Chapter 35 – The Silver Acorn
Before departing for the battlefield, Miss Lysmere – Jade had decided she would be Miss Lysmere today: a demure teacher, an acquaintance of a Lady’s governess – so that the guest who had never seen her face would not connect her with the ragged, ill-mannered schoolteacher who had argued with a respectable doctor. However, she faced her first challenge.
She stared at the grand, ornate carriage. Before she could even decide who ought to enter first, Ashborne had already extended his hand, silently inviting her to place hers upon his palm as she stepped inside.
She did so. Then, under his pointed gaze, she seated herself on the inner side of the forward-facing bench.
Alright. Lady first protocol. Understood. She waited for Ashborne to follow her in.
Instead – much to her surprise – Josh entered next and took the rear-facing seat opposite her. Mr. Trent followed and settled beside him. Ashborne was the last to step inside, taking the place beside Jade.
After the footman closed the door, she felt someone climb up behind the carriage. A moment later, the coachman snapped the reins, and the horses set off.
When the ride finally steadied, Jade voiced her bewilderment. “You people have a sequence for getting into the carriage? And somehow you’re the last?”
Ashborne raised his brow. “It has always been so. I had assumed Miss Ja–” He cleared his throat. “Miss Lysmere would have known.”
“Of course not. How would I possibly know that?” Jade rolled her eyes.
The closest she had ever come to this sort of thing was in her previous life, when the bakery occasionally collaborated with wedding and event organisers. She had provided decorated cakes to match the theme, sometimes helped arrange decorations, sometimes presented the cake by pushing the trolley herself. On rare occasions, she had remained on standby for the entire event, ready to rescue the cake from disaster.
She knew the general flow of formal events. She knew some bits of etiquette when serving wealthy old-money clients. But that did not mean she knew there was apparently a correct way to get into a car.
To avoid disgracing Mr. Rich Sponsor – whom she glared at intermittently throughout the ride – Jade began asking detailed questions about proper genteel etiquette and committed the answers to memory with the same ruthless determination she once reserved for exam preparation.
“Miss Lysmere, I am rather surprised by your caution today,” Ashborne remarked, rubbing his chin. “I have never seen you so lacking in confidence… oh, apart from your uncertainty regarding the embroidery project. Where has the fire gone – the one you displayed when debating the doctor?”
“I only have confidence when I know what I’m doing,” Jade said flatly. “Clearly, I don’t know what I’m doing now. I’m more clueless than when I was teaching myself embroidery. Now, where are the Settings for the story? I need them now, before I fabricate something out of thin air that ruins today’s session.”
Mr. Trent produced a neatly bound volume and handed it to her. Jade flipped it open and inhaled sharply. “In just a few days, you’ve turned the Background Settings into a printed book?!”
“That is the modest miracle a handsome reward can produce,” Ashborne replied with a dismissive shrug. “According to the authors, this is merely the first edition. There will be further meetings to expand and refine it into a second.”
Jade immediately thought of the expanding universes of DC and Marvel, and nodded in understanding. “Guess all creators are like that, huh. Anyway, if you, good Sir, had informed me about today in advance, I wouldn’t have been scrambling to get myself and everything else ready.”
“Well,” Ashborne said with a faint smirk, “I lacked the confidence to persuade you to attend, given that I failed to secure you as my consultant. So, as Miss Lysmere herself once declared, ‘I must be creative in devising a solution’.”
“And as you can see, I’m quite unhappy with your creative solution.” Jade pressed her lips into a thin line.
Not that she was truly angry. She never minded helping when friends dragged trouble her way. Still, no one wore a cheerful smile while handling a tedious inconvenience. “You just wait,” she muttered. “I’ll get you back for this, Ashborne. Mark my words.”
After all these days, Ashborne had finally grasped the appropriate range and distance for interacting with the audacious schoolteacher. He gave a shrug and a smirk. “Well, that is what friends are for, is it not?”
“Yeah, sure, whatever.” Jade rolled her eyes, having finally decided which portion of the background story would be used for today’s session. “Listen, Mister, I’m not entirely sure how this game is supposed to work, so we might need to adjust the rules as we go. You’ll have to oversee it. Like, explain to the others why certain rules exist. I don’t know how to phrase things in your kind of fancy way, you get me?”
Ashborne tapped the book. “I was under the impression the loose sheet inside contained the rules for today’s session.”
“This one?” Jade flipped to the very first page and extracted the printed sheet. She scanned it quickly. “Yeah, it looks like it’ll be enough for today. But we should still be mentally prepared in case something unexpected happens.”
She continued, “Also, we’ll need someone to take note during the session. Like, properly record what happens in the story, so the Host – or Game Master – can refer back to it later. More precisely, so they know what kind of plot they need to fabricate on the spot to keep the story moving.”
Ashborne muttered thoughtfully, “Which means the Host must be quick-witted and possess strong logic in order to construct a reasonable continuation.”
“Exactly. And I will not be the Host, for obvious reasons,” Jade rolled her eyes again. He responded with a quiet chuckle. She continued, “I’ll open the game, fix the beginning of the overall storyline, guide them through the first round, and support the Host as the story goes…”
“Trent shall take charge of recording the proceedings,” Ashborne decided. “I shall assign others to assist him as well. Miss Lysmere, you must ease your nerves. Everyone understands this is a new game. Imperfections are to be expected. You have been tense ever since you put on that attire.”
