The Golden Demi God and Jessica! ,The Hastings,Book 3

Chapter 40

After a moments silence my mother carried on her explanation on James' mother in particular and how they met.

Arabella was first to hide behind the pot plant before I did, I saw the weary smile curving mothers lips I settled down and listened. After I arrived in the ballroom I ran also to the large potted plant at The Countess of Baths genteel home when I suddenly saw another girl hiding behind the foliage. If life wasn't so funny Jessica I may have pushed her away from the large pot but I didn't instead we both decided to hide together.

Over the next few hours we heard all these new debs criticize our parentage Jessica. I was the merchant stock daughter and Arabella was a parsons daughter. In an hour we heard how comnon we were to all of them listening in and so Arabella and I became friends behind the pot.

Later on we were both forced to leave our hiding place behind and dance with the elite. I stood back when he entered a man of regal baring stepping into the room and a hush fell around us.

Next thing he came over where Arabella stood reaching for her hand to dance with him. At first I saw her say no to him and he moved onto another girl. Arabella came to ask if she should dance with the strange man?

I pushed Arabella into saying yes next time, which he did ask again and she accepted. At all the dances he searched each ballroom for her and in my heart I knew he cared for her.

Well I thought he did which is a pity. Arabella told me he was The Duke of Olympus in a hush whisper so the other girls didn't catch on. Her mother once Lady Esmerelda Warren now a normal parsons wife I thought a vile woman willing to have her daughter in a match far high above her station.

"What about her father mother", Jessica interrupted me again?

Her father was a real nice fellow, a Harry Welby who didn't care for society at all he thought they were all fake people who needed to repent all their sins. They mocked him and Arabella was distraught how the Bath Ton talked behind his back.

Jessica listened before speaking "well he would have been heaps better than his wife, right mother?"

"You could say so Jessica, Esmerelda was a piece of work to steer clear of. Poor Arabella was so much in love with the mysterious man. I told her not to go to far with him because we knew nothing about his family."

One night I asked my mother if there had been a family called the Dukes of Olympus in England. Mother was hell bent on finfing out and talking with the Welbys but they brushed all our news.

The night Arabella was going to give herself up to him I told her no you'll commit social suicide. Esmerelda was pushing her own daughter to lay with a man Arabella danced with in a ballroom and maybe a few courted chaperoned dates to the park, riding etc.

"So why is James hell bent on revenge mother, if you are not at fault?"

"The story has not finished yet Jess I'm afraid."

"What happened next mother?"

"I'm getting to that Jessica please sit and let me finish?"

The next week society in Bath was in a tail spin with rumors of Arabella running off with the handsome duke of Olympus before even announcing an engagement I cried Arabella would not be so stupid I even attempted to go and see her when an uproar of being seen with the Welby family created bad news for all of us.

When Arabella did return a week later her family lied they sent her to London for a week at Esmerelda's sisters place for a ball no one heard of.

When I saw Arabella at the ball two weeks later I was shocked by her appearance. She had no life within her it was if the duke sucked it out of her body leaving her a former shell of her bright self.

The rumours had already started, no mother wanted their daughter's around her, even my mother forbade me but I never listened Arabella was a friend to me and I wanted to protect her.

Later on news spread weeks later Arabella was pregnant with child, "oh Jessica I was so sad at the turn of events."

All the society matrons turned their noses up at the Welbys after and I was stopped going to visit by my family. The damage was done one day the Welby's turned up at an event pushing their poor daughter among us thinking they could wash away the sin Arabella created due to Esmerelda want of a better social station after marrying a pastor.

"What happened next?"

Arabella came over to us a shy smile upon her lips needing friendship after messing up. This is so hard Jessica for me to tell you, we all told her we were not allowed to associate with her any more because she was having a babe. Our mothers told us if we touched Arabella we would be stricken down too with a babe in our belly.

Jessica gasped finally realising the same happened to her only James did the right move by marrying her.

"Mother" Jessica scolded.

"Yes I know we were a bunch of horrid vein creatures Jessica, but our parents made us turn our backs on her."

Maybe that was why I never married until I was 26 an old on the shelf beauty getting even with my own parents who told me to turn my back on a friend in need?

"Can you ever forgive us all Jessica for doing the same to you?"

"Mother I will not lie, I hated you for turning away but I found grandmother Devine a treasure to behold and I am now a baroness glancing down at the glittery ring James gave me an old heirloom."

"A pretty ring he gave you child insisted Elisabetha drying her tears."

"The ring is mother, but he is intolerable."

Next minute her mother was laughing at her, "one day you two will find out how much you mean to one another, mark my words Jessica."

"Which will be never I replied."

"Never say never Jessica!"

"I am glad Arabella did marry again and had two more children and two step children. Knowing this softens the heart I must confess later to Arabella how sorry I am."

"You must mother, James mother seems a kind soul?"

"She was a very kind soul."

"Then what are you waiting for, go on back down showing how much you care for the friendship you had."

Rising up fron the bed Elisabetha wipes her wet face feeling confidant moving towards the door for where they were eating dinner.

Praying give me courage.

****

The next filler chapter.

I am slowly getting to the plot where I want this story to go.

So if it's going really slow bare with me.

If you like a more modern romance I am writing go read The Billionaire I fell for.

And yes a modern Were romance, the plot is just hotting up at the moment. Not with naughty scenes at the moment but more fighting fir girl/boy.

This chapter is dedicated to @BenjieArias for adding Beauty and the Marquess.  The Hastings book 1, Eva.
Thank you so much for all the reads, shares and adds.