Chapter 21
A juicy rumor began making the rounds through town about House Beekman: the girl accused of murdering Baron Beekman was, in truth, his illegitimate daughter.
The story went that because Nora Allmon, the suspected poisoner, had been the girl's guardian, the baron had frequented the house simply to visit his child—and Nora, misconstruing his intentions, had done away with him.
The petty scandals of nobility were always prime entertainment for common folk. When that scandal combined murder with a secret birth, the juicy tale proved utterly irresistible, leaving everyone chattering about it incessantly.
I was rigid with tension. The dress and hair ornaments were uncomfortable enough, but the moment I stepped down from the carriage, every passerby froze in their tracks to stare.
Having spent my life cooped up in a dingy house caring for Mrs. Vino, with excursions limited to the market and the washing place, this sort of attention felt downright suffocating. I would have preferred washing dirty rags with frostbitten fingers at the riverbank.
Dressed in deep navy velvet lavishly embroidered with silver thread, Kirhin stepped beside me and settled my hand upon his forearm. His brushed-back red hair caught the sun, glowing as brightly as his grin.
Insisting that we must look the part of brother and sister, he had worn an outfit embroidered to match my hair color, while my head was adorned with ornaments matching his. The hefty pins flanking both sides of my hair gave me an ache, but I lacked the leeway to pay it any mind.
Leaning faintly on his arm, I took my first tentative step. My mind was consumed by a single thought: do not make a mistake. It was my first time out of the estate in nearly ten days.
Each morning, I awoke to maids washing me and styling my hair before breakfast. Afterward, an etiquette instructor drilled me on aristocratic posture and fundamental decorum until noon, followed by afternoons spent reading or learning to dance.
Evenings were usually spent dining with Kirhin. Though he returned every night looking thoroughly worn out from succession business, he never failed to inquire after every detail of my day.
Ten short days were enough to teach me, down to my bones, that a noble's life was far from leisurely. Their seemingly effortless, elegant posture and movements were the fruit of relentless discipline and rules drilled into them from childhood. Even eating was fraught with dozens of trivial concerns, to say nothing of the endless list of questions one could or could not ask in polite conversation.
Now and then, I felt lost, wondering what on earth I was doing here and whether this was all a dream. Every two days, I still woke at the crack of dawn, ready to attend to Mrs. Vino.
The late baron, remarkably lavish when it came to gifting his mistresses, had placed orders for gowns at numerous boutiques. There were also bolts of fine fabric he had stockpiled, and Kirhin had ordered them all altered to fit me.
The resulting gowns already packed my wardrobe, yet to Kirhin's eyes, they were nowhere near enough.
With a grin, Kirhin tapped my cheek and began to walk, savoring the gaze of the crowd. I blinked, keeping my focus locked on every step I took.
…Wouldn't doting so excessively on a half-sister who appeared out of nowhere seem odd in itself?
People seemed to believe he took after his father: shallow, frivolous, and devoted only to enjoying life. His striking looks ensured a stream of lovers, yet he could never let a pretty woman pass by without a glance, cementing that reputation further.
My impression, however, was somewhat different. I knew little of the late baron, but Kirhin was more than the rumors suggested. In the dead of night, he would pace the garden alone for hours or sit in the study poring over mountains of documents. The people outside had no inkling of the look on his face in those moments.
Leaning in close, Kirhin whispered into my ear, coaxing my gaze from the ground ahead up to him. The corners of my mouth softened faintly.
Moreover, Kirhin's striking looks and flamboyant attire drew eyes like a magnet. Enduring attention I never asked for was downright agonizing.
My eyes widened at the unexpected confession. I knew his mother had passed away during childbirth, but I had never heard the child was a girl.
Kirhin's blue eyes, which had drifted toward the distance, settled back upon me. The wistfulness in his handsome gaze vanished, replaced once more by an easy grin.
He truly had a knack for putting people at ease. Listening to Kirhin, the days spent sleeping in a stable beside my parents began to feel like a distant dream.
Catching myself starting to chuckle, I quickly bit my lip. Kirhin reached down to adjust the fur collar covering my neck, whispering softly.
Trekking through boutique after boutique and jeweler after jeweler left my head spinning. And along the way, I learned something else.
Kirhin was a terrible shopping partner. He was absurdly fastidious, refusing to leave any shop until he had inspected every single item inside. By the eighth store, I wanted nothing more than to faint on the spot.
The proprietor was exceptionally genial and had a remarkable talent for sales. While he and Kirhin engaged in a heated debate over ornaments, I caught my breath and looked around.
Ornate, polished gems filled the space on all sides, but to my uneducated eyes, they were merely colorful pebbles.
To think that discerning such frivolous luxuries was part of a noble's duties.
Feeling a touch sour, I idly browsed the display until my eyes stopped short.
Spread beneath the gems to make their hues pop was a bed of white fur. Sitting square in the center of it was a green jewel glowing with luminous clarity.
A clean, cool green light. Just like his eyes. Set with that jewel was a perfume bottle meant to be worn on a garment.
Though small, its delicate craftsmanship stood out all the more. Delicately engraved flowers and boughs wrapped around the central green gem, as though shielding it from harm.
A strange daze settled over me; it was the first time in my life I had ever wanted to possess something. I looked for a price, but none of the items in this case bore tags.
I didn't know the first thing about luxury, but my instincts warned me that everything here cost an exorbitant fortune.
Pulled from my trance by Kirhin's presence drawing near, I flinched and stepped back. The proprietor's face lit up, and he hurried over in a single stride.
