Love....with a Price [Red/Redblood]

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Andrea rose a brow with her daughter's explanation for their seemingly secret conversation. From the looks of it, she was at least inspiring pity in Jesse by expressing her lack of comfort among the rumors and poor status. This, she thought, could be used as an advantage later. Or now? By the way Jesse looked at Charlotte with such an interest in what she said, perhaps now was the time to finally upgrade Charlotte from the mayor's son to a much better bachelor. One who was leagues richer than any of them combined. Andrea was close to opening her mouth to speak and spread her manipulative venom until Richard had appeared. The intrigue in her eyes quickly dulled upon looking at Richard as she smiled and fanned herself. "My, you're looking more mature by the day as well, Mr. Fairfax." she says with a smirk, listening to Richard talk about Jesse and tell her that he was interested in her husband's paintings. Yes, she thought. This was a grand opportunity for money, but why stop there? A visit to the home wouldn't hurt at all. And if Charlotte could charm Jesse in her home, perhaps Andrea could take control of the situation.

Jesse nodded along with Richard "Yes, I would love to see some paintings of his...if available, that is." The way Richard justified Jesse's supposed need for the paintings by saying he wanted to have them to stay close to his dead father made his eye twitch slightly, but nevertheless he curtly smiles. Andrea contemplates for a while, but then raises a finger. "Excuse me for a moment, gentlemen. Charlotte, princess? Mind having a word with your dear mother?"
 
Richard's eyes followed the two women as they walked further away somewhere nearby where they could not be heard easily. "I've never liked that woman. She reeks of poison. I wouldn't trust a word coming out of her mouth." The blonde man said with a warning tone. " Lucky us she isn't the main person to convince here. How's it going with the daughter? Are you getting married yet?" Of course he was just teasing his poor friend. Sometimes it was impossible to resist.

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"Don't tell me you're considering selling the last paintings. You know father holds his last works dear mother." Charlotte protested as fast as they were far enough away not to be heard by the two men. That was the only reason she could imagine that they would have to leave, though it did perplex her that her mother actually considered talking about it with her daughter instead of deciding on her own like she usually did.

"They probably won't be worth as much anyways. The details are far inferior to his previous work and the colorization is far too muddled." She pointed out, trying to give her mother reasons not to bother. They had more emotional worth for her father for being his last pieces before his hands became completely unable to paint anymore than the selling value ever would reach. "Just tell him we've sold everything by this point." If she wouldn't, Charlotte might just exchange them with her own paintings. Sure, she wasn't her father, but she had been taught by him, and people could easily confuse their techniques at a first glance. As long as she could fake a signature, most people would never give it a second thought if it was sold by a family member. Her father would be extremely disappointed though if he ever heard of those thoughts.
 
"It's hard to believe that Miss Charlotte is the daughter of that woman." Jesse said with a low voice of concern, watching Charlotte walk off with her mother. His stare held a longing feeling to them as if he wanted to pull Charlotte away from that poisonous woman, but there was nothing he could do. They were merely strangers-- Until Richard chimed in with his joke about marriage. Jesse bit the inside of his cheek and smirked, then bumping his elbow into Richard. "Hush, you." he says, glaring. "Not even a day has gone by and I'm already wishing you to fall madly in love with someone so that I too may make fun of you in that manner."

Andrea idly listened to her daughter without an ounce of care or attentiveness. Her opinion didn't matter at all. In fact to Andrea, her concerns were invalid. "Of course I'm going to bring him to the house. And of course we'll sell whatever we need so that we may have money to eat off of for the next month or so." She suddenly looks to her sides and then bops Charlotte's head harshly with her fingers. "Think, my little princess, think." She points to Jesse. "He's as naive as they come. He clearly is stunned by you. Bring him home and smile a few times and he will be begging for you within a blink of an eye."

Andrea then narrowed her eyes and spoke in a low voice. "I want you to cordially invite him to our home to have dinner. This is an opportunity we can't allow to go to waste, Charlotte."
 
