A Lady In Disguise; 5 "They may see you as how you try to be, but what I see is what you try not to be." SHE IS A BASTARD... Maxine Theobald hid herself from the rest of society to protect her father's name. But as she grows tired of her role playing games every year during the famous Theobald weekend parties, she starts to question how she has been living her life. She starts to wonder about the other part of her that she was deprived of--her mother and why she left her. A DISGUISE... Having finally found the courage to search for the one thing that she believes can help her understand her true nature, Maxine cuts her hair, puts on her breeches and runs away from the only home she has ever known. She travels to the affluent town of Wickhurst and found herself employed as the valet of the famous rake Nicholas Everard, a game she will later find to be quite dangerous. SOMETHING DIFFERENT... Maxine set out into an adventure with none but one goal, yet found herself stumbling upon an unlikely find for the search of something else--romance.
To sit in front of your grandfather was not entirely the same as having a chat with your grandmother, most particularly if you were planning to talk about a very peculiar topic.
Valerie and Violet, twins, were thinking how they could convince their grandfather to talk more freely about the Town, a place they've read about in their grandmother's eight handwritten and unpublished stories, the very same ones they found merely weeks ago
in their grandparents' old cabin by the woods.
Since reading all eight stories, they have been filled with questions and they barely got any answer from their grandmother who had not even shared why she never tried to have the stories published.
She wrote about the Town as if she truly lived there. It was as if the woman wrote the stories entirely for herself, to have a physical copy of her memories there.
But the idea of the Town seemed preposterous.
Thinking about it now, the twins could barely grasp the idea of an underground world hundreds of feet below with people who chose to live their lives trapped in an era that had long been forgotten aboveground, an era where gowns and balls were not merely a part of history books, but of daily lives; carriages the most common form of transport; electricity a new discovery; castes were distinctly observed and many other things humanity once had lived with but now reduced to mere fairytales.
But as far-fetched as the Town may seem, the twins could not help but feel confused. Their grandmother's stories of the infamous Everards and their struggles with life, family, friends, society and love, all felt incredible yet true that they would not be surprised now if they would stumble upon a giant cone-shaped wall somewhere in the middle of the woods, climb on it and find themselves looking into a hole, one of the many that were scattered all over the Town to offer ventilation, light for vegetation and a scenic view for other social events or otherwise. They had also agreed that should they find such hole, they
would not hesitate to attach themselves to a harness and descend down on a lake, an estate or one of the vast plantations of the Town. Just like how Mr. Jones might have done it if he was indeed true as what most of the townspeople believed.
Having read all eight handwritten books, having witnessed through their grandmother's writings how the Everards surpassed society's ire when one of them married his sisters' governess, when the other eloped with a woman betrothed to another and married in Tiny Town, when the other successfully rekindled an old flame, how one married the man of her dreams and many other things the family had to go through-good and bad, joyful and tragic-Valerie and Violet was eager to know more about the Everards and the Town itself.
Add the fact that their grandmother had chosen to write herself in most of the stories and the twins surely found themselves with so many unanswered questions. And to add more reasons for the two young women's eagerness, Fiona Trilby also wrote in some of the pages about a young man who would then turn to be the very same old man eating pudding in front of them many years later, here, aboveground and not down there where the Town was supposed to be.
Their grandmother had indicated as much that the characters were true-that they all lived-but how true was the Town and its underground world of carriages, manors, rakes, lords and ladies, conniving stepmothers, crazy gossipmongers and their crazier scandals, secret passages, bandits and even dirty politics and mysterious history? How true was it that all the things they had read all happened
underground?
Was it really just a mix of reality and fiction or was it all real?
Their grandmother, they fear, was enjoying the torment and the twins could see that by the sparkle in her blue eyes as she quietly stared at them from the other side of the table as they looked at their grandfather like journalists starving for a good story of a man who had just arrived after a year in outer space.
They flew all the way to visit their grandparents and discover more of the stories of not just the Everards but of the others presented in the other books.
And the Town, of course.
