Chapter 8 Chapter 8 I will rely on myself to get it in the Duke's Mansion...
In the early morning, the sun shines on the entire Norman manor, and the first bunch of marigolds blooms in the wind.
The little maid thanked the postman, turned around and ran into the house with the thick envelope in her hands.
Isabel always got up late. When she came downstairs slowly, Edward was reading the newspaper with round glasses at the dining table, and Jenny was waving at her with a letter in her hand.
"My dear, this is a letter from Kent. We can't wait to open it and wait for your approval."
Isabel adjusted her napkin and smiled, "Please."
"Let me read it!" Aunt Anna came closer to Jenny happily. "I really want to know how our little sweetheart is doing!"
Mary and Jane looked at her with smiles, and Edward put away his newspaper and listened carefully.
In the morning light, Anna cleared her throat and recited with great emotion: "'My dearest Audrey, I believe that by the time you receive this letter, the marigolds on the estate will have bloomed. I love their beauty. Please do send me some seeds. Please also say hello to my father, mother, and two aunts. Especially Aunt Anna. She must have cried secretly in her bed many times while I was away. But don't expose her...' Oh! This little rascal!"
Anna feigned anger, and Jenny and Mary both laughed. They looked at each other and whispered, "Pay attention to the address in the letter. It seems you have made great progress."
Isabel ate her breakfast and raised her eyebrows. "Remember to remind me to tell her in my reply that Mr. Edward shed as many tears as Aunt Anna."
Edward: "My dear! Please don't publish your gentleman's fragility in a letter to the world, please!"
"I'm afraid I can't hide it," Anna teased. "In the next paragraph she said, 'And Daddy's fragile nerves always need to be mended. I hope my good news will make him happy.'"
The following content is mostly about the details of life. No one wants to miss any information, even the daily trivialities.
Jenny finally breathed a sigh of relief knowing that Audrey was being treated well.
Anna changed the last piece of paper: "...'Winston Manor is very gorgeous, and the housekeeper, Miss Caroline, is very friendly, although Lucy doesn't seem to like her. Admittedly, Lucy is a cautious girl, always thinking about me and being wary of everything here. That's good, but I don't think I will be bullied. I will definitely talk to her and persuade her to enjoy the beauty of Kent.'"
"'After all, when Mr. White's mother, old Lady Elmée, who I hear is very agreeable, arrives, we will have our wedding here, and I am sure that everyone will respect me as the hostess, including Caroline."
"At the wedding, I will wear a beautiful diamond wedding dress and a tiara inlaid with sapphires. Of course, it would be great if it were something else, but I would prefer it to match the color of my eyes. My dear, maybe you can feel my happiness. I wish you the same luck."
"Although I would like to continue writing, I no longer have thicker envelopes to hold them. The postman here is reliable, and I hope to receive your reply soon. Remember to tell me your new address, my love." Anna's eyes were red as she finished reading. She handed the letter to Isabel, "Oh, it's a good thing it arrived today, otherwise you would not have been able to reply in time, my dear."
Everyone fell into sadness.
Today is the day when the Duke of Spencer arrives, and Isabel is about to leave the Norman estate.
Jenny sighed, and forced herself to ask, "Michelle, has the lady packed her luggage?"
Butler Michel glanced at Isabel with hesitation.
Isabel waved her down and said calmly, "Mom, I told Mrs. Michelle not to bring anything."
Jenny: "But..."
"They asked me to be the Duchess, so there's no reason not to arrange everything." Isabel finished her meal and went upstairs with the letter. "By the time I finish writing my reply, the Spencer family will probably be here. Get ready."
Jenny hurriedly instructed Michelle to train the new servants to ensure that they were polite when welcoming them.
-
At two o'clock in the afternoon, when the sun was at its hottest, the convoy from the Duke's Palace arrived at the manor.
If Hermann's style is low-key and simple, then the Duke's Mansion is just the opposite, being high-profile and ostentatious.
The convoy was led by four carriages, on which stood guards in red uniforms, with their heads held high and chests puffed out, holding flags symbolizing the Spencer family.
The carriage in the center was magnificent, its silver ornaments, adorned to the horses' hooves, gleaming in the sunlight. At the end of the procession were three servant carriages. As soon as the leading carriage stopped, the servants at the rear disembarked and quickly formed into two lines, waiting in solemn silence.
The Norman family, lined up at the entrance to welcome them, were stunned by the spectacle. The new servant had completely forgotten the rules they'd just learned and hadn't even bothered to open the car door. Fortunately, the Duke's own servants had already taken care of the task.
