Author's note- Thank you everyone, who have continued to read the book even after months have passed and showing your support through your kind words in the comments and sending gifts and voting for the book. A lot of times the mind is filled with doubt and dissatisfaction, and is nice to see that you guys are still enjoying it <3 The book will end in 2-3 months, before a new book will be posted ^^
During the time of supper, the Moriarty family minus Marceline, the Dawson's minus Eugene and the Hooke's sat at the dining table. At the moment, Viscount Eduard, Marquee Hooke and Vincent were discussing the wedding arrangements, while the others were mostly done with their meals.
Marquee Hooke said to them, "If we were in the North, I would have hosted the entire thing in our mansion. I believe you have already seen how big it is. But now as we are here, we were hoping you will be able to accommodate some of our guests, if you don't mind it."
"Moriarty mansion is big enough to accommodate the guests, you don't have to worry about it, Marquee Hooke," Viscount Eduard calmly assured the man and then called the butler, "Alfie."
"Sire?" Alfie stepped near Viscount Eduard, who inquired,
"Are the rooms arranged for the guests who are coming here in the next two or three days?"
"Everything has been prepared, Sire. The plumbing has been checked, along with the logs of wood stocked next to the fireplace cabinet and fresh sheets have been spread on the bed for the guest's use," the butler promptly replied.
Vincent then remarked, "I got Alfie to prepare everything beforehand as we'll be busy later, father. We don't want to disappoint the guests who are attending the wedding."
"Excellent! Thank you, Vincent," Marquee Hooke exclaimed, happy to hear and see that the Moriarty family were finally on board with this wedding. Everything was going according to his and his wife's plan. Just a few more days and their troubles would come to an end, the Marquee thought in his mind.
Vincent smiled like a saint, turning his gaze to look at Eve, who was sitting across the table from him. She was talking to his little sister, where the little girl was turning more expressive with the days that had been passing by.
As if sensing his gaze, Eve turned to look at him with their eyes locking in the room. A smile threatened on her lips, and she hid it behind the glass before Lady Aurora or Marquee Hooke would catch it.
But Lady Aurora's eyes were busy on Lady Aubrey, who was sitting on the other side of Eve.
Lady Aurora couldn't believe that she was sharing a table with a lowly human. And it wasn't that Lady Annalise was comfortable about it either. But she had started to make an exception when the matters were related to the governess, whom her son was so in love with.
Lady Aurora tore her gaze away from the worthless humans, and looked at Lady Annalise and said, "Pardon me, Anna, but we will be taking Rosetta home today. Have her stay with us until the day of the wedding."
Rosetta's eyes widened by doing so, it would cut down all the quality time she could spend with Eve and also her beloved Eugene. She protested, "Is that necessary, mother?"
"Aw, look at you. Already so attached to all the members of the Moriarty family," Lady Aurora fondly smiled at her daughter. "Don't worry, it is just till the day of the wedding, and after that you will be next to Vincent for the rest of your life."
Lady Annalise offered a stiff smile. She had spent enough time with Lady Aurora to last a lifetime without this woman's company. She responded, "I cannot wait to have Rosetta live here with us."
A proud smile graced Lady Aurora's, and she turned to look at her daughter. She said, "Thank you for the supper. We will take our leave now."
Everyone at the dining table stood up, and Vincent offered, "Let me see you three to the carriage. Alfie, get Rosetta's things from her room."
Lady Aurora raised her eyebrows, noting how Vincent had dropped the title with her daughter.
His actions showed the Hooke couple that he was finally submitting to their pressure. But the others in the dining room saw it differently, knowing he was cooking something that the marquee and the marchioness wouldn't like.
After seeing the Hooke family leave in the carriage along with the marchioness's maid, Blythe, he turned around and saw his parents in the hallways. His father said,
"I met Mr. Waltham today, who said something strange. That he received an invitation for the wedding from you."
"I thought that the Hooke's already sent the wedding invitations. Were the invitations sent late?" Lady Annalise frowned.
Vincent shook and nodded, turning Lady Annalise confused, and she sent a slight glare towards him. He said,
"It was a personal invitation to the people who are close to our family. I wanted to make sure they knew about the wedding that is going to take place," the crooked smile was quick to appear on Vincent's lips. "We don't want them being confused after Rosetta threw up during the soiree," his eyes glowed at the end.
"I don't know if I want to look forward to the wedding or not," Lady Annalise sighed, and Viscount Eduard placed his hand on his wife's back to comfort her.
"Do look forward to it ,dear mother. I don't get married every day," Vincent grinned.
"I will talk to you later, Vincent. Goodnight," Viscount Eduard said, and taking his wife, he turned and walked in the other direction.
On the way, Eve walked past the couple, offering them a slight bow before she reached where Vincent stood with his hands in his trouser pockets. With no one to monitor or question, he pulled his hand away from the pockets and let it circle her waist before pulling her to him with ease.
He kissed the tip of her nose and asked, "Did you miss me?"
"I did," Eve smiled. She asked him, "Are your wedding clothes ready?"
"Ready and in my room. How about yours?" Vincent stared into Eve's blue eyes.
"I need to go and collect mine tomorrow," Eve breathed, feeling a little nervous, and Vincent caught it.
"Worried?" He asked her and saw her shake her head.
"Not with you next to me." They smiled at each other. She then said, "You know what you did is risky. The late invitations."
