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The next week, both Jack and Mira worked hard. They had a goal to become rich, actually Mira had a goal; Jack just wanted Mira to be happy. Mira worked for long hours every day. Jack did five frames this time as well- 2 with adjustable slate frame holding width, 2 with adjustable height, 1 table stand and one chair stand. Thursday night, Mira handed her cloth to Jack to calculate the total time. She was too lazy. Day 1~6 - 12 and three quarters;1 -6; 6 and a half hour - 8 and half. Day 2~ 5 and half hour - 12;12 and quarter - 3 and half; 4 - 6; 6 and three quarter- 8 and three quarter Day 3 ~ 5 and half hour - 12; 12 and quarter - 3 and half; 4 - 5 and half; 6 - 8 and three quarter Day 4 ~ 6 – 12; 12 and quarter - 3 and quarter; 3 and three quarter - 5 and three quarter; 6 – 8 and half hour;9-11. Day 5 ~ 6 – 12; 12 and quarter – 4 and quarter; 4 and half - 5 and half; 6 - 8. Jack’s looked at the times and summed it up; He scribbled 70 at the bottom. “Love don’t kill yourself li
“Penny for your thought?” Jack raised his eyebrows as he saw her pensive look. She turned to look at him and he saw the tears in her eyes. “What happened, My love?” He asked in concern as he hurriedly mounted the cart. “Wuuu…huuuu….” Mira threw herself into his embrace and cried miserably “I have wronged you terribly. Why did you have to take the blame? Wwuuuu….Huuuu” Mira couldn’t extricate herself from the scene; Jack had no idea what had happened, he still comforted her in a gentle voice “I am here.” Mira sat up wiping her face and lowered her head in embarrassment. His voice and warm embrace bought her back into the present. “I … I … thought of when you took on the blame for something terrible that I did ….” Mira whispered; a sob left her throat. “It hasn’t happened yet. We are fine. It won’t happen, okay?” Jack pulled her back into his embrace and hugged her tightly. “Look… look…. Your husband is a free man.” Jack raised the ‘all debt paid off’ parchment in his hand. He had
“Um” Mira smiled. She had come to the shop on her own. Jack said he would walk around and see if there was any locker suitable for them. He told her he would come to the front of the shop once he finishes. “Let me see.” Almera almost snatched the basket. Mira was a good mood and wanted to tease her. She slowed her movements considerably and slowly opened the flap of the basket. “You are too wicked.” Almera pouted as she watched Mira’s deliberate movements. “Ha…ha….ha…” Mira laughed happily as she took the cloth and gave it Almera. “This …. This….” Almera choked… it was exquisite… She ran her finger through the work. It was so lifelike… even the dew drops! “Not what you wanted??” Mira’s smile disappeared and she asked hesitantly. She didn’t know what to make of her expression. Tears were running down Almera’s cheeks. “I love this.” Almera hugged the top “Girl, you have magic fingers.” “I will be right back.” Almera ran with the top to the dressmaker to ask her to do the dress no
“Old man Wheeler" “Larkin, sorry to come to your door this late.” “Not late…not late… come in. These doors are always open for you.” “I want to buy a piglet, sheep and a milking cow. Do you have any for sale?” Harry announced his purpose straight forwardly. “Milking cow that does not kick.” Agnes and Ursula spoke in unison. Larkin “” Harry’s lips twitched but he was not brave enough to retort. Mira had a straight face. She did not think her mothers request was strange. Jack and Matthew had similar expressions. They didn’t hear anything. They were wise to know the deaf child lived longer. “Come.” Larkin invited them to his barns. First he took them to see the sheep. There were 10 baby sheep ready to be sold. Two gold coins each. Then he took them to the pig stye. There was 20 odd piglets for sale. The youngest ones that were just weaned were a gold coin. 2 gold coins for the ones that were 4 months old, 4 gold coin for the ones that were 6 months old and 10 gold coin for the one
