"...And, of course, you must be our guests at the Sheffield manor. It is nothing compared to the estates at the Chateau of Chester, to be sure, but I think it a most pretty part of Hertfordshire." Lady Sheffield continued to gush to Edwina and James.
"Do you shoot? We have a fine stock of birds, and you are always welcome." Lord Sheffield said to James.
"Thank you for the invitation. I do enjoy shooting." James nodded, taking a sip of his drink.
"Ah..." Lord Sheffield nodded, taking a sip of his own drink.
"As does Kate," Edwina exclaimed with her giddy smile. "The two of them almost bagged a stag on our trip to the country," she added as James smiled to himself, looking across the table at Kate, who met his eyes.
"How... unusual." Lady Sheffield chuckled in slight distaste, glancing to her side at Kate. "Do they teach young ladies to shoot in India?" She asked as Mary tried to drown herself with the wine in her cup.
"Only the fortunate ones." Kate sighed, mumbling her thoughts aloud. She sighed, looking up at her mother and then Lady Danbury, who both gave her a look to try and behave. "Uh, Lord and Lady Sheffield, how long do you plan to remain in town?" She asked, trying to start a peaceful conversation.
"Oh, we shall stay for the wedding. Imagine. The queen herself overseeing my granddaughter's nuptials." Lady Sheffield gushed as Lord Sheffield chuckled in joy. "Her Majesty is kind to be so forgiving after everything that has happened." She added, directing her disapproving remark at her daughter, who clenched her jaw.
"Now, now... We are all family here." Lord Sheffield smiled, trying not to sour the mood.
"Oh, yes, of course we are." Lady Sheffield smiled at her husband but could not stop her mouth from running. "Even after our daughter so callously rejected the match we had found for her..." She began to say as Mary sighed to herself, knowing that the dinner was starting to go south.
"My dear, we agreed--" Lord Sheffield began to say, but his wife kept running her mouth.
"An earl, no less, with 12,000 acres. Any other young lady would've fallen to her knees in gratitude that her parents were showing such care." Lady Sheffield continued as the mood of the dinner was ruined.
Lady Danbury, Lady Florence, Mary, Kate, Elijah, and James all looked up at her. All of them were not saying anything but showing their awkwardness for the growing tension that Lady Sheffield was creating. Edwina was slowly realizing what was happening as her giddy smile faded to join the expressions of the others.
"This sauce is delicious, Lady Danbury. Have your cook give mine the recipe." Lady Florence tried to say kindly to keep the mood peaceful.
"It is the gooseberry, I believe." Lady Danbury smiled at her. "Lady Sheffield, you've got quite the sweet tooth, I do recall?" She asked, looking down the table to Lady Sheffield, who looked disgusted and glared at Lady Mary.
"And all for what?" Lady Sheffield asked, ruining her moment of silence throughout the whole dinner. "A mere clerk, was he? And with a child from a previous marriage to God-knows-who." She continued to rant.
"My mother has a name." Kate spat, throwing down her silverware.
"Lady Sheffield, I must ask--" Lady Danbury kept calm.
"We could not show our faces in society for years!" Lady Sheffield ignored her as she continued her rant. "Not that she should care. She simply sailed away from all of us with that man, robbing us of our grandchild--"
"Grandchildren." Mary finally spoke up, correcting her horrible mother. "I have two daughters..." She said as her mother looked at her. "...with whom you have had every opportunity to form a connection. But the choice to shun us was yours alone." She spoke back to her mother.
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Midnight Rain:
FanfictionHe was the ninth Viscount Bridgerton and also a former "capital R rake." She was the thirteenth surviving child of King George III of Great Britain and Ireland and Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She also happened to be a shelter princess...
