Kate walked with confident steps beside Amber, the two of them having regained a measure of calm.
As they approached the large stone table shaded by a canopy embroidered with the Claudion family crest, Lady Margaret sat there, surrounded by the ladies of high society. Among them was Baroness de Villar a woman whose silken tongue concealed meticulous calculations.
To Margaret's right Rosalyn sets , holding a delicate porcelain teacup between her fingers, a smile on her face that could not be trusted.
Margaret added softly,
"Well, here you are… come sit with us. Tea simply wouldn't be complete without you both."
Kate gave a slight bow.
"Of course, Mother."
As Kate moved to sit down, she failed to notice the maid behind her serving tea, and accidentally bumped into her.
A chime of cups and a splash of hot tea spilled onto the embroidered white tablecloth! Some even dripped onto her dress.
For a second, the scene froze. All eyes fell upon the maid, who bowed in panic.
"Forgive me… please… I didn't"
But Amber was quick to act. She rose from her seat with graceful ease, offering the maid a reassuring hand.
Speaking in a poised, confident tone, Amber said:
"It's all right it wasn't your fault. You may go.
Ladies, I ask your pardon for my sister… she's young and full of enthusiasm sometimes her curiosity outweighs her composure."
Baroness de Villar chuckled lightly, watching Amber.
"What a gentle spirit and noble manner… I expected nothing less from the daughter of Lady Maria. You remind me so much of her those same eyes, that same quiet elegance."
She then cast a sideways glance at Margaret, her voice carrying a suggestion.
"Do you know, Margaret… I have an only son Lucien. He has just returned from his travels in the south… I'm sure he would be delighted to meet such a young lady."
Margaret smiled diplomatically.
"Amber is a sensible young woman… but let us wait for the proper time for such matters. Still, I cannot help seeing Amber as a little child."
Rosalyn interjected with a tone laced with subtle mockery.
"Child ? I don't think so, Mother especially when she goes to the market alone and meets… people ."
She threw Amber a light, but poisonous look.
Amber stiffened with embarrassment, clutching her dress in her hands.
Kate, keeping her composure with a faint smile, said,
"Please excuse me, everyone I need to change. The tea has ruined my dress."
Amber spoke politely, placing her hand on Kate's arm.
"I'll go with her. Please excuse us."
The baroness, watching Amber with discreet admiration, murmured to Margaret,
"How refined her manners are… simple yet noble."
Margaret's lips curved into a faint smile.
"Amber has always been this way…"
The two young women bowed gracefully and slipped away from the table under the watchful gazes of the noble ladies.
In the long corridor carpeted in red and lined with white marble columns, the echoes of their footsteps gradually faded, far from the murmurs of the gathering. Kate suddenly stopped, turning to Amber with a faintly mischievous smile—like someone about to reveal a cheeky secret.
Kate whispered with a broad grin,
"You know… I did that on purpose."
Amber frowned, crossing her arms.
"What exactly? …You mean spilling the tea?"
Kate chuckled quietly, glancing around.
"Yes I nudged the maid on purpose. No one saw us, don't worry.
But I honestly couldn't stand sitting there any longer. The baroness was speaking as if we were on display at an auction, and Rosalyn … she hears every whisper and fires back with an arrow wrapped in silk."
Amber sighed, masking her discomfort.
"But Kate… we could have excused ourselves quietly, without making a scene . It made us look… improper."
Kate stepped closer, taking her arm with playful affection.
"My princess with the blue eyes… don't spoil the moment. I just wanted us out of there we have more important things to do than sit among heavy handed pleasantries. Remember, we still need to arrange your meeting with Eric, and Aaron is waiting to help us with that."
Amber's lips twitched with a reluctant smile.
"I truly don't like underhanded methods… and what if someone noticed? Especially Rosalyn her looks are never casual."
Kate winked, speaking with confidence.
"Leave Rosalyn to me I know how to keep her distracted. As for the baroness… she can think what she likes. What matters is that you'll be with the one you love that's all what matters ."
Amber shook her head with a gentle smile.
"You're impossible, Kate… but I'm grateful for your kind of madness."
"That's the spirit!" Kate replied, tugging her along.
"Now, I'll change my dress, and then we'll meet Aaron… Tomorrow at the evening event , everyone will be busy, so the plan must be flawless."
They quickened their pace, the shadows of the columns behind them reflecting the intertwined destinies of the serene, love-struck girl and her mischievous friend, who knew exactly how to move events forward in silence and secrecy.