“Heh. I’m trying to preserve your face here, Lord Ashborne,” Jade shot him a menacing smirk. “Otherwise I’d just say whatever pops into my head and to hell with the storyline. Just say thank you and appreciate me for being this considerate. I do not want to see tomorrow’s headline saying, ‘Eccentric nobleman brings disgraceful peasant to respectable social gathering’ or something like that. Get it?”
Ashborne laughed so hard, tears nearly formed at the corners of his eyes. “Yes, yes, Miss Lysmere. My most sincere thanks. I am deeply obliged. Now, grant me a measure of trust. I promise it shall not be so dreadful.”
“Yeah, sure.” Jade rolled her eyes again. “This is why I don’t like getting near the upper classes. That circle is way beyond my understanding with all the exhausting etiquette and invisible rules.”
“Why?” Ashborne asked with genuine curiosity. “I was under the impression many young ladies aspired to marry into the upper sphere. At least, that appears to be the case in the romance novels my sister acquires.”
“Count me out. I don’t want to be caged or chained by a thousand unspoken rules.” Jade glanced down at the book again. “I respect them. I mean, the etiquettes, the manners. They take serious time to practise and memorise, and yeah, they look elegant and all. But I don’t think I belong in that world. I’d rather admire it from a distance. I’m perfectly happy being a rough girl in the suburbs.”
“A most intriguing perspective, Miss Lysmere.” Ashborne inclined his head, then turned his attention to Jade as she began discussing with Josh how the guests should be served during the game.
At last, after nearly an hour’s ride, they arrived at The Silver Acorn.
Jade stepped down from the coach in the reverse order of their boarding. Yet halfway down the footboard, she froze, stunned by the sight before her.
It was only when Ashborne gave her hand a gentle squeeze that her senses returned. With his assistance, her foot finally touched the ground.
“Must I continue assisting you, lest you faint from sheer admiration?” Ashborne murmured with a smirk.
Jade shot him a glare and promptly withdrew her hand from his. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to faint just from looking at the building. Though I have to admit, I’m stunned by this clubhouse’s design.”
Once again, she regretted the limitation of her vocabulary. The only thought she could summon was: My eyes are being violently attacked by the golden glare of excessive wealth.
And, frankly, that was not an exaggeration.
The townhouse rose four stories high. Tall sash windows framed the facade. A grand doorway stood at its centre, fitted with impressive double oak doors. Gas lamps lined the exterior, their metal work adorned with intricate oak and acorn motifs. Wide stone steps led up to the entrance hall, which stood open under the watchful presence of two footmen in sleek, immaculate uniforms.
Inside, the marble floor gleamed in checkerboard pattern. A sweeping oak staircase curved upward in dignified grandeur. As Jade’s gaze travelled higher, she realised the entire structure was meticulously symmetrical, as though the left wing had been mirrored perfectly onto the right. She could only assume the rooms and their functions were arranged in matching pairs.
She had partially expected something like this. In her mind, she had substituted the images from TV shows about British royal palaces and even Versailles. Still, witnessing such splendor in person was overwhelming.
And she was not alone.
Josh, her pupil, stood frozen beside her, equally stunned by the atmosphere radiating from the building.
“Josh,” Jade called quietly. “Remember what I told you about posture?”
“Yes, Sensei.” He snapped back to attention, straightened his spine, and adjusted himself into a proper stance.
She assessed him from head to toe and gave a small nod. “Good posture is essential if you want to work long hours in a kitchen. Engrave the habit into your bones, boy. Have you memorised the list of edible flowers and sources of food colouring?”
“Not yet, Sensei.” He followed as Ashborne led them toward the parlour reserved for the event, carefully ignoring the occasional glance the Lord cast in his direction. “I have only memorised a quarter of it.”
“Lean your back against a wall or pillar while you recite it during your spare time,” Jade instructed. “We’ll need to gather those materials in spring… Oh, I need to figure out how to preserve the colours. Right, make a mental note…”
“Miss Lysmere,” Ashborne interjected smoothly, gesturing to the seat at his right, “perhaps we might partake of luncheon first.”
Jade glared at him again. “You just had to get me all the way here before the event even began, huh? Didn’t even dare spare me the time to eat back at the domus, huh?”
“Yes indeed.” Ashborne smiled and signalled for the servants to begin service. “I would rather not risk your absence, Miss Lysmere.”
“Then don’t make a sound when I use this rare opportunity to educate my pupil.” She rolled her eyes and turned to Josh. “Now, this is a grand clubhouse. The cook here must be excellent. Observe the presentation of the dishes. Notice how they are plated. Pay attention to the taste.”
Josh paused thoughtfully, then nodded. “Digest it. Absorb it. Perhaps apply it when we design pastries? Or use the ideas when serving our future customers?”
“Exactly.” Jade was pleased to see he inhaled deeply and began studying the room, and later the dishes placed before them with deliberate focus.
“A remarkably strict master,” Ashborne observed, one brow raised. “You sound rather different from when you instruct your other students.”
“I’m responsible for his future.” Jade had no intention of elaborating on her understanding of the master-apprentice relationship. “Better that I’m strict now than have him stand helpless before a difficult customer one day.”
“An intriguing philosophy, Miss Lysmere.” Ashborne inclined his head.
He smiled faintly, anticipation stirring within him. He was very much looking forward to today’s game, and to the sort of story this meticulous teacher would unfold.