A Scandal By Any Other Name

Miles away from London, in the countryside, the Kingsley estate was about to face its own terrible, sudden reckoning. The dark clouds of ruin had finally arrived at their doorstep.

Aunt Eunice was pacing furiously in the center of the grand foyer.

The large, open space was usually kept perfectly neat, but today it was a scene of frantic, absolute chaos. Two massive, heavy wooden traveling trunks sat open on the polished marble floor.

Eunice was not packing for a pleasant holiday. She was shouting loud, sharp orders at two terrified young maids, commanding them to pack her trunks as fast as possible.

"Hurry up, you useless, slow girls!" Eunice snapped angrily. Her face was flushed, and her hair was already slightly messy from her frantic pacing.

She walked over to one of the kneeling maids. She raised her hand and slapped the girl sharply on the shoulder.

"Pack the silver platters first!" Eunice commanded, her voice high and panicked. "Then the expensive jewelry! And make sure you pack all of my beautiful silk gowns! Do not wrinkle them!"

The maids nodded quickly, their hands shaking as they wrapped the expensive silver pieces in soft cloth. They were too afraid to ask questions.

"My son Lucas will be back any moment!" Eunice declared loudly to the empty hall, trying to reassure herself. "He promised to collect the gold and return today. We are leaving this cursed house forever! Now, pack the pearls!"

Eunice turned around, intending to fetch her favorite diamond necklace from her bedroom.

Suddenly, the front doors of the manor were violently kicked open from the outside.

BANG!

The thick doors hit the stone walls with a massive crash. The cold wind swept immediately into the warm foyer.

Eunice shrieked loudly and jumped backward, nearly tripping over her own silk skirts. She clutched her hands to her chest in shock.

A squad of ten fully armed Crown Guards marched directly into the grand foyer.

They moved with swiftly and steadily. Their black boots clattered loudly and aggressively against the polished marble floor, a sound that completely destroyed the quiet peace of the country manor. They carried loaded rifles, and their faces were entirely serious.

At the front of the squad stood a tall, broad-shouldered captain. He wore a crisp dark uniform and a thick mustache. He held a tightly rolled piece of thick parchment in his right hand.

Eunice quickly recovered from her shock. Her arrogant, aristocratic pride flared up. She puffed out her chest, lifting her chin high in the air, trying to act like the powerful lady of the manor she believed herself to be.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Eunice demanded loudly, pointing an angry finger at the captain. "How dare you break into my home in such a violent manner? I am Lady Kingsley! I demand you leave my property immediately!"

The captain stopped marching. He stood directly in front of her. He looked at her with a completely blank, stony expression. He was entirely unbothered by her shouting.

"You are a trespasser, Madam," the captain stated firmly. His deep voice echoed in the large hall.

Eunice’s eyes widened in absolute shock. "Excuse me?"

The captain did not repeat himself. He unrolled the thick parchment paper. The red wax seal of the King dangled from the bottom.

"By direct, official order of the High Chancellor and the Crown," the captain read loudly, his voice filling the room, "Cole Kingsley has been convicted in the House of Lords of high treason and the planned murder of a noble peer."

Eunice gasped loudly. Her hand flew up to cover her throat. The color drained completely from her flushed face, leaving her looking sickly pale.

"All of his titles, properties, and assets are hereby entirely seized by the Crown," the captain finished reading the first section.

"No," Eunice whispered, shaking her head.

"Furthermore," the captain continued, ignoring her completely. His voice grew even louder, ensuring every servant in the hall heard the final decree. "This entire estate, the surrounding lands, the bank accounts, and every single item resting within these walls are officially, legally restored to their absolute, rightful owner."

The captain rolled the parchment back up and looked directly into Eunice’s terrified eyes.

"Lady Delaney Kingsley," the captain announced firmly.

Eunice’s eyes widened in horror. Her jaw dropped completely open.

The orphan she had personally tortured, beaten, and starved for years... the girl she had forced to wear scratchy gray wool while she wore fine silk... now owned absolutely everything. Delaney owned the house, the silver, the jewels, and the very ground Eunice was standing on.

"No!" Eunice screamed. Her voice was sharp and shrill, completely losing her dignified tone. She pointed a shaking, furious finger at the captain. "That is impossible! It is a lie! My son Lucas will stop this! He is coming back! When Lucas gets here, he will throw you all out!"

The captain did not look angry. He looked at the screaming woman with a flicker of cold, absolute pity.

"Your son is not coming, Madam," the captain interrupted coldly.

Eunice froze completely. Her raised finger slowly dropped. A cold chill ran down her spine. "What?"

"Lucas Kingsley was found dead on a dirt road outside of London this morning," the captain informed her bluntly, showing absolutely no sympathy for the wicked woman.

Eunice stopped breathing. The entire world seemed to stop spinning.

"He attempted to brutally murder the Lady Delaney," the captain explained, delivering the terrible details. "And he met a murderer’s sudden end. He was shot twice in the stomach and once directly in the head. His body and two others was reported by a passerby and was recovered by the Hamilton guards. His body is currently lying on a cold slab in the county morgue."

The words struck Eunice much harder than a slap to the face.

Her husband, the source of her stolen wealth, was going to the gallows. Her beloved son, the boy she had spoiled and protected, was lying dead in a morgue. Her daughter, after getting married stopped contacting her. And her entire fortune, her beautiful clothes, and her grand home were completely, legally gone.

Eunice let out a loud, piercing, agonizing scream that tore violently from the very bottom of her lungs.

"Nooooo!" Eunice wailed.

The sound was terrible, the raw sound of a mother completely breaking apart. Her knees gave out entirely. She fell hard to her knees on the cold marble floor. She grabbed her own hair with both hands, pulling wildly at the pins, completely losing her mind to the overwhelming grief and sudden ruin.

"Lucas!" Eunice sobbed loudly, rocking back and forth on the floor. "My beautiful boy!"

The captain watched her for a brief second, but he had a job to do.

"Confiscate the trunks," the captain ordered his men sharply, pointing to the open luggage.

Two large guards immediately stepped forward. They grabbed the leather handles of the wooden trunks Eunice had been desperately packing.

"Leave those!" Eunice shrieked, her sorrow instantly mixing with her greedy panic.

She crawled forward on her hands and knees across the marble floor. She grabbed a guard’s leg tightly with both of her hands, staining his dark uniform with her tears.

"Those are my beautiful dresses!" Eunice screamed, her face twisting into a mask of pure madness. "Those are my expensive jewels! You cannot take them! They belong to me!"

The guard looked down at her with deep disgust. He kicked his leg backward firmly, completely freeing himself from her desperate grip.

Eunice tumbled backward, falling flat onto the hard marble floor.

"They now belong to Lady Delaney Kingsley," the guard replied coldly, looking down at her. "Everything here belongs to her."

The captain turned his back on the weeping woman.

"Escort this woman off the property immediately," the captain ordered his squad. "She is no longer welcome to step foot on these lands."

"Yes, sir!" the guards replied in unison.

Another set of guards stepped toward Eunice. They did not show a single ounce of gentleness or respect. They reached down and grabbed Eunice roughly by the arms. They hauled her up from the floor, entirely ignoring her loud protests.