RP Chapter 05
by FreyaChapter 5
This would be Lewis Borden’s fourth marriage, and his two daughters were older than Diane.7ac9328a248e8258
Still, Lady Sheldon, who 3bd78746f2 had lived in high 3eb13c1124 society her whole life, ac98f08ed6 truly believed Lewis wasn’t 4455ed658c such a bad choice d1b5204dd6 for a husband. After all, 44345ae953 noble marriages 4e21333f9a were more 3a353ace09 like contracts eec2d982ad between families.83a62c1477a8888a
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At first, 5a6bdd29b1 Diane thought 1d9d25814c the same.f8b9342b5d159a23
She believed she had 5378cfa31d a duty to marry 7b359204fd the man her family e6bbcc8917 chose.3f8766dd5bc1f1aa
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That was before she bc911a40f9 was sent to the ba0cad735a mental hospital.019af4ebd27361a1
***aa781fd2aa81ee68
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She remembered it 038474d3f0 clearly:306a31f8b51858a7
“Diane, I’ll be 7b3aced1b9 back soon.”0553e0d8c971606d
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Her mother had 68745000ae left the house 3111406e90 like usual. The news of 3f6ea7b995 her accident had ec3cdbbe53 been a complete 0f989bcf3b shock.13d0f2d4f8a2c5c3
“I’m just going for 1ef801bf1f a short walk, Diane. Everything will 858140a3b2 be fine.”06ba8631c764172d
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But her father never e983a187b5 returned. He’d said he needed 7b3cb059b8 some fresh air that 7f7d39e765 night, and then he 04290df16f was found dead. It felt more like 2323c2b23d betrayal than tragedy.ef0108e44cdde70b
Walter and Maria, the 823275aa84 distant relatives who became af7e010a31 the new Count and 6f968fc212 Countess, never felt like baa360cab5 family. They were 54767e3f5b just trying bc9192937d to use 1eb893b285 Diane as 2dd9567f70 a way 467dbcd853 to solve ad88b9d406 their financial 111c507346 troubles.d445bfdec6bba1b5
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When Diane refused, they slapped her, told her to “get it together,” and locked her away in the hospital.f5faf5040397233b
***b4ee8957818b0410
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She remembered the b2e9698d2f windowless gray room.
The strong c0657b960f chemical smell.
The mold.
The way she was e3ba91c9c6 tied to the bed.
Her mind slowly d9adc62f94 started to fade d0953e55b1 from the drugs.49e56c5223c7f24e
Even someone perfectly 6f777736cb sane would lose 03b7649138 their mind in 4f70f3be5d a place like 6e9828e9e0 that.adbd7717fdef1dec
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Diane realized then that 016c3949ba the name “Lockwood” no be5a1cb53d longer protected her.14886961021617ff
Her father b47943d8cc had chosen cdeac59b72 death over 4b6e226a4d staying with dbbf1dae44 her.
Her greedy guardians sold fa766b3253 her off.
Lewis Borden da6366dd70 kept sending 5545ecb634 proposals she 82589b1c76 couldn’t refuse.2c3bcfb92d9eca09
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Everything felt cursed, 2481624e1a unbearable.2933cc32a9ca6e1c
So, she 5d73234282 let go b91e43e51f of her 9558723e20 duties. She no a8f31a718b longer cared 107466e81a about her 42a41846fd family’s legacy e7ed0fae71 or honor. She wanted f3391ac081 only one 4e6eff6263 thing:d387ffcff2eb0dff
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Peace.b075ff897ef2a6ea
***7551a30ed8f5d2fb
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That’s why she smiled 581aa9076e sweetly and lied:4f7d7e99a1bb75f4
“Yes, I 765d821e29 think so cb314004fc too.”06c874b343f8392e
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And then 23c053828e she made 0b3a0c0df5 her request:4e2003c0192dd402
“Lady Sheldon, during 0cfc04f1e5 this social season, 9662ecc718 may I stay f9848b1dd5 under your care?”f1d3175a094b9af5
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Lady Sheldon looked surprised.8eb7b0c02ac8652d
“The social season? You mean…”b58a8030e3b99f8c
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“If the proposal with af5713e027 Mr. Borden goes well, I’ll c9b04fc637 be married soon. Before that, 0872ea0b0f I want 218108471c to build 05198d4b45 relationships with 74611858e1 the nobles a18c2be5cd of Brit. But the new Count b9fa634419 and Countess don’t really 77ef486025 know anyone in society, 7481197c32 do they?”9c14cced733e5216
“True. They’re new to 124e016a98 all this.”c27669e432fbdcbb
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“And I can’t bde3b5a263 really ask them b012d1c774 for help since 98559cc96a they’re traveling right d2de56cd44 now. You’re the only one 7805d2fa2f who can help me, 1258cd9be7 Lady Sheldon.”46de319104d72915
