11 Beautiful Surprise.

BEFORE they journeyed to Aegremonth, specifically to the Harrow's home the night before the ceremony, Mrs Blythe had her reservations concerning Elizabeth's motives.

The first quality that gave her in to suspecting that the girl had something up her sleeves was the way she took the news of staying behind, so calmly.

Elizabeth was a rascal in Mrs Blythe's opinion, and she was never one to accept the feeling of being deprived.

Even though no other person saw this, Mrs Blythe forever held on to her beliefs.

More so, she had always had her suspicions about Beth in every regard. For one, she had always felt that the girl secretly had a dark heart that forever nursed evil intentions towards her own daughter, Louisa.

These evil intentions were born out of sheer jealousy in Mrs Blythe's opinion, and no one could make her perceive Elizabeth in a more naive way.

Now that she had eavesdropped the ongoing conversation with the old lady and her daughter, Giselle, she was sure a seven out of ten, that it was her Elizabeth they were referring to.

Thus, she had approached Lady Osborn to cure her raging curiosities.

"If my ears do not fail me, dear Lady Osborn. Are you saying that my Elizabeth made it to Aegremonth in your company?" asked Mrs Blythe wittily.

"Well, yes indeed! Your Elizabeth journeyed in our company to this place," said Lady Osborn, unaware of the true intentions with which the woman had asked her the question since the woman's emotions could not be easily interpreted from her facial expression.

Lady Osborn perceived Mrs Blythe's countenance to reveal deep concern because given the dreary darkness that had crept in on everyone by surprise and taken the lives of some, wouldn't a mother feel the need to protect her own?

Thus, she concluded that it must be a tough revelation for Beth's mother to handle.

Also, because she did not just have one child to worry about, now she had also learnt that her younger daughter was presently trapped within the Castle walls.

The old Lady Osborn thus interpreted those to be Mrs Blythe's concerns.

Whereas Mrs Blythe had her own thoughts...

'I knew it! My suspicions were right. That brat sneaked out of the house to get here to Aegremonth.

Indeed! Elizabeth could not contain her jealousy that my daughter, Louisa would be taken as a maiden to the king and not her.

Well, don't you worry Elizabeth, I have a beautiful surprise for you.

Now the time has come for me to perpetuate my plans from long ago...

It's time you went out of our lives for good! And did you not just willingly fall into my trap?

Haha! We will see!' schemed Mrs Blythe in her heart.

"Did you hear my words just now, Mrs Blythe?" asked Lady Osborn to the woman who had stayed silent for a while.

Mrs Blythe subdued her wandering thoughts and spoke to Lady Osborn.

"I did hear you. Did I not also hear you say that my Elizabeth is stuck somewhere within the Castle walls?"

"Yes, indeed! Hence, we all are panicking. She must not know her way around, to get herself out safely. My sweet girl, Giselle, carelessly lost her while they were running." Lady Osborn cast a scornful gaze at her daughter which she received in good spirit.

"Truly, it was all my fault, mother." Giselle blurted.

"Nonsense! Thank you for this information, dear lady. I will take it from here. Did not that kind gentleman at the corner of the castle gate yonder, form a certain acquaintance with me?" Lied Mrs Blythe as she poked out her index in the direction of the guard she was referring to.

"Rest assured! Now, hurry on to where you must, and let me worry about finding my daughter. Thank you and... Godspeed!" added Mrs Blythe.

Lady Osborn had no reason to doubt the intentions of Elizabeth's mother. So, she signalled Mr Graylock to lead the way, with her daughter walking beside her.

Everyone else was hurrying out of the Castle grounds, the sight of people running and some falling on their side—a stampede going on, was truly disturbing for the old lady to behold.

Hence, Lady Osborn positioned her Kerchief to cover her mouth, she would have covered her eyes altogether to block the disturbing sight out of her mind, but she didn't.

Giselle did the same and placed her Kerchief on her face, strictly covering her mouth.

Mr Graylock, on the other hand, was a bit worried about Elizabeth even as he led the way.

