Chapter 10

The party was in chaos.

The music was postponed.

Lady Darwin was staring at me with a pale face that vividly glowed with anger.

"Anne!"

My beautiful sister in her ruined dress was running towards me .

She was supposed to be the star of the party but now she looked like a disaster. The eyeliner ran down her cheeks, as she had started crying.

I had never seen my Sister cry, not even father's funeral.

I looked down at hands that were sticky with blood.

Every body looked at me like I was the Villain in a fairy tale .As if I had just killed the protagonist of the night.

Well, at least I had tried.

I would like like to write something very different after this.

Maybe I would be culled & sent to Jail.

My poor , heart-broken sister would be wearing window-dress, banished from the Capital for her life, being the reason of murder of the Darwin Heir.

"Miss Flones ,can you hear my voice ?," Jonathan asked me , first time the concern in his voice was honest ,"Can your see my fingers ?"

And I started crying - in frustration.

Isabel ran to me , shielding me from Aunt, who was shouting at the top of her voice ," WHAT DID YOU DO? WHAT ON EARTH WERE YOU THINKING?"

I did not know how much she had heard or known but I had a feeling aunt was going to publicly slaughter me if not for my sister.

"We have a face to save!," Darwin lady shouted at the top of her voice," Can you all shut up?"

An absolute silence filled the room.

"Miss Flores",Lady Darwin looked like she was having a hard time to control her facial expressions," Can you stand up?"

I shook my head .

I had a feeling that it my aunt realise that I was still in one piece, she would immediately start to whoop my ass.

Isabella picked me up in her arms and started walking.

I could feel her trembling - probably because I had gotten heavy.

"Miss Flores, if you don't mind, I carry her," Jonathan who had followed her, offered.

"No," Isabella answered curtly

This reminded me of something.

On that day, when it was raining so hard that I had to close my eyes.

When they put our father to the grave. That was the first time Isabella had to wear a bun ,my sister who had been a child herself, younger than I am now.

I remembered being carried by Isabella like this. Aunt and others would offer to carry me, but she would not let go.

I hugged my Sister.

Everyone followed behind her - even Lady Darwin and Lady Swan.

It was not supposed to be like that. Isabella is not allowed to walk infront of such esteemed women who were above in position than her.

But my perfect sister had broken the rule. I knew that it was was selfish of me but I needed an excuse to hug my sister - smell of her hair was a consolation after my near death experience at the tower.

I was ashamed of my stupidity.

I was ashamed of my ego.

Does every murderer feel this much humaliation if they fail to commit the killing?

Finally she sat me down on the sofa in the woman's dressing room.

It was an absolute silence.

Even Lady Darwin looked awkward and uncomfortable after Isabella had refused the personal medics of the estate to treat my wound.

Isabella did it herself.

Carefully removing each pieces of glass.

"What were you doing?,"aunt asked me in a small voice as if she did not want to disturb Isabella.

I could understand the people here.

Isabella rarely shows any emotion.

She has trained herself like an obedient doll to act like a calm river all the time - even facing any kind of astonishing incident.

Like when a marriage proposal came for her at the very day of the previous wife's funeral.

People here were surprised to see that same Isabella to cry, and break the etiquette all in one day but they could not blame her for that.

Now Isabel had this aura of authority around her. Even Lady Darwin could feel it.

"Thank God, Jonathan has such good reflex, if not for him, you would have lost dear family today, my daughter, Isabel," I could see that Lady Darwin was trying to break the silence, she did not like how it was something that was not under her control but could not help but follow it,"After serving at the front line, Jonathan is still humble about what he had always been capable of, if not for him, today would have been a horrible tragedy ."

"Yes" Isabella agreed shortly.

"Yes?" Lady Darwin looked shocked, she could not believe that Isabella was not praising her heroic fiance and swooning masculine quality.

"I-I mean, that is what to be expected of the Heir of Darwins, after all had we faced such tragedy, it would bring bad luck to the new bride," Lady Swan continued with Lady Darwin, "Lord Darwin is still waiting outside with worry. As long as our beloved Miss Flores can get over her shock about this event and gather her feeble heart to -"

"What really happened?," Isabella cut into the conversation.

I realised that she was asking me.

That was so unfair. Even in count, the Judge would ask the prosecutor, the witnesses,or the guards before confronting the criminal.

Sweat tickled down my eyebrows.

From the corner of the eye , I could see that aunt was looking at me with pape face.

She knew that Isabel was angry.