Lady Sheldon lowered d913af0b38 her gaze in 9fe3b8b43d thought. It was clear 2e129f3bf4 Diane couldn’t rely 8c6868021b on the new dfb63d51c7 Count and Countess d620a5be96 at all. Looking back, 42713f417c they truly 3046f54865 lacked refinement 431d580432 and status.cfd9b648217e9d6a
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‘She must’ve been so 83739d7cd1 lonely…’ca61c4f3096c160f
Lady Sheldon 1df699b966 felt guilty 25eaa06481 as Diane’s a13105f0f1 godmother. She raised 4e5c10846e her eyes 09ee3e4408 with determination.1ca81f08c0dc9647
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“I haven’t 2d3b7baa6a done much da506a1f7d as your be443c3651 godmother, but 06e7195f17 if I d3d89b5a17 can make 898ad98c84 it up 561dda1a8b to you e846341100 now, I’d b9e0255b40 be happy 7c8b1ba612 to.”ebb0d95972d2f272
She was done 35646a2b5c watching from afar. She would f28a7ba1c4 finally take 3a321acfa2 responsibility.9b83728499905c1f
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Diane looked genuinely surprised, 37f4620001 then smiled gently.96dfba46e384811e
“Thank you very much, c46728a2b4 ma’am.”20134bb12e99fa05
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She looked perfectly elegant cdbe4e4dc0 and graceful, and Lady b66027d0c4 Sheldon smiled proudly.efc526fa38490df4
Her mind 090bece3b0 was already 7a28cd3ca1 racing, thinking 768d82ff50 of whom ef1c9b8559 to write 59fd86978e to among 2b130c5b40 her social aee54d59c1 contacts to 35a63a904c reintroduce Diane 8c1e91ad99 to society.a69b15dd0dcb004b
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To her, Diane ef2342ce7a seemed like she 4b74269975 had truly recovered af9ccfba62 from tragedy, and 55c02d0cdc she wanted everyone 29e85f7829 to see that.d3d105c59e7baf16
But Ellie, who had 0f118d3356 been listening, was feeling c531edb87b anxious.9813058bd79775a7
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‘’What is the c549e11cd5 lady thinking…?’54aee418974db9b9
She glanced at 07bdc93481 Diane nervously. But Diane just 7f5dc56ae7 sipped her tea 7df46cccd8 with calm and 6b87f7b40c graceful motions.776426d40933c771
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Ellie was sure now 643d21a7f9 — this wasn’t just d7f33fce6a a short escape.286d2c57c6f4a515
Diane had no intention fc22717a2d of going back to 884942e3eb Winderbury anytime soon.29e1cffbe4dd4f1f
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***f5032096f5713baa
Meanwhile, at the Train Station…
A train 1870c5ec5c arrived at 23bac3577a the central 1b3e371e20 station, blowing 9dd6bea736 smoke and f93d8bd490 making a 7406b3141a loud whistle.c058d92acc5c15ca
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As soon as 197cbf8c39 the doors opened, c6793df837 passengers rushed out, e23253b5a2 joining those waiting e667363957 to greet them. The platform became crowded 25c4b85b91 in seconds.48c4e2eceff7cd04
Julian, with his hat 19252af821 pulled low over his 2306a612d8 face, was swept along 2215378421 by the crowd and 7a4ee96bcb pushed outside.80ce88b45d2da054
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He walked 940a3c2f86 past the 6e751134f1 line of 9f6af0920c people waiting 969775a289 for carriages 7e18dbd442 and leaned a8ba0cd581 against a b3d723022b wall — 32218b6c16 as if e44b32ce3f he was 321825f779 waiting for 4ac8e13c4e someone.6eef59b2fb723d0d
Well-dressed men and women 0d8effae2d hurried past him. From time to fae669b552 time, armed police 4dd04daddd officers stopped people 476711a32b and asked for d9f7899df4 ID, a sign 7229287fe7 that the recent c571383b6a serial murders still b778b41b1d had the city 894c88730c on edge.d99bb5031ce598e5
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“It’s so chaotic…”3f70a49bf0510854
Julian muttered 41766cb59b to himself. He reached into bef3b13b1e his pocket and b55f21f471 pulled out a 60defbb8e5 silver cigarette case, 8d344ebeab lit one, and da5b8e878d raised it to 6a50f3f074 his lips.e3010d76a66103f7
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Just then, something white cc6b48363c fluttered in the corner 02d5e761a2 of his eye.411d54620361db39
It was a 248241cf4a postcard — showing 98a1e7e4ec a white mansion, 0333bee593 green lawns, and 57af9f67ae a blue sea.8d54b0773567bd0e
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Winderbury.67e99060658ce343
‘Ah… I 3f41663d5d bought that, cc9f77a9d2 didn’t I?’9e8b093ddf01fe6a