Chat logs:

Redblood-Yesterday at 9:30 AM


"Oh my friend, I'm already in love." Richard retorted. "I'm in love with all and every woman whom wish to share my bed at night. I do not discriminate by chosing one." He winked.

__

Oh no, not another one. It was quite a shock that her mother chose a man like him, he was far from perfect. "Mother, I have known him for half an hour at most. At least with the mayor's son you waited a few days before you suggested anything like this. Isn't this a bit rushed? We don't even know anything about him." Charlotte pointed out. Sure, he was nice and not like most other rich people as far as she could see, but except for friendship, she could not see anything happen between them.


Red revolver-Yesterday at 9:37 AM


Andrea smirked once her daughter mentioned not knowing much about Jesse. She saw an opportunity arise from such a comment, it was almost criminal not to take it. She tilted her head in a condescending way and spoke "If you don't know him, then make the effort when you invite him to dinner." She says as if Charlotte truly had no choice and as if the invite had already been made. "I will soften things up and make sure he accepts with a smile. Don't worry."

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Jesse felt incredibly awkward with the conversation-- mainly the difference in views when it came to women. Though sleeping around was taboo, Jesse couldn't help but feel a bit of entertainment with Richard. He fancied every woman but held a demeanor of respect. At least he respected them, right? He chuckles and gives a glance towards Charlotte and her mother momentarily "I don't think I would survive a day like you"

Redblood-Yesterday at 9:43 AM


"It's a life not many can handle." Richard agreed. "First off, you need to make sure the scandals can't ruin your reputation, then you need to make sure the women keep coming to you even when they know you are with others." He chuckled.

__

Indeed, she did not know him, so it was unfair to not even consider getting to know him because there was a chance he was indecent. It was also impossible to tell her mother that she already had someone else in mind as she would never approve of that love.

"Fine, I'll invite him to dinner." Not that she had much of a choice.

Red revolver-Yesterday at 9:52 AM


Andrea smiled and leaned closer to kiss her daughter's forehead. It almost had a draining, dreadful, and venomous feeling to it. Like an eerie kiss of a spider just before she would devour a fly. "That's my princess...and remember..." She whispers "not a word to your father..we wouldn't want an accident...now would we?"

As that was now settled, Andrea walked over to Jesse gracefully while fanning herself, taking her time to think up anything to entrance him and make sure he would attend this dinner of theirs. Dealing with the wealthy often required a special kind of wit. Not an appeal to emotions, but to interests. That was their language, after all. What was it that he liked? Even though Andrea didn't know him well, it was obvious that he couldn't stop looking at Charlotte. There it was.

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"That sounds borderline manipulative, having to make sure girls keep coming back despite not being loyal to them, but that's your life." Jesse said in a neutral tone. He wasn't judging Richard as he respected their differences, but he found the concept of polygamy to be...odd at best. Just as he is about to speak, Andrea comes in and smiles at Jesse. "Everything well, Mrs.?" Jesse inquires. Andrea nods and giggles. "Why yes. Though-- oh I'm sorry, not so well for Charlotte there. My little princess is so shy to ask you this-- ahem..." Jesse blinked with curiousity. Andrea smiled "Don't tell her I said this, but she told me that she really enjoyed your presence. That you are charming and definitely someone she would like to see again. She wants you to join us for dinner tomorrow, if that's alright."

Redblood-Yesterday at 10:15 AM


Charlotte nodded as a shiver went down her spine. Accident.... She did not want to know what her mother meant by that. Walking back slower than her mother, trying to collect her thoughts, she did not catch the whispering going on between her mother and the man.

---

Richard was a bit skeptical to Andrea's intentions. Actually it was more than a bit, but at the very least she was going in the right direction for them. Whether it had actually been the girl's request or not didn't matter much as it took them closer to the father. Though it was quite a neat bonus if the girl actually enjoyed her time with Jesse as much as he seemed to do with her. It was definitely too early to tell for sure, but if his friend could find that happy family life he jearned for so much, Richard wouldn't stand in the way. Though he definitely wouldn't go to any family dinners if that mother of hers was precent. As Charlotte approached, Richard shoved a hand into Jesse's back, nodding towards her, trying to hint to him to bring the dinner stuff up.