"Did you forget to talk?" Isabella asked.

I swallowed in my dry throat, "Sissy!"

"Isabella, dear child," aunt spoke up in a small voice, a minute ago she she was going to kill me and now she was the only one to speak in my defence", Anne must be still in shock."

Lady Darwin made a face since she could not understand the situation. The hag did not have any idea about Isabella's anger.

"Why did you jump off the tower?" Isabel's green eyes looked like hell fire, I could hot look away.

"Everything is my fault."

Isabella finally released me from her glare and turned at Jonathan's confession.

Lady Swan stood at his back. I could see that she had called the First Darwin to cool the atmosphere.

"Miss Flores wanted to go see fireworks from high above ," Jonathan put an ashamed of me expression on his face ,"It was wrong of me first hand to take a child some where so dangerous . I have been dealing with soldiers for so long that I had forgot how to delicate and sensitive a child can be, it was my greed to use the situation so I could get close with Miss Flore's family, it will sound like a excuse but I did not have any idea how playful the child is. I should have kept better watch on her."

For a second I and aunt stared at each coming to silent agreement to throw ourselves between Jonathan and my sister if the situation becomes dire to stop Isabel from murdering her groom in public.

A long painful minute passed after which Isabel said in a cold voice, "I don't remember asking you my lord , I was asking my sister ."

True, nobody interrupts when Isabella is carrying on her execution.

"Ex-exeuse me?,"Lady Darwin stuttered, "What kind of attitude are you showing , Miss Flores? Towards your groom who is an esteemed man." I could see the old hag sweating under the pressure," I-I shall not tolerate such disobedience, your gratefulness is the least heir of Darwin deserves after saving your sister ."

"That is true, Isabella," aunt also came in for Jonathan's defence, less to agree with Lady Darwin more to not let Jonathan suffer my sister's wrath.

"We also saw him break the glass mid air to pull both of them inside , he risked his life ," then in a small voice she added ," Please , dear Isabella, please cut him some slack."

'Yes ,"Jonathan, who looks more confused than his mother still had to go with the flow," I am glad that this did not end in a disaster"

"Isabella, "there was warning in aunt's voice ,"Let us have another discussion later."

"Yes" Isabel took a minute to answer," Anne needs to go home to get treatment."

"That is of no worry ," Lady Swan looked relieved thinking the situation was almost over ," She can rest at the annex and I will have our personal medics take care of her , tomorrow I will call for the finest doctor Capital has ."

"No, She can not ,"Isabel disagreed.

"Ofcourse she can not ,"Lady Darwin spoke up with her proud voice," She needs to stay at Darwin Estates. Even though your are such a close friend of mine, Lady Swan. I can not certainly bother your when my humble hut is of half an hour distance."

"She is going back home," Isabella decided for me," She needs to rest there for a month ."

The faces of the ladies inside the room became pale.

"NO, Isabella." aunt came to grab her arm,"You are getting engaged in two days, Anne can not go back now."

"She needs to rest, she is going back," Isabel said as if she had already put a stamp my death sentence.

" I thought that the marriage was in a week ,"Fred said in a small voice. I had not noticed him till now since he tends to hide whenever Isabel looks angry.

Aunt's eyes widened," Isabella, please, you can not !"

Isabel walked out the door with the ladies following behind her.

"I will...look for the docter and a carriage," even the esteemed Darwin excused himself from the stage.

I was left alone with Fred.

"I do not mind your pranks,"Fred told me, "My new Snake Sippy - she likes toads very much."

Aghh, was that the point now?

Miguel knocked on the open door," Excuse me, where are the others?"

"They went to put out a fine,"Fred answered.

"There was a fire? ,"Miguel looked confused.

"Yes. we almost suffocated to death in the Smoke," Fred looked like he had already got in friendly term with the older boy, "But what brings you here?"

"I grabbed the nearest docter & brought him here," Miguel said gleefully, isn't he ashamed to act like a puppy at his age ? " Besides the ball is buzzing with the heroic rescue by Lord Darwin - how he jumped off a town to save a little girl . I wanted to ask Miss Flores about her first hand experience."

I winced in pain as I saw that he had brought Raphael with him.

"Ugghh , this is peasant's works," Raphael scratched behind his head , already annoyed ," This will need stitches ."

Maybe it was because of my pain , maybe because I had been suddenly released from my sister's anger , I did not mind the young master of Darwin that much.

"Over my dead body ," I challenged him.