Their grandfather Eddie was devouring his piece of the pudding after a long afternoon playing chess with his so-called friends and the twins knew that the man knew what they were thinking.
They tried to be more patient, considering how he could easily be set off-topic.
"So, gramp," Valerie started, smiling, tucking her dark hair behind one ear. "What do you think about the Everards? You've met them, right? You were in Margaret's story."
Their grandfather looked up to study them with dark eyes, a stark contrast to his greying hair. "Hmm," he said, turning to look at his wife. "I figure your grandmother did not tell you what you wanted."
Violet answered, "She will in time. I am sure of it."
Fiona Trilby simply smiled.
When their grandfather looked back at them both, he said, "The Everards..."
The twins waited but the man did not continue.
"Yes. Who did you like the most?" Valerie urged.
He shrugged. "I liked Cole the best."
"But he was not
an Everard!" Violet said.
"He married into the Everards," Valerie provided.
"Ah, yes, of course," he said with a chuckle. "Well, I liked the ladies the most. They were quite fun."
"And among the men?"
Their grandmother laughed while her husband groaned. "I would rather not choose, believe me."
"But we want to know!"
"Is it Ralph? He is closest to your age since he is the youngest of all the brothers," Valerie asked.
"No," their grandfather said, shaking his head. "And I was way younger than him."
"Benedict?" asked Violet. "I like Benedict."
"He was often away in Devonshire. No, it is not him."
"Levi?"
"Too bloody beautiful."
The twins snorted. "Then who? Between Maxwell and Nicholas, I bet you liked-"
"Nick," said Eddie Trilby. "I liked Nick the most."
The twins turned to their grandmother. "Was he a rake like Nick?" Valerie asked, pointing at the old man before her.
Their grandmother shook her head as she lovingly stared at her husband. "Not quite."
"Nick shared amazing stories of his travels from all over the Town," their grandfather pointed out. "And he is quite an easy man to be with than Max. That bloke was too bloody difficult to read."
"I like Max," Violet admitted. "He is an alluring, cynical bastard," she added with a chuckle.
Their grandfather rolled his eyes. "I do agree with the last two words, dear. The alluring part I will consider."
"You were intimidated by him, were you not?" asked Valerie in a teasing voice.
"Intimidated?" Eddie Trilby asked in disbelief. He stared at his wife incredulously. "I have told you that you painted me wrong in those books."
Fiona Trilby shrugged. "They were about the Everards, dear, not you or the rest of the Trilbys. I had to paint you how you were when I was at a certain age."
"You mean eight," said Valerie. "You were eight when you appeared first in Margaret's story."
Their grandfather had a knowing look on his face. "I know dear. No one would dare forget that."
He looked over at his wife and they both shared a gentle look, one that spoke of years of both pain and joy.
Violet was staring at their grandparents. "So, can you at least tell us if whether or not it is true that you are cousins? Because it would entirely change our lives if it is."
Their grandfather, like he always did, threw his head back and laughed. Slowly, as his laughter died down, he stood up from his chair. "Fee, dear, is there any tea left?"
"Yes, of course," his wife said, coming to her feet.
Valerie and Violet groaned with frustration.
"The two of you are the worst storytellers ever," Valerie called out to them.
"Will you at least tell us about the Trilbys?" Violet asked.
"Will you ever tell us anything?" Valerie asked with a groan.
Their grandfather looked over his shoulder as his wife walked past him to go to the kettle.
His wrinkled eyes glimmering, he mouthed, "Later."
