Chapter 20

Leroy chuckled and gave Ariel a knowing look, "Hey, Ariel, how about you pull some strings for us?" he asked hopefully.

Ariel raised her chin defiantly and crossed her arms, yet she couldn't suppress a smile. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm not pulling any strings. If you're so hungry, order more food," she retorted stubbornly.

"Hey—play nice," Leroy pouted. "You know all our orders go on Jasper's tab, and he'll never let us get as much as we want."

With a determined effort not to give in to his pleading gaze, Ariel responded, "Not my issue. Since when did you start following Jasper's rules anyway?" Her resolve remained firm. Leroy shot her a dark look and muttered something under his breath. Shifting her attention away from her hungry companion, Ariel gazed at the festival grounds they were approaching.

Nightfall was setting in swiftly, painting the sky a rosy pink. Bright paper lanterns were being lit here and there. The strong scent of magnolias filled the air, mingling with the tantalizing aroma of various festival foods being prepared at the small stands. Ariel smiled; this was the first festival she'd ever attended like this, and she had a feeling it would be enjoyable.

"Mmm, something's being deep-fried," Leroy said wistfully as he sniffed the air. Feeling her resolve begin to waver, Ariel shook her head and patted his shoulder.

"Maybe I'll order something extra tonight," she said with a compassionate smile. Just then, her stomach rumbled, and Leroy raised an eyebrow.

"We might need more than just extra..." he suggested.

Ariel shot him a playful glare as they entered the inn. Seeing that Jasper, Max, and Taylor had already gone up to their rooms, they split up in the hallway.

"I'll see you at dinner," Leroy said meaningfully to Ariel before disappearing into his room.

Ariel unlocked her own door and shut it behind her with a sigh. Her eyes roamed over the unmade bed, suitcase lying open on the floor, and clothes scattered everywhere. She realized she'd done nothing but sleep and shower in her guest room during her entire stay in Magnolia Midlands.

Halfheartedly, she started gathering up her abandoned shirts, skirts, and socks. Tossing them all into her suitcase, she tried to close it but gave up and flopped onto her bed instead. She closed her eyes; it had been an exhausting day. The silence felt soothing to her ears. Rolling onto her side produced a crinkling sound.

With surprise and then realization dawning on her, Ariel reached into her pocket and pulled out the photo she'd found earlier. She scrutinized it carefully but felt only a faint sense of familiarity—not enough to remember where she'd seen that face before.

If only I could tell Jasper about this; he'd figure it out so easily...

Feeling the weight of her hunger and fatigue, Ariel straightened up and placed the photo back on her nightstand. She yawned, walked over to the window, and opened it, letting the refreshing evening breeze reinvigorate her senses. After a few moments by the window, she felt revived enough to choose an outfit for dinner and the festival.

Ariel hoisted her suitcase onto the bed and sifted through her limited clothing options. After repeatedly inspecting the same outfits, she realized none were suitable—or clean. She ultimately decided on the light pink skirt she had worn on her first day in Magnolia Midlands and a white top with lace detailing, her only remaining clean garment.

"I know I'll be underdressed, but what choice do I have?" Ariel thought as she glumly eyed her ensemble. "At least I can iron this skirt," she muttered to herself. Grabbing the skirt, she set out to find Mrs. Williams to borrow an iron.

The hallway was mostly empty, everyone preoccupied with festival preparations and dinner arrangements. As Ariel pondered where to find Mrs. Williams, the woman appeared before her.

"OH. HELLO DEAR. IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR NOAH, HE'S JUST HEADED TO THE FESTIVAL GROUNDS BUT WILL RETURN FOR DINNER," Mrs. Williams exclaimed cheerfully.

Blushing slightly, Ariel smiled and shook her head. "Actually, I was looking for you. Could you possibly tell me where to find an iron?" she asked, holding up her skirt for emphasis.

Mrs. Williams squinted at Ariel before a look of realization swept over her aged face. "YOU'RE NOT GOING TO THE FESTIVAL IN THAT! NO GRANDDAUGHTER-IN-LAW OF MINE WILL BE CAUGHT WEARING SUCH A THING! FOLLOW ME; WE'LL SORT THIS OUT IMMEDIATELY!" she bellowed, ushering Ariel down the hallway.

"Granddaughter-in-law!" The term echoed in Ariel's mind.

"Really… it's fine… if I could just have an iron?" Ariel murmured feebly as Mrs. Williams led her across the Inn. Mrs. Williams tutted sympathetically at intervals as they walked.

"WE'LL FIX THIS IN NO TIME," announced Mrs. Williams with determination.

After what felt like ages, they arrived at an elegantly decorated room, far nicer than any other Ariel had seen.