"Excuse our rudeness. Mother worries too much sometimes." Charlotte said as she came up to them, not wanting them to think that they had been speaking about Mr. Wasserman.
 
"It's all fine...a worried mother is much better than an indifferent one." Jesse said, although he did not really know too much on the subject. Like any story trope set in any timeframe, there was always someone without a mother. Someone who didn't know the love of one nor their care. Unfortunately this sort of circumstance alone was more than a trope, it was a life fact that sadly happens to a very unfortunate few. Though Jesse didn't act upon that absence too much. He could feel Richard shove him, almost wanting to cast the man a glare, but contains himself as he smiles at the beautiful Charlotte. The fact that Andrea said her daughter wanted to see Jesse again made his heart beat quickly and his lips contort into a smile uncontrollably. Though not to startle her or put her in a weird situation, he makes the following white lie. "Your mother invited me to dinner." Jesse starts, his voice soft. "I think it's a nice idea to go. I'd love to meet the man behind the paintings. Perhaps gain some inspiration from him to redecorate my ranch home." Then his hand slowly goes for Charlotte's as he then holds it softly with a smile. "And I'd like to see you again, too."

Andrea gave out a sigh, mostly of happiness, and stroked her daughter's hair. She was clearly satisfied. "We await your visit, Mr. Wasserman."
 
Her mother sounded satisfied. Charlotte on the other hand was not. Not only was her mother trying to put her up with someone, but this man did seem quite fond of her as well. Maybe he was just being friendly, but now when her mother had told her of her plan, Charlotte became suspicious of every nice action Jesse decided to take. The worst part? She couldn't screw this up. If she sabotaged her own marriage again her mother would surely notice. At least if it was visible. She just had to do it a bit more subtly.

"I'm sure father would love to meet you Mr. Wasserman." Charlotte told him with a polite smile, though on the inside she hoped father would come to dislike him for one reason or another and disagree with her mother's decision. Not very likely, she held his strings more tightly than ever, and with him becoming sicker and sicker, he would never have the energy to disagree with her.

"I'm certain, since your family have been such great admirers of his works, that you will love his gallery. Father tends to test all his visitors to see if they can spot his painting in a room full of fake ones. It's just a fun little game of course, you won't have to worry about getting it wrong." Charlotte told him. Maybe she shouldn't have warned him about the little game and quite frankly she wasn't certain why she was doing it. Was it because she wanted to prepare him or because she hoped he would be worried enough to embarrass himself during the dinner? Because of her mother, she certainly did have a few conflicted feelings about this man whom she had hoped she could call a friend.
 
Jesse smiles once Charlotte assures him that his visit is welcome. As he thought while observing every gesture of the woman, he assumes that on the inside, Charlotte must be melting from excitement due to Jesse visiting by tomorrow night. This sensation brewing in the pit of his stomach was something he had never experienced before. It wasn't like a fire, no. It was like a revitalizing splash of something. He could feel himself uncontrollably chuckling when Charlotte describes the fun "test" her dad does. This almost made Jesse think that rich socialites like Charlotte aren't all heartless, boring moguls. Clifford sounded really fun. "Heheh, I'll be sure to study hard as to not disappoint you or your good father."

Just as he is about to speak, a few people sped walked towards Jesse. An uneasy expression quickly glossed over his blue eyes but then vanished as he once again had to put on that fake mask of his to act like the class he is now part of. He turns to them once they stop and nods. "Yes?"

"Mr. Wasserman, we would like it if you could lead the toast tonight." Jesse stayed quiet for quite a moment there. Secretly, he almost thought it had something to do with actual toast-- to be fair, the rich were strange people. Eating cheese with small forks, sipping wine and then spitting it back out. But then he realized they meant wine and then nodded with a charming smile. "A pleasure. I'll be there in just a minute."

