On the appointed day, I wore a demure dress in a soft lavender striped fabric, accented with white lace at the bodice, while Adeline donned a matching dress in a pale pink shade. Together, we joined Freddie at the entrance hall. To my surprise, both my usually absent father and my overly proud mother were there to see us off.
Well, it made sense—after all, the heir of a Duke’s family had come to call.
“Lord Shucott, thank you for inviting my daughter Adeline today. We are most grateful,” my mother said, her pride nearly radiating off her face.
My father, looking more composed, turned to us and added, “Please forgive any lack of decorum from either of them. I hope you will be lenient.”
At this, my mother, visibly annoyed, snapped, “Adeline’s manners are impeccable! There’s no need for concern. Now, Adeline, come here.”
Suppressing an eye roll, I approached Freddie alongside my sister. Freddie greeted us with a familiar but slightly bewildered smile.
“Ah, Amanda, Adeline—you both look lovely. The matching dresses suit you perfectly. I might be the envy of everyone today, with such beautiful company on both arms.”
“Lord Freddie, thank you for inviting us both. We look forward to the day,” I replied formally, curtsying gracefully under my mother’s watchful gaze.
As expected, my mother ignored me entirely, showering my sister with endless praise. My father subtly signaled us to leave, clearly hoping to avoid further spectacle. We climbed into Freddie’s carriage and finally escaped.
Inside, the carriage began to move smoothly toward our destination. Freed from prying eyes, all three of us visibly relaxed.
“Well, Amanda warned me, but I didn’t expect… that.”
“Intense, wasn’t it? Believe it or not, that was restrained because it was in public,” I said with a chuckle.
“You could’ve been angry about it, Sister,” Adeline said indignantly. “If you hadn’t forgiven her, I would have spoken up myself.”
“Oh, my darling sister! You’d get angry for me? You’re truly the best sister in the world!”
“Of course, Sister—you’re the best in the world to me, too!”
“Okay, okay,” Freddie interjected with a wry smile. “I can already see where this is going. Let’s save the hugs for later. Today’s art exhibit features works currently trending in a neighboring country. I’ve arranged for us to speak with the gallery’s owner, so take your time and enjoy.”
“Thank you, Freddie!” we both exclaimed in unison.
Freddie only laughed and muttered, “I’m not a senior anymore, but oh well.”
We spent the day delighting in the paintings, breaking for tea and lunch along the way. By the end, the tension from the morning had melted away, leaving only fond memories.
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