Under the gaze of many people, the main door opened, and the long-lost Sir Jarvis with a hooked nose got out first, took off his hat and nodded.
"Hello again, everyone."
"Greetings, Sir Jarvis." Everyone in the Norman family saluted.
"Congratulations in advance to the two families on their happy marriage. I really want to be a witness to this marriage, but obviously I am not the protagonist today." Jarvis said in a low and rhythmic tone as he opened the car door.
The next second, a short man got out of the carriage and looked at everyone with an arrogant look.
"Good afternoon, everyone. Please allow me to briefly introduce myself. I come from the head of one of the seven great families of the Holy Principality of Ceylon. My ancestors have achieved remarkable feats and maintained their glory for nearly three hundred years. I possess the most noble and ancient bloodline, and I currently serve as one of the seven permanent electors, holding the autonomous jurisdiction of the territory. I own the largest Charvet Manor in the country and effortlessly maintain its luxury, even though it costs 10,000 Ceylon rupees annually..." He took a deep breath, "...the Spencer family."
"That's all." The short man adjusted his tie, looking dignified and stroking his neatly trimmed mustache, concluding his introduction: "You can call me Duke Spencer."
The words fell, and then there was silence.
There was a long silence.
The Norman family looked at the man before them—a pair of bean-sized eyes punctuated by an upturned nose, as if his nostrils were serving his eyes. Of course, even more striking than his appearance were his ten-centimeter-tall cowhide boots, which seemed to reach the sky and shoulder to shoulder with the sun. However, they only barely reached Mr. Jarvis's shoulders, thanks to his top hat.
"Duke...Duke Spencer?" Edward's mouth twitched and his nerves began to ache.
For the first time, Jenny's composure could no longer be maintained. The visual impact made her dizzy: "Oh my God..."
Just before the Normans were about to roll their eyes, the distinguished man gasped, "…’s butler, Andrew Beale."
Everyone in the Norman family: "..."
My mood went up and down like a roller coaster, and finally returned to the starting point.
"Mr. Andrew." Everyone saluted stiffly, then made a welcoming gesture and escorted the guest into the house.
Mary patted her chest and gasped for breath. She took two steps back, holding Isabel's arm, and whispered, "To be honest, I'm really worried about you. If he were your future husband, I would rather help you arrange a carriage and escape to Elmi."
"'Please allow me to briefly introduce myself~'" Anna imitated the mustache's arrogant demeanor and made a vomiting gesture. "God, if I marry him, I'd rather let Wickman cheat me out of all my money. At least I won't be starving. Oh, Wickman was a famous handsome man when he was young."
Mary rolled her eyes and rarely refuted Anna.
Isabel was amused by her two aunts.
In the living room, Andrew sat upright, looking at everything with a critical eye.
The maid was about to serve the snacks, but he raised his hand to stop her: "I'm sorry, but I won't taste food anywhere other than the Charvis Manor. After all, no chef anywhere can compare to the Duke's Mansion."
"Oh, you are Miss Norman?" He paused when he saw Isabel coming in, then looked away arrogantly. "Although there is no precedent for a lady interfering in her own marriage, I will allow you to sit in and listen."
He looked at Edward again and took out a stack of documents. "Mr. Norman, let's make this quick. Staying in a reception room that's less than 200 square meters for too long will make me dizzy."
Edward looked grim as he held the document and read the long prenuptial clauses.
Sir Jarvis, though prim and pedantic, appeared affable at the moment. He explained, "According to the Queen's order, the Duke of Spencer should have come in person. Unfortunately, a family banquet is being held, so we have no choice but to send our butler...er, no, Mr. Andrew Beale, the top butler who has served the Spencer family for twenty years and represents the honor of the Duke's House. It's a mark of respect for you all."
Everyone's expressions were complicated.
The housekeeper takes care of all the important matters of marriage. Is he respected? Or rather, despised.
Isabel didn't care about that. She sat down calmly and began to look at the document carefully.
Andrew snorted coldly, "Mr. Norman, didn't you teach your daughter that being too concerned about her marriage is unbecoming? A noble lady should let her father do it for her, and then she should obediently put on her wedding dress and get married."
"You..." Edward's face turned pale.
"Don't worry, Dad." Isabel slowly put down the documents, patted her father's hand, and looked at Andrew with a smile. "Sir, your prenuptial agreement only stipulates the division of our respective property. So... what about the betrothal gift?"