Andrea rose a brow and wrapped her arm around her daughter's. "How curious! You must be quite the man for the party to name you as the toast leader." She says. Then she looks at Charlotte. "Darling, shall we go in and toast then?"
 
Wait, he didn't get nervous at all? Most people who wanted to impress on her father would be afraid of not getting everything perfectly right. Though she shouldn't expect anything less of this man. He hadn't really conformed to anything else the high society generally did normally so far. It was quite hard to figure out how to keep her distance from someone like that without letting her mother notice it. It wasn't like she could drop a bucket of paint on another one. Though maybe he wouldn't have those intentions either way. So far it was only her mother's idea. Maybe it was silly worrying about it already.

"I guess so. Good luck with the rest of the evening, Mr. Wasserman." It was hard to say something like, have a nice evening, because they both knew it would be an exhausting night filled with gossiping zombies. Good luck was certainly a more fitting term.

"You did it, you got into the exclusive home of the famous painter, and was it just me or did you get into the heart of a certain famous painter's daughter as well? That was more than a polite smile she gave you in the beginning." Richard said as the two women left them. Of course he didn't believe she had fallen for the quirky Mr. Wasserman, but there was a little spark in her eyes during some parts of the conversation, just as there had been in Jesse's. It would require some work, but he was sure those two would work perfectly together if they got to know each other. He was just very good at sensing those kind of things in people.
 
"I hope you have some good luck this evening, too, Ms. Clifford." Jesse said as he began walking off with Richard back to the party.

Jesse almost froze with Richard's comments about possibly gaining the heart of Charlotte. He immediately places his hand within his coat and sighed tiredly, giving off a huff. "That's enough...I'm not going to "win" anything with her just for some form of gain if that's what you're implying." Though of course once he began thinking about it-- or rather recalling the conversation he had with her earlier, a certain twinkle appeared in his eyes. He then whispers "I'll respect her forever...for sure..."

Once Jesse was led back into the party, the group of socialites waiting for their new talk of the town, Jesse, were already armed with cups of wine and whiskey from the west. Jesse gulps lightly as he felt his throat run dry, but then composes himself once he sees Charlotte within the crowd. Jesse takes a cup of whiskey into his hands from a passerby waiter and raises his cup up. He remembered slightly how these things went from the limited amount of times his father allowed him to work in the big house rather than the farmland. Those fancy dinners he'd have with his friends where he would raise a cup and people would collide their cups with his. This would fly, right? Jesse thinks for a moment, but then his attention is torn towards Andrea who is holding a cup herself as she speaks. "To an evening full of surprises and changes. May all of us embrace the new era, accept what life has thrown at us, and enjoy what is to come..." she looks at Jesse and then raises her glass. "Mr. Wasserman?"

Jesse stays quiet for a minute, then looks at Charlotte briefly. He then takes Andrea's lead. "To the future and all we can build from it....Salut!" He raises his cup towards Charlotte explicitly, giving off a sincere look of admire.
 
"Ohoo, you think I'm implying something like that?" Richard said with an amused grin. "Well, your biggest concern right now is to survive the night without loosing money or reputation. Try not to let the cute mademoiselle steal all of your attention."

Of course that fool didn't listen very well. Instead of doing a toast without singling out anyone special, just keeping his eyes moving around the crowd, Jesse looked at the young woman. Who knew how the newspapers would spin this story. 'Did she break up with her fiance for a higher price?' Or maybe they'll just go for something more memorable. 'Gold-digger wins big.' For Jesse on the other hand, who knew what the papers would write. First off they would have to introduce him to the city as he was a completely new face. Before any big stories comes out focusing on his love life, they would probably try to milk all other information out of him. They were brutal when it came to that stuff. Richard weren't sure how to speak to his friend about this potential problem. He was actually quite afraid that Jesse might get far too anxious for causing trouble, not only for himself but for a woman he so clearly fancied to some extent. For now it was probably best to wait with the explanation until the party ended.

