Manor of Memories

7. E-pilogue

ˈepəˌlôɡ: a section at the end of the book that serves as a conclusion to what has happened

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"Lilly? Lilly, where are you?"

Blast and damn! Lilly internally cursed, sending a silent prayer as she fidgeted behind the potted plant.

She slowly peered out from the foliage and quickly ducked down again- just in time, too.

Her aunt's thin, scowling face appeared from the throng of guests, vulture eyes scouring the vicinity intently.

She approached the insecure stronghold of a potted plant that her niece was using and Lilly's heartbeat doubled its pace.

Don'tlookdown, don'tlookdown, don'tlookdown! Please please please!

Her aunt seemed to hear her thoughts and complied. She obliviously turned her back to the potted plant, bony hands planted on her hips.

"Where did she disappear to? Troublesome girl." Aunt Brank hissed under her breath.

She stormed off to another section of the expansive ballroom in search of her niece and Lilly let out a sigh of relief, clutching at her chest before attempting to massage her feet through the top of her dress boots.

She currently felt as if lit coals had been heaped onto them from the plethora of dances she had been forced to partake in since her arrival at the ball. She couldn't help but to feel annoyed at the extreme lengths Aunt Brank had taken to her mother's request at acquainting her with London's society.

Lilly recalled disdainfully at how her aunt's face had lit up last week when she had informed her and Ella that they all had received an exclusive invitation from some aristocrat named Lady Metcalf. She had prattled on for what felt like hours to Lilly about the event and what to expect before Lilly excused herself under the pretences of excitement and preparation.

Lilly could understand why her uncle retreated to his study save for meals occasionally and even then, he ate in a hurried manner, never choosing to converse or linger at the dining table. The sole reason he had even allowed her and her younger sister to stay in his house for the season was due to the rather special agreement from his sister and brother-in-law. For the not-so-subtle hope of their two remaining unmarried daughters finding husbands, bribery in the form of regular monthly payments covering Lilly's and Ella's living expenses had worked effectively on Uncle Bufford.

Nonetheless, Lilly preferred her uncle- despite his taciturnity and inclination for cheap meals consisting solely of porridge, potatoes and salted herrings- more than her aunt, who she immediately came to realise was a rather self-centred being. Having a pawnbroker and a lady whose reputation was morally suspect for parents, social status took precedence above all other items on Aunt Brank's unending list of desires, best summarising her as a ruthless social climber. Her actions were not carried out without a cost-benefit analysis- of course, with all benefits mainly proceeding to herself. She had seen the arrival of her two nieces, the daughters of a gentleman, as an opportunity for social advancement, one that could grant her entry into England's higher society if she managed to find them eligible suitors, given credit for the matches with her nephews-in-law.

However, it seemed that task was tougher than assumed, with both nieces presenting their own individual challenges: Ella being painfully shy to the point of making others feel like roguish villains harbouring malicious intents and Lilly, well, just by being Lilly. She abhorred the idea of being tied down to a man with the purpose of serving no more than the equivalent of an appendage.