Masquerade (Discontinued)

Chapter XXIV

Nott Manor, Unplottable Location, Great Britain

Sunday the 8th of August 1999

7:37 PM

The bride was beautiful. Bella was unsurprised. Lalita Singh had always been beautiful, though gawkish when she had first met her. Lalita Nott was even more so despite the plastered grimace posed as a smile. She was stunning in her red and gold. Lalita glanced up at Theodore and smiled down at her with that same pained grimace. Bella hummed and looked up at her husband. He seemed unaffected but she knew he saw it too.

"It's necessary," he said out of the corner of his mouth.

Bella hummed. "Necessary for whom?"

"Me."

"You're selfish," Bella said without any venom in her tone.

Tom nodded once. "It benefits everyone. They're permanently tied—to each other and to you, double-fold. Theodore is a Slytherin. He possesses ambition and sees you as his way to power. Lalita won't stray from him. The Indian Minister now provides me with the services promised to me. Minister Singh can now enter the magical textile industry through the Notts' business. We all win."

"Except for them," Bella said quietly. Tom nodded once more.

"We all must make sacrifices," he said coldly before he began to walk forward, Bella still on his arm.

"You are right," Bella conceded. Quietly, she said, "What's done is done."

The queue to congratulating the couple had gone fast and they were up next.

"Lady," Theodore said, warmly.

"Congratulations, my dear friends," Bella said with a cheerful smile.

Lalita nodded, demurely. "Thank you, my…Bella." Her correction was delicate.

"Thank you for coming," Theodore said quietly, not quite looking into Bella's eyes.

Bella leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Lalita's cheek first and then Theodore's. Her lips lingered on Theodore's cheek, and she whispered, "Fix your faces. You both look constipated."

"Yes, my Lady," he breathed and then Bella pulled back.

Neither of them tried to grin. Their smiles were more content and Bella nodded, deciding that that was enough. Bella jerked Tom away and they glided off to their own table. Bella continued towards the table as Tom stopped short before the father of the bride. Bella pulled away from him and frowned and Tom made an aborted gesture that made Bella snort and continue onwards.

"Minister Singh," Tom said quietly.

The man winced and looked at his ally. "Mister Riddle."

"Join me for a drink, sir?" Tom asked, handing over a crystal tumbler and gesturing towards one of the large glass doors leading out onto the grounds of Nott Manor.

Reluctantly, Minister Mayur Singh followed Riddle out to the gardens. His knuckles were white where they clutched the crystal tumbler Riddle had given him. He downed his whiskey quickly, focusing on the burn. It would keep him from the potential unpleasantness the coming conversation could bring him.