There was something he perceived from her mother's words that the others did not notice.

Reluctantly, he chose to let go of his worries and focus on the job he was actually paid to do, one of which he had done dutifully according to his own capacity—playing the part of Lady Osborn's partner in marriage.

The other task would be completed once he had fared the family under his protection, safely back to Griffinwald.

In time, all three located and mounted the fancy double horse-driven carriage.

As expected, Mr Graylock aided both women to take their seats in the little house of the carriage before going to assume his seat in the driver's part of the fancy cart.

"Ai-yah!" exclaimed Mr Graylock as he used his whip on the horses which seemed reluctant to get geared in motion at first.

The horses snorted and remained still.

"What is the reason for the delay, Mr Graylock?!" asked Lady Osborn from her position in the carriage.

"Nothing is the matter, my kind lady," said Mr Graylock.

He whipped on the horses one more time, and they neighed before jerking forward, and thus setting the Cart a' rolling.

Their journey began away from Aegremonth but not before taking a stop at Lady Osborn's sister's home to get their belongings and bade a short but necessary 'goodbye'.

Once in the cart again as they departed from Aegremonth, Giselle had something to say to her mother.

"Mother, I hope that Beth is found out by her family so that they can journey home quickly. Or else I would feel very guilty," said Giselle to her mother.

"Yes, indeed! I hope so too. Don't worry, the castle might be a big place to us but not to the Royal guards. Did Elizabeth's mother not say that she would speak to one of them? Cheer up, my girl! She will be found and in good shape," said Lady Osborn to her daughter, Giselle.

"I believe she will. But mother, I miss her. I wish she was accompanying us back and not in the company of her family. Mother, am I wrong in wanting that?"

Lady Osborn grinned and flaunted her milky-white dentition at her daughter before speaking.

"Well... It depends on your reasons for saying so, Giselle. Do you not think that she possibly misses her family and would appreciate the ride with them back to Griffinwald?" asked Lady Osborn in her kind manner of speaking.

"It could be so, but they did not take her along with them to start with. Surely, they do not miss her as much as I do right now, mother," concluded Giselle.

"Shush, my dear. No matter what, her family will always remain her family. You have no business thinking such ruthlessness in that kind heart of yours. Hence, I advise you desist from doing so," reprimanded her mother.

"I'm sorry, mother. I should have kept my thoughts inside my mind," said Giselle.

"No, you should not think of such in the first place," warned her mother.

"True. However, the ride home is a long one, and my boredom fears me the most without Beth by my side," said Giselle.

"Haha! And I am too old to chat away your boredom. Is it not?" Teased her mother.

"Mother, please do not twist my words," said Giselle after which she giggled and her old lady joined in, as well.

Even though Giselle loved her mother, she knew that Elizabeth's company could not be replaced, not even by her old lady.

It had been just a few hours of meeting Beth, but to Giselle, the light and warmth that swarmed up Elizabeth's aura, was not one that could be easily forgotten.

Still, she did her best to enjoy the long bumpy ride, in the jovial company of her old lady.

Meanwhile, after the discussion with Lady Osborn, Mrs Blythe decided what she would do and walked head straight, back to her husband, Mr Blythe, and daughter, Louisa.

"Mother, why did you keep us waiting? We should be long gone by now," said Louisa to her mother.

"My dear, she is right. We must hurry and get our belongings from my cousin's home. We leave for Griffinwald at once!" said Mr Blythe to his wife.

"But father... I really enjoy Uncle Harrow's company. Why should we not make the journey home on the morrow?" sulked Louisa.

"The situation is crucial. I cannot put the safety of my family on the line. We should not have honoured the invitation. But come now... We must hurry!" said Mr Blythe.

Then, he turned to his wife and asked, "Is anything the matter my dear? Do you want to tell me something?"

"Nonsense, my dear. There is nothing to tell. I agree with you. Time is not on our side. Also, if we intend to make it back home before nightfall. Like you rightly said... We must hurry!"