"Is everything well, Lily? Your talk with your friend didn’t appear to be going well," Alessandra said once Lily came to her side.
"It is well, mother. You must know that Harper isn’t my friend. She didn’t take it well that I won’t be attending a gathering she is hosting. I know it will be filled with ladies who will speak of Penelope. I don’t wish to be bothered by it," said Lily.
"I see. Have you ever thought of hosting a gathering? A tea party or a small garden party? It’s been so long since we hosted something for you. The last time was your debut with Penelope," Alessandra said, reminiscing about the old day.
"I think about it, but then I realise now is not the best time. We have recently had Penelope, the queen and others in our home. I am not ready for another," Lily answered.
"Very well. I won’t force you," Alessandra said, dropping the matter for now. "But there are balls to attend. We are still in search of a good match for you unless there is already someone you fancy."
"There isn’t anyone. I am not lucky like Penelope to have a man I adored from childhood," Lily said, but it didn’t bother her.
"There is Teo," Alessandra jokingly suggested.
Lily laughed and quickly covered her mouth before it got out of hand. "I will never be with Teo, mother. It is not because I don’t want to be like Penelope to marry a prince, but he is nothing I want in a man. It is funny."
"What if he were to propose to you?"
Lily flashed a look of horror. "He mustn’t. Have you heard something?"
"No, it is merely a mystery who he wishes to propose to. It could be anyone. Even you," said Alessandra.
"It mustn’t be so. Teo has not once courted me, and he knows better than to propose to me suddenly. If he does, I will cry to father," Lily said, knowing the trouble would start. "Then they will need to search for a new crown prince."
"I don’t think it is me whom Teo will propose to. We must only hope that the young lady he picks is kind and worthy of becoming our queen," Lily said, hoping Teo had the right mind to not think of her.
Alessandra dropped the matter, and once the guards declared it was safe, she took her daughters to the bakery and then returned to their carriages to go home.
In the carriage, Alessandra looked out the window. Her mind was filled with questions concerning the man who approached her.
Who was his father, and why was he longing to meet with her?
’A collector of art,’ Alessandra repeated.
Alessandra couldn’t place who it was. There were too many other issues starting to come to mind, so she couldn’t think straight for a moment.
"Lily, do you know the man who spoke with me? He introduced himself as Quinn, and he has a brother named Cassius," Alessandra said, hoping Lily would be of some help.
"I do not know the man you spoke with, but I have seen his brother. His brother seems to be infatuated with Penelope. I could tell by the way his eyes wouldn’t leave her when he stood before us, and then there was the carriage. I have not heard of him since then," said Lily.
"Why?" Lily asked, puzzled as to why Cassius was coming up now. "Did he trouble you?"
"No, no. It seems I might know his father, but I have never seen this Quinn before. There is too much on my mind," Alessandra said, touching her forehead. "It is that awful feeling of the answer being right there, but I don’t know it. I am too forgetful," she laughed.
Lily smiled. "I don’t think you are forgetful, mother. Besides the butler, you are the one who remembers most things about the estate. Perhaps you need to rest. You have been doing far too much work since the start of the season."
Lily now remembered that her mother had once been ill, and as soon as she was better, she went back to helping with preparing for balls.
"You must rest for a little while, and I will ask Priscilla to help me. She is more than willing to do it, and it gives us the chance to be together again. Rest and give Isabelle the attention she needs," Lily said, not wanting to be the source of her mother’s tiredness.
"I will consider it. I will speak to Priscilla about having her take you to a few balls, and I must speak with your father about that man. Stay away from those brothers. I don’t know much about them, but I also do not trust them," said Alessandra.
Alessandra didn’t want to meet with Quinn again. If she knew Quinn’s father, why didn’t he just reveal who he was?
"Don’t worry, mother. I don’t have any plans to get close to a man who once had affections for Penelope. He might be so foolish as to think that I can act as her replacement. The next time we must visit the market, we should bring father along," Lily suggested.
With the infamous Edgar Collins around, no one would bother them.
"You may ask. If you are tired, lean on me," Alessandra said, pulling Isabelle close. "You mustn’t let your father see the sweet treats you have bought from the baker."
"I won’t," Isabelle mumbled. She leaned on her mother’s arm.
It was comforting and helped Isabelle to rest until they returned to the estate.
Isabelle rubbed her eyes upon hearing her mother’s soft calls to wake, since they were now back at the estate.
Isabelle opened her eyes and first saw her mother, but then her father’s face as he helped Lily out of the carriage.
"Father! You are home early. Oh!" Isabelle gasped, clinging to her mother.
"You must be careful, Isabelle. You just woke up," Alessandra said, holding onto Isabelle as she exited the carriage. "I’m still yet to find where she gets this energetic side from."
"It doesn’t come from you, Alessandra. You tire easily," Edgar said, taking delight in teasing Alessandra.
"Why do I always set myself up to be trapped by you? Thank you," Alessandra said, placing her hand on Edgar’s. "I had an encounter with my mother in town. She spoke of the mines and other things. I was to blame for it, of course."
"You must stop speaking to her. See her and walk off. The guards are there to remove her," Edgar said, annoyed that Alessandra spoke with Melanie.
"Unless she does something to trouble the children, there is nothing more to say, since she will only speak of the mines. Oh! There was an encounter that puzzles me. A man named Quinn Monroe introduced himself to me. Do you know his father?" Alessandra asked, turning to Edgar for help.