Marceline kept staring out of the window every five minutes. There was no hint of the sunrays, and snow continued falling from the sky, painting the entire town white along with the trees. Some town workers cleaned the snow off the streets so people could walk, while some snow on the roads was pushed to make way for the moving carriages.
"I should go and see the witch," Marceline murmured, realising the mistake she made when instructing the witch to curse the person and the condition on which the curse would take effect.
Picking up her black furry coat, Marceline put it around her shoulders and made her way towards the entrance of the Moriarty mansion. She ordered the servant, "Tell the coachman to bring the carriage around. I will be heading out."
"Right away, milady," the servant bowed and left the place.
While Marceline stood at the front of the entrance, waiting for the carriage, at the same time, Lady Aurora arrived. The Marchioness remarked in wonderment, "Lady Marceline, I was hoping to make the guest list for the soiree with you."
Right now, Marceline had more pressing matters than making a guest list: to get her fangs back in her mouth. So far, only a few people in the Moriarty mansion knew about her being defanged, she didn't want anyone to find out that she was a vampiress without fangs.
"I need to visit a friend, but I should be back in two or three hours at the most," Marceline offered a sweet yet kind smile. She noticed Alfie walking in the hallways. She called the butler, "Alfie! Lady Aurora needs assistance with the Moriartys guest list."
Lady Aurora offered Marceline the same kind smile and said in a low voice, "I don't know how it works in the Moriarty mansion, but we don't work with the butlers. Not directly at least. A pity, I was actually inviting you so that we can do some damage to the lowly human who spoke back to me. But if you have other important things to do, let it be for now."
Alfie appeared near them and offered a bow, "How can I help you, milady?" He politely asked without raising his head.
Marceline stared at Lady Aurora in intrigue. Knowing the women held the same interests, she couldn't help but want to indulge while her dignity and honour were in line. She ordered the butler, "Open the carriage door for me."
Alfie didn't know what was going on with the young miss of the Moriarty family. One moment she said something, then the next second, she changed it. Without uttering a word, he strolled near where the carriage would come to stand.
"I am interested in knowing how you would be doing it, Lady Aurora. Unfortunately, there is something pressing that I need to attend to and if you don't mind, I would be more than willing to join you after noon?" Marceline inquired with the lady.
"I will be visiting Hollow Valley at noon. See if you can join me there," Lady Aurora offered a tight smile and her eyes slightly wide as if there was something she was very eager to do.
Marceline offered a slight bow and stepped inside the carriage, which was quick to move out of Moriartys' property.
Inside the mansion, Marquee Hooke was talking to Viscount Eduard in the Viscount's study. Viscount Eduard handed the man a scroll and said, "This was used for Annalise's birthday celebration. I think you might find all the names that you need here."
Marquee Hooke took the scroll from the Viscount and remarked, "I am so glad that you have been so accepting of the marriage between your son and my daughter, Eduard. This was something both our wives wanted from the beginning, didn't they?"
Viscount Eduard smiled at Marquee's words, "That is true. Annalise has been very keen to make an alliance between our families. Rosetta was the only potential girl she found, and we agreed to Vincent's choice because you know how stubborn he is."
"This is the reason any parents need to make sure their children are raised with the necessary amount of fear in their minds about the parents. Else it becomes very hard to control them," Marquee Hooke answered and added, "My daughter has been depressed since her poor aunt's death, but look at her now. She's happier than ever before. She has been smiling. This only tells what Aurora and I did has always been right. But no worries, you did try to do what you could after the first Lady passed away. It is good that you married Annalise."
"Thank you for your kind words, Walter," Viscount Eduard gave a tight smile. "I will have the butler look into the decorations of the ballroom and tell Annalise to keep an eye on it."
"That would be wonderful and generous of you. I would have hosted the soiree at Camille's mansion, but it would be insensitive of us. Considering my sister passed away a few days ago," Marquee Hooke moved his hands to emphasise it and sighed, "I wish things could be different, Eduard. But my sister's death has left a deep wound in our hearts. And we can only look at the brighter side and make things right. If I am not wrong, Katherina and Annalise weren't friends, were they?" A small chuckle escaped from the Marquee's lips.
Viscount Eduard didn't comment on it and stayed quiet. Katherina and Annalise belonged to two different kinds, and though they belonged to the same high society, he had heard from Katherina about what had happened in the past.
"Well, I should get going. Aurora must be waiting for me," the Marquee announced.
"Let me walk you till the carriage," Viscount Eduard politely offered.
This little action led Marquee Hooke to confirm that the Viscount was on their side, unlike the strange son-in-law he was going to have. But one couldn't help but be careful, and before getting inside the carriage, he said,
"I hope everything will go smoothly without any hiccups. It would be terrible if Vincent tries to pull something that he shouldn't."
"Vincent has made a blood seal in the Council's registry. I don't think there is any need for you to worry about it," Viscount Eduard replied, and soon the Hooke's left the mansion. Lady Annalise, who had come to see the Hooke's off, stood beside her husband with a frown.
"Will it really go smoothly?" Lady Annalise asked her husband and sighed, "Can't we just reject holding the soiree and wait for the main day?"
"The Hooke's are being careful and are trying to spread the word with the thought that we won't be able to step back from what we have agreed upon. The more people know, the more we will be pressured to comply," Viscount Eduard replied as the smile on his face disappeared.
While Marquee and Marchioness Hooke climbed inside their carriage, Eve, who stood on the above floor in the piano room, watched the carriage leave the mansion.
An announcement of Vincent and Rosetta's marriage in two days, she didn't know how to feel about it. On one side, she felt uneasy; on the other, she tried to put her faith in Vincent's strategy.
"Eve!" Rosetta burst through the door with panic.
