Within the next two days, Lady Aurora's invitation that had been sent out had reached the receivers belonging to a high status family. Most of them were surprised seeing the invitation hold the Moriarty and the Hooke's name in one card. While some believed it was an excellent decision. One of the families was the Sullivans, who was right now, having breakfast and Lady Hilda Sullivan said,
"Looks like Vincent Moriarty decided to uphold his family's name by marrying the Marquee's daughter. Rosetta Hooke. I don't think I have met the girl before. Have you met her at Moriarty's ball, Noah?" She asked her son, who was having his breakfast.
Noah looked up from his meal and replied, "I haven't."
Lady Hilda nodded and then remarked, "We will see her in the future. I am sure the wedding will be grand."
Lady Anaya, who sat next to her future mother-in-law, moved her gaze to look at Noah, who held a faint frown on his face, but he didn't comment on it.
James Sullivan, who sat at the same table, having breakfast with his brother's family, softly chuckled, "It is good that in the future he will be busy with the Hookes and there will be one less thing to worry about. Marquee Hooke holds a decent position in the society and has a good reputation, apart from the almost tarnished name of his sister who recently passed away."
"So much better than marrying a woman who is from a lowly family with no proper family background," Lady Hilda remarked, agreeing to her brother-in-law's words.
"What background?" Noah asked his mother, catching her a little off guard.
"The background of the girl that he wanted to marry," his mother answered him with a gentle smile. She turned to Anaya and said, "No offence to your friend or your friendship, Anaya dear, but I only speak the truth when I say that the girl you have befriended is someone who comes from Meadow. A place which falls on the lower side, more rightly, the other side of the society scale. She lives with her aunt and a servant, and her parents, there wasn't much about it." Lady Hilda's words were calm and collected as she let the young she-wolf know her thoughts.
Anaya was surprised that Lady Hilda knew about it and replied, "Forgive me for my negligence, milady. But Ms. Barlow is a wonderful person, and there is a reason why Mr. Moriarty chose her—"
"But he isn't marrying her anymore," Lady Hilda interrupted Anaya, smiling at the young lady. She said, "There is an obvious reason why the Marquee's daughter is well suited to a pureblooded vampire family."
Noah's father agreed with his wife and stated, "It is better to have the like kind married than the unlike kind. No one wants to repeat history."
"What history?" Anaya curiously asked the former Duke.
"Viscount Eduard Moriarty married twice, as the first wife was a human, who couldn't defend herself or her children when they were abducted. Mind you, this abduction was operated by humans," Noah's father said, before adding, "If the Viscount had married a vampiress, nothing like this would have happened. But see what has happened."
Lady Hilda said to Anaya, "Anaya dear, you have already been introduced as Noah's future wife, and we will find good dates that will not clash with others."
Anaya gave a nod to Lady Hilda.
The former Duke's brother remarked, "The human girl, she reminds me of someone in the society but I haven't been able to place my finger."
"It was during the councilman's soiree," Noah's father answered.
"A woman of low background and being invited to such a high-class soiree," Lady Hilda clicked her tongue.
Noah gripped the cutlery and responded to his mother, "I don't understand why you need to bring her class and position into the picture, mother. She is Anaya's friend; the least you could do is be considerate about that fact, than speak ill about her."
Anaya noticed Noah's hands had turned white. Though Eve had been introduced as her friend to the family and not Noah's, Lady Hilda had gone so far as to make a background check on her friend. This only showed how controlling the Sullivans were. Even though she came from a similar positioned family, there were some things that she couldn't speak back to with the Sullivans.
Lady Hilda softly laughed as if realising her mistake and smiled at her son and Anaya. She said, "I was only stating the truth about the young lady, Noah. You cannot erase the fact that she comes from a lowly town."
"Eve has had an excellent education. Better than most of the women from our society, and she's a decent person, whom Anaya considers worthy to befriend," Noah's expression didn't change. Still, Anaya could sense that he was upset and slightly angry.
Anaya said, "Noah is right, Lady Hilda. If the opportunity presented itself, I believe that Eve would be an outstanding person in our society."
The smile on Lady Hilda's lips faltered before she fixed it again, and she replied, "Very well then, if that is both of your opinions."
Anaya offered a slight bow to the older woman at the table and noticed Lady Hilda stare at them before her husband placed his hand on her hand resting on the table, which got the woman to return to her meal.
When everyone finished their breakfast, Noah excused himself first to leave the dining room, and Noah's uncle, James Sullivan, said, "It looks like Noah has started to worry more about you, Anaya."
Anaya turned away from the door to meet James's eyes.
James said, "My nephew has always tried to stay away from conflicts or diffuse them. Never to be one to create them, and for him to have spoken for you, it means he likes you very much."
Lady Hilda smiled at her brother-in-law's words, "Noah and Anaya make a perfect pair, don't they? It is good to see that he's paying attention to your feelings. He is, isn't he?" She asked the young she-wolf.
Anaya smiled and gave a polite nod, "He is, milady. He's a wonderful person."
"I am sure he is," Lady Hilda softly chuckled, "Noah will never do any wrong and is a perfect gentleman, I am sure you will be very happy with him. And I am not saying this because he is my son." The woman patted Anaya's back before leaving the room with the others.
Once Anaya was alone, a frown settled on her forehead, remembering the invitation sent by the Hookes and the Moriartys. Noah's family thought he had stood up on behalf of her, but in truth, he had stood up for Eve. She quickly left the dining room and caught up to where Noah was walking in the corridor.
"Duke Noah," Anaya called him from behind. Noah paused his footsteps and turned to look at Anaya, who hurriedly came to stand in front of him, and she asked him, "Are you alright? I mean about back in the dining room…"
Noah offered her a smile, "I am. Thank you for asking. I will talk to you later, I need to go to Darthmore now." Anaya gave a nod, trying to gauge the Duke's reaction, wondering if he was relieved or worried.
Anaya was impressed by Noah's resilience over whatever he was holding in. To see a person love another, so selflessly, she couldn't help but admire it and she smiled where her smile didn't reach her eyes.
