hin and her hands folded lazily over her knees. As she looked out the win

ger part of the manor, about two thousand cubic meters, with a gaze

reminded her of the many times she sat there in her mother's embrace like the spoilt little child that she was, looking

installed by her father when she had refused to socialize a

gracefully in the sunlight and the servan

s death, staying in the garden and looking at it gave them a sense of closeness to her. Now she

ch effort to make her mother happy. She had envied their love so much that she had sw

ars. She knew she still loved him as dearly as she did when she first danced with him at that festival, but she was

re, not after spea

han herself. She knew that a man who stood beside the king would draw the attention of many women, especially when he was as handsome as

usal to respond, she spaced it out to once every two weeks, she still wrote him more letters than he did to her. She knew he was a ver

rhaps, papa would have had a little faith in him a

just been presented to society as a full-grown woman and had held her coming-of-age ceremony. Her father had thrown a hu

ttend those balls, and soon the invitations stopped coming as did th

es since then had met prospective suitors and were now wives of responsible men, but she was still sitting here, with n

to ask her hand, saying he couldn't afford to be apart from her. She hadn't expected that three years fro

wenty, she wouldn't be qualified to call herself a young maiden anymore and the suitors

one else, she could have agreed to this wedding, but it was a duke. Not ju

t him was the gossip she heard in the town. The people said the only thing h

e his scapegoat or bear his child. She was sure that any child he gave birth to

. She turned away from the window and looked at the lively girl who had be

Annabel smile sadly. She wished she could be a servant. That way she cou

ised a brow, standing up from the floor as she walked to

ould hear right now was that Gerim had come to ask for he

tress, who went to seat at the dining table to eat

tage heated up for you? It must

e pieces of bread she had picked out of the plate. It was the same bread that had filled her

few days. I even asked Sir. Amos called Sir Gerim's residence to receive a reply on his way, just in case Sir Gerim wanted to send a letter fir

, the light in her eyes s

n't make you happy?" Eu

bel said as she slo

n you went to see my lord?" Eunice asked

asy to call off the wedding, Eunice, a letter from hi

he? He loves you and you love him too." Eunice

s show up, it w

ed in confusion. She didn't understand why it

red a lot of my time; I doubt Father would change his mind

loves you very much. He wouldn't allow you to be unhappy.

ow whom I'm going to marry?" Annabe

did you find

is Duke Christopher Blakemore," Annabel said as te

nice said in