Music Recommendation: Harriet Smith and Robert Martin meet- Isobel Waller
When Vincent returned to the Moriarty mansion, Alfie quickly came to the front part of the mansion with hurried footsteps. There was a slight frown on the butler's forehead, with his eyes subtly wide.
"Welcome back home, Master Vincent," the butler bowed and quickly stepped behind Vincent and helped him out of his black coat.
"Why do you look like you saw someone getting murdered?" Vincent questioned, and his eyes moved to the corner when the butler stepped to the side, his gaze following the butler who came to stand in front of him. "What is going on here?"
Alfie stood with a slight bow, holding Vincent's coat in front of him and answered, "Lady Marceline and Lady Annalise have been in a heated discussion with your father since they returned from the soiree. It is regarding Lady Marceline's marriage alliance."
"Ah, my dear sister is going to get married. And here I thought I would never come to hear such news considering how she is. Such wonderful news to a brother," Vincent looked delighted by hearing the news and questioned, "Where are they?"
"In the drawing room of the first floor, Sire," Alfie dutifully answered and watched his master starting to walk from there, heading towards the room where the rest of the Moriarty family members were now.
Vincent's clean, black shoes sharply clicked against the white marble. The corridor outside the drawing room was deserted, and he heard his sister's voice coming through the door left slightly open.
"...ot the person I want to marry. I am still young and there's no need to hurry!"
When Vincent pushed the room's door wide open, his father, his sister, Lady Annalise, and Allie who were in the room, turned to look at him. His father said, "It is good that you are here, Vincent."
"I am glad too, it seemed like I would have missed a good family conversation if I didn't get home soon and we all know how family is important," Vincent walked inside the room and took a seat.
Lady Annalise filled him in, "We met Mr. Tomlinson's son at the soiree today and I believe he is an excellent match to Marceline. She showed great interest in what he said, and the man had nothing but praises of her with me. But now Marceline refuses to have a marriage alliance with him."
Vincent turned to Marceline and questioned, "Surely, dear sister has a good reason if she is rejecting him?"
"I talked to him the way I talk to everyone else in the soiree. You cannot use just that to match us. I just... don't want to marry him, mother," Marceline tried to keep her calm composure as she replied.
"That is no reason to reject at all, Marcie. Horace has positively taken an interest in you and if you are talking about being par to us, he belongs to a pureblooded bloodline," Lady Annalise held a deep frown on her face.
"Maybe Marcie has someone else in her heart?" Vincent threw the bait, and Marceline's eyes widened whilst she tried not to falter with her words. He added, "There's no reason to be shy, dear sister. Knowing how high your standards are, you must have surely chose a great man who is suitable to you."
"Is that true, Marceline?" Eduard questioned his daughter, while he sat on the couch, staring at her.
Marceline didn't want to get married because it was true that she held someone in her heart and mind. It was Noah whom she wanted, but she couldn't reveal his name. Because as unethical as her feelings for a man who was meant to be engaged and married later, the young vampiress didn't know how her family would react.
"Marceline, your father asked you a question," Lady Annalise's words were stern and sharp.
Marceline politely smiled at her family, which held a hint of nervousness. She said, "Don't I get the option to marry whom I want to marry and when I want?"
"If you tell who it is, I am sure father and dear mother would be happy to accept the person," Vincent urged her.
Marceline wondered if perhaps she could try as her family had never denied her anything. Not to mention, she had always posed to be the dutiful person, who listened to every word her parents said. Surely, they would grant her wish and she said, "I like the Duke."
Eduard and Lady Annalise looked surprised. Marceline's father asked, "Duke?"
"The Duke of Woodlock," Marceline watched the look of distaste on Lady Annalise's face, while her father held a frown.
"A werewolf..." Lady Annalise looked shocked, not expecting her obedient daughter to choose a werewolf as her husband.
"Duke Noah?" Eduard wasn't horrified by his daughter's pick, but he sure was surprised. He said, "I didn't know you both had interactions with him. He's a decent young man."
"He is, father!" Marceline quickly chimed in and said, "He is an honourable man, polite, and has always been kind to me."
"Surely, you aren't thinking of having an alliance by mixing our pureblood bloodline with a werewolf's family, Eduard," Lady Annalise wasn't keen on this. To add to her disappointment, this was the second time where her children had rejected the alliance she had brought for them. As a mother, she had tried to find the best match, keeping their best interest in her mind.
"That would be a wrong thing to say, dear mother," Vincent hopped on the wagon as if he were here to rescue his sister's dreams and wishes, and Marceline couldn't be happier. All these years, she wanted his approval and for him to stand next to her. He said, "You forget that Marceline and I are the children of a pureblooded vampire and a human woman. We are still pureblooded vampires. Isn't that right, sister Marcie?"
"That..." Marceline, who had not acknowledged her birth mother after her death, was now caught in the crossfire and couldn't refuse Vincent's words. She swallowed the bitterness and responded, "That is true. We turned into pureblooded vampires."
"Truthfully, I think Horace is a better choice compared to a werewolf," Lady Annalise then continued, "Tomlinson's might not have a rank, but their bloodline is an old one. His family is sound and people that we have known for a long time now. He had great manners too."
Senior Mr. Moriarty took a deep breath and then exhaled as if in deep thought. Neither he, nor Lady Annalise had heard about Lady Anaya. But that didn't mean Vincent had not heard about it, and he knew that even if his father approved Marceline's wish, his sister's dream would never come true. It was because he knew that the Duke was still in love with Eve.
"Fine," Eduard responded, and Marceline turned happy, "You will ask for his response within a week, and not a day later. If his answer is what you desire, you will bring the Duke to meet me and your mother."
"Thank you, father!" Marceline replied excitedly.
"But," Eduard raised his hand, as he wasn't done talking and said, "If his answer to you is not what you want, then you will be marrying Horace Tomlinson. Is that clear?"
The smile on Marceline's lips faltered as she realised she would have to plan quickly and she nodded, "Yes, father."
Lady Annalise continued to frown but didn't go against her husband's words. She decided to speak to him alone about it in front of the children.
Now that Marceline's matters had been settled, using which Vincent had paved his way, he called for his father's attention, "Father."
"What is it, Vincent?" Eduard asked.
"I have decided to take a wife," Vincent dropped the news with a smile, and Eduard stayed quiet, knowing there was more to come, "I am guessing if you don't have issue with Marceline's choice, you won't be worried about me marrying a human?"
Eduard's lips set themselves in a thin line, because he somewhere already knew who it could be. Marceline's face turned pale, and she whispered,
"You weren't joking this morning... You cannot take her as your wife!"
Vincent rolled his eyes, "No need to be a hypocrite, Marcie. Unless you are eager to marry Horace."
"Which human are we talking about?" Lady Annalise was the only one who didn't know, while Allie, who had been quiet, stared at her brother.
"Genevieve Barlow," Vincent replied with happiness, where some part of it came from watching the look of disbelief on Marceline and Lady Annalise's face.