“Uncle, Aunt I am here.” Jack announced as he stood at the door. “Come…. Come..” John opened the door wider. “Uncle” Mira greeted as followed Jack inside. Unlike the other times they came, everyone was home. Anne-Marie came flying out as she heard Mira’s voice and sat beside Mira and began chattering “Has the plants they planted grown? Did the hen peck the plants?...” Her questions were never-ending. Mira answered patiently. “What’s in this?” She tapped the lid of the basket. “Do you want to see?” Mira pursed her lips upwards. “Ummm” Anne-Marie nodded eagerly while Oden and Martin watched the interaction with an amused smile. “But you can’t scream… okay?” Anne-Marie raised her hands in an action to swear an oath. Mira slowly raised the flap. Two heads raised out of the basket. “Awwww” Anne-Marie screamed excitedly forgetting all about her promise. The two heads hid back into the basket. “Oh…” Anne-Marie’s face fell “They don’t like me…” “They are just scared.” Mira spoke in
On Thursday night, Mira gave her cloth to Jack for calculating. Day 1~ 7 and a half hour - 10 and half. Day 2~ 5 and half hour - 5; 6 - 9 Day 3 ~ 5 and half hour - 12; 12 and quarter - 3 and half; 4 - 5 and half; 6 - 8 and three quarter Day 4 ~ 6 – 12; 12 and quarter - 3 and quarter; 3 and three quarter - 5 and three quarter; 6 – 8 and half hour;9-11. Day 5 ~ 6 – 12; 12 and quarter – 4 and quarter; 4 and half - 5 and half; 6 - 8. Jack scribbled 58 hours at the bottom of the cloth; He had only prepared 4 adjustable stand frames, two with width adjustment and 2 with height adjustment. While Mira was sleeping peacefully nestled in Jack’s embrace not everyone was peaceful. Jason couldn’t help the nagging itch that was gnawing at his heart. Mira hadn’t come to find him for almost 5 weeks. Before trying to kill herself, she would run home almost every other day and come to pester him. He had just finished a high voltage restricted scene exercise with Alina but his mind couldn’t help
“Goblin’s foot!” Almera swore as she hit the back of her head “Mira, I didn’t pay you in the morning.” Mira giggled. She hadn’t noticed either. “How much do you want to charge for this?” “10 gold coins” Mira wrinkled her eyebrows “I really don’t know.” Mira shrugged helplessly. “Didn’t you say you would charge for your designs?” Almera raised her eyebrows teasingly. “Why are you so mean?” Mira pouted. She did say such big words when they met; who asked her not to know how high the sky was? “Ha…ha…ha…” Almera laughed “I would charge 20 for the whole design. Considering this is half done, I will pay 10 now and 10 when you finish the other one.” Mira nodded happily. “Also, for the 58 hours of this week” Almera quickly calculated “It will be 2 gold coins and 90 silver pieces.” Mira nodded and extended her hand. Almera counted and gave her 12 gold coins and 90 silver pieces but not before reprimanding her “I won’t pay you any money next time you don’t eat dinner.” Mira poked her t
Martin saw Mira packing the rest of the meat buns into two sets in fresh coarse linen. One pack had two and the other had seven. He was more curious as he saw her lunging a basket in an unsuccessful attempt before asking Jack to carry it. But he didn’t ask. It wasn’t his place to ask. “We have to remember to get things from the supply shop.” Mira chatted as they walked “Everything is almost over.” “Um” “Oh… and that…. and this…. and ….” Mira kept chattering all the way and Jack acknowledging. Martin was amused by their interaction and didn’t pay attention to the path. “Oh… no…. we walked to my place…” He cried in horror as he realized that he was standing in front of his house. Mira giggled while Jack raised his eyebrows in disdain as if he was looking at an idiot. “I am coming with you to pick the animals.” Martin pursed his lips stubbornly refusing to enter the house, thinking the black hearted couple were going to leave him here. “Who said you weren’t?” Jack twisted his lips
