Chapter 61: The vampires
"I shall retire for the night. Thank you for today," Belle said, standing up. She grabbed Mia’s hand, pulling her to her feet, and began pushing her toward the door. She should have known better than to share her thoughts with Mia, knowing it would only worsen her worries.
"You know, you can always come to me... whenever your friend feels unsure," Mia teased, letting out a sly grin. She winked as Belle continued to push her out, making Belle roll her eyes.
"She won’t feel that way again. Goodnight," Belle said firmly. Reaching the door, she opened it and ushered Mia out.
"Be—" Mia began, but Belle quickly shut the door before she could finish. Exhaling loudly, Belle leaned against the door, trying to collect herself.
Turning back to her room, she approached the desk where the box Hezekiah had given her sat. Lifting the lid, she took out the beautiful blue gown inside. She held it up, her eyes tracing the fine details of the pearls adorning it. It was exquisite, the kind of dress that seemed to belong to someone far more confident than she felt.
She couldn’t help but wonder how much it must have cost. And if Hezekiah had been truthful about the source of the gown, it must have cost a fortune to provide this for many other ladies like her.
The longer she stared, the more uneasy she became. The gown felt too grand for her. Even as the Duke’s former wife, she had chosen her own simple dresses, preferring to avoid attention. Their strained marriage had only made her social outings rare, leaving her unused to such extravagance.
What would people think of her wearing it? Would they call her names? Say she was with the king for his riches? Now that Hezekiah was ready to introduce her to the world, why did the thought fill her with dread instead of pride?
Shaking the thoughts away, she carefully folded the gown back into its box. She moved to her wardrobe and changed into her nightdress. Though it was still early and she hadn’t eaten dinner, she couldn’t face going outside, especially after what had happened. She decided to starve herself and endure it until the following day.