MADISON

1970

"La la lala la, La la lala la."

"Madison!"

The loud scream from the garden startled the little girl. She looked up to see her mother, the Countess of Clanford, walking towards her with fast steps and a murderous expression on her face.

"How many times have I warned you about playing with sand, Madison?"

Pulling her by the arms, she continued to scold her.

"Don't you know it's unbefitting for a girl of your status to sit on the ground and play with sand like a common person instead of learning social etiquette, just like your sister?" She spoke with barely restrained anger.

Looking at the doorway, seven-year-old Madison saw her sister there, trying to hold her giggles as she stood with their governess, who had a horrified look upon seeing her state.

"But I was just helping this little plant mama; it was about to die."

"That's not your job," the Countess pressed her lips, trying to avoid saying more but couldn't help it.

"It's the job of the gardener, for God's sake. Just look at yourself; you look like a mess."

"Are you trying to say only a gardener is allowed to save a life, Mama?"

Little Madison couldn't help but feel confused. Her nanny had strongly told her that everybody can help a person regardless of their status and whoever the person may be.

"I am saying only a gardener can save a plant's life," her mother said exasperatedly.

"But look, Mama, the plant is now blooming; I saved it."

"That's enough, Madison. Go clean yourself up and join your sister in studying. Ellison, go back and complete your studies," she said, looking over at the nanny, who quickly scurried over and pulled her into the house.

"Do you think Mama didn't like that I saved the plant?"

Madison couldn't help but feel bad that she disappointed her mother yet again. So far, that had been the only thing she had been good at.

"Of course not, my dear." Nanny Matilda looked at the little girl she had come to love as her own. "She was just mad that you messed up your pretty dress in the process."

Breathing a sigh of relief when she saw the girl had brightened up a little; Matilda continued to clean her up. She knew that the Countess loved Madison; she just had a bad way of showing it.

...

"Very good, if you keep up this way, then I'm sure you both will make your parents very proud and you will also be successful debutantes in the future."

The governess patted both Madison and Ellison on their heads as she stood up, staring at the little girls, who were smiling at her with full grins before leaving.

"God, I couldn't wait for her to leave." Madison stated.

The two girls erupted into giggles at their success in managing to fool their governess once again. She thought they understood everything, which in fact they had no clue about.

"Do you think she will tell Mama how well we did today?" Ellison looked at her sister with a smile on her lips.

The two girls were always together and were known to perform mischief all the time, but while Ellison hardly did anything wrong and was the gentle one. Madison, on the other hand, was known to get into constant trouble with both her parents, and Ellison mostly took the blame for her, which led to the conclusion that she was just as stubborn and mischievous as her sister.

"I am sure she will."

Madison sent her a smile as well, facing the direction of the door when they heard horse hooves and a carriage pulling up.

The girls immediately stood up and straightened their gowns.

"I think Father is back."

Lining up at the front of the house along with their mama, both girls had their backs straight and heads held high as they greeted their father.

"Good evening, Father," they both said at the same time.

"Hump."

He barely glanced their way before giving a chaste peck to his wife and heading inside. Both girls didn't mind such behavior because they were used to it; their father mostly ignored them. It was no news to them how much he wanted a son and was mostly disappointed with the turn of events.

Both girls did their best to impress him and were on their best behavior whenever he was around, but he didn't seem to care or even notice.

"Come on, girls, let's go in," their nanny ushered them in.

...

"Did you talk to them?"

The Earl of Clanford spoke to his wife in his usual stern voice, and neither one of the girls looked up from their bowls of soup, knowing that would get them in trouble.

Dabbing her lips clean with a handkerchief to wipe any drop of soup, the Countess answered. "Yes, of course, they are lovely people, and they even agreed to have dinner with us tomorrow night."

Sending his wife a pleased smile, he continued to eat his dinner. "Make sure everything goes on perfectly as planned. We don't want to ruin our reputation in front of them."

"Don't worry; I will take care of the preparations myself," she said, turning to look over at her daughters.

The Countess gave them a warning look. "Ellison, Madison, we will be expecting some very important guests tomorrow, and I want you both to be on your best behavior, understood?"

"Yes, Mama," they both answered simultaneously.

The Salypse family were of good breeding and was rich in their own rights, with several lands and a well-thriving estate. But of late, things had not been going well for them. Simon Salypse had recently entered a large amount of debt due to his excessive gambling habit, and as a result, he had sold all of his lands and had lost almost every penny he owned. Their only source of revenue at present was his estates, and he was sure that neither one of his daughters would be capable of managing them in the future. That's why he had decided to make a close acquaintance with the people of high class, and luckily for him, the Duke of Langard and his family had recently come to Clanford to spend their vacation, and surprisingly, they were staying next to his home.

Simon was sure that if he made friends with the Duke, then he would be able to secure a favor later in the future. But for now, he wanted to actively be engaged in the Duke's business, so he would have to do everything to win him over and make sure his family was on their best behavior.

AUTHOR NOTE:

Greetings, cherished readers! Your journey through this chapter has surely been a delightful one, and I am thrilled to have you along for the ride. Be prepared to immerse yourself in the enchanting and captivating love story that revolves around our central character Madison. As the pages turn, secrets will be unveiled, emotions will run deep, and love will blossom in the most unexpected and heartwarming ways. Stay with me, for the adventure is just beginning, and it promises to be a tale you won't want to put down.

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