Andrew exchanged a quick, secretive glance with Jarvis, then sneered, "Miss Norman, are you kidding? You, an unmarried woman, are asking us for a betrothal gift? The Queen of the Holy Principality of Ceylon grants marriage, the highest honor, and you..."
"Where's the betrothal gift?" Isabel interrupted him.
Andrew's face froze, and Jarvis coughed twice, "Miss Norman..."
"Where's the betrothal gift?" Isabel interrupted again, her smile unchanged.
The scene fell into a strange stalemate.
Mary suddenly laughed and said, "Sir Jarvis, Mr. Andrew, no matter how glorious a marriage is, money is always a factor. Or do you mean to say that your family has no betrothal gifts?"
Andrew's face flushed red as he abruptly stood up. "Madam Mary, for the sake of your husband, Earl Clauren, I forgive your disrespect for the Duke's House. Please understand that if it weren't for the Queen's blessing, a mere baron's daughter would have to bring a dowry of at least 20,000 Ceylon rupees to marry into the Duke's House! And you, Miss Norman, have taken such a huge advantage, yet you're publicly questioning the betrothal gift. How rude and ridiculous!"
His tone was sharp and his expression was fierce, almost scaring the little maid to drop the coffee cup from her hand.
The Normans were indeed shocked and seemed to be led in another direction by his words.
However, Isabel looked relaxed, even leaning back on the sofa in a more comfortable position. "Oh, so? Does this have anything to do with the question we raised?"
Andrew: “I…”
Isabel: "Yes, or no. Don't talk nonsense, just answer with those two words."
"You!" Andrew's mustache curled up in anger. "Yes! Of course! The Duke's Mansion needs your money! But that will be paid after you sign the agreement and get married! Oh! God! I hope old Lady Violet won't faint from anger when she knows she has a granddaughter-in-law who is obsessed with money!"
"After the wedding?" Isabel smiled and suddenly threw the document aside. "Sorry, I won't sign it."
Andrew's eyes widened, as if he couldn't believe what he saw, "?!"
"You won't sign?" Jarvis' polite mask shattered, and he slammed his cane down on the ground. "Are you resisting the marriage?! Mr. Norman! Please take care of your daughter! You can't bear the consequences!"
Edward was also very scared. He didn't dare to persuade his daughter, nor did he dare to respond to Jarvis.
Isabel chuckled and shook the documents. "It's you who want to destroy this marriage. Think about it carefully. If the Spencer Duke's Mansion doesn't accept me as his fiancée, who will be responsible?"
"This marriage is known throughout the country. We are merely a poor baronial family, unable to survive without money. Your Duke is a powerful figure, yet you are willing to break off the engagement for such a small betrothal gift. Who suffers the consequences? The Queen and the Duke are humiliated, so who will be punished in the end?"
Jarvis and Andrew looked at each other again, with a calculating glint in their eyes.
"Okay, I can pay you the betrothal gift in advance, but don't think this is a compromise. I just don't want to cause any trouble, Miss Norman." Andrew sneered, called the servant, opened the box and showed the cash, "Here is 10,000 Ceylon rupees, please take a look!"
Talking openly about money is always embarrassing for today's aristocrats.
In front of the servants, Edward and Jenny's faces were burning with anger, and Andrew seemed to want to see this result.
Just as he was about to taunt her, Isabel suddenly asked, "Ten thousand?"
Ignoring the gazes of others, she expertly counted the cash and looked at Andrew again. "You are a dignified Duke, and you only gave me a betrothal gift of 10,000? That's the same as the cost of renovating your manor?"
"Miss Norman!" Andrew gasped angrily, "Ten thousand Ceylon rupees is enough for your estate to earn three years' income!"
"So what?" Isabel stared at Andrew, the smile in her icy blue eyes gradually fading. "Mr. Butler, don't play tricks. I can handle things like directly reconciling the Duke's accounts with the contract."
Andrew's anger froze, his eyes flickered and he looked at Jarvis again.
"Well, there are still some real estates that are not convenient to trade at the moment. You should sign first and we..." Jarvis was so busy trying to smooth things over that he even forgot to speak in a low voice.
"Sir, please don't make me repeat myself." Isabel smiled again, like a wolf that has locked onto its prey and is ready to watch them continue their performance. "I won't sign a single word, let alone leave this room, until I receive all the betrothal gifts."
After a pause, she repeated softly, "Think it through. It's... everything."
Andrew's expression was stiff, his top hat tilted to one side in anger. He took out a document and slammed it on the table: "There is also a manor worth 30,000 Ceylon rupees!"
