The following day.
Everyone gathered in the dining room for breakfast.
Laura looked at Sir Nicholas. "Father, Rebecca, and I will go to the town this afternoon to find a wedding shop that will provide the gowns and attire for the wedding," she said.
"Okay, Cooper will go with you. I will assign some guards to accompany you in town while you shop for wedding gowns," Sir Nicholas replied.
"Thank you, Father. I would like to take this chance to discuss the venue. Can we hold the wedding party here in the mansion? The perfect place would be in the backyard, where the mini-park was located. We'll put tables and chairs there and decorate the whole place with beautiful flowers and ornamental plants and turned it into fantasy land," Laura suggested.
"Nice, I agree with your suggestion!" Sir Nicholas said.
"I also want to know how many guests will attend the wedding day so that the caterer will have an idea in advance the amount of food and drinks to prepare for that special day," Laura added.
"Okay, I'll make a list of names of all my friends and business associates as well as my relatives. I will give you the complete list this weekend," Sir Nicholas responded.
"Thank you, Father. It's no rush, please take your time," Laura said. "By the way, we haven't fixed a date yet for the wedding day - when it will be?" she asked, looking at Cooper.
Sir Nicholas glanced at his son as well.
Cooper was contented listening happily to the discussion about the wedding plan preparation. He's happy now that Laura was getting interested in the wedding planning. "I want the wedding day to take place on Sunday, after lunch," he suggested.
"Okay, we will hold the wedding ceremony on Sunday afternoon, the second week of September, that would be September 16..." Sir Nicholas chose the date. "Any objection?" he asked the bride and groom.
Laura and Cooper shook their heads. "No objection, Father," they replied in unison.
"Good, we already have a date. Is there anything else we need to discuss about the wedding?" Sir Nicholas asked.
"Hmm, regarding the church. I had already chosen the nearest one here, and that's St. Peter Parish Church." Laura looked at Cooper for confirmation.
"I agree to the church," Cooper responded.
"St. Peter Parish Church is fine with me. Anything else?" Sir Nicholas asked, feeling energized and excited to discuss the wedding details with his children.
"About the wedding gown and wedding attire for the wedding entourage, the moment we can find the right tailor shop, we can start taking body measurements as soon as possible," Laura said.
"That's good, daughter. I'm glad you're now starting to plan about the wedding, I'm relieved," Sir Nicholas said. He wore a bright smile on his face. "Anything else, daughter?" he asked Laura.
"That's all for now, Father. I will inform you if there are some changes with the plans and preparation. I will inform you if I need your advice and suggestion," Laura said.
"Okay, don't hesitate to come to me for anything - especially when it comes to money matters concerning the wedding expenses," Sir Nicholas said.
Laura smiled. "Thank you, Father!"
"Thank you, Father!" Cooper seconded.
Graven and Rebecca were both contented listening silently to the lively wedding discussion floating around them.
Silence takes over the dining room area as they resumed eating breakfast.
After they finished their meals, Sir Nicholas shifted his attention to Rebecca and Graven. "How about you two? When are you planning to get married in the church? You should start planning after Laura and Cooper's wedding!" he suggested excitedly.
Graven coughed suddenly and Rebecca smiled sweetly at Graven.
"Honey, we should get married soon! After Laura and Cooper's wedding, let's get married in the church right away!" she exclaimed happily.
Graven raised a brow and looked at Rebecca. "Okay, let's get married five years later," he said.
Rebecca pouted. "Honey, you're no fun! Let's get married this year!" she insisted in a sugary voice.
Sir Nicholas looked at the couple. "One year later is fine. Five years later is not good!" he said looking at his oldest son.
Graven smiled and obliged his father. "As you wish, Father. Rebecca and I will get married in church after one year," he finally said to appease his father.
"Yessss!" Rebecca smiled triumphantly.
"Good! Because...I want to be surrounded with lots of grandchildren before I turn 80 years old," Sir Nicholas said.
"Don't worry, Father. Laura and I will give you a dozen children, I promised you that," Cooper grinned.
Sir Nicholas chuckled. "Awesome, son! I'm looking forward to the completion of your promise!" he said in elation, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Alright, that's enough for today. I'm going up to my study room," he said.
The group vacated the dining room area so that the servants can start eating their breakfast at the same table.
~
After lunch.
The women went back to their respective rooms, preparing for their trip to the heart of the town where the shops and stores can be found.
One hour later.
Cooper and the women entered the carriage that will bring them to town, accompanied by three guards and the driver.
Meanwhile...
Sir Nicholas and Graven were having a serious business discussion in the study room.
~
Outside the mansion.
A pretty woman holding a one-year-old baby girl in her arms and a boy - aged four years old holding the hem of her skirt approached the men guarding the iron gate. "Guard, is Sir Cooper home?" she asked pitifully, tears streaming down her face.
One of the guards looked at the woman with a raised brow. "I'm sorry, Miss. Sir Cooper is not home today. He went to town with his future wife to shop for wedding gowns," he answered.
After hearing the upsetting news, the woman cried even more. "Guard, can you please give us some food? I'm so hungry and so my children. We haven't eaten breakfast yet, please have mercy on us!" she cried pitifully.
The guards looked at the woman and her children, taking pity on their sad flight.
"Okay, just wait here. I'll go to the kitchen to check if there's any leftover food from breakfast," one of the guards said and left.
"Thank you so much!" the woman said.
The guard was shaking his head, feeling sad for the woman's pitiful condition. "Where is your husband, Miss? Why are you begging food for yourself and your children?" he asked.
The woman stared sadly at the mansion in front of her. "I'm not a married woman. I'm just a foolish girl who falls in love with a rich man, who can not marry me because I'm a poor girl and working in a brothel. The guy promised to love and marry me someday but he's a changed man now. He used to give me money for our children's monthly sustenance, but now he no longer visits me and I learned that he's getting married to another woman. I'm so sad and heartbroken right now. I don't know how to provide food, shelter, and a bright future for my children. My situation is very hard!" she lamented, fresh tears keep falling down her face.
pαпdα`noνɐ1`сoМ The guard was shaking his head, feeling moved by the woman's touching story.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Miss. Your situation is very hard indeed. That bastard guy doesn't deserve your love. He needs to be persecuted for abandoning you and your children!" the guard said with a hint of anger in his voice.
"Yes! He should be persecuted, but sad to say, he is a rich man. He can always get away from the law. But I hope you will tell your Sir Cooper that I'm still waiting for him in the rented house where my children and I were staying. Because if he still won't visit me and the children tonight, I will kill our children and myself! We will haunt him as a ghost for eternity!" the woman said angrily.
The guard stared at the woman with mouth agape, he was stunned and shock with her revelation.
The other guard returned, carrying food with him. He handed the food to the woman outside the gate.
The woman accepted the food with happiness shining in her eyes. "Can we eat the food here outside the gate? My children and I are very hungry," she said.
"Okay, go ahead," the guard replied. "Wait, I'll return to the kitchen to get some drinking water for you and your children," he offered.
The woman looked at the guard. "Thank you so much, guard. You're so kind!" she said, tears of gratitude shining in her eyes.
"Enjoy your food," the guard said.
The woman feeds her children with the food, making sure they eat first.
The guard whispered something into his companion's ears. "Stay here...don't let the woman and the children leave," he said. He was deeply worried that the woman will kill her children and commit suicide for real. She could be telling him the whole truth. His employer needs to know about this.
"Why?" the guard asked in confusion.
"Just do as I say, I'll tell you everything after I returned," he said.
"Okay," the guard replied.
The other guard left the gate post and entered the house. He found Neeza cleaning the living room. "Where is, Sir Nicholas?" he asked.
"In his study room with Sir Graven," Neeza answered.
The guard climbed the stairs and walked in the hallway going to the study room. When he reached the end of the hallway, he knocked on the door three times. "Sir, please open the door. Something comes up!" he said with urgency in his voice.
"What is it?" Graven's voice asked from the inside.
"Sir, I have bad news to tell you," the guard said.
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