The maids sniffled their laughter at the stumped look Shelby displayed.
Geneva, however, looked so serious.
"Your genes are good enough for my future grandson; that is all that matters! A good artistic brain with outwardly looks..."
"Mu-"
"It is settled then. You have a year to get us this reality. Trust you can do that, right?"
"Bu-"
"Also, ... how you handle my son to get his seed is up to you. But I prefer the natural conception thods. Artificial stuff does not sit well with ... so I’ll wait for your good news soon."
It would be very much later that Shelby would understand why Geneva had said this to her.
"Mu-"
"The ceremony is in less than an hour. Get her ready!"
Geneva stood up dismissively, looking at the stupefied Shelby.
"Her dress is already here..."
One maid said as she picked out the white dress her mother, Clara’s had sent with her. Geneva paused with a look of disgust.
"This is from last year’s collection! You want my first daughter-in-law to wear this? What do you want people to say? That the Thornston household is declining? Throw that elsewhere and bring in the one we prepared. The fact that this is a contracted catalogue-bride marriage does not an I will cut corners! The whole world will be watching!"
"Yes, ma’am,"
"I can’t believe I must tell you this basic fact!"
"I’m sorry, Mrs Thornston, I’ll make sure that all goes to plan."
"I’ll trust you to handle this, Katie."
Shelby sat there motionless and still shocked. Everything was moving so fast that she had no ti to adjust to anything at all.
Geneva left behind the blushing young maids, the still-shocked Shelby and the smiling Katie.
Katie gave direct instructions on what they had to do.
"She needs to get ready in twenty minutes. You get the dress, and you, get more hands so we can get everything done." Katie pointed at the two maids in a strict tone, leaving room for no argunts. Then she softened her tone and bowed to Shelby.
"Miss Shelby, please sit in front of the vanity and let us get you ready."
Shelby moved robotically as if in a trance because she was still stuck in her mind mulling over the words spoken by Geneva.
’In short, I have to get pregnant by the man who is still grieving over his lost love? And what was that about the ’legitimate heirs’? Doesn’t Ian already have three children? I don’t get anything going on here...’ She frowned heavily.
"Please relax your face as we apply the makeup, Miss Shelby."
Shelby forced a smile to relax her frowning face. Just then, the door opened, and Shelby looked through the mirror to see the most adorable boy in a cute tux peeking in. An involuntary smile stretched across her face.
This stunned the person applying her makeup and everyone else in the room. Since they entered, Shelby either had a straight face or a frown, but this... They all had a good impression of Shelby Monroe so far, especially with her looks, but the smile took her to different heights that stunned the won in the room.
"Young master, what are you doing here? You are not supposed to be here now."
Katie chided softly, but the endearnt in her voice was rather obvious. The boy’s smile fell off, and a guilty look replaced it. He rubbed his hands in front of him nervously and used one leg to draw invisible circles on the floor.
’He looks cute with the adorable bow tie,’ Shelby thought.
"I heard I got a new mama and wanted to see her.... I- I – don’t rember my first mama, so I wanted to make sure that I rember this one-"
The room turned silent as they all turned to look at the boy. His words struck a chord in Shelby, who had been looking at him through the mirror this whole ti. She examined the boy briefly through her view in the mirror, temporarily putting her sentints aside. She turned to look at him and stretched out her hand. Shelby loved children and sotis volunteered her ti at an orphanage to help look after them and teach them how to draw.
The boy’s smile returned, and he hurried towards Shelby’s stretched hand but paused montarily and stared fixedly at sothing at her back. So of the people in the room, including Shelby, turned to that direction to find out what was there, but they saw nothing.
No one was standing behind her back or by her side in the direction he was looking at; neither was there anything fascinating enough to grab the attention of the young boy. Shelby turned back to him.
"Who do we have here?" She asked brightly,
"My na is Gabriel, ... just like the angel, but I have other nas too. It is Gabriel Maybach-Thornston," his childish voice echoed in the room. This got a genuine smile from Shelby as she gazed fondly at him.