"This is beautiful," Ariel remarked as she admired the velvet curtains draped over floor-to-ceiling windows.

"HONEYMOON SUITE," Mrs. Williams declared with a pause to wiggle her eyebrows playfully at Ariel. Turning as red as the curtains beside her, Ariel watched as Mrs. Williams continued bustling about the room with a chuckle.

"AH, HA!"

Ariel jumped, her heart nearly leaping out of her chest at the sudden exclamation. She turned to see Mrs. Williams hobbling over, holding a light blue satin dress she had just retrieved from a nearby closet. Although old, it still held a touch of timeless elegance.

"MY THIRD DAUGHTER'S, A REAL HIT WITH THE MEN," Mrs. Williams declared knowingly, thrusting the dress into Ariel's hands and snatching away her skirt.

"RUBBISH..." she muttered loudly before flinging the skirt back into the closet. Ariel watched in astonishment as her favorite skirt was discarded without a second thought and the closet door slammed shut.

"WELL, I'LL LEAVE YOU TO CHANGE, DEAR," Mrs. Williams shouted with a smirk as she shuffled out, slamming the door behind her. Ariel cringed at the noise, waiting for the ringing in her ears to subside before she looked at the dress again. It was simple and elegant, with no elaborate designs on the satin fabric. The longer length was new for her, but the flattering cut and high slits found favor immediately.

With a resigned sigh and a lingering look at the closet where her skirt now lay abandoned, she slipped into the dress. Just as she reached for the zipper in the back, the door burst open again. Startled, Ariel gasped as Mrs. Williams hobbled toward her.

"WONDERFUL! YOU LOOK EVEN BETTER THAN MY SARA DID IN THIS. SHE MET HER HUSBAND WEARING THIS DRESS, YOU KNOW..." Mrs. Williams exclaimed cheerfully as she moved to help with the zipper. Ariel bent down slightly to accommodate her height difference.

"THERE! YOU'LL KNOCK MY GRANDSON DEAD," Mrs. Williams predicted with satisfaction in her eyes.

Ariel blushed deeply and fiddled with her hands under such warm scrutiny.

"Thank you, but about Noah—"

"DON'T JUST TAKE MY WORD FOR IT! LOOK FOR YOURSELF," Mrs. Williams interrupted, pulling Ariel by the hand toward a full-length mirror near the bathroom.

Despite feeling uncertain about everything, Ariel had to admit she looked far better than she'd imagined. The blue satin shimmered in the fading daylight, perfectly hugging her figure. With a grateful smile at Mrs. Williams, Ariel said,

"Thank you; you really didn't have to do all this..."

Mrs. Williams narrowed her eyes and cupped a hand to her ear,

"WHAT WAS THAT DEAR? DID YOU SAY SOMETHING?"

"I was just saying thank you; this is so generous..."

"EH? YOU'LL NEED TO SPEAK UP, DEARY," the old woman hollered, struggling to catch the words.

Feeling a bit flustered, Ariel tried once more,

"I said thank you for-"

"HUH?"

"THANK YOU!" Ariel yelled, her face turning red.

Mrs. Williams beamed at her sweetly,

"YOU'RE VERY WELCOME, MY DEAR," she responded, patting Ariel's cheek affectionately.

Ariel smiled warmly back but couldn't shake the awkward feeling,

She's being so nice because she thinks I'm going to marry her grandson...

"HEAVENS! LOOK AT THE TIME—DINNER HAS ALREADY STARTED!" the old woman exclaimed as she glanced at an antique grandfather clock, "WE MUST HURRY BACK."

They rushed to the dining room in no time; the murmur of dining guests could be heard through the doors they stood outside of.

"YOU LOOK LOVELY, I BET NOAH IS WAITING FOR YOU. SEE YOU LATER AT THE FESTIVAL," Mrs. Williams assured, brushing off her dress before flashing a bright smile and shuffling off towards the kitchen, leaving Ariel to enter the dining room alone.

A sudden wave of nervousness washed over Ariel; her stomach fluttered. Jasper. What would he think of her dress? Was Noah really waiting for her? What snide comment would Mandy make?

Wait, Ariel thought with a grin, Mandy is stuck with Mr. Warner, she won't be at dinner.

With that cheerful thought, Ariel calmed herself, drew in a deep breath, and pushed open the doors. The noise hit her like a wave; there were more people than usual and all around tables were filled with excited conversations and loud laughter.

Feeling self-conscious, Ariel squeezed her way through the crowded tables, mumbling apologies now and then. Finally spotting her table—and much to her relief—no one had noticed her arrival. She hoped for a quiet entrance.

"Hey, Ariel! Oh. Wow," Leroy called out, waving her over with a grin.