“So, are you saying that your highness didn’t know that this was Jack’s when he announced the prize?” Almera exclaimed in awe.“So, are you saying that this was originally cousin’s property?” Martin exclaimed at the same time as Almera and continued patting his chest in comfort “So, we don’t have to find the heir and hand it over making all of cousin sister-in-law’s hard work mount up to nothing…. this is good…very good…. hur…hur… ”“Wow… so the property found its own owner without anyone doing anything…” Martin continued his mindless chatter, his eyes widening in wonder.“How is it that no one did anything?” Beth slapped the back of Martin’s head as she chided “Isn’t it all because of the sleepless nights your sister-in-law spend, working tirelessly for the competition?”Cornelius chuckled seeing Martin’s innocence and opened his mouth to clarify at the same time as Beth “I truly didn’t know who he was, until Mira announced her fifth request.”Martin rubbed the back of his head with
The next morning, everyone gathered around the dining table for breakfast, filled with renewed energy and full of fighting spirit as they all knew the agenda for the day; even young Anne-Marie’s eyes were filled with excitement.“Good morning, everyone.” Cornelius and Aglaya were the last to join the table; Jack nodded towards Harrison, in a gesture that conveyed ‘Get everyone away from this area.’Harrison nodded in acknowledgement before he started to retract the maids and manservants who were serving towards the back of the house.“Keep an eye on the front so that no one interrupts the Lord’s business.” Harrison called on Lazarus before withdrawing to the back himself “I will keep the household engaged at the back.”“It would be better if you could get your men to watch around the room, close enough to guard and yet far enough to not intrude on the Lord’s privacy.” Harrison added as an afterthought. Although he didn’t know what they were going to discuss, he knew Jack didn’t want a
The long journey had worn everyone out and they decided to rest early as Martin was yet to return; Jack had promised Martin that they wouldn't start before he came back.“I made a fool of myself.” Mira pouted unhappily once Mira and Jack were alone in their room.“Nonsense… who said my wife’s a fool?” Jack feigned disbelief as he looked around;he didn't even blush as he spoke, he wasn't lying; his wife could do whatever she wanted.Who would dare to say anything?Mira hmphed as she sat with an unhappy expression for a few seconds before she got distracted with her thoughts, she turned around, her expression still wrinkled in a pout “What are we going to do about Martha and Seirra? I don’t think that we can get to them as we previously planned now that everyone is here.”She leaned forward and whispered, “They don’t seem to have any plans for leaving any time soon.”Jack chuckled as he stared dotingly at his wife’s innocent face that was filled with a gossipy aura.Her eyes widened with
As Cornelius sat mulling over the past, reeling in guilt, the carriage reached the gates of Southamberston. Aglaya accompanied him silently, she was the keeper of his soul. She knew that this was the greatest regret and pain in his life. She gently patted his hand in a comforting manner as she heard Winkle announcing their identity at the gates, trying to pull him out of despair. She waited for him to nod acknowledging that he was fine before she lifted the curtains to look outside.To her surprise, well not surprise, she should have expected this, this was her wildflower, unlike the other duke and duchess who along with their household would be waiting at the entrance of the manor/castle to greet them, what greeted her eyes was Mira, who was running over to greet them even before their carriage reached the front entrance of the castle. It was not hard to guess, where Mira was, Jack wouldn’t be far behind.“Ha…ha… ha…” Aglaya couldn’t help laughing, shaking her head, peaking Cornelius’
Cornelius and Agalya set off in the royal carriage along with Orseus to visit the Southamberstons early the next day. As the path started to become familiar to that in his memory, Cornelius raised the divider to question the footman-“I said we were going to Southamberston duchy.”“We are my royal sovereign.” Winkle, the footman replied bowing politely although he didn’t understand why the sovereign was angry.Cornelius frowned in distrust as he turned to Parker “Care to explain?”Parker rubbed his nose in embarrassment as he forgot to update Cornelius about the results of his investigation yesterday and spoke in a soft voice “Apologies for my royal sovereign.”Cornelius raised his eyebrow impatiently.“Stormwall was re-named as Southamberston when the previous king reclaimed the dutchy following the death of the old master.” Parker hurriedly explained as he noted the impatience on his master’s face.“Why was the dutchy reclaimed? Isn’t the right of inheritance for the Haribeort from f
