Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
“Adelaar.” She turned and did the same to Gale before looking at me. “Miss Wyntor.”
I nodded.
And just like that, she moved on. It was eerie. She was like the walking dead, a ghost haunting us, chilling everywhere she entered with her beautiful and dead eyes.
“I will not be far when you need me,” Gale whispered quickly before putting the correct distance between us.
When I looked up to him, he was tense, his jaw pinched, and I was not sure why until a tall yet round man with short, blond hair, wearing a top hat came over, and on his arm was a woman who had to be a Brazilian supermodel. She had slightly tanned skin, bright-green eyes, and very large breasts when considering the rest of her size.
“Lord Belway. Lady Belway,” Gale replied coldly as they approached
“Adelaar. How stunning you are, Miss Wyntor,” Lord Belway stated before looking over to Gale with amusement.
I was not sure why since it was clear Gale was not his friend. But by looking at him, I also noticed him glance to the Lady of Belway. I was not exactly sure what I was seeing until Lord Belway leaned in and whispered, “I always knew our tastes were similar.”
Gale’s nostrils flared, and before I could speak, the Lady of Belway did so herself. However, I had no idea what language she spoke. She shot me a cold glare before her husband nearly yanked her along with him.
“Old friend of yours?” I asked gently as they left.
“Can we please talk about all of this later?”
I did not answer that question. “I cannot stick beside you throughout the whole event. I am going to walk a bit.”
“Odette.”
Because I had stepped so far from him, he could no longer whisper, and he could not call out my name in front of everyone. So, we just shared a glance. In his eyes, I could tell he was asking me to come back by his side. But I did not want to. It did not feel the way I wanted it to feel. I knew that it didn’t make much sense.
I carefully walked farther from the palace. Luckily, now, with the queen and Sophia here, more people had shifted their attention to them. This was my only small chance of freedom. Yes, I was sure people were watching me, and yes, Thelma was still walking at a slight distance behind me, but it was still a tiny hint of freedom. Walking on my own and watching the white and black swans swim in the lake made me feel slightly better. It reminded me of my mother, who loved swans. Hence my name. I wished she were here. To see all of this, at least. I knew I shouldn’t, but I brought out my phone. I wanted her to see what I saw at this moment, at least. But I did not hold up the phone. I tucked it against my purse.
I could hear Wolfgang’s tour information repeating in my head. The Victory Garden, created in 1917 after the first world war, comprises 861 different species of flowers. It is also home to two different species of swans, among three different pounds—
“I always love seeing these ducks swim next to swans.”
I turned to the voice of the woman with mismatched eyes—one hazel, the other pure blue. She was dressed in blue, too, though it was tight, with a slight slit up the side of the thigh.
“And you are?”
“Sabina Franziska, former Countess of Gormsey.” She curtsied with a smile on her face.
“Hello. Former you said?”
“Yes, divorced.” She snickered and leaned over. “It was very scandalous. My husband left me for another man.”
“I’m...that must have been hard.” What was I supposed to say to that?
She flicked her fingers nails. “Not really. I already knew when I married him. I was in it for the money and the title.”
My eyes widened.
“Oh, do not look at me like that. It was a mutual deal. He got a cover, a wife of good standing, and got what he wanted. It was a marriage of convenience. You should know how those things work correct?”
“I beg your pardon?” I asked.
She just kept pretending as if we were friends and smiled as she spoke. “You and Gale. Don’t worry. I already know.”
“Sadly, I do not think I know what you are talking about.” I tried my best to keep my face calm.
“Do not panic. I am not one of the vultures looking for you to fail.” She giggled, flicking her nails again. “In fact, I am actively in your corner. There is nothing I want more than for Gale to marry you.”
Each time she said Gale instead of Galahad, a small part of me wanted to yank her eyeballs out and stuff them into her mouth.
“I was always worried about us if he were forced to marry some noble lady. Before you, they thought of Lady Maeve Cudmore over there.” She pointed to the short, sort of plump girl with braces and acne that her makeup failed to cover. “Very rich, one of the richest in the country, but very weird. She is an entomologist too. Her whole mansion is filled with dead bugs, even her bedroom from the rumors. Gale told me once, his family visited their summer home, and she was smashing beetles into some paste to use on her skin. It gave him shivers. He declared he’d never marry her even if the country were on fire. He can be dramatic, can’t he? Especially when I already know he will do whatever his family asks anyway. That is why I was so worried she would be the one. Because to be so weird for so long means she does not care what others would say about her. And with her family being so powerful here, I was sure whenever Gale came to see me, she would make a huge deal out of it.”