Chapter 3 #2
Elizabeth wandered through the streets of Briarton with her mother, holding a new book tucked under her arm. She wore a powder blue dress with a leather corset, and her hair was worn in a loose braid over her shoulder—a blessing in the summer heat.
The cobblestone streets were merry, with commoners milling about and pink flowers bursting from hanging baskets on every street corner. From where they stood, she could see a glimpse of the deep blue sea in the distance.
“Don’t you have enough books by now, Lizzy?” Her mother scoffed. “You visit the bookstore nearly every time we’re in the city.”
Elizabeth smiled. “Not nearly enough yet, I’d say.”
“You and your father! Half my manor is full of books. Taking up space everywhere.”
Elizabeth’s smile widened. “Only in Father’s study and my chambers, Mama. Hardly everywhere.”
“It’s too much, and you ride that dreaded horse every chance you get.
You will have to at least pretend to be quiet and demure when you live with Duke Howard.
” Her mother looked at her in concern. “Promise me? I don’t want to hear anything about the horses or hear that you spend every spare moment ignoring your husband with your nose buried in a book. ”
Elizabeth grimaced. “It sounds like I won’t have a choice about the horses, and why can’t I read? It’s a quiet hobby. Silent, actually.”
Her mother tutted. “A wife’s first duty is to her husband, not her own diversions, and I’ll remind you that men do not like a well-read woman, they’ll think you’ll start getting ideas.
With the current climate,” her mother glanced meaningfully at her.
“I don’t want you appearing too opinionated or educated. ”
“We are nobles, Mama. They would not think to accuse us of magic.”
“Let us not tempt fate. Promise me.”
“Fine, Mama.” She wrinkled her nose in distaste. “I promise to only read a modest amount and not to ride horses when I’m at Howard Manor if I’m unfortunate enough to be forced to go through with the match.”
“Excellent.” Her mother’s smile warmed.
They ventured through the streets of Briarton, making their way to the marketplace.
Loud and boisterous, the market was easy to spot. It was packed today with people peering at displays of goods. Carts overflowed with flowers, stands brimmed with fresh fruit, and merchants proudly showcased their wares from their booths.
Her mother stopped by a booth to examine a merchant’s latest stock—lustrous, pink Rhodean pearls.
Rare and expensive. A brow rose as she scanned the variety and their prices.
Her mother looked at the merchant, and her lips pursed like they usually did when she was skeptical.
“They aren't even made into beads yet, hardly worth that many silver nobles, don't you think?” Her mother held a pearl against Elizabeth’s powder blue dress, tutting.
“Perhaps not the pink. Have you got any silver ones? Might be better for your colouring, dear.”
While her mother haggled with the merchant, Elizabeth wandered off, drawn to a cart overflowing with pink flowers. If she wasn’t so resentful of her parents right now, she might have picked a couple of pretty bunches for the dining table.
She turned to rejoin her mother and slammed into a broad chest.
It was like running into a brick wall.
“Oh.” Startled, her heart leapt into her throat. “Sorry, sir.” She looked up at who she had embarrassed herself in front of. A pair of unsettling silver eyes met her gaze.
The demon from the ball.
“Lady Elizabeth Ashcroft,” he said, frowning at her. “It’s quite all right.”
Goodness, he was massive this close. Though only a couple inches taller, his presence felt like he towered over her. She was mesmerized by his pupilless silver eyes and could think of nothing but the sheer oddity of them.
He wasn’t unattractive, for all he was a demon.
The thought that she even contemplated this creature’s attractiveness made her face feel hot with shame.
“Are you all right?” he asked, misreading her facial expression.
“Yes, well then. Good day to you,” she said, growing flustered.
He gave her a cool look and departed, slipping into the crowds and disappearing.
His appearance was so sudden that she half thought she had imagined the whole encounter. What was he doing so far from Calyx? She shook her head, blinking away her shock. Thankfully, her mother was deep in conversation with the merchant and hadn’t noticed her bumping into a strange man.
They took their lunch and afternoon tea at an elegant bistro.
Elizabeth said nothing and picked at her meal in silence.
“So, tell me? You’re not your usual self today, Lizzy.”
“I think you know why that is,” she said, unable to keep the tartness out of her voice.
A flicker of guilt crossed her mother’s features for the briefest of seconds, and had Elizabeth not known her very well, she would have missed it.