"Even if the Hooke's find out, it's going to be fine," Vincent said, and one of his hands let go of her waist. He raised his hand to her face and picked up a strand of hair stuck to her temple, and she closed her eyes for a second before fluttering them open.
"But you want to see the bridge on fire," Eve's eyes slightly narrowed while she smiled, and a broad smile appeared on Vincent's lips.
"I was offended that they threw me in the Council's dungeon. I thought it is only fair that we see the drama. We all thrive on drama, my love," Vincent looked at her in mischief.
Eve shook her head at the trouble Vincent had planned for Rosetta's parents. The pureblooded vampire easily stepped out of the dungeon when he was locked, and when she visited him, he seemed like he was having fun.
She stepped back when she heard the clock ding and said, "Aunt Aubrey must be waiting for me."
Vincent nodded, "Let me walk you there." They left the hallways and walked further inside the mansion.
On the other side, not too far from the Moriarty mansion, the Hooke's carriage stopped in front of the Wright's mansion. Rosetta said, "There are still three days before the wedding, why did you bring me here so soon? I was bonding with him!" She spoke in frustration that she had been holding in since they had left the Moriarty mansion.
The Marchioness rolled her eyes, "You can bond with him after you are married to him. Now is the time to protect you."
"From what?" Rosetta asked in confusion.
"From Vincent and his family. Sometimes you can be so naive, Rose," Lady Aurora said as they climbed out of the carriage. She said, "Do you really think a pureblooded vampire like Vincent, who holds a reputation of being notorious, would have easily agreed without making some plans to avoid the marriage?"
Rosetta's face paled, and she was lucky they were standing in a little darkness for her mother not noticing her expression. She asked, "What do you think he has in mind?"
"He might have tried to hide you until the wedding day is over. It is better to take precaution," Lady Aurora said, who didn't know that no matter how many precautions she and her husband would take, as it was of no use and what was meant to happen, Vincent had already decided it.
Marquee Hooke said, "The servants have started to ask why their wages are not being paid, Aurora."
Lady Aurora frowned and said, "There's only little money left and we have to be frugal about it and I need to buy a gown for myself."
"If not full, we should pay them a little before they go talking about it to someone else," Marquee Hooke said in a low voice.
"Fine," Lady Aurora replied disinterestedly before stepping inside the mansion with others.
In another town's mansion where the Head Council Clayton lived, he was sitting in front of the fireplace with his eyes closed. With the tiring day that had passed and listening to the councilmembers talk and bicker in his chambers, he now sighed at the quietness in his mansion, which was older than his grandfather, who was dead. His family and siblings lived elsewhere, giving him peace of mind in this quiet place.
But then one of his servants appeared next to where he was sitting and informed him, "Master Clayton, Mr. Vincent Moriarty has sent out an invitation for you."
"An invitation?" Clayton repeated and muttered, "How many invitations are being sent for one wedding? And we saw each other today in the Council, he could have just reminded me. Does he think I won't attend it?" And he then raised his hand.
The servant quickly placed the envelope on Clayton's hand and folded his hands behind his back. The old vampire, who looked like a small vampire, tore the side of the envelope before pulling out the invitation card and reading it,
'To Clayton,
I hope this letter finds you well. This is the official invitation to my wedding held this Thursday in the main chapel of the town Brigade. Kindly disregard the earlier invitation. I hope you will be able to make your presence, and I am sure my little sister Allie--"
"Cannot wait to spend more time with you," Clayton narrowed his eyes, glaring at the letter. "Does he think I am a babysitter or her playmate?" He then continued to read the rest of the invitation,
'Genevieve Barlow and I would be thrilled to have your presence at our wedding.'
Below the invitation was signed by Vincent Moriarty.
Clayton blinked at the letter, reading the last line once again. He doubted he was the only one to receive this invitation. He quickly got up from his chair and dropped the envelope on the seat. He ordered,
"Tell the coachman to prepare the carriage now."
"Yes, sire!" The servant ran out of the room.
Soon Clayton climbed the carriage that rode towards Darthmore below the dark sky. Once he reached the Council's building, he walked through the corridors, with his long black cloak flying just above the ground behind him. He continued to make his way towards one of the offices, and on reaching in front of the room, he stepped inside.
On seeing the Head Council in the room, the councilman who stood behind the desk quickly stood and bowed, "Good evening, Head Cou--"
Clayton interrupted him, "Give me the last and this month's registry that holds the deals and treaties."
"Y--yes, right away, Sire!" The councilman quickly looked for it before pulling out two large books. But he didn't hand it to Clayton, as the Head Council appeared like a frail, small boy.
"What are you doing standing still? Give it to me," Clayton glared, and the councilman quickly handed the registry books to him.
Clayton carried the books with him and stepped outside. When he stepped into a deserted corridor, he stopped in front of a burning torch on the wall. Opening one of the books, he flipped through the pages, before he came to the date when Vincent had been locked in the Council's dungeon for a few hours.
His eyebrows furrowed when he didn't find Vincent's name there. Instead, there was someone else's name.
"This brat," Clayton muttered, not expecting Vincent to pull something like this. How did he even do it? For a pureblooded vampire, Vincent Moriarty's abilities were in a different league. But more importantly, "Does this person even exist?" he questioned to himself, as he stared at the name--
Eugene Weaver.
