The Duke's Masked Wife 2: The Prince's Outcast Bride-Chapter 246: Throwing stones and hiding hands (2)

Penelope faced the one lady she wanted to speak with the least.

Amelia wore a smile, which at first glance appeared inviting for a warm conversation, but Penelope knew better. While they sat before the queen, it was expected that Amelia and many others would put on a show.

"Miss Amelia," Penelope returned the greeting.

"It is lovely to see you are out attending events again. All the ladies and I were hoping to have a sit-down with you so you might share the wonderful joys of marriage. Would you be so kind as to do so?" Amelia asked.

Amelia’s jaws ached from the forced smile. She couldn’t stop now when the queen was watching her.

"I am going to attend many more events for the season, but I do not know if I shall speak about my marriage. I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up about it," Penelope replied.

More importantly, Penelope wasn’t going to hand the ladies something to speak about. No matter what Penelope said, the ladies were going to take her words and twist them, so Penelope was going to save such conversations for her true friends.

Penelope continued, "I think I should leave talks about marriage for ladies’ mothers or other women in your families. What occurs in my marriage might not be the same for you. I will say that as long as you pick the right man, marriage is lovely."

Penelope looked away from Amelia as a maid poured her tea.

"Thank you," Penelope said to the maid.

"I understand. Since you don’t want to discuss marriage, we can talk about other things. It is time that you rejoin us at gatherings since we miss you dearly," Amelia said.

Lily looked back and forth between Penelope and Amelia. It wasn’t an unusual sight since Amelia behaved like this when someone she viewed as important was watching, but it was something Lily hadn’t seen in a while.

Lily raised her teacup to hide her smile. Amelia was making a fool of herself, and Lily was going to enjoy every bit of it.

"I know that with how competitive the season can be, we have not been close. I want to apologise if I have done anything to offend you. I am learning as the days go on, and one of the things I have realised is how good it is to apologise. Could we move forward as friends?" Amelia asked.

Penelope wanted to laugh.

All eyes were on Penelope, waiting for her to agree to move on since it was the right thing to do.

"No," Penelope answered.

Penelope took a sip of her tea since the aroma was delightful.

Amelia’s smile fell for a moment. She did not go through with all of this just for Penelope to turn down a friendship in front of the other ladies.

"This is not a talk we should have before the queen. I will say that I don’t harbour any bad feelings toward you, but we shall not move forward as friends. All ladies in town do not have to be friends with each other," said Penelope.

Pigs would have to start flying for Penelope to consider a friendship with Amelia.

Penelope could never do what Teo was doing for Tyrion. She couldn’t fake anything with Amelia.

"Well," Amelia said, her hands clenched under the table. "This is a start."

’Who does she think she is?’ Amelia thought, angry with Penelope.

Given the current state of what the town thought of Penelope, Amelia thought Penelope should be more grateful that she offered to be friends.

Hazel was curious about the relationship the two ladies had, but she couldn’t get in the middle of it. Whilst she loved Penelope, Hazel had to leave this all for Penelope to deal with.

Selina snuck glances at the Collins sisters and then at the woman who danced with Elijah. Since that time, Selina wasn’t so fortunate to have a run-in with Elijah, but luckily, she could inquire about his well-being from Penelope or Lily.

Selina stared at Rue. She had not forgotten how her talk with Rue went.

’Why is she here?’ Selina wondered, put off by Rue’s presence.

Selina knew Rue’s family was important, but was she taught how to act in this setting?

It needed to be understood that, regardless of status, some ladies didn’t have a place in the palace.

"It appears the last of our guests is arriving," Hazel said, watching the other ladies stroll in. "The doors must soon close," Hazel informed her maid.

Hazel gave a set time for the ladies to arrive and even waited a little more for the last of the ladies to arrive. Since these ladies were under her care in the palace, Hazel needed them in one space so the guards could help protect them.

"The season is off to a good start. I have heard great things about all of you sitting here. I hope when the season ends, you all have what you set out to achieve. As Amelia said, the season can be quite competitive with everyone searching for a husband, but don’t let it ruin you," Hazel advised the ladies.

Hazel had been through many seasons, watching the young ladies since it was part of her duty as the queen to guide them. There were ladies properly guided by their mothers, and others whose bad behaviours were encouraged so they could get ahead.

Sometimes the ladies who troubled others so they could get the man they set their eyes on succeeded, but it was more often that those ladies met a terrible ending.

"The ladies you sit amongst are part of the future of this town. Along with their future husbands, they shall welcome the future children of this town. Children that your children will consider marrying," said Hazel.

Hazel continued, "It is unfortunate, but there are quite a few duties for us women, and all of them concern our household. I have been doing my best to make our voices mean something. I suggest that rather than being against each other, be a helping hand."

Hazel noticed how some of the ladies weren’t fond of it.

"You don’t all need to be friends, but I am asking that you don’t use the insults men might use for us to bring another lady down. It doesn’t make you look good one bit. Always remember that you are a lady, so be careful about what you say about another," said Hazel.

Hazel could think of a few ladies who thought it was funny that she couldn’t give the king a child in the past, only to learn that it wasn’t her fault. Or, it was unfortunate that one of those ladies had trouble conceiving and later regretted what they said.

"You are worth more than keeping a home together, or giving your husband many sons. Always remember this," said Hazel.