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Heat was rushing into her face. She could only imagine how red she looked. Embarrassed? A bit indeed, but also worried. Was his intentions truly her mothers? This certainly did look like more than just a friendly gesture. Though he didn't seem to understand all their ways... Maybe a more personal toast was normal according to him.

So much went on in her mind, she almost forgot to make the toast with everyone else. She stumbled up with the glass a second after everyone else, looking far too clumsy compared to her normal, collected self. Oh no, people were absolutely going to talk about this.
 
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To Jesse, the world did not paint him as a fool. No matter how much he wanted to stare at Charlotte, no matter the smiles, he was no fool. After the toast, people came up to Jesse to spill the beans about Charlotte based off the obvious look Jesse gave her. "Did you know she was going to marry someone for money?" "Did you know she's an interest whore?" "She's a gold digger. Don't be fooled!" However, with every comment from very sour socialites, Jesse narrowed his eyes and bit his lip. From that conversation alone, he knew Charlotte wasn't a bad person. In the farmlands, one did not show themselves by words alone. It was the actions and the looks that told a person their story. Charlotte's eyes were a window to her very essence, and by staring at them he began to know her better. She wasn't bad. But every time he'd mentally assure himself of that, someone else would make a rude comment about her, forewarning Jesse about potentially being jiffed by Charlotte. Jesse had enough. "Hey-- curb your tongue..." he said in a low voice. "You'll respect her like any other lady in the world."

Andrea observed the look Jesse had given her daughter, giving off an almost haunting smirk. This was a tell-tale sign that good things were to come, were they? He seemed naive enough to take the mayor's son's place. And Charlotte? Obedient as always. A little talk here and there would do the trick to suck out all the money Jesse had. Though her attention is quickly ripped away when Charlotte stumbles with her glass. Andrea gives off a scowl and reprimands the girl. "Do not." she says. "What is going on with you?"
 
"Isn't it obvious?" She whispered in a rather rude tone. Annoyed she hadn't been able to help herself, but she cleared her throat and forced herself to calm down. There was no point in snapping at her mother. She'd rather not get an hour long lecture in how to behave. "I apologize, that was rude of me." Charlotte continued, knowing her mother would expect and apology.

"It's just, the look he gave me during the toast... People are going to talk about it. I can't even imagine what will be written in tomorrows papers." She said in the same low voice as before, so to not be heard. Charlotte wasn't one to care much about status and keeping up appearance, but even she would be saddened if everyone thought of her as a whore. There were rumors she wouldn't care much about and there were the ones one couldn't ignore. The eyes that laid on her now was far more intense than the ones at the beginning of the party.


Of course people started to talk immediately, not caring if she heard them or not. Actually some seemed to even intentionally talk louder for her to hear them. What a perfect evening this became. Then Jesse's word, even though lowly spoken, cut most of the people around him silent. It was a mix of appreciation and annoyance that hit the young woman at that point. One because he defended her while not knowing her very well and another because his foolish attempt probably wouldn't make matters better. That man truly did not understand how things worked.

"Hey now, why are everyone so serious all of a sudden? I thought this was a party." Richard interjected quite loudly for everyone to hear. "Aren't you guys misunderstanding something here? Mr. Wasserman and Ms. and Mrs. Clifford has just finished their very first business proposal. Well, the start of one at the very least. I would imagine that is something to toast for. I know at least half of you gave a toast to your very first businesspartners, didn't you?" Richards arm was hanging over his friend's shoulder. People knew that he wasn't the most serious of people, and many despised him for being so leaned back, but they also acknowledged his good mind in businesses.

Of course he wouldn't silence any rumors or make things much better, but at the very least some people felt shame and things quieted down for the moment. If people spoke about the matter, it was in whispers. "You need to learn how to lie my friend." Richard whispered while giving the man a pat on the shoulder.
 