"Ohhh! Fa-Faster please." "I can't hear you, baby?" he teased, slowing down his movements while intensifying his entry. I grasped his hips to encourage him to go deeper. "Come on, speed up." "Alright, baby," he said, quickening his pace once more. As he moved with unmatched speed, he continuously kissed my lips. I liked it. I wanted to give him everything. He was the man who made me feel different. I felt like I would be deeply hurt once he left me. So, I would do everything to be the only woman for him. We embraced each other, and I gasped as he exerted his final strength. I took a deep breath and accepted the warm liquid he released within me. We kissed again and smiled at each other. He withdrew from me and lay beside me. He hugged me, and I leaned against his chest, closing my eyes. "Flirt!" I woke up as someone yanked my hair, wincing in pain, especially when it pulled me down onto the bed. "Suzane!" "Damn you all! Damn you, Atreo!" Confused, I wrapped the sheet around my naked body. I looked at the beautiful, sophisticated woman, well-dressed, probably their age or maybe Atreo's sister. "Suzane, please, not here." I glanced at both of them, trying to understand why the woman was crying. The woman looked at me, and I stood up. I was shocked when she slapped me, so I touched my cheeks and looked at her. I saw her tears and anger on her face. "You flirt! You managed to get involved with my husband!" I was almost paralyzed and couldn't breathe after what she said. Husband? Atreo was her husband? I looked at Atreo Ripler Alvarez. The man I thought was single. The man I thought could be mine. "Grace, let me explain." I cried, feeling like I wanted to sink into the ground because of my situation. I was disgusted with myself. I ran out with only the sheet covering my nakedness. I could barely see the way because of my tears blurring my vision. "You are nothing but a mistress, Grace."
Rica had a dream that she was lost in a strange place. She found herself in an old church and was forcibly married to a man she did not know. When she woke up, she was convinced it was just a dream and impossible to happen in reality. But the next day, she saw the man from her dream in person. And the stranger was claiming her as his wife. How did that happen?
Three years ago, Cecilia was left battered and alone by the man she loved most, Alston, yet she bravely completed the wedding ceremony while pregnant. Three years later, although they were married, they grew apart over time. Cecilia focused on her career, no longer foolishly believing in love. But her transformation instantly threw Alston into a panic... And what is the secret from 11 years ago that Cecilia has always been reluctant to reveal? *** "She went to a law firm, met with a lawyer..." A lawyer? Is Cecilia suing someone? Who? Is there any recent litigation against the company? Alston suddenly chuckled coldly, "Who could she sue? I'm the CEO of this company. How come such a matter doesn't come to me first?" The assistant swallowed nervously, speaking softly, "Sir, there's no litigation against the company. She met with... a divorce lawyer."
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished. From Ricky's perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage. He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another. Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years. As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear. Only when Emma's life teetered on the edge, pregnant with Ricky's child, did he recognize-the love of his life had always been Emma.
Katie was forced to marry Dillan, a notorious ruffian. Her younger sister mocked her, "You're just an adopted daughter. Count your blessings for marrying him!" The world anticipated Katie's tribulations, but her married life unfurled with unexpected serenity. She even snagged a lavish mansion in a raffle! Katie jumped into Dillan's arms, credited him as her lucky charm. "No, Katie, it's you who brings me all this luck," Dillan replied. Then, one fateful day, Dillan's childhood friend came to her. "You're not worthy of him. Take this 50 million and leave him!" Katie finally grasped Dillan's true stature—the wealthiest man on the planet. That night, trembling with trepidation, she broached the subject of divorce with Dillan. However, with a domineering embrace, he told her, "I'd give you everything I have. Divorce is off the table!"
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
Kallie, a mute who had been ignored by her husband for five years since their wedding, also suffered the loss of her pregnancy due to her cruel mother-in-law. After the divorce, she learned that her ex-husband had quickly gotten engaged to the woman he truly loved. Holding her slightly rounded belly, she realized that he had never really cared for her. Determined, she left him behind, treating him as a stranger. Yet, after she left, he scoured the globe in search of her. When their paths crossed once more, Kallie had already found new happiness. For the first time, he pleaded humbly, "Please don't leave me..."Â But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"
Her fiance and her best friend worked together and set her up. She lost everything and died in the street. However, she was reborn. The moment she opened her eyes, her husband was trying to strangle her. Luckily, she survived that. She signed the divorce agreement without hesitation and was ready for her miserable life. To her surprise, her mother in this life left her a great deal of money. She turned the tables and avenged herself. Everything went well in her career and love when her ex-husband came to her.