Chapter 1: Estranged Woman
"My lady!" An elated young girl hurried over to a slender woman tending to linens on a clothesline.
Smiling, the lady turned her attention from her task to the girl, amused by her spirited demeanor.
"My lady, my lady!" Breathless, the girl finally reached her side, bending slightly as she held out a letter, her eyes alight with excitement.
"It appears you have received a reply. What news does it bring?" The lady remarked, believing it was a letter for the girl. She dried her hands on her gown and stepped closer to her.
"No, it is a letter from the Duke himself! I managed to intercept it..." But before the girl could finish, Belle had already seized the letter, widening her eyes at the horror they were about to face.
She widened her eyes, bewildered, and scolded, "What have you done? If..." about completing her sentence, she halted when she heard the receding steps of a familiar person and wished for the Goddess to stop time at the moment. Just the thought of being caught was making her lose her mind, what was she going to do if her mother-in-law beat her again?
"Dear heavens!" Belle whispered, realizing their time had run short. She pulled Mia behind her, quickly snatching the letter to shield her from the woman's wrath.
"I..." Belle's words were abruptly silenced by a slap across her cheek, causing Mia to gasp in shock and fury.
"How dare you steal the letter my son sent to me?" The older woman thundered, her gaze fierce as though she might strike again.