"If anything, be thankful that after so much talk in the town, a boy is still looking at you without judgmental eyes." Andrea said, her green eyes closed and a glass of wine pressing up on her lips for a drink rather casually. Of course, any sort of talk was beneficial for Andrea in a way. It gave their family more attention and made them more interesting. If she remembered correctly, many business proposals in the past were due to the proposers hearing about the Cliffords on the paper for any reason. Mostly because of her husband's great works of art. Andrea gave off a sigh and then smiled at Charlotte. "When he visits tomorrow to eat with our family, do not worry...the papers won't twist that against you. Rather, it will show that we are civilized people and Mr. Wasserman-- Hmph, I guess it would show that he is too...though I have my doubts..." Andrea said the last part in a soft murmur. She looks up to see Richard rallying up the party crowd to be more lively and clear things up, making her smirk contently. Unintentionally, Richard was helping her. If they could soften up rumors of Jesse and Charlotte early on, both won't feel pressured to get to know each other. At least when time passes by, Andrea could start pushing them closer without any problems.

Jesse rose a glass and drank from it, resisting a sour face by how bitter the wine was. He nodded at Richard and sighs. "My grandmother taught me different...but I'll try." This time he took a glance towards Charlotte's mother and tilted his head ever so slightly. The way that woman was observing him wasn't of romantic interest, but something different. It was like a chill down his spine, though he couldn't dare to doubt the possible intentions behind those eyes since that woman was the mother of that beautiful girl. Jesse spoke up to the crowd politely. "Unlike my father, I am social and humble all the same. I respect all and I give special attention to those I make business with. I consider them friends, and I hope to acquaint myself with you all the same one day."

Since the night dragged on into a lighter note, Jesse stood by the crowds answering less invasive questions and spoke to others about his farm, his life, his education. Everything that was Jesse Wasserman up to this point-- omitting a few...details of him being poor until recently, of course. And as the night came to a close, Jesse began leaving the property, not before thanking Richard for the invite, then got into his carriage. He looked out the window towards the direction where he heard the Clifford residence was located at, and gave a soft smile in anticipation for the next night.
 
The way her mother spoke of the man truly bothered her. Surely she was the wrong person to doubt if someone was civilized or not. At the very least someone seemed to make the situation better. The playboy himself dared step into the situation and clear things up with the crowd. Usually the young girl despised the behavior of that man. Doing as he pleased with any woman he laid his eyes on. She might break some social rules here and there, but at least she had the decency to stick to one love at a time. Not counting the ones forced upon her of course. This time though, she was rather fond of his behavior, thankful that he did as he pleased in this situation.

She gave him an appreciative nod one he looked her way, but that was as far as she would go. He wasn't a person she had an interest in speaking to for many reasons. One was that he had tried getting her into bed before. A highly unpleasant memory. Of course he had accepted a no... After many rejections. Whether he was still interested or not, she had no clue, and she was not about to find out.

The evening proceeded calmly. If rumors were still being spread, they were done so silently. Charlotte did not hear a single word about herself for the rest of the evening. Once her feet were about to break thanks to her ridiculously uncomfortable shoes, her mother finally started to say goodbye to the people they were speaking to and they could return to the carriage.

Exhausted, Charlotte fell onto her bed, falling asleep pretty much immediately. The servants must have been able to get her out of her clothes without waking her, because she couldn't remember ever getting them off herself. Mental and physical exhaustion was the worst combination.

The next day, Charlotte was up rather early for being her. She didn't make it to breakfast, but it wasn't that far away from it when she came down.

"Oh my, m'lady, you're up before lunch? Am I still dreaming?" The head maid asked as she saw the young woman walk down the stairs. She had probably been on her way up again to see if she could get life into the girl for the third time.

"Of course you're awake, but I'm definitely not for another three hours." Charlotte yawned, walking towards the kitchen to find something to eat.
 
