Chapter 6
However, when Isabella couldn’t even last three years and divorced the duke, the decision to abandon the Belsmeyer heir came back as a painful blunder. Fortunately, amid the misfortune, Charlotte received a marriage proposal from another duke, Nicholas Fraser, while Raymond was away on an overseas assignment.
It was a heaven-sent opportunity, so Charlotte grasped Duke Fraser’s hand without hesitation. When she sent word, a reply arrived from Raymond abroad.
Perhaps he wouldn’t try to dissuade her from the marriage.
It would be a lie to say she hadn’t harbored a faint hope before opening the letter. After all, Charlotte had been smitten with Raymond from the very beginning. But the contents were just as she expected.
Raymond sincerely blessed the marriage of a woman who could once have been his wife. Only Raymond would send such a gracious letter upon hearing that a woman he’d spent so long with as his fiancée was marrying someone else.
Charlotte knew that Raymond felt no attraction toward her whatsoever. And yet, if she had refused another man’s proposal, Raymond would have married her as those around him advised. The outcome would have been the same even if another woman were in her place. That utter indifference was the essence of the man named Raymond.
Swallowing back the bitter memories of the past, Charlotte pulled up the corners of her mouth in a smile.
“We were good friends, weren’t we?”
“That’s the first I’ve heard of it.”
“When you were suffering because of Lady Isabella’s appearance, it was me and my sister Cordelia who stayed by your side, even if just for a while. Oh, right, you’ve probably heard that Cordelia is attending the Royal Academy of Arts in the capital? She asked after your well-being.”
“So, has the marchioness shifted her goal to making Cordelia Rosewell the duchess now?”
Charlotte asked innocently.
“Is that such a bad thing?”
“I have to get to the company. Get to the point.”
Only then did Charlotte pull an invitation from her bag. Raymond strode over on his long legs and took it from her. His gaze turned downward.
A small bell intertwined beautifully with two feathers. Recognizing the design on the front of the invitation, Raymond asked in a voice tinged with disbelief.
“Silverbell? You came all this way just to deliver an invitation to a mere ball?”
“I need your firm commitment to attend. If I just sent the invitation alone, you’re the type of man who’d reply with a rejection without even checking the contents.”
“Is there some special guest coming to this Silverbell ball?”
“You’re quick on the uptake. The youngest princess from Vasa will be arriving in the capital soon. The Queen of Vasa and our Crown Princess are distant relatives, you see.”
Those crown-wearing types.
Raymond swallowed a faint irritation as he read through the formal wording on the invitation. He could already picture what the Crown Princess, with Charlotte as her vanguard, wanted from him. And how exhausting it would be to attend to a young, immature princess.
Still, one piece of information he’d obtained from the country where that princess was born piqued his interest, however faintly. If he used a high-born princess as a shield, there was a chance the relentless pressure from those around him to marry next month might subside.
“Rosnaire’s social scene is much larger and more spectacular than Vasa’s, isn’t it? It seems the youngest princess wants to spend some time here before her marriage. It would be even better if she finds a fine groom. That could provide constructive help to the relations between our two countries.”
“So, you need a high-ranking clown?”
“You can’t entrust the princess’s escort to some insignificant noble. If there’s no handsome prince available, we’ll have to produce a handsome duke. The Crown Princess has high expectations of you.”
“If I don’t attend, I’ll fall out of favor.”
“Take comfort in the fact that the princess is said to be beautiful?”
Charlotte gauged Raymond’s reaction. It was clear he felt no allure from the bait of a princess renowned for her looks. But after a moment’s pause, Raymond didn’t discard the invitation he’d finished reading; instead, he placed it in a prominent spot on his desk. It meant he would attend.
“Good thinking.”
Charlotte said in a delighted voice.
“An oil business has started in Vasa. The princes each hold a stake.”
“…And?”
Charlotte tilted her head as if it came out of nowhere.
“You’d better pray that she’s close with her brothers.”
Ah. So, he was saying he’d attend the ball out of curiosity for the oil gushing from the deep sea, more than for the princess.
Raymond was consistent as ever. His sole motivation was the sense of duty to pass on his family’s illustrious name intact to the next generation. Marriage was merely a means to that end. Raymond needed a woman of pure noble birth, and he wasn’t the type to stray from the given path.
The fact that the man before her hadn’t changed brought Charlotte a slight sense of relief. She smiled brightly and said,
“I’ll pray with you.”
In any case, she’d achieved her goal by adding Duke Belsmeyer to the list of male attendees.
* * *
When the morning arrived for unveiling the curtained show windows, Alexa woke up at the crack of dawn with tousled hair. Preparing for the marriage market was important, but she couldn’t afford to slack on the department store’s work either.
Once dressed, she planned to slip out quietly on her bicycle. But the diligent Dominic was already waiting at the entrance.
“I’ll give you a ride. Let’s go together.”
“You’re driving yourself?”
“If you’re planning to lecture me that gentlemen don’t drive themselves like Aunt does, then I won’t give you a lift.”
“As if. I’d be grateful for the ride.”
Dominic drove the car with impeccable skill and dropped her off on the avenue a short distance from the department store.
“My secretaries’ wives know that today is the day Everhart’s show windows are unveiled. They say the anticipation is high.”
“Has the word spread that far?”
“The person who placed those massive ads for Everhart in the women’s magazines across the capital—could it be someone other than the Alexa Winterborn I know?”
Alexa clamped her mouth shut as if she knew nothing about it and innocently shrugged her shoulders. Dominic, who had seen her wrestling with thick dictionaries in the study to come up with ad copy better than Botri Department Store’s, subtly lifted the corner of his mouth.
“Do well.”
With that simple encouragement, her brother departed. Alexa waved until the car was completely out of sight, then turned around.
The footsteps of a woman walking through the heart of the still-sleeping city were light and lively. In the air that still held a chill, she could smell a faint hint of oil and the scent of freshly printed paper.
A newspaper delivery boy with a somewhat familiar face passed by, tipping his hat in greeting. Alexa returned the gesture with a nod. A man pushing a large cart loaded with flowers also acknowledged her. She was about to pass with a light greeting when he called out to stop her and pulled a modest bouquet from the cart.
“They say if you offer the first flowers to a beautiful lady, luck follows you all day. Will you accept them?”
Alexa took the gift with a natural smile.
“Thank you. Have a good day.”
A pleasant fragrance wafted from the bouquet wrapped in damp newspaper at the bottom. The buds just about to bloom seemed to embody the anticipation of customers heading to the show windows, making Alexa smile foolishly.
Before long, the main building of the department store came into view, with its dome roof in a soft blue hue. To check for any dirt or debris on the exterior walls that needed tidying, Alexa carefully circled the main building once. Fortunately, there was nothing problematic.
Today, the blue awnings unfurled in unison along the street looked as elegant as the sashes on an actress’s evening gown. The arched main entrance created a classical sense of balance at the center of the blue waves, and the pale sandy exterior walls blended all the decorative elements naturally, like a unifying pigment.
Everhart was perfect, as always.
After finishing her inspection of the exterior, Alexa entered the department store through the staff entrance, arranged the flowers in a vase in the office, and donned her apron. She turned on the lights on each floor and, upon reaching the first floor, spotted Oscar Gladney diving into the final touches.
As soon as Oscar spotted Alexa, he threw up both arms and shouted hysterically.
“What if it all goes wrong? Damn it! I could have come up with something better than this!”
His curly auburn hair was tousled like a mane that hadn’t been combed in a month. It looked like he’d been yanking at it while waiting for her.
“I’m truly hopeless, Miss Winterborn. Just fire me now. You know better designers are pouring out of schools every year.”
Oscar’s ever-abundant confidence always plummeted right before a new show window unveiling. It was like a recklessly listed stock on the exchange, crashing in value. Alexa’s role was to give him a push to ensure a good finish. Anyway, his confidence would rebound quickly once the wave of customers arrived.
“Mr. Gladney, you’re at it again. We have faith in this. If you’re worried, try saying out loud that the more anxious you get, the higher the department store’s sales climb. Wouldn’t that make you feel better?”
Oscar pouted sullenly.
“That’s mean. Are you saying higher sales matter more than your employee’s happiness? You’re cruel.”
Another presence stirred from behind. It was the general manager, Ben Whitmore. He spoke to Alexa in a concerned voice.
“You’re in early. Didn’t you leave latest last night as well?”
“I’m nervous. Besides, even if I stayed home, I’d just worry about what excuse Mr. Gladney might come up with today to tear down the finished show windows.”
“Mr. Gladney. Have you been making those threats again?”
Ben Whitmore shot Oscar a stern look. Oscar avoided the general manager’s gaze like a cornered man, then realized he could no longer afford whims and sighed in resignation. As he trudged toward the show window with a prop box, he suddenly yelled with determination.
“I’ll finish show windows 3 and 4 no matter what. You’ll have to block anyone from approaching. Unless you want customers peering through the glass at Oscar Gladney passed out!”
“Don’t worry—if anyone gets close, I’ll swing a mannequin to stop them!”
Alexa replied cheerfully, and Oscar waved back. Having let his ritualistic fit pass, Alexa and Ben exchanged glances and sighed.
“I’ll go check if there’s anything amiss with the new merchandise displays. The head buyers will arrive soon to help with the inspection.”
“I’m counting on you today as well.”
Once the general manager left, Alexa picked up a prop box from the floor and headed to the show window assigned to her. It was the one visible right around the street corner, so her task was no light one.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ✧: *. ꕥ .* :✧ﾟ. ───
