夜幕降临,莫蒂默伯爵的城堡灯火辉煌,无数蜡烛照亮了宏伟的大厅,身着华丽服饰的贵族们在竖琴声中轻声交谈.
艾米丽站在大厅入口处,身穿深蓝色天鹅绒长裙,腰间束着金色腰带.伊莎贝拉夫人花了一下午的时间帮她打扮,但艾米丽还是感到有些尴尬和不安.
"记住我教你的,"伊莎贝拉夫人在她耳边低声说道,"走路要小步慢行,不要大声说话,见到贵族的时候记得行屈膝礼."
艾米丽点了点头,不过看到几位贵妇人穿着精致的礼服,举止优雅的样子,她还是忍不住有些紧张.
"史密斯一家到了!"传令官在门口大声宣布.
所有人的目光都转向了他们.艾米丽能感觉到那些审视的目光——有好奇的,有轻蔑的,还有充满恶意的.
"我的天哪,那是史密斯家的艾米丽吗?" "我听说她最近行为很奇怪..." "传言说她和蒙福特公爵...有过接触..."
窃窃私语的声音传入艾米丽的耳朵,让她更加的不舒服.
理查德爵士率领家人走向德·莫蒂默伯爵.罗杰·德·莫蒂默是一位高大英俊的男子,大约三十五岁,一头梳理整齐的黑发,琥珀色的眼睛里流露出敏锐和雄心.
"史密斯爵士,欢迎光临,"莫蒂默伯爵微笑着伸出手."今晚您全家能来,我深感荣幸."
"谢谢大人的盛情邀请."理查德爵士恭敬地回答道.
莫蒂默的目光落在艾米丽身上,眼中闪过一丝精光."这位一定是艾米丽小姐,我听说过很多关于您的事."
艾米丽按照母亲的吩咐行了屈膝礼."晚上好,大人."
"艾米丽小姐...很独特,"莫蒂默伯爵意味深长地说道,"最近我听到一些关于您的有趣的传闻?"
[系统提示:警告!此人对你怀有敌意!]
艾米丽心中升起一丝不安,但还是礼貌地说道:"只是误会而已,大人."
就在这时,大厅里突然安静了下来.所有人都转过头,看向新来的人.
埃德蒙·德·蒙福特公爵身着缀满银色装饰的黑色天鹅绒大衣,缓缓走进大厅.他的气势散发着与生俱来的威严,整个大厅的气氛也因他的到来而显得更加庄严.
"蒙福特公爵陛下!"
埃德蒙面无表情地走了进来,目光扫过人群,当目光落在艾米丽身上时,脚步微微一顿.
莫蒂默伯爵立即走上前去."埃德蒙,我的朋友,欢迎光临."
埃德蒙淡淡地点头,"罗杰,谢谢你的邀请."
"Allow me to introduce you to tonight's guests," Mortimer's gaze subtly swept towards Emily. "Especially Miss Emily Smith of the Smith family. I believe you two... might know each other?"
The entire hall held its breath, waiting for the Duke's reaction.
Edmund looked at Emily, his eyes flickering with a trace of complex emotion. "Miss Smith, it's good to see you again."
"Your Grace," Emily curtseyed again, but her voice trembled.
"Oh? You two have met before?" Count Mortimer asked, feigning surprise. "What a coincidence."
Edmund didn't answer directly. He only said faintly, "It was just a chance encounter."
His words only made the nobles more curious. A chance encounter? When would Duke Montfort, of all people, have a "chance encounter" with the daughter of a merchant family?
At that moment, a young noblewoman walked over. She was Margaret de Clare, the daughter of Earl de Clare, and in the original story, she was the cannon fodder female antagonist.
"Emily," Margaret's voice sounded sweet, but her eyes carried a hint of malice. "You look... different tonight."
Emily sensed her hostility but still answered politely, "Thank you for the compliment, Margaret."
"I've heard you've been through some... interesting things recently?" Margaret continued, pressing further, "Like, perhaps showing up at certain... inappropriate places at midnight?"
The atmosphere in the hall grew tense. Emily realized Margaret was alluding to her night-time visit to Duke Edmund's room.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Emily tried to remain composed.
"Oh really?" Margaret laughed lightly. "Then could you explain why there are rumors that you said some... very strange things to Duke Montfort?"
All eyes in the room were now focused on Emily. She could feel the stares—some curious, some dismissive, and some downright gleeful.
Edmund furrowed his brow but said nothing.
Emily's heartbeat quickened. She knew Margaret was referring to the remark she had made: "Your wife five years from now." In the Middle Ages, such words would indeed be seen as highly inappropriate.
"I..." Emily was about to explain, but her anxiety made her unable to speak.
Just then, her body suddenly swayed. Perhaps due to nerves, or the tightness of her gown, she felt dizzy.
"Careful!" William rushed to steady her, but it was too late.
Emily stumbled backward and crashed into a wine table. With a loud crash, wine glasses and bottles fell to the floor, spilling red wine everywhere.
The entire hall fell into complete silence.
Emily sat on the floor, her gown stained red with wine, and her hair a mess. She tried to stand, but the spilled wine caused her to almost slip again.
"Oh my..." someone whispered in shock.
"Is this the upbringing of the Smith family?" someone mocked.
"How embarrassing..."
窃窃私语的声音越来越大,艾米丽羞得满脸通红.她挣扎着想站起来,但厚重的长袍和高跟鞋让她的动作笨拙不堪.
"需要帮助吗?"一个低沉的声音在她旁边问道.
艾米丽抬头,看到埃德蒙伸出了手.他的眼中没有嘲讽,只有一丝淡淡的担忧.
"谢谢你..."她伸出手,让埃德蒙把她拉起来.
可就在这时,莫蒂默伯爵的声音响起:"埃德蒙,小心你的衣服,别弄脏了."
虽然这听起来像是一个善意的提醒,但实际上却在向所有人暗示,艾米丽目前的混乱状态,不值得高贵的公爵关注.
埃德蒙顿了顿,但还是坚定的握住了艾米丽的手,将她扶了起来.
"谢谢你,"艾米丽低声说道,声音颤抖.
"没什么,"埃德蒙淡淡地说道,但他的手并没有立刻放开她.
这小小的举动,却被大厅之中的众人看在眼里,很快,各种猜测和传言,便在人群之中流传开来.
理查德爵士和伊莎贝拉夫人的脸色顿时变得苍白,威廉看起来仿佛想要消失在地下.
"艾米丽,你还好吗?"一个温柔的声音响起.罗莎琳德·沃里克优雅地走过去,递给艾米丽一块干净的手帕.
"谢谢您,沃里克夫人."艾米丽感激的接过手帕,擦去脸上的酒渍.
"意外总是难免的,"罗莎琳德笑着说,"重要的是如何优雅地处理."
她的话让一些围观的人顿时感到羞愧,意识到自己刚才的反应不太雅观.
但玛格丽特显然不打算就此罢休."艾米丽,你今晚的表现...真是令人难忘.或许你应该多花点时间学习如何在社交场合举止得体?"
艾米丽咬着嘴唇,正要开口回答,却听埃德蒙冷冷地说道:"德·克莱尔小姐,我认为一个真正的贵妇,应该懂得在别人有难时伸出援手,而不是落井下石."
玛格丽特的脸色瞬间变得惨白,被蒙福特公爵当众斥责,对她来说,无疑是莫大的羞辱.
"我...我只是..."
"够了,"埃德蒙的声音平静却充满权威,"这件事到此为止."
大厅再次陷入寂静,无人敢违抗蒙福特公爵的旨意.
莫蒂默伯爵见状,赶紧说道:"好了好了,让我们好好享受这美好的夜晚吧,为友谊干杯!"
人群开始散去,但是艾米丽知道,今晚发生的事情将会成为大家八卦的话题.
[系统提示:宿主,虽然发生了意外,但蒙福特公爵对您的态度似乎发生了微妙的变化...]
艾米丽望着埃德蒙远去的背影,心里涌起一丝复杂的情绪.
她不知道的是,这个看似灾难性的夜晚实际上是她命运转折点的开始.