Once the king and the supreme rulers had taken the seats in the chamber of secrets, the chiefs of each governing body in the country entered for their private meeting with the king once their names were called out by the royal messenger. This solemn ceremony was the rite of passage where the new king is entrusted as the keeper of ancient secrets of the country from its inception, things that were for the king’s ears only. The other curious thing was no two chiefs entered at the same time. Each had only knowledge of the matter they were entrusted with. The only living person in the entire kingdom who had knowledge of all the secrets was the king and the supreme rulers.The rite passage ceremony went on till late through the night. No matter how anxious Cornelius was to get to his godson and blast the hell out of the household of Southamberston, he had to wait for the next day.The next day, Jack called everyone to the study very early in the morning. No one thought much of it till they
“What wrong?” Jack asked as he smoothed the frown adorning his wife’s beautiful face as they sat in the carriage on their way back to the Southamberston estate.Mira shook her head to indicate it was nothing although the confusion on her face didn’t disappear.“What is it that troubles my wife?” Jack tilted her chin to face him “Something is bothering you from the time of the crowning ceremony.”Mira raised her eyebrows in surprise. She never expected Jack to notice. She thought he was distracted by everything around them and that she had covered it well.“Nothing can distract me from you.” Jack chuckled looking at his wife’s silly expression.“Smooth talker.” Mira pouted as she rested back in his embrace although her heart felt it was dipped in honey. It was a blissful feeling to know that the person you loved also had only you in their eyes.“What is it?” Jack wasn’t going to give up without an answer.“Nothing… it’s just…” Mira bit her lips hesitating whether to speak but decided to
Thomas and Jack looked at their wives who were giggling foolishly and shook their heads helplessly. Thomas introduced Jack to the other gentry helping him build connections while the ladies gossiped. The hot topic for the ladies was of course, the fabulous gown that Mira and Almera were wearing. Everyone wanted to know where the materials were purchased and how long it would take to get them made.Matthew and Harry mingled with old acquaintances introducing their wives and John. Martin and Oden stood politely by their side. Both felt extremely awkward and overwhelmed as they had never attended such an affair in their lifetime although Oden kept a calm façade given his training at Slegh’s.Joan stood in the periphery of the hall with Emma staring viciously at their family that was dressed like the nobles, enjoying everyone’s admiration. Joan couldn’t understand why she had to stand in a corner forgotten even though she carefully planned for herself to rise to prominence. She couldn’t st
Cornelius’s eyes narrowed as he spotted Harrison behind Jack before sighing in a whisper “Kids! Didn’t we tell them to keep it quiet?”He turned to signal Parker as he realized that there was only Harrison following Jack. Of course, he knew Harrison represented the Hariebot’s and thereby Jack’s maternal home.“Wasn’t the edict awarding the dukedom passed on to Southamberston?”“Yes, your royal supreme majesty.” Parker bowed respectfully.“Then why isn’t the butler here to receive and guide the lord?” Cornelius’s temper rose “I need an explanation for this arrogance. I will visit the duchy after the feast. I want to see who dares?”“There…. There….” Aglaya gently tapped on Cornelius hand “Let’s deal with it later. Don’t spoil the festivities with your temper.”“Haiiii” Cornelius sighed before sitting back.Orseus hooked his eyebrows towards Bernard as he noted the change in his parents’ expression. Bernard shrugged before turning to look at his father for an explanation. Parker blinked