All the way back home, Matthew walked with a foolish grin fixed on his face. He still couldn't believe that this was actually happening. It felt like a dream. One he never wanted to wake up from. At the moment he felt as if he was floating on a cloud. He'd never imagined that one day he would be given a second chance to meet Arabella again. Moreover, he'd never had dared to imagine that his feelings for her would be returned in kind."See you again very soon."Her sweet voice rang in his ears. She wanted to see him again. And she'd kissed him! He touched his cheek where her lips had left a sweet, damp sensation that lingered until this very second. He definitely wouldn't wash his face today. He probably wouldn't wash his face tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow.He felt almost giddy with delight that along the way, he completely forgot to make up an excuse for Marguerite. The grin still remained when he arrived home, instead of fading, it spread even wider as he settled in his office
Sometime later, Wagner's skeptical remarks about his feelings towards Arabella still lingered in his mind when Matthew stood in front of Marguerite's bedchamber. He'd bathed and changed into casual clothing before coming upstairs, feeling refreshed and ready to tell Maggie about everything."Come in." At the sound of Marguerite's voice, Matthew felt his resolve weaken a bit, but he steeled himself and turned the knob.Across the room, Marguerite sat with her back to him, her head bent over the table. She must be working on one of her flower sketches, he guessed by the scribbling sound she made."I'm not hungry yet, Mary." Marguerite said without turning, apparently mistaken him for her maid.At the familiar sight, suddenly an odd feeling settled over him, like a tinge of sadness. At the moment, it just occurred to him that his reunion with Bella would change everything between them. More or less, it meant at some point he and Maggie would be parting, going on their own separate live
Matthew halfheartedly followed Arabella as she continued to flaunt him in a way that made him feel more like one of the furry, neatly-groomed pets in the hands of their proud owner than a male companion. As a result, they raised more than a few eyebrows along the way. Much to his dismay, every other minute Arabella greeted somebody and stopped for a brief exchange, and he had to endure the awkward moment of introduction time and again. It had been a long time since the last time he suffered such hostility, now he felt like he couldn't bear it for another minute. The experience brought on a new realization that all this time, the club had been his little empire, the only place he and his skills were held in high regard. The only place where he truly belonged.Unaware of his irritation, Arabella moved to her next target."Lady Highwood. How delightful to see you." She waved at a handsome mature lady who'd just appeared in the opposite direction. The woman's eyes widened at the sight of
After spending nearly an hour thinking of some way to make Matthew feel better, Marguerite decided to make one of his favorite foods, chicken soup. He always ate heartily whenever she served him that simple dish and she remembered he once told her that her soup tasted like his late mother's. Cook seemed surprised when Marguerite appeared in the kitchen door, but much to her relief, the woman refrained from asking her about last night and busied herself with helping her prepare the ingredients. The minced onion began to sizzle in the saucepan when Cook stepped over to hand out a pot of broth to Marguerite."Thank you." Marguerite murmured, continuously stirring it to prevent burning. Once the onion turned to brown and released its delightful flavor, she poured the liquid into the pan. "Oh, it smells heavenly." Cook commented when the simmering soup filled the kitchen with delicious aroma."This is for Matthew." Marguerite smiled fondly as she mentioned the name."I suppose he is sti
In the far corner of Goddard's dining room, Jacob sat consoling himself with a glass of wine. As he mulled over the recent incident, a rueful grin touched the corner of his mouth. Though he was not a vain narcissist to believe that he had the entire female population at his feet, but he was used to having women swooning over him, so finding one who couldn't even stand the sight of him was a truly humbling experience. What amazed him, however, was the remarkable guts with which she'd shown him. This was the first time he met a woman who was not afraid to call him out. Oddly enough he felt more amused than offended by her spurn, but above all, his recent encounter with Marguerite Goddard had left him intrigued. All his life, Goddard was known as a notorious recluse. Only God knew why a man who'd successfully amassed an obscene amount of fortune like him spent his life withdrawing into a self-imposed isolation. Goddard had no family or living relatives, so it came as no surprise when w
Dear readers,sorry for the late update. I found it hard to juggle with writing and children, but I'll do my best to deliver my story for you. Hope you enjoy it and feel free to let me know what you think about the story and the characters. I'll really appreciate that.Marguerite wandered back to her suite in a state of utter dejection. At first all she could think of was; how could she overlook the signs? But there really weren't any signs at all. How was she supposed to know when nothing had gone wrong? Matthew had changed drastically in the space of two days. How could it be possible? Amidst the whirlwind of emotions, she recalled what Wagner said to her.Matthew isn't the sort who dallies with celebrities. It must have been Mannheim who pimped the actress out to him.At the thought, Marguerite felt her insides simmering with rage and contempt for the rogue. He'd corrupted her Matthew, and now the man she loved had fallen into debauchery just like all other society rakes. Although,
Dear readers,thank you for your feedback on the previous chapter. Really appreciate it. I'd like you to know, writers write better when they know what the readers think of the story; the characters and the plot, which character you like best etc. So please don't hesitate to leave a comment and let me know what's on your mind. Thanks again and I hope you stay safe and healthy wherever you are.Though Viscountess Winthrop had always been an aloof, distant mother who'd shown very little interest in her five children, Arabella had never really been able to hate her ~until now. She'd just come to realize that her virtuous, honorable mama was no better than a pimpstress. This very morning, Arabella had been forced to wear a tight corset and squeeze into a brand new dress a size too small, with an outrageously revealing décolletage, to impress her current suitor, Lord Bentley. She would never forget how her mother's face broke into a wide, self-satisfied smile when Lord Bentley's gaze was
Marguerite's gaze fixed on the passing building outside as the carriage rolled into the night. Across from her, Mary watched her in silence, waiting for some explanation for this outrageous venture. When five minutes had passed and Marguerite hadn't uttered a single word, the maid brought herself to ask,"What are we doing, Miss?" Marguerite remained silent as she couldn't seem to reason out her impulsive action. She only knew that if she just sat idly by at home, the tormenting ordeal of not knowing what really happened would drive her mad. Looking at Marguerite with a pitiful eyes, Mary carefully said,"Not to presume, Miss, I understand what you're feeling now and I'm sorry this happened to you, but this is pointless, and it will only hurt you more."Marguerite bit her lip. Perhaps her maid was right, this was a pointless thing to do, but instead of being tortured by endless suspicion and doubt, she preferred to learn the truth with her own eyes, no matter how ugly it might be. On