"What of our families? What will they think?"
"Let us not live for them, let us live for us and our eternal love."
A century-long feud and a forbidden romance.
In which a Sutherland falls
for a Bridgerton, and despite
the cutthroat rivalry between...
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THE MORNING OF THE SCULTHORPE BALL, the atmosphere in the Sutherland house was different. Maisie, herself, looked upon her surroundings — rich with memories — with a heavy heart. Once the sun seeped into the horizon and the moon raised in the sky, signalling the onset of a new day, she would never be welcomed in her home again. The hours before the Sculthorpe ball marked the final hours she could roam the halls of her youth and speak with her siblings without disdain coating their tongues. The Sutherland house would no longer be her home. It would be a distant memory of what her life used to be, who she once was. The day of the Sculthorpe ball signalled the final day of her former life.
The evening before, Maisie spoke with Colin for hours. Which, in and of itself, was not unexpected behaviour. However, this time around, instead of sharing secrets and humorous tales, Colin shared the plan he cultivated for their escape. The rather simple plan was a mere three steps that Maisie made sure to memorize. At midnight, they were to meet at the mulberry tree at the entrance of the Sculthorpe gardens. From there, Colin will lead her to the carriage he acquired earlier in the day. The final step was to leave London and head to the Scottish border without looking back. Should they stick to the plan, everything ought to go well. It was simple.
She would be unable to bring any of her belongings with her as removing them from her house would be a suspicious act. Furthermore, it would be too dangerous to return home after escaping the ball to collect her things. Nonetheless, Maisie was not bothered in the slightest. She was to live the rest of her life with Colin. Why would she cling to material things when she would have all her heart ever yearned for?
Well, almost everything.
Maisie knocked on Maxwell's door.
The sound of his feet padding against the wooden floor slipped through the space between the door and its frame. At a tedious pace, the door opened inch by inch and groaned on its hinges. It seemed as if minutes had passed, hours even, but it was no more than seconds at most. Maisie never thought the door would ever open in full. She was afraid and hesitant. Would Maxwell even wish to speak with her? Although he promised to keep the secret of her and Colin at bay that did not mean he approved of said relationship. No, not at all. Maxwell did not approve.
The sunlight from his bedroom window kissed his messy dark locks, brightening the dark brown to a deep caramel. Despite the sun adding warmth to his complexion, there was a coldness to Maxwell. Dark circles hung below his hollow eyes and his lips fell into a taut line. He was seventeen, yet Maisie could have sworn he aged a few years.
He narrowed his eyes. "Yes?"
"Would you—Maxwell are you alright?"
"Yes," he snapped. "Why would I not be fine?"
Maisie opened her mouth to pry further, but shut it once again with haste. A few moments of silence passed between the pair. Maxwell stared down at Maisie with such an uneasy intensity that she felt unnerved in his presence. With a steady inhale, she asked the question she planned on touching on in the first place.
