บท 22: Grand Table
Madeline had started to walk after he had let go of her side, walking forward to talk to Beth, inquiring about their family more. Her heart was beating loudly in her chest and she tried to will it down but the anxiousness she felt in her throat didn't settle down no matter how many times she tried to calm it.
From behind, she noticed the man's frame. He was tall, his shoulders broad from behind and the shirt that he wore along with the vest fit his body well enough to show his body structure. His hair from behind was short while the front was long that had been combed back. Even Beth who often was prideful the way she walked and talked now listened and spoke only when she was needed to.
Her brown eyes continued to look at the man, following them to the large dining room which was not the one they had been to two days ago.
While Madeline was behind, her footsteps careful, Beth, on the other hand, kept up a calm and composed, feminine composure around her. Smiling only when needed and her words polite but one could tell that she was confident with what she spoke.
"Madeline and I teach the children from the village. Basic words for them to learn," Beth said during her conversation with the King.
"It is always good for women to occupy themselves with work than idle chatter," said the King, a man who stood above all the people she had ever met.
She had never seen a man this handsome until now. Beth did not know why she was unable to recollect her time talking to him. His deep voice could do wonders to anyone. She came to the conclusion that it was perhaps because she was asked to dance by several men and their voices happened to mix along with the music which was why she didn't remember. With him talking to her and paying attention, Beth finally felt that God had answered her prayers to receive the attention of a man she was worthy of.
"I love children. It is much easier to teach them," attributed Beth, subtly pushing the information that she was ready for children.
"How about you?" Calhoun turned his head just enough to the side, letting Madeline know he was talking to her.
Madeline who had started to look at the paintings again felt like she had been caught off-guard and she asked, "Pardon me, I wasn't listening to the conversation," she bowed her head. Beth's eyes glared to chid at her sister's lack of attention.
"Do you enjoy teaching, Madeline?" the way he called her name. Even Beth noticed the difference and she pursed her lips but didn't interject.
Beth wanted to scold her sister for not keeping her attention here as this was not anybody to be taken lightly. The King didn't give his attention to everyone but when he did, one was supposed to keep it. People who didn't know to keep and respect it were often found beheaded for disrespecting the King.
"I do, milord," Madeline tried to keep her words as short as she could right now. Not wanting her words to bud so that she would have to answer more to him.
"You do?" he looked ahead of him, this time his voice much sharper.
Madeline's hands clenched together. Did she offend the man?
She then said, "Our father taught us how to read and write. Though we don't come from a rich background like others, we were provided with the privilege to learn. We had a distant aunt who continued our education for a year but she passed away. Putting it away would be a waste and when the same could be used to increase the income, Beth and I decided to help. I don't hate children or teaching if that is what you are asking me."
Beth was the first one to turn around with her eyes slightly wide with the way her younger sister had spoken to the man. They finally came to stand outside the dining room, Theodore leading Mr. and Mrs. Harris in when the King turned around to say,
"Wasn't that hard to speak now, was it?" his dark eyes stared at her, a smile on his lips before he stepped inside the dining room.
Beth pulled Madeline's arm for a second, stopping her sister from getting inside the room, to say, "What was that?"
"What was what?" Madeline asked.
A maid arrived at the door that had both the girls to step inside the dining room and take their seats.
Mr. and Mrs. Harris were treading carefully when it came to speaking to the King as they didn't want to do something that would be considered rude but Beth was not the same. After the King's little attention to Beth, the older daughter of Harris had taken that the King wanted her to be his wife. She also decided that it was alright to speak to him.
When only a glass of wine was placed in front of him with no food on his plate, curious Beth asked hime, "Are you not going to eat with us, milord?"
"I will when I want to," with those words, Calhoun had got the girl to not ask him unnecessary questions. He then snapped his fingers for the butler to start serving the family of Harris, "Feel free to ask the maids what you want to eat and drink," said Calhoun, raising his glass up in the air.
When he brought the glass of wine to his lips, his eyes went to the girl who was sitting in the right on the other end, who had let her older sister sit near him instead. The Harris' family were swarmed by maids, asking them what they would eat. He noticed how Madeline smiled at the question of the maid and the grip on the glass he was holding tightened.
She was finally back here.
.
