Chapter 76

EMILY was stepping forward but Felicity Habiet was persistent with her calling. The marchioness was gripping the reticule tighter before she stopped and turned to face the woman that claimed to be her husband’s fiancée once upon a time.
“What is it? Can’t you see that I am busy right now?” Emily spoke softly to her as Felicity was smiling at her. Emily knew that she wanted to gloat about her naïvetés but, for once, Emily hoped that she had not made a mistake by letting Felicity Habiet take advantage of her.
But the next words that came out of Felicity Habiet surprised the damnation out of Emily.
“I’m sorry, my lady. I just want to say that I want to apologize for my behavior several weeks ago when I knew that I shouldn’t be so… eager with your husband at the Stone Tower. I was just trying to prove a point,” she said, as Emily took a deep breath.
Prove a point by using my husband? You’re so making your own grave here, lady, Emily mused as she was gripping the reticule tighter, making her knuckles go white. Emily forced a smile upon her lips.
“Is that so? Wanting to prove what exactly? Because I can see that you’re shoving my husband’s throat was nothing to prove about,” Emily hissed before she stepped away from Felicity. Emily knew that her eyes were pure obsidian right now as the color faded from her sight. But that was before Felicity said the magic words.
“I was trying to prove that you love him as much as Ian loves you,” the young woman said, turning to look at Emily as the marchioness glanced over her shoulder. Then, Emily turned to look at Felicity as the young woman was smiling weakly at her.
“I was trying to show Ian that you cared for him even when he married you out to save your reputation, my lady. And I think,” Felicity stepped forward as she was looking at the marchioness.
“He made the right decision to marry you, even when you’re that plain Jane,” the courtesan said before Emily rolled her eyes.
Then, Felicity took her hands and gripped them. “But I do hope that someday, maybe not today, we will be friends and I can help you to get back at Ian,” she said as Emily was arching her eyebrows.
Perhaps it was not recommended that she arch her eyebrows in polite society, but who cared? She’s the marchioness of Kain, Ian’s wife, and holds a lot of societal rank than other women around her age, except for Becca, because she’s the Duchess of Belikov, Emily can do whatever she wanted.
And if anyone was unhappy with how she was acting in public against Felicity, her husband’s once fiancée, then so be it. Emily sighed.
“Oh, alright. I forgive you, Felicity,” the marchioness said before she took her hands out of the courtesan’s grip. Felicity was blinking her eyes at her, not believing that Emily would forgive her instantly. But the marchioness did and Felicity felt something stirred inside her.
No one has ever been nice to me, even with my social status and rank in polite society. Perhaps Ian had made the right choice, after all, she mused before Emily was looking at her. Then, the marchioness pointed her finger at her, her eyes were pure obsidian as Felicity was staring into them.
Perhaps that’s why Ian took her as his bride. Compassionate, forgiving, and caring, Felicity thought as Emily was speaking to her.
“You will not call my lord husband Ian again. I don’t want to hear it and if I ever hear you call him that again, your apology can go away,” Emily stated before she sighed. Then, she gripped Felicity’s hand because she looked like she was alone and lost in the sea of people.
“But if you work your way through and perhaps give yourself some time, I know someone will love you. And that someone will cherish you as much as Ian cherished me,” Emily stated as she was looking at the courtesan. She knew how much it hurt to let go of something that she had known for the rest of her life.
Her parents, her brother…
Everyone left her alone except for Ian, who was lost and had nowhere to go. Ian had saved her more than once and to think that she was his mate and would be together forever now, Emily knew that Felicity Habiet would be asking the same thing as she had. Emily smiled.
“Someday, out there, you will be loved and cherished. But not until you cherish and love yourself, Felicity.”
Simple words but how impactful they can be. Felicity turned to look at her as Emily was smiling, wanting to have a genuine friendship with her. Growing up, Emily only had Becca to be her only friend. Then, she met Jessie at one of the parties that she went to before she met Felicity and tried to make the unfortunate first impression on her side. Emily smiled before Felicity was rubbing her eyes.
Emily blinked her eyes. “Are you… are you crying, Felicity? Oh, my Gods, I hope that my words are not attacking you personally,” Emily said before she was giving the courtesan her kerchief. But Emily smiled.
This would be the start of a new friendship, she mused before Felicity took it and dabbed her eyes. Emily chuckled softly as Felicity was trying to compose herself.
“Why do you think so, my lady? I was just… dusting the dirt from my eyes. That’s why the tears,” the courtesan said before Emily chuckled and hugged her. Felicity was taken aback by the gesture but her dark heart was beating once again from the genuine gesture that she got from a Vampyre.
And I hope that I will find someone that appreciates me as Lady Emily Hassildor does, Felicity vowed to herself, hugging Her Ladyship back as a smile was plastered on the courtesan’s face.