Lady Hawksworth what a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Cassie’s father, you know my wife already Marcella.

"Mr. and Mrs. Robinson, welcome to our son’s home, we are just waiting on him. He should be here any moment. Is Cassie ready?" Laura asked.

"I believe so, her lady was dressing her when I left her." Marcella told her.

"Well come stand with us, there shall be many human associates of Nathan here to night, who shall we say don't know our heritage. " Laura told her.

"I understand. Victor stand up straight." Marcella said.

"How is Cassie adjusting, Marcella?" Laura asked her.

"She knows her place and her duties there will be no issues." Marcella said.

"Nathan told me when we arrived that she is quite beautiful." Laura said.

"Oh, I didn't know he had seen her. He didn't greet us when we arrived" Marcella said confused.

"He was in a meeting with one of his business partners, he saw her from the window." Laura explained.

"It was very nice of him to send her flowers this afternoon," Marcella told her.

"Did he now!" Laura said. Good boy she thought to herself.

"I was surprised when we arrived he went to all the effort to make separate chambers for her." Marcella said.

"Yes it was very considerate of him, he wants to make her transition easier." Laura said.

Both Victor and Jake were bored with the nattering of the two women.

"Yes, it was but I assure you she will preform her wifely duties for her husband." Marcella said. Laura did not want to talk about their private life.

"That will come in time, oh look here comes Nathan now." Laura said.  Thankful she didn't have to talk to Marcella much more.

Nathans blonde hair was tied back with a black ribbon; his black shirt had just a bit of a puff in them above the elbow. His vest and pants were black. The pants had a fine silver line running down the outside of his pant legs. His skin was pale his body was that of a god. He stood 6 foot three inches tall. As he came down the stairs he was fighting with his cufflinks that matched the gold chain he wore around his neck. Laura met him at the bottom of the stairs, swatting his hands away she did his cufflinks then put down the collar adjusting it. Then she did up the buttons he left undone on his shirt.

"Mother!" Nathan said. Annoyed with her.

"Nathon, you are meeting your wife not going whoring around in town have some decency." Laura told him.

Nathan stood in the line to great his guests. The door man would announce them from their invitation. Nathan looked at the time. It was almost eight thirty and people were still arriving.

"Mother should we send word for Cassie to wait?" Nathan asked.

"Yes, that would be best, have them tell her someone will let her know when we are ready." Laura said. Nathan called over a page and sent him up to tell Cassie.

"There was a knock-on Cassie’s door, she started getting butterflies in her stomach. Susan open the door.

"Please tell Lady Cassie to wait guests are still arriving. I will return when it is time" the page said and left. Forty-five minutes later the page returned.

"I will walk you to the stairs my lady your father is waiting at the bottom of the stairs to escort you into the party." The page told her

Cassie walked just behind the page. When she got to the stairs she lifter her skirts si she did not walk on them. When she got to the bottom of the stairs her father kissed her cheek.

Susan went to her old sleeping quarters to pack her few belonging into her suitcase and take them upstairs. As she passed through the kitchen area the older ladies were talking to the house master.  All the girls that were just a bit older than her had stopped working and looked at her like they were throwing daggers as she went into the sleeping quarters. A young girl about two years older than her followed her. Susan ignored her and started packing her thing.

"Where are you going?" She asked Susan.

"To my new room beside Lady Cassie," Susan told her.

"WHAT THE HELL!" the girl yelled then she push Susan who fell, hurting her leg on one of the other bed frames. Susan said nothing did not even cry, she just got up.

"I will go to Master Nathan myself, and you will be right back down here scrubbing floor and I will be upstairs." She yelled at Susan.