The conversation at the table halted and all eyes turned towards her. Ariel's heart sank into her stomach. So much for a discreet entrance.

"Hi," Ariel replied, making her way towards the only open seat next to John.

"You look wonderful, Ariel," John remarked warmly. Ariel sat down keeping her eyes lowered but managed a brief smile up at him,

"Thanks."

"Very nice," Leroy said, grinning at her proudly. Ariel felt herself blush from the compliments.

"I'd say so. Where did you find that dress? A bit old-fashioned, but...not bad," Taylor remarked, sizing her up approvingly.

Taylor looked quite chic herself in a stylish black dress with her hair elegantly pulled up. Ariel was about to return the compliment, appreciating the opportunity to shift the focus and genuinely wanting to compliment Taylor, when Leroy interjected,

"Outdated? How would you even know? Oh, that's right..." Leroy's voice trailed off with a smirk as Taylor's face turned a dangerous shade of red.

"What are you implying, Thompson?!" she hissed.

Leroy promptly took a large bite of food. Ariel felt a sense of relief. As long as the attention was off her and no one mentioned her dress to Jasper -

"Well, regardless of its age, Ariel looks fantastic. Don't you think... Jasper?" Leroy continued undeterred after swallowing his mouthful. Ariel couldn't help but glance up. Across from her, Jasper's dark eyes met her nervous ones. After a moment of thoughtful silence, he sipped his coffee,

"I don't see any difference from how she usually looks..."

Heat rushed to Ariel's cheeks.

That Jasper.

Pointedly, she crossed her arms and turned away from her boss. Her anger barely dissipated when a familiar voice filled her ears,

"Ariel, wow. You look...amazing," Noah breathed, staring intently.

Her cheeks now flushed with self-consciousness rather than anger, Ariel shifted her attention to Noah who stood at their table with a pleasant smile; his compliments were welcome after Jasper's indifference.

"Thank you Noah, you look very nice as well."

And he did in smart black slacks and a crisp white dress shirt. Noah blushed at the compliment,

"Oh, it's nothing, not compared to you..." he murmured modestly.

"Ugh, really?" Taylor muttered under her breath.

"You're just jealous," Leroy whispered knowingly back at her. Taylor fixed him with a glare,

"Jealous? Of what exactly? She's in a dress that just fell out of a dusty closet and he's practically drooling!"

Despite her objections, Leroy merely smiled,

"Maybe so, but you're still jealous..."

"That dress... it looks kind of familiar..." Noah pondered thoughtfully. Ariel smiled awkwardly,

Oh you know, your grandmother lent it to me. It was your aunt's—the very dress she wore when she met her husband. Isn't that wonderful?

"Hm, I'm not sure why that is..." she fibbed, acutely aware that she was seated next to a priest, with Jasper's eyes practically boring holes into her.

"You haven't ordered anything. Aren't you hungry?" Noah asked suddenly, noticing the absence of food in front of her.

"Oh," Ariel replied, realizing she had forgotten, "thank you, I am. I just haven't ordered yet..."

Noah's eagerness was palpable.

"Well then, let me get you something special. Just a moment-" he said breathlessly, leaving the table before finishing his sentence.

"Noah-" Ariel called out impulsively, grabbing his hand to stop him.

He turned and froze, his eyes moving to where her warm hand clasped his. A blush rushed to Ariel's cheeks, and there was no taking back what she had done, accidental or not.

"Ah- uh..." she stammered, flustered by the awkward situation and unsure whether to let go of his hand. "Please, uh, don't worry about a large meal. I'd be happy with a small one..."

Still staring at her hand gripping his, Noah nodded slowly as if his mind were on delay.

"Alright, sure, a small meal..."

Feeling it was finally safe to let go, Ariel released his hand. Noah drew it to his side and gave her one last look before dashing off to the kitchen.

When Ariel turned her attention back to the table, the silence was unbearable. No one even pretended to eat; they all just stared with mingled surprise and amusement—except for Jasper and Max. Jasper seemed detached from the situation while Max appeared lost in his own important thoughts.

"So Ariel, does your dinner come with a side of Noah?" Leroy teased, struggling to suppress laughter while Taylor across from him couldn't help letting out a few snorts.

"Shut up," Ariel snapped, not in the mood for jibes. But the monk persisted despite her irritation.

"Is this something we should expect now? You two walking around holding hands?" he continued with a light smile.

Ariel narrowed her eyes and began moving her foot back and forth under the table, determined that Leroy wouldn't escape unscathed. Boldly bumping against someone's leg—she barely had time to wonder if it was Leroy's—she looked up in horror as Jasper glanced sharply at her. Desperately retreating her foot, she reached for a cup of coffee only to realize she had none. This dinner had gone from bad to worse.