Music Recommendation: Professor Stoddard- Ben Frost
Lady Aurora looked back at Mr. Etsbury and said in a low voice only for his to hear, "The Moriarty family are the ones who are taking care of all the wedding expenditure and as my husband already spoke to you--"
"I lent you the money right when you needed it. At that time you said you would return it within a week. But it has been three months and I haven't received the entire amount loaned to you and interest is far from it. You and the Marquee have been delaying it with reasons, Lady Aurora," Mr. Etsbury didn't look like a man who was interested in sweet words, and the only sweet he was interested in was the money the Hookes owed him.
Mr. Hotham and Mr. Mayen also arrived with Marquee Hooke, and they said, "We want our money back, Marquee," said Mr. Hotham, who wore glasses. "I have given you enough time, respecting you as you are the Marquee."
Marquee Hooke smiled, trying to tone down the atmosphere, and said, "We promise that all the money will be returned the next day after the wedding. I will make sure about it and you have my word."
Mr. Etsbury said, "I will need a guarantee for it. Can Mr. Moriarty or the Viscount give us the guarantee now?"
"I will give it myself, Mr. Etsbury," Marquee Hooke replied, not wanting to involve any of the Moriarty family in this right now.
Mr. Hotham fixed his glasses on the bridge of his nose and said, "My apologies, Marquee Hooke, but this I would need a guarantee and words will not be enough. I hope you can find something tangible that I or the others will be satisfied enough to wait until next week."
Lady Aurora wished this was not happening here because if it was somewhere quiet, she wouldn't have to worry about being overheard by anyone. But they were in a mansion that was filled with guests walking back and forth.
Marquee Hooke gave some thought before he offered, "How about the mansion up in the North and the one here that is in Skellington?"
Lady Aurora's eyes widened hearing her husband's words, and she said, "Excuse us for a moment, please." She dragged her husband to the side and then said in a hushed voice, "Giving away two mansions? Walter, are you insane?!"
"It isn't like Vincent can wiggle out from this wedding and the Moriartys have enough money to give these men what they need. It is just a week's time, and only if the deal bounces that we will need to worry," Marquee Hooke replied to his wife. He said, "We have already preponed the wedding so that it gives no one room to think or do. Right now, everyone knows that Vincent is supposed to wed Rosetta. Everything will go fine."
"I hope it does, because you are giving them two mansions," Lady Aurora said with a deep frown. But even she knew that these men wouldn't stay quiet and could cause problems. She briefly glanced at the three men, before whispering to her husband, "You should have agreed with me when I hired the men to kill one of the people. We wouldn't be dealing with this if one of them was dead."
With the debt that they were being buried in, Lady Aurora had gone so far as to contact men who killed people for money.
"We don't have that kind of money to spend now. Let us wait until Rosetta is married to Vincent," Marquee Hooke convinced his wife.
The couple then returned to the three men, and Marquee Hooke stated, "I will draw up the documents tomorrow and hand them to you with regards to the mansion and the deal."
"Not tomorrow," Mr. Etsbury corrected Marquee Hooke. "Today. Let us get this done right now without any delay."
Lady Aurora smiled at the man and said, "We are in a soiree which is held on behalf of us. It would be rude to leave everyone right now. Surely it can wait, can't it?"
"I am not here to eat and drink, Lady Aurora," Mr. Etsbury was firm with his words. "You have delayed the payment for months now and I would like to get the papers and the deal drawn up as quickly as possible. If you will lead the way," he stretched his hand forward.
When Marquee Walter Hooke and Lady Aurora had borrowed the money from these men, it was in the confidence that Lady Aurora would request the Queen to help her. Unfortunately, that didn't work as she had expected, and this led to continuous delay in repaying the money they owed.
In the end, the couple decided to use their daughter by getting her married to a wealthy family who could support them. That was the only option they were left with.
Marquee Hooke said, "Let us leave this place and discuss in the other mansion in this very town." They didn't want any eavesdroppers, and Lady Aurora joined them, leaving the mansion after sparing a few words with the Viscount.
Far away from the guests and the music, Eve had taken a walk to clear her head when she saw someone standing in the corridor and in front of the window.
"You aren't attending the soiree?" Eve asked Noah with a smile, who turned to look her way.
To Noah, everything else blurred when Eve was in his line of sight, and he only saw her. And now, with the gap he had maintained along with how things were, he realised how much he had missed her.
"You aren't attending it either," Noah replied to Eve, and he turned his body to face her completely. He asked her, "Why has Vincent agreed to marry Miss Hooke?"
The smile on Eve's lips slipped, and she took a moment before replying, "It is complicated," and she sighed.
"I am sure no matter how complicated, if you explain things might seem less tangled. I will do my best to understand, if you allow me to listen to you," Noah noticed the hint of sadness in Eve's blue eyes.
