Hopeless Romance

3 | A Promise is a Promise

The sun's summer rays beamed through the ceiling-high windows and illuminated the drawing room of the Joyner estate. The upper frames of the windows were coated in thin layers of dust that went unnoticed by the Joyners' guests, the Higgins family. Mr. Higgins and Mr. Joyner had long left the drawing room to discuss hunting in Mr. Joyner's study. Mrs. Higgins and Mrs. Joyner remained in the drawing room to continue their gossip. Grace and Tiana listened as they played a card game. Addie and her best friend, Martha, sat at the bay window, admiring the beautiful sunny day.

Addie was happy to socialize with other people again besides her family after being confined to the house by her stepmother to corroborate her tall tale of Addie's mysterious illness that prevented any potential encounters with the Forsythes. As Addie stared at the greenery and flowers, she yearned to be outside.

"Did I tell you we ran into Mister Forsythe and Mister Crandall in town yesterday?" Mrs. Higgins asked Mrs. Joyner. "They were ecstatic to see Martha again after her afternoon tea with Miss Meredith and Miss Sophia earlier this week," she boasted. "Certainly, I told you about Martha's tea with Miss Meredith."

"How could I forget?" Mrs. Joyner said having been reminded several times before.

"Tell them about your visit at the manor, Martha," Mrs. Higgins encouraged.

"What does the interior look like?" Grace asked. "Does it look exactly the way the Gadsons left it years ago? Good lord, I hope it isn't."

"The interior is as lovely as the exterior of the manor, if not more lovely," Martha said before going into detail about the number of rooms and the decorative styles that Miss Meredith took credit for designing. Addie tuned out most of the conversation as Martha had detailed her visit in a letter days prior.

"It sounds like you had a lovely time, Martha," Mrs. Joyner said, bitterness riddled throughout her tone.

The two families had been friends since the Higginses moved into the Braeland Heights a decade ago. Since the Higgins family had inherited a small fortune that granted them access to the affluent community, they were looked down upon by the upper class for their new, modest wealth. Mr. Joyner, however, befriended Mr. Higgins despite this and Mrs. Joyner followed his lead. Though Mrs. Joyner had built a rapport with Mrs. Higgins over the years, Mrs. Joyner thought little of her and her family; however, since her financial downfall, she too found herself shunned by the very families in town she once influenced, and the woman she merely tolerated was now her closest associate.

"I'm surprised Tiana hasn't yet received an invitation to tea at the manor, especially since Mister Forsythe seems to have taken such a strong liking to her," Mrs. Higgins said with the slightest smirk only detectable to Mrs. Joyner and Addie. Martha had been in Mister Forsythe's company twice more than Tiana due to the budding rapport built between Mr. Higgins and Mr. Forsythe and their love for hunting, which plagued Mrs. Joyner with jealousy and envy. "According to Misses Fitzpatrick, her eldest daughter also had afternoon tea with Miss Meredith and Miss Sophia the day before yesterday."

"How unfortunate," Mrs. Joyner responded. "I'm sorry to hear of Miss Meredith's untimely passing. Sorrows and prayers." Everyone eyed Mrs. Joyner with confusion.

"What on earth do you mean, Jessica?" Mrs. Higgins asked.

"Well, if Miss Meredith had to converse with Miss Heather all afternoon," Mrs. Joyner explained, "then Miss Meredith has surely died of boredom, has she not?"

"Mother!" Tiana exclaimed as everyone else chuckled.

"Oh, don't 'mother' me. The girl has the personality of a rock and we all know it too well."

The Fitzpatricks were rivals of the Joyners and became the second wealthiest family in town upon Mr. Joyner's failed business ventures. It was no secret in the community that the matriarchs of each family despised each other.