Holder Manor Secret

Vincent put Edward's clothes on him indiscriminately, acting rudely, like two cheating teenagers being blocked by their elders at the door.Edward was dizzy from being hit by the clothes that covered his head and face, and he could only hear the violent heartbeat constantly ringing in his ears.

He couldn't tell if it was his own or Vincent's.

In a hurry, Edward was pushed out of the window. The extreme cold quickly froze his face, but there was still Vincent's hotness between his lips and teeth.He held the ladder blankly, watching the window slam shut before his eyes.

"Do not……"

The truth dazzled him and made it hard for him to accept it.Seemingly reasonable explanations, unpredictable way forward, it seems that the vortex in the darkness drags everything into unknown places.

It was always someone else's fault, and Vincent was the innocent.

But, is this the truth?

Mary's soul has returned to heaven, and Baron Holder is also ill.His loved one watched it all happen with no mercy.

Who will testify against his testimony?

"Sir, sir?"

Lacey's voice interrupted Edward's thinking. She stood in the snow and whispered anxiously: "Sir, please come down quickly."

Edward woke up like a dream, and hurriedly grabbed the ladder and wanted to go down. However, the previous sex made him weak, and the cold made it difficult for him to move. After barely going down two steps, he suddenly stepped on the air and fell off the ladder.

"Well……"

Edward resisted the urge to cry out, and Lacey caught him nimbly and rolled with him into the snow.The soft snow kept them unhurt, only soaked their clothes and skirts, making them all wet.

Lacey jerked Edward up.

"Please forgive me, sir." The strong girl panted and crossed Edward's arm without courtesy, "We must hurry, the Duke is back."

Edward stumbled and was carried out by Lacey. In order to avoid the servants, they had to spend more time than when they came.The Duke's return made the servants in the entire castle pretend to be busy, and they shuttled around every corner more frequently and carefully.

"Hey Lacey!"

Edward hid around the corner, and a maid stopped Lacey and reprimanded her severely.

"What are you doing walking around when you're not staying at the stable?" The maid had fair skin and bright clothes.Although she is also an ordinary maid, she thinks she is qualified to teach Lacey a lesson.

"The stable door is broken. I want Uncle Bert to fix it."

"Then you have to pay attention, if those horses are frozen, Mrs. James will definitely drive you out!" She threatened, and raised her chin reservedly, "Do you think you can do whatever you want by climbing into the young master's bed? Bah, I don’t even look at you! These rough jobs are still suitable for you.”

Lacey listened to the maid's provocation without changing her expression. Edward was surprised when she heard it, but he didn't know whether what she said was true or not.

She said a few more words to Lacey before leaving calmly.

"Let's go on, sir."

Lacey went back to the corner and whispered.Her face was silent, unmoved by what happened just now.

Edward buried the doubt in his heart.

It took them some more time before they finally reached the carriage in the forest.

The male servant waiting there was almost frozen, and he rushed forward anxiously, but dared not ask his master.

"Let's go."

Edward got into the carriage.He fumbled for a shilling and handed it to Lacey.

"this is for you."

Lacey took it.

She looked up at Edward, only then did Edward realize that there were some small wounds on her face, probably caused by falling in the snow before. "Sir," her eyes sparkled, "I didn't do that kind of thing with Master."

"Do you trust me?"

Lacey looked at Edward with pure animal eyes.

Edward's Adam's apple rolled up and down, although he didn't show it, but the girl had already noticed it.

He couldn't help feeling ashamed of the doubts in his heart.

"Of course I believe you, my boy."

He spoke to Lacey in a soft voice.

Lacey gave Edward a sweet smile.

"Good-bye, sir, good-bye."

She stepped back, saluted Edward, then turned and walked towards the castle.

The thick snow buried everything fresh, and countless people and livestock walked on it, leaving dirty and messy marks.The white snow, mixed with the mud, is indistinguishable and has lost its own virginity.

The brief meeting between Edward and Vincent went unnoticed like snow falling to the ground.Only they themselves can recall the intense sex and calm confession at that time in the deep night, and feel the throbbing and trembling from the tailbone.

Although there are still some things that have not been answered, Edward has no time to explore.The baron's body has been exhausted, but Almina is still hesitating whether to accept her father's request.She is unwilling to accept a courtesan as her father's third wife, nor is she willing to gamble the future of her own sister and brother.Marriage changed Almina from an ignorant lady to a lady who knows people's hearts well.This also gradually stripped her of the connection with Holder Manor, so that she even lost the corresponding qualifications to protect her relatives.

And Evelyn didn't know where she got the news, and she came outside the manor every day, crying to see the baron.Almina looked at it coldly, "It's really disgusting." She told the servants to drive the woman away, but Evelyn still came every day, crying weakly, and made the servants soften their hearts for her.

Even Hughes persuaded: "Since it is the baron's last wish, why do you insist so much?"

Almina bit her lip, showing some stubbornness.This kind of stubbornness accompanied her through her entire girlhood, and ended with her marriage—she learned to compromise, a distant foreign country, and endless housework.

Stubbornness cannot solve problems.

Almina came to the baron's room. Her father was lying on the bed, breathing heavily and with difficulty, like an old carriage, making a hoarse noise with every step.His face was pale, and the flesh of his face drooped layer by layer, stacked on his wrinkled neck.

She can hardly remember what her father looked like when he was young.

This is of course, after all, when Mary married the baron, the baron was no longer young.But to a daughter, a father is always omnipotent.He's perfect, he's forever young, he's infallible.

But these are illusions.Almina looked at her father, she thought, my father, he is just an ordinary man, like all men.

He may not be a good husband, but he was.He may not be a good father, but he will always be their father.

Almina compromised.

Baron Holder's third wedding was held in the same winter as the previous baroness's death. After receiving the news, Vivienne and Edward rushed to Holder Manor.Almina received them solemnly in her usual dress.

She is not alone.

"Oh, dear Mr. Brooke, and dear Vivienne, welcome to come."

Evelyn, dressed in a delicate gown, greeted them with exaggerated tones.She has a noble smile and elegant demeanor, just like a real noble lady.

It was the first time Edward had direct contact with this courtesan, and under such circumstances, he couldn't help being a little embarrassed.He saluted restrainedly, and Vivian lifted her skirt.

Evelyn laughed, and she had a good laugh, like a bird in spring.

Almina said with a cold face, "The pastor has arrived, let's go up."