It was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by a soft smile.
“Would you excuse me, Lizzy? I need to use the ladies’ room.
” Her mother patted her lips delicately with a napkin and rose from the table.
A shadow crossed over Elizabeth’s features as soon her mother left. Brows tightly knit, Elizabeth scowled at the table, her polite mask slipping.
Elizabeth looked forlornly at the passersby outside the restaurant.
Commoners milled about the town, going about their day as if they didn’t have a care in the world.
Across the street a tall figure caught her eye, walking with long loping steps.
It was the demon. What was he doing here?
His gaze lifted as if feeling her stare, and their eyes locked. She jolted in surprise and looked away, embarrassed to be caught being so bold.
The demon turned on his heel and started walking across the road towards her.
She looked around in alarm, searching for an escape, but he had already seen her. To make matters worse, her table was at the border of the bistro, close to the street.
He walked right up to her, separated only by a thin white railing, and spoke, his voice a deep rumble, “Hello, Elizabeth.”
“Hello…?” she trailed off, waiting for his name. Many would have considered it an affront for someone to use only her first name without her surname or title.
“You may call me Caspian.”
“Er, nice to meet you, Caspian.”
Caspian said smoothly, “I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself earlier.”
“I see. And what brings you all the way to Briarton?” She shouldn’t be speaking to him at all, but curiosity was getting the better of her.
“Business.” The word was clipped.
“What kind of business? Might I ask?”
The demon regarded her for a moment. “I am seeking a new business partner here, on the word of someone I met in the capital.”
Oh. That made sense. “And what sort of business ventures does a demon concern himself with?”
“There is something of value I want, and someone knows where I can find it. I am hoping we reach a mutual agreement.”
“Oh. I see. Well it was nice talking to you.”
She pointedly returned her attention to her tea, eager for him to be gone.
“This restaurant is nice. A favourite of yours?” he said casually, leaning on the fence enclosure.
She glanced around nervously. People were starting to notice her speaking with him.
“Pardon me for being so bold, but is there a reason you’re here?” she asked, gesturing vaguely at her table, chewing her lip. “You’re not following me, are you?”
“Who says it is not you that keeps following me? This is the second time that I’ve run into you today.” He took a step closer, and shifted his feet, looking like he intended to stay for a while.
“I apologize, but my mother is not here. I am without a chaperone. This isn’t quite proper,” she blurted. She smiled a little, trying not to appear too rude. He hadn’t offered her harm yet, after all.
He tilted his head, as if considering. After a moment, he took a step back and said, “As you wish, Lady Elizabeth.”
“Oh.” Now that he’d agreed, she didn’t know what to say.
He inclined his head to her and swiftly departed, saving her the trouble.
“Lizzy! What in the Seven Hells are you doing?”
Her mother hurriedly walked back to her seat, pink in the face. “Speaking to a man while you are betrothed. One who is not one of us, even. A commoner, if my eyes deceive me!”
“He was at the ball, Mama,” she said stubbornly. “A man like that is as eligible as Duke Howard. And why can’t I become betrothed to a commoner?”
“As to the first, I have not heard of his family name, and he is not in our circle. He is not one of us,” Her mother scoffed.
“Some of the lesser nobility were in attendance that night, as you well know. As to the second, you are an Ashcroft. And with that title comes certain responsibilities, both to your ancestors before you and to your children after you! As I said, you are betrothed and can’t be seen speaking to single men. It is unseemly.”
Elizabeth sighed heavily. “And what if I don’t accept the arrangement?”
“You are an Ashcroft,” her mother repeated, punctuating their family name. “You must marry well. It would disgrace our family, and we would fall out of favour if you were to break your engagement.”
She grimaced. “I don't even know Duke Howard well,” Elizabeth said weakly, desperately trying another angle. “He is just as much a stranger to me as that man.”
“That is easily remedied! He is coming for dinner tomorrow night. You’ll have plenty of time to get better acquainted.” Her mother’s eyes were earnest.
Elizabeth tried not to let horror colour her features.
***
Seated at the table, Elizabeth smoothed the large peach dress over her knees—the baggiest and least revealing gown she could find.
When it had been delivered months ago, her mother tutted and called it bag-like and unflattering.
She was pleased to have found a good use for it and wore the unflattering gown like armour to try and escape the attention of Duke Howard.