Isabel took it without changing her expression: "That's all?"
Andrew: "No more! A betrothal gift of 40,000 Ceylon rupees! Not many families in the country can afford it..."
"That's all right. I'll ask the Duke myself, and even meet with old Lady Violet if necessary." Isabel raised her eyes and smiled. "Ask the Spencer family, the head of the seven great families of the Holy Principality of Ceylon; whose ancestors have made remarkable achievements and maintained their glory for nearly three hundred years; who possess the most noble and ancient bloodline, currently serves as one of the seven permanent electors, holding exclusive jurisdiction over the territory; who owns the largest Charvet Manor in the country and effortlessly maintains its luxury, even though it costs 10,000 Ceylon rupees annually... Can they only offer a betrothal gift of 40,000 Ceylon rupees?"
She could imitate Andrew's accent, even his heavy breathing, which was quite sarcastic.
Andrew’s teeth were about to break: “Greedy woman!”
After a long standoff, Jarvis finally tugged at his sleeve and gave him a hint with his eyes. Andrew finally said, "There are also classical paintings and jewelry, as well as annuities and bonds worth 20,000 Ceylon rupees."
Isabel slowly reviewed the terms and looked at him again.
Andrew was mad: "No more! It's really gone this time!"
Isabel smiled, put away all the betrothal gift lists, and stood up: "Very good, it doesn't matter if you have reservations. I will check them one by one, and if I miss anything, I will ask the person in charge, Butler Andrew, to make up for it."
“You…you!”
Andrew took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and in full view of everyone, he took out a jewelry box.
"The Lexington Emerald that the old lady asked me to keep."
Isabel continued with a smile, even giving a ladylike bow: "Thank you so much, Mr. Andrew, for your hard work in keeping it."
Andrew gritted his teeth: “…”
The Norman family was shocked and bewildered by the fact that they could plunder such a huge betrothal gift.
They weren't surprised by the Duke's wealth, but how could a mere steward and the Queen's messenger dare to divide up the betrothal gifts without their master's knowledge? Judging by their deft gestures, it was clear this wasn't the first time!
If Isabel wasn't so difficult to fool, given the Norman family's polite yet cowardly personality, it would have been a blessing for them not to be tricked into giving her away.
Andrew and Jarvis didn't want to stay a moment longer, so after signing the marriage contract, they got in the carriage and waited.
Inside the house, Mary looked solemn. She pulled Isabel aside and said, "It seems the situation in the Duke's Mansion is more complicated than we imagined. If they didn't have someone supporting them, they wouldn't be so bold!"
Jenny sighed, also worried: "Yes, you haven't even set off yet, and you've already offended them. You must be careful on the road."
Isabel smiled but said nothing. She handed the box filled with property contracts to Michelle and said, "Mrs. Michelle, please send these and my reply to Kent."
Everyone was stunned.
Anna exclaimed: "You want to send all the betrothal gifts to... Bella? How can this be possible? This is you..."
She wanted to say that this was what Isabel had gained by sacrificing herself in exchange for marriage.
"Why not?" Isabel interrupted with a smile, waving her feather fan. "Rather than giving it as a gift, it's better to give it to her for safekeeping. They thought I would bring the property to the Duke's Palace for my own use. But..."
Mary pondered for a moment, smiled knowingly, and continued, "But they never thought that you would come to the mansion with nothing. No matter how much they wanted to cheat you of your money, they couldn't."
Jenny shook her head. "How are you going to live if you don't bring anything with you? A Duke's Mansion is so big, so you need some property to maintain its dignity."
Isabel didn't answer immediately, waiting for Emily to pack her luggage before setting off lightly.
When she reached the gate, she looked at the marigolds outside the manor and picked one to put on her hat.
"Go back." Isabel waved to her family.
Edward and Jenny burst into tears again, and their two aunts hugged each other.
When Isabel was close to her mother, she said calmly, "Don't worry, Mom. Respectability doesn't need to be maintained by wealth and status..."
She was speaking to the Norman family as well as to herself.
"I will rely on myself and get everything I want in the Duke's Mansion."
Fame, status, wealth, or power.
In the sunshine, the Spencer family's rising sun lion flag fluttered in the wind.
Isabel walked slowly towards the magnificent motorcade, her steps light and graceful.
Since you are the protagonist of this story, it would be nice to explore the new map and challenge a new life.
Looking at Andrew who looked disgusted in the car, Isabel thought: I've been lying down for too long, I need to relax.
The author has something to say:
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Fake BKing: Heinrich
Real BKing: Isabel
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