Thank you for giving the book a read. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story of 'The Crown's obsession' here on w.e.b.n.o.v.e.l app
บท 23: Revealing Intentions
Madeline used her fork and knife, cutting down the smallest of the food that was on her plate so that she wouldn't have to open her mouth wide to put in the food. And every time she raised her fork to her mouth, she could sense his eyes on her, looking at her as if there was nothing else in the room to look at which turned her nervous and the movements of her hand awkward.
She slowly chewed and swallowed the food, her eyes moving towards him to see him looking at her.
The man didn't falter when it came to letting her know that he was looking at her. The attention was brazen to handle, his red eyes looking at her that had her heart skip out of restlessness.
Theodore Chauncey, who appeared to be close to the King, spoke to Mrs. Harris, "You have grown both your daughters well, Mrs. Harris. It is hard to find people when it comes to cutlery etiquette."
"Thank you," her mother bowed her head, "Beth and Madeline often visited their aunt from where they picked up the habits. They just turned out to be lucky when it came to learning things like these."
Theodore gave the woman a warm smile that had Madeline wonder how genuine the smile was. Both the King as well as this man shared red eyes and everyone in the village knew not to trust red eyes. The night creatures were full of deceit.
"Indeed very fortunate," Calhoun commented, "It is a shame that not everyone learns or adapts to it. Do you have other relatives who live in the village?" he inquired, taking another sip from the glass.
"I have my sister Mary who lives not too far from our house. She lives with her husband and two sons," Mr. Harris answered.
"Must be good to have a family member closeby," Calhoun smiled, a simple smile that looked far from it.
Madeline saw her father nod his head, "Yes, milord. Do you have your relatives who live here?" her father asked for formality.
"It's just me. All alone, but once I marry your daughter we can start planning to have a family," Calhoun's words were firm, and he continued to speak, "Mr. Harris, I heard both of them have been getting marriage alliance. How come you didn't get them married? Most of them get married when they are sixteen? Especially considering the financial condition of the family," he placed the glass aside that still had wine and brought both his hands forward to interlink his fingers below his chin.
Mr. Harris smiled, "We might be poor, but I didn't want to marry my daughters quickly. Sixteen is where girls are growing and trying to understand the world around them. It would be a shame to curb their growth. Beth wanted to get married, but we didn't agree to it. It might be a silly thought-"
"No, I agree with you," said the King, agreeing to her father before adding, "If you didn't believe in it things would have gone differently," he gave an unnerving smile that had everyone not touch their food for a good two seconds.
Madeline didn't know why, but it felt like she was standing in a lake that was frozen with ice, but the ice was thin. One wrong step and the person would be under the cold water. She was only turning anxious with the way he was looking at her that she wanted to go back home as fast as she could. Unable to eat, she placed her fork and knife beside her plate.
When their meal had finally come to an end, the King finally spoke for what he had called the Harris' family today,
"As mentioned in the letter, your daughter has caught my attention, and in the interest of it, I would like that she starts living here in the castle," the King's words had Mrs. Harris almost slip the knife that was in her hand. He had a serious look on his face, "Do not worry about her living conditions. She will be treated like a queen. She will be looked after with maids and servants waiting on her. She will be tended from the tip of her hair to her toe, with jewels and fine quality of clothes on her skin."
"R-right away?" Mr. Harris asked with evident surprise in his voice. The man knew that the King had taken an interest, but this was too sudden. They hadn't been prepared for it.
"I do not see why there's any need to wait and prolong the time. Having her here, she can learn about life in the castle and the ordeal that runs. It would be just enough time before we wed," Calhoun remarked to lean back against his seat to see the look of shock on their faces.
"Milord," Mr. Harris bowed his head, "We won't be able to spend time with her after she gets married and lives here. Give us some time so that we can-"
"Mr. Harris, I wasn't asking you," Calhoun interjected.
The palms of Madeline turned sweaty hearing this, and on the other side, Beth couldn't be any more glad to come to live in the castle.
Calhoun then let out his final verdict, "From this time onward, Madeline will stay here in the castle."
Beth's eyebrows drew together in confusion. Madeline? Did she hear it wrong? The King had taken his time to talk to her, charming her and not her younger sister who looked particularly pale today in comparison to her.
Mr. Harris felt a sheen of sweat form on his forehead. It appeared that what he was worried had come to be true. The King had his eyes on his youngest daughter, Madeline, "Milord, my daughter has been promised to marry another man. I beg you to reconsider it. My older daughter is much more eligible and you might find her to be of your taste."
"Break it off," said Calhoun, his eyes looking at the human.
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