Chapter 213
Belle took a moment to tidy her dress, which got wrinkled during running.
Then she puffed her chest, raised her chin, and walked over like a proud princess.
“Morning.”
She said in a polite yet distant voice.
The ladies jerked around in shock. Especially Agnes. Her movement was so large that
she almost knocked over a teacup.
“Princess Belle, wha–what are you doing here?” one of the ladies stuttered.
“I am here for your tea party,” Belle replied with a cool smile.
“Forgive me Your Highness, but you are not invited-
“Oh, is that so?”
Belle raised an eyebrow, glaring at her, “This is my house, my garden. The willow above your head was planted by my late mama and papa decades ago. And now you are telling me that I need to be invited to my own home?”
The lady flinched, biting her lips in silence.
Wells walked over and stood behind his twin sister’s back, “Belle, looks like we have got a bunch of intruders in our house. What do we do to those intruders again?”
Belle said in her soft, silky voice, “We chase them out. Or we shoot them dead.” “Great idea.” Wells grinned, stretching his body, “Do you want to take the lead? Or should 1
“Wait!”
Agnes stood up abruptly with a pale face.
Her chest heaved. Then she forced out a smile, “You are more than welcome to join us, Princess Belle, Prince Wells…and Lady Janet.”
“Awesome.”
Belle held Janet’s hand and led her to the long table set underneath the tree.
There were several intricately designed cushions on the ground. All the ladies were sitting on those cushions.
Yet there was only one empty cushion left.
“I am a dude. I can sit on the ground,” Wells shrugged.
“Then we still need one more seat at the table.”
Belle looked around the table and eventually fixed her gaze on Agnes’s face. “…Agnes, you should stand up and make room for me and Janet,” she chuckled.
The twin’s target was quite clear now.
The ladies exchanged uneasy looks with each other while Agnes’s face twisted with embarrassment.
Then she said in a strained voice, “I don’t think that is necessary, Princess Belle. I can easily ask the maids to bring us one more cushion…”
“So now it is OK to add one more seat to the table? Then what about last Christmas?” Belle said in a loud voice, “You sat in MY seat last Christmas by my brother’s side! When I walked up to confront you, you said that the table was full and asked me to sit somewhere else! I got angry yet you said to everyone, ‘Look at Belle. Getting all teared up for such a small matter. But who can blame her? She is just a spoiled child.“”
She did a vivid mimicry of Agnes’s gentle, pitiful voice.
Some ladies wanted to laugh.
Yet Agnes glared at them. They quickly lowered their heads.
Wells crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at Agnes, “Lady Agnes, you are not a child. Surely you won’t get upset if we ask you to give your seat to Belle now right?”
Agnes clenched her fists, looking mortified.
She suddenly pulled a handkerchief and dubbed it at the corner of her eyes:
“You obviously hold a grudge against me, Princess Belle…But…But it is not that your brother enjoyed my companion more than yours…”
“What did you say?!” Belle cried.
my fault
“Bullshit!” Wells huffed, “Our brother would never choose to sit with you instead of with us-
“But it is true.”
Agnes peeked up from her handkerchief and sobbed, “He often said to me that… that he hoped he could have a break from his annoying brother and sister sometimes…
“LIAR!” Belle roared her cheek on fire.
Janet now saw what was going on here.
Belle and Wells took her to Agnes’s exclusive tea party, hoping to wrap up the party and embarrass Agnes in front of her gang members.
Yet Agnes could easily get under their skins.
Janet hated to see the twins lose.
So she stepped up and said to Agnes with a faint smile, “Lady Agnes, are you saying that you are more important to King Westin than his own brother and sister?”
Agnes parted her lips, stuttering, “No, that is not what I said-”
“But it is what you are implying. Oh, and do remind me. What are you to King Westin again? You are not his mate nor fiancé, are you? You are just his dead friend’s wife. Why are you so important to him?”
Agnes was rendered speechless.
A pink tinge appeared on her pale cheeks, “I am the King’s friend-
“What kind of friend is more important than his own brother and sister?” Janet let out a sarcastic laugh. “Or are you saying that you and the King have an improper kind of relationship? I wonder what the King says about this
“NO!” Agnes snapped.
She let out a frustrated breath and stood up from her cushion.
“You can have my seat if you like, Lady Janet,” she gritted.
Belle snapped her head to Janet, joy gleaming in her eyes. Wells grinned and high–fived Janet behind their backs.
Janet felt exhilarating as well.
It did feel good winning.
They all took their seats by the table, leaving Agnes the only person standing.
Belle snickered, “Agnes, since you have nothing else to do while standing, why don’t you play the harp for us?”
Agnes froze on her spot again.
at once, “Good
One of the ladies, with the intention to ease the tension, spoke up at once, idea. Lady Agnes is an expert in music.”
Issa echoed, “It would be our pleasure to hear Agnes play!”
Many ladies started clapping, including Belle and Wells, even though the latter two… got an evil grin on their faces.
Agnes stuttered, “I–1 hurt my fingers. I can’t play string instrument-
“How about the flute?” Wells suggested.
“No, I don’t feel like.
“You talk about how you are an expert in music all day. But how come you don’t know how to play any instrument?” Belle asked sharply, “All the ladies are trained. to play at least one instrument! Do you have a strong suit? Or are you just a fraud?”
All the ladies looked at Agnes with skeptical eyes.
Agnes balled her fists, scarlet in the face.
She shivered and then suddenly let out a sob.
“I see what is going on here…” she choked, dubbing her eyes with her handkerchief. “A widow like me is an easy target…What would poor Keavy think…”
“Indeed. What would he think? If he knew that you used him as an excuse to get out all of your lies and wrongs, leaving the dead with no peace?” Janet asked icily.
Agnes’s back became stiff.
Then she suddenly let out a loud wail of sorrow and turned on her heels running away.
“YES! GO! Go tell Westin on us!” Belle yelled to her back. “See if we care!”
There was an unsettling look on the rest of the ladies by the table.
Issa straightened up, wanting to go after Agnes, yet Wells spoke up first:
“I brought pokers with me. Those of you who stay here are welcome to play. I am ready to toss away some gold. Who is it?”
The court never allowed young ladies to gamble.
It was such a huge temptation!
The ladies giggled excitedly nodding along, even Issa sat back at the table.
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