"I guess I've entered some sort of mystical alternate dimension." Said an older woman standing right behind Charlotte. The woman's hair was of a strawberry blonde accompanied with a warm gaze of gray eyes that hinted of her immense affinity to emotions. Seeming to look like she's about to hit 40, the woman's attire was a little less extravagant and showy for a woman of her social class, just like Andrea. Instead, she donned a nice looking violet dress and white gloves to which she used to adjust her fan a little. She speaks with a light chuckle in between. "You seem to be up very early and yet your older brother seems to still be asleep. He's usually up and about around these hours just wasting his time." A pause. "..Rather, I suppose sleeping is a better and more productive activity than to just laze around Noonvale with that no good friend of his..." At this point she was rambling, so she decides to stop and then take a pear from the fruit bowl. "What brings you up so early, my wonderful niece?"

Being the younger sister of Christopher Clifford, Hana Clifford was usually the only woman around this house to dote around her niece and nephew as if they were her children. She was kind and a good listener, and maybe a bit rebellious with her behavior at times. Hana was known to be very gossipy yet completely on top of a "high moral ground" whenever the gossip involved a neighbor doing something bad. If only she knew gossip in and itself was a bad thing in the first place. Hana was known to always advise her family to do whats right and most of all, carry a family-centric life. Due to taking care of her parents well into adulthood, Hana had not the time to date anyone, therefore her lectures on family and hard emphasis on it just reflected her deeply ingrained need to form one for herself. Though so far she hasn't had any suitors....

"I don't suppose this is punishment for last night, right? Your mother commented how unfocused you were...I say that's not fair...though.." Hana bit off the pear and chewed for a moment, then continuing once she passed it down. "I've been wanting to ask....between you and me, alright darling..? Why did you break your engagement..? You didn't seem so against it until recently and I'm starting to feel like your answers hold no weight...as if they were lies."
 
"Aunt Hana" Charlotte exclaimed, both surprised and happy. In difference to her mother, Charlotte was very fond of her aunt. Though that was pretty much the case for all of father's relatives, with maybe a few exceptions. They didn't seem as stuck up or obsessed about money as everyone else and they were more laid back with rules. It was probably because father's side of the family mainly got its wealth from different creative jobs, which oftentimes meant that you could easily loose your income at any time. Knowing your wealth wasn't as secure as a politicians seemed to make people a bit more humble. Or maybe her mother's family was just filled with witches. That was also a possibility.

"My aching feet for one." Charlotte said, still feeling the pain from the shoes she wore the other day. "But my rumbling stomach definitely plays a big part in it too. I was way too nervous to eat anything before the party yesterday." And of course she hadn't been able to stay awake long enough to eat anything when they got home either. Hunger was the only thing more powerful than sleepiness.

The maid chuckled. "I'll go tell the kitchen to prepare a proper breakfast for you since you're almost up in time today." She said before leaving the two. Usually Charlotte ate a fruit or maybe a quickly put together sandwich when she went up, nothing fancy like her parents. On the other hand, when you awoke just a few hours before lunch, you didn't need that much to keep you going.

Charlotte bit her lip as her aunt suddenly went in on that spiteful subject. Ugh, she had already been subjected to it half the evening the other day. Though it was her aunt who asked now.... It couldn't hurt to tell her the truth, could it? If she lied, that woman would definitely know. Charlotte had never been able to lie well to people she liked, and Hana was one of her favorite people in the world. "I might not have been against it at first, but I wasn't for it either...." Charlotte started, slightly uncertain how to say it, or even what to say. "I might have.... Met someone else. He's really sweet and kind and unique. You know, like the handsome prince charming from the fairy tales but without the prince status." She said, twirling her hair as she spoke. "And by no prince status, I mean that he has no status at all. Nor money. And according to mother, no marriage value." She crossed her arms with a sigh.
 
Hana smiled with genuine entertainment when Charlotte was explaining her reasons why she wasn't "up to par" with her mother's expectations during the party. The hungry part got to her the most since there was a bit of sympathy on her part. Women of Noonvale were always expected not to eat during gatherings to show "class" and "manners". Hana never really enjoyed that, hence why she was a bit...heavier than most women. Hana let out a chortle "It would have been nice if you ate something before leaving...though I guess with those tight corsets your mother buys you, you barely have any space to eat, don't you?"

Though behind Hana's back, she could feel a presence watching over them. Though perhaps this was paranoia at this point. The house was considerably large and therefore there was a lot of space for echoes from the other rooms to travel to the kitchen and meld with the other noises of the house. Though from above the stairs just a room away from the kitchen, a figure leaned on the rails and listened in while Charlotte spoke about a man whom she supposedly loved.

Hana immediately widened her eyes, giving off a silent gasp as she looks around to see if anyone else caught that. "Y-You-- what-- how-- who?!" She tries her best to keep her voice low and her face neutral, though she failed to hide the fact that she seemed a little...taken off guard. Charlotte explained how the man had no money, and although Hana was not shallow like Andrea, she was still raised a socialite. She immediately asks. "Every man needs something to support their family-- Charlotte, darling, what were you thinking...? I am not saying he is worthless, but you aren't thinking towards the future....you are used to such a posh life....Tell me" Hana leans in with concern. "What is his name? What does he dedicate himself to?"
 
"Every man aren't born with the means or opportunity to live a life in which they can support their family. Should I blame him for that?" Charlotte retort. If someone could understand, it would be her aunt, and seeing as even she seemed to be opposed, it was not a good sign.

The young woman took a deep breath and calmed down. Getting annoyed wouldn't help explain the situation. "His name is Paul. Right now he isn't able to hold a job for very long. Not that he's bad at what he's doing or anything, it's just that people don't give him anything other than temporary small jobs or seasonal work. Every time he tries to get something more stable, he is rejected simply for being from a poor family. They probably think he will steal from them if they allow him to stay for longer periods." There was probably more to it that she did not know of, but people tended to be more wary when it came to those who had a lower status in life. If they don't have much money, won't they try to take mine?

"I can always try getting a job if it's impossible for him to get something stable. I can read and write, that is valuable skills. On top of that, my paintings are almost as good as father's, maybe I could sell a few eventually. If that doesn't work I can learn something new and try some jobs I haven't even thought of yet. I am thinking about the future, all the time. I am planning on how to make it work even with him being at the bottom. There are poor families everywhere that has made it work somehow. It might not be glamorous, but they can live and are together, that should be all that matters."
 
"I just worry about you and how everyone will treat you if.." Hana stopped mid sentence and sighed to herself. Scolding her niece just like Andrea would was something that betrayed her very sense of self. She was never one to be mean and much less restrictive of what could make someone happy. Though her worries were legitimate. People would treat Charlotte differently if she were to associate with Paul. She might not live the life she's used to, either. But...she loved him. And even though Charlotte kept that from her as a secret, no matter how much that bugged her, Hana gave off a resigned smile. "I just want you to be happy...but I AM annoyed that you didn't tell me sooner!"

Hana snatched a piece of fruit and gulped it in one sitting. "Does your father know about this? You need to tell him....calmly." Hana nodded. "My brother hasn't been in the best of conditions lately...so I am not sure if this news would sit well with him and his heart condition.."

From behind a wall, the person listening into the conversation gave a slight smirk.
 
Oh no, here it comes, the scolding of a life time. Of course even her aunt would go that route. But then it seemed like she changed route. Charlotte blinked a few times, hardly able to believe her own ears. She wasn't trying to stop her? Not even a comment? Relieved she sighed. Well, at least until her aunt continued to speak.

"No no no no no no no." Charlotte started. "I can't tell him. What if he starts to worry and ends up getting sicker? There's no way he can take such news right now. And... And... If he knows, there is no way he'll keep it a secret from mother. Even if he approves of what I have chosen, he will tell her about it in the foolish belief that she will understand." There were so many problems with her aunt's idea that they were hard to count.

"Let's just wait with telling anyone until mother gives up on finding me a rich husband or until we win at the lottery so the money from the marriage will be unneeded. I think that's a reasonable plan."
 
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