The Duke and the Deal

12. The Engagement Party

As though taking a deep breath before confronting anything involving the Duke, Ella proceeds in taking one huge breath before opening the mysterious gift.

Slowly yet gently opening the box, there inside lies a beautiful pearl necklace along with two pearl earrings.

Ella was curious once again but only ended her curious suspicions with a typical conclusion for the meaning of the precious gift.

It's part of the deal. Ella internally concluded.

Nevertheless, she never dismissed Freda's presence so she only pretentiously marvels at the sight of the pearls.

"Wow . . . I am . . . honestly speechless. They are so beautiful," Ella expresses marvelously well to her pretentious act as she places a hand on her chest to make it more effective and believable to believe at all.

"Oh dear me," Freda intends joyfully along with Ella's expressive tone. "Let me," She said as she proceeds to retrieve the necklace and put it on Ella followed with the earrings.

"There. You are complete," Freda said proudly while taking the time to admire Ella's appearance with the addition of the precious pearls.

Ella only smiles while thinking:

I beg to differ.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

As once before, the ballroom's orientation was magnificently exquisite; however, it was more transfigured. There were more decorations, more delicious delicacies, more people, and surprisingly more chandeliers if it were possible they had added more than previously presented.

Nevertheless, it never changed how Ella felt towards wealth, power and specifically nobility. She still felt like every bit of it that surrounded her, especially that night, was drowning her senses which were also quite obvious to her presence at that moment.

"Smile," Amos coldly commands in between his fake smile while nobly linking arms with Ella's as he noticed her convenient frown.

It was only moments ago when they finally saw each other once again, which was plainly cold. Amos held his usual cold demure and Ella with her ignorant and despise towards the Duke. With their arrival being announced at that perfect moment:

"Now for the moment you've all been waiting for, please welcome His Grace Amos Knight and his lovely fiancée Miss Ella Pearson."

As the couple arrived before the stairs that Ella once came to descend from her first attendance in the castle, Amos whispered in his same tone of voice as previous towards Ella:

"Any last decisions?"

Ella only gripped her arm around the Duke's harder as she replied:

"Not unless you want to review the contract again?"

And so it was left at that last comment as they made their grand entrance before the crowd. If it were real and true, the crowd definitely believed the couple's cunning act. They descended elegantly and lovingly without any fault visible in their appearance as the crowd roared in applause and cheer. They were performing perfectly than expected of them.

Arriving at a halt midway from descending the stairs, Amos took the moment to say something of the spectacular significance of their engagement party.

"Thank you, thank you," He urged expressively as the crowd died down to pay attention. "Thank you all so very much for attending our engagement party," He puts his arm around Ella's waist and grips tightly causing Ella to be summoned forcefully closer to Amos's hard physique. "I only intend to express my feelings to my beautiful fiancée here tonight," He said looking at Ella with a cold glint flickering in his eyes while grinning pretentiously. "To you my love," He retracts from his stance as he grabs Ella's hand and steps a few steps lower from her. "I only wish the best for our future," He shortly concluded as he kissed the back of Ella's hand elegantly sly with his gaze transfixed towards hers.