Music Recommendation: A thorough education- Dario Marianelli
What Eve found astonishing was not seeing Rosetta's mother standing in front of their house's main door but that the woman was here this soon when it had been only a few minutes since she and Rosetta had arrived home. When her eyes fell behind the woman, she caught sight of Lady Camille's coachman, who was the one to bring the woman here.
"You left without informing anyone of where you were going, Rose," the Marchioness spoke to her daughter in a refined voice that didn't sound angry with Rosetta. She said, "Your aunt told me that you made a new friend and might be here. I don't know why you felt the need to hide it from me or your father."
Rosetta smiled at her mother's words, "I didn't mean to hide it. We are going to stay in Skellington only for some more time and I wanted to spend some time with her."
The older vampiress's gaze moved from her daughter and looked at the three humans. She questioned Rosetta, "Won't you introduce me to your friend, Rose?"
Rosetta turned excited by her mother's words and said, "This is Genevieve Barlow. That is Lady Aubrey Dawson, and," the vampiress paused a little to see the servant who stood outside the kitchen, "That is Eugene."
Eve and the other two offered a polite bow to the older vampiress.
Rosetta introduced her mother to the others, "This is my mother, Marchioness Aurora Hooke."
"Would you like to come in?" Eve asked out of politeness, not knowing if it was impolite to invite a woman who belonged to a higher status into their humble home.
With how posh the lady appeared, Eve wondered if the woman would outright refuse. But instead, she gave a nod and stepped inside the house.
Lady Aubrey being a hospitable woman, led the older vampiress to their living room and had the two vampiresses sit while taking a seat herself. She asked, "What would you like to drink?"
The faint smile on Lady Aurora's lips didn't drop and she said, "I don't suppose you have blood in the house, do you?"
"Mother..." Rosetta whispered, who sat next to her mother.
"It was a genuine question," Lady Aurora replied before adding, "As you made friends, I thought they would have stored some for you when and if you are thirsty." She turned to look at others in the room and said, "I hope you didn't find my question to be disrespectful."
"Certainly not, Marchioness," Lady Aubrey replied before she said, "Unfortunately, we don't have blood stored in the house."
The older vampiress hummed, her eyes meeting Rosetta. When her eyes moved to Rosetta's back, the younger vampiress immediately straightened her back as she was sitting in a slightly slouched position. Lady Aurora questioned her daughter, "How did you end up being friends with Ms. Barlow? Aren't you worried that you might bite her if you get too hungry?" There was a soft chuckle at the end of her words.
Eugene, who continued to stand near the kitchen, frowned at the Marchioness's words. This was something that worried him since the night of the ball when Lady Rosetta had tried to take a bite from him.
Rosetta turned slightly red in embarrassment, and she replied, "I would not do that t--"
"It is just something to ponder on, isn't it, dear?" Lady Aurora smiled, looking at Eve and Lady Aubrey. "So Ms. Barlow, are you betrothed yet? Though young, you must have started to receive proposals?"
Eve's beauty didn't go unnoticed by the older vampiress, and thanks to her mermaid genes, she appeared young enough for no one to assume that she was walking on the path to being a spinster.
"I am not," Eve's words were polite, and Lady Aurora raised her eyebrows.
"Mother, Eve is a governess!" Rosetta spoke excitedly, somewhere even proud. "She teaches the--"
"Rose, dear. I am sure Ms. Barlow can speak for herself. You seem to have forgotten what your own governess taught you to not intervene in the conversation," Lady Aurora then turned back to look at Eve with slight curiosity. "So you are a governess. I don't think I heard how you both met, unless my daughter came looking for a governess which seems to be in need of."
Knowing how Rosetta often failed to gain any positive attention from suitable males, Lady Aurora didn't need any competition next to her daughter or hindrance when it came to gaining affection from men.
Though Lady Aurora held a friendly smile on her face, where her gaze was soft, unlike the harsh glare she often received from Lady Annalise, Eve couldn't help but find something ominous about the woman with how she looked around.
Eve chose her words carefully when she replied, "Rosetta and I met at an inn, we were in the company of different people."
Lady Aurora hummed before giving a nod, "I see. Where do you work?"
"At the Moriartys mansion," Eve answered, and the vampiress's eyebrows subtly rose in surprise.
"The Moriartys in Skellington?" Questioned Lady Aurora, and seeing Eve nod, the woman said, "What small world we live in. It is also the family Rosetta will be marrying into in the near future. You must know Vincent Moriarty?"
"Yes, he's the person who employed me there for his youngest sister," said Eve.
"There is a dinner that we need to attend. We should get going," Lady Aurora stood up from the seat and, seeing her, the others in the room stood up.
"Rose, go tell the coachman to get ready to leave."
"Yes, mother," Rosetta obeyed her mother's words. But before she left the living room, the young vampiress stepped in front of Eve and said earnestly, "I will see you tomorrow. Maybe, you should come have dinner with us. The one we are hosting tomorrow." Rosetta doubted she could survive dinner with the Moriartys and wanted to have her friend's support.
Lady Aurora's eyes subtly narrowed at her daughter. She said, "It isn't your aunt who is hosting the dinner, but the Moriartys."
"Oh?" Rosetta looked like she had the most complicated life. She said to Eve, "I will meet you before I leave, okay?"
Eve smiled and nodded, noticing how Rosetta's eyes lit up just with the thought. Rosetta offered a slight bow to Lady Aubrey, and when she turned around, her eyes fell on Eugene before leaving the house.
Once Rosetta had stepped out of the house, Lady Aurora turned to look at Eve and Lady Aubrey. Her eyes settled on Eve and she said,
"I don't know how you lured my daughter to come to a place like this, less be friends. I would like it if you don't entertain her the last two days, she's here. If needed, avoid her and everything will be well between all of us," her words were stern and held obvious distaste towards the humans of low status.
"It isn't Eve who initiated the friendship, Marchioness Hooke. If that is what you are implying," Lady Aubrey cleared the possible doubt in the vampiress's mind.
"Which is why it would be good to stop pretending to be friends with my daughter. Yes? Once Rosetta goes back with us, I would prefer no communication to take place between you two. I am aware that Rosetta's aunt has already warned you. Once we get back today, I will be sure to speak to Rosetta so that she is well informed about being friends with a governess," Lady Aurora made it clear to Eve, who stared back at her.
Unable to hold back, Eve said, "Friendships aren't those that are formed base on status, Lady Aurora. What you call friendship is nothing but an arrangement of status and wealth." Eve felt Aunt Aubrey place a hand on Eve's arm to calm and quieten her.
The vampiress's eyes shifted then shifted to look at Lady Aubrey and said, "I am sure you can make your niece not do anything I don't like. After all, you have better experience in knowing what happens in high society."
The vampiress offered a slight half-hearted smile before stepping out of the house.
Eve heard the neighing of the horses outside their house, and the carriage left with Marchioness Hooke and Rosetta in it. She turned to Lady Aubrey and asked,
"You knew her?"
Aunt Aubrey walked back to the chair in the living room and sat down. She said, "I do. A few years ago she was the Countess of Bladorm, or to be precise the daughter of the Count of Bladrom who was a widow. Her status has changed since she married a Marquee."
"She's the vampiress who hurt you back then in the soiree," Eve didn't expect the vampiress to be Rosetta's mother. The woman didn't like them near her Rosetta. No man or woman of the high society liked their children to be near a poor family.
"A small world indeed," sighed Aunt Aubrey.
Eve's eyes moved to look at Aunt Aubrey, who stared at the wall grimly as if seeing the older vampiress brought unpleasant memories.