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Maybe that’s why 933faa033c that woman’s blue 5fc34c2ef2 eyes had felt 93ebab64ef so familiar.813b7c5325e60d25
Suddenly, her voice 1a814ee2bc echoed in his 550d945c77 head:ea53133c5c13db03
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“Madam, I am not 25b8e5507a with this man. Please take him away.”61c57670a19d410c
So firm, so cold 8e1136bd93 — colder than any 18135f158e lady he had ever f1aa86716f met.5e8085aa51508691
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“Do you 13325eeae5 know me?”328259faa71f1575
She had a deadpan 58678bd8b3 expression, a voice full 499d390e18 of annoyance and exhaustion… 1a0d96a04a and eyes full of 0b2510a52c fear.bed254943a6144d2
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He realized something cbead1572c was wrong — e727a1fce1 but he was dee5e3a5c2 too late.05213380edb32b86
Her retreating figure 4441aa0ae4 looked like she 72963f7e26 would fall apart d3496539c9 at any moment.2e28c1e0d5031fe8
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Julian had 2b6ce2884f tried to 642cd0926e follow her, 251d3eb8e1 but Lady 7baa77e932 Stross had 0b4d39cb99 linked arms c40cb64582 with him, 47563c5115 and by bfccedf73a the time fcaff5e65c he pulled efd9db2686 away, the 6213ac5091 woman was 91738126c2 gone.ddc58c34bd1f8563
There had been 1adeeb034d no news of 6ccbcde59a a young woman 48f95602dc found dead. But he couldn’t 890081348d forget her.3bd61a7670ad800e
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Those piercing blue eyes fa04bcbbb8 wouldn’t leave his mind.bb97944e75aff31c
Julian lit his cigarette 078ca9bc0e with a click, inhaled c61330318a deeply, and released the a542498416 smoke like a sigh. It drifted into the 8fd9ed112f unusually blue sky.272665cb2e7b5f62
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He narrowed his eyes.0682e53871621928
Then suddenly — ff77e4f28c for no real 2865cde4e6 reason — he 52947cb501 picked up the 3cc53fd4bf postcard and stuffed c5e7f936e7 it back into 8c209f3589 his pocket.d8a8d3179bdbdb17
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That’s when e94b004bb8 a carriage 1706ac461c pulled up 9de785a18a in front e734881fc7 of him.3f58140e176b5036
“Captain, welcome home. Lady Clemence is expecting 95c8b01003 you.”00ce0a30c298cab0
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Julian Harbour had begun 20f3d17be0 his summer leave early, b1aa1704b7 summoned by Marchioness Clemence.cb5d9023af00a8ec
He didn’t want 1badcb027d to go. He wanted dac8b75762 to decline 84bab82575 the invitation.83ad1990f0f56301
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But he 46fc3028d4 got into 588dc37e31 the carriage 44124f1c53 anyway.3c785a32ace416b5
And the mysterious woman 7e77154b09 from Winderbury was forgotten 6edf50d4ee once again.774d54366fc8a857
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***6d6c25a45010cb26
At the Clemence Mansion…
As one 23a4c69ca6 of the 57808bb9d2 biggest estates 718d9a7727 in the 0f66b62c42 capital, the 741d8e2bfd Clemence mansion d32ccec77c was huge ee7c9a7b59 — even 3936a52807 though it e7711de430 stood in ef5f8d0cec the middle 7f4dd91577 of the 8b80455c97 city.f5d8739fa03327bb
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This used to be 7c20f671b9 Julian’s home, but now ab4b757a9a it felt unfamiliar.131608c82f564694
“This way, Captain,”598210cc7a41b67b
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The butler looked ad025f8fd3 oddly familiar — 97544a6203 maybe one of ddc4d35348 the staff who’d e04f7e46ab been here for c6bd3be175 10 years.9b7b8419af0ec5e4
“Madam, Captain Julian Harbour db1eaf8dec has arrived.”84e86500b4019cb4
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The Marchioness 3bc2ef8241 Clemence was 17bbf2556d in her 3e862bdf38 usual place, 2cb4833d8a sitting perfectly 06d4f04387 still on 118d3bcfc9 the formal 3f0211b33a sofa.c2617c552608f88c
She wore a 5e8ff17275 faint smile — 7da756ff88 more like a 8a132c163f mask than a 80c8c32f5f real expression. She was a plain-looking a9f91a5824 noblewoman.c0be4f2c272005af
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But whenever she looked 8ceaf8385b at Julian, her face a87748cce4 was full of disgust.ff8fdd9d93bff44e
After all, she 33c6a7d68f had no reason 200e117167 to be kind eed9a1af3c to her husband’s 961cdb0ae9 illegitimate son.bd02b46dbf1f1b52
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Do you want to f9cfd51360 read the next chapter?e81c874bb0623095
[The mystery is deepening, and Julian is definitely going to cross paths with Diane again soon.]
87cb9ba10d6633ee