Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 62820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 314(@200wpm)___ 251(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 314(@200wpm)___ 251(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
The Elder who had been leading the procession of belles walked over to where I stood and opened his fist. Resting on his palm was a black satin ribbon. I already knew what to do next as I had watched both of my friends do this before me.
Taking the ribbon, I took a deep inhale and began the touching of the pearls. I had to keep moving. I couldn’t raise the issue. I couldn’t let on that I knew one of the belles. I wasn’t sure what would occur if the Elders were made aware of that fact. I couldn’t stop the ritual before it truly had begun.
Don’t make eye contact with Fallon.
Ignore her.
One by one, I approached each female and briefly touched the pearl necklace they all wore. I hadn’t reached Fallon yet but knew she was coming soon.
Going through the motions, steadying my nerves, and focusing on the ceremonial act was all I could do. Thinking about her would mess this all up. All eyes were on me. I knew this. I wasn’t going to let my father down or my brother. Timothy would have wanted me to do this right. Nothing and no-one could screw this up for me.
Focus on the task at hand—following the steps of Montgomery and Sully before me, I would conduct the ceremony perfectly.
And then I reached Fallon.
She locked eyes with me as I reached out to caress her necklace. I wanted to talk to her. I wanted to hold her, hide her, run away with her. I wanted to yell and scream at her. I wanted… I needed to keep moving on. No way was I going to choose her.
It was my duty to protect her even if she hated me for it.
No way would I allow her to go through the steps of the Initiation with me. I didn’t know exactly what would occur, but I had heard enough from Montgomery and Sully, not to mention the years of rumors, to know this manor was not a place for her. If I chose her… I would have to stand back and watch her suffer.
I would never allow that to happen.
So even if she wanted me to choose her. Even if she expected me to choose her…
The answer was no.
I moved to the next belle who wore a lovely yellow dress. Yes, the girl in yellow would have to do.
Looking down to the string of white pearls resting against her freckled flesh, I yanked hard. The necklace broke from her neck and the tiny pearls scattered around the floor. Her eyes widened, tears formed, and her lips trembled, but she remained in place.
Breaking the necklace. An act to show just how easy it is for The Order of the Silver Ghost to give you riches only to take them away. What you believe to be yours can be ruined with such ease. We had recited this motto over and over as boys. I knew exactly how easy it was for the Order to control everything we did. They could destroy me. They could destroy my father. They could destroy Fallon. And I wasn’t about to let that happen.
Not wasting any time and trying to not feel the glare of Fallon beside me, I replaced the pearls that had been on the yellow-dressed belle’s neck with the black ribbon. I needed Fallon and the rest of the belles to leave immediately, and the faster I tied the ribbon around the now shaking belle, the better.
“Rafe Jackson, have you chosen your belle for the Initiation?”
I took a step back from the belle in yellow and glanced at Fallon, who looked at me as if I had just stabbed a dagger through her heart.
I’m sorry, Fallon. So sorry.
But no way am I going to allow you to be a belle to be broken.
“I have chosen,” I stated firmly. “I have chosen my belle.”
4
Fallon
What the fuck had just happened?
Mrs. Hawthorne told me that if I accepted the invitation, I’d be a shoo-in. After we’d gone for our walk, and she’d finally told me everything—and I mean everything, at least everything she knew—she brought up the craziest idea of all. She’d given me the invitation to be a belle myself.
She said it was perfect. That I could be a belle, and unlike my mother, I’d be chosen. That Rafe would pick me and I could finally have all the desires of my heart—all that I frankly deserved. It was the perfect solution. I’d be able to take care of Mom. I’d get what had always been due me, what had been stolen from her so long ago.
But Rafe had ruined everything.
He’d gone and fucking humiliated me. Again, rejecting me. And this time not just in a little written note telling me he was sorry that I had such strong feelings for him, but sorry he didn’t feel the same way. Oh God, that note. Cause he hadn’t stopped there. No, he’d gone on and said he didn’t think even being long-distance friends was such a good idea anymore because he felt bad leading me on, but thanks for the ride and here’s a $100 for the road.