"So she really climbed into the bed of her friend's husband?" one lady asked after their teacher briefly explained Maria and Agatha's situation.
"Can you even call them friends? She is an enemy. She was born to the servants of Lady Grey, Miss Maria's mother. The two should have been master and servant at most, but the Grey family was too kind and allowed her to hurt their daughter," another young lady spoke. Her mother did not like Agatha, so she would often tell her about Agatha's disgraceful background.
"She really has an evil heart, yet she still dares to show off in front of Miss Maria. This is an example of a wolf in sheep's clothing. Seeing how gentle she looks, I thought she was a kind person," another lady added.
"You cannot judge a person by their looks," yet another joined in.
As they spoke, they did not bother to lower their voices.
Agatha wanted nothing more than to disappear at that moment. She had expected Miss Maria to be consumed with anger and jealousy when she showed off her children and family. She did not anticipate her actions would backfire so quickly. Google seaʀᴄh novel·fiɾe·net
As children, Agatha had always envied Maria. She thought that after so many years, she had become a proper lady, while Maria, who was born into a good family, had been reduced to a teacher. She believed she could step all over her with this new identity, but she did not expect her past to be exposed so quickly.
The words of the young ladies at the next table made her feel utterly humiliated. After so much had been said, she no longer had the courage to repeat the same shameless words she had once said to Maria years ago. She was a mother with two daughters. If the reputation she had built over two decades was destroyed, how would her daughters marry into good families?
Janette and Lily also lowered their heads. They prayed and hoped that no one would drag them into the conversation. After all, it would ruin their reputations, and they might not be able to marry into good families.
Agatha took a deep breath and tried to pretend she did not feel the gazes turning toward her from time to time. Although no one questioned her directly, she was still very uncomfortable. Just when Agatha could no longer bear the judging stares from those around her table, the celebrant's voice saved the day.
"I am so honored to have all of you accept my invitation to celebrate my birthday with me today," she began with a warm smile. She had overheard the conversation at Maria's table.
In reality, she and Agatha could only be considered acquaintances at best. She and Maria had become friends after Maria became a teacher. Although she knew about the history between the two, she did not know the details. At the time Maria called off her engagement, she had not been in the capital, so she knew very little. Miss Augusta was never one to gossip about the private affairs of others, so she remained ignorant of the specifics.
After delivering her welcome speech, she introduced some of the rare flowers in her garden. Many of the young ladies took turns guessing the names of the flowers and showing off their knowledge.
Elisabeth also participated. She felt that she had lost a great deal of face because of her nanny's past, so she tried her best to contribute to the discussion as each flower was introduced. Moreover, Anastasia had smartly helped their teacher out of a difficult position while she was distracted. Elisabeth wanted to say something to make Miss Maria proud and to attract the attention of Miss Magdalene.
On the other hand, Anastasia remained quiet, listening to the discussion around her with a smile. It was her first time attending such a gathering, she had no friends to chat with and it was never her character to attract attention.
"I am sure many of you know that I have been trying to grow a particular flower for years, and I have only just succeeded after many failed attempts," Miss Augusta said warmly. Since losing her husband, she had dedicated her time to planting and caring for flowers.
She had a few students who would visit her from time to time to learn about flower cultivation, as it had become a growing trend in recent years.
Everyone nodded in agreement. Miss Augusta had mentioned this flower in her invitation, how could they forget so soon?
Seeing their reactions, Miss Augusta smiled. "You all must come with me. Coincidentally, the flower should bloom in a few minutes," she said, gesturing toward its location.
Everyone rose from their seats and followed Miss Augusta. The flower was planted at the other end of the garden, only a few steps away. Before them stood a single flower stem. It was the first time anyone present had seen this particular bloom.
"Do you know what flower this is?" one young lady asked her friend. Although there were flowers introduced by Miss Augusta a while ago that they have not seen but they have seen them in books and painting but not the one in front of them.
Her friend shook her head. The invitation had not mentioned the flower, and it was her first time seeing it as well. The group began discussing the flower amongst themselves, but Miss Augusta was in no hurry to stop the conversation.
After several rounds of guessing, the young ladies stopped and waited for an answer. They had all based their guesses on flowers they had seen in books, but none of their answers seemed correct.
"Sister, I remember your mother used to tend to many rare flowers. Do you not recognize this one?" Elisabeth asked. Since many women grew flowers, she emphasized the word rare to push Anastasia into the spotlight.
Even though not knowing the answer was nothing to be ashamed of, Elisabeth's words made it seem otherwise. Most of the young ladies were eager to see Anastasia embarrass herself. They echoed Elisabeth's question, making it appear as though she would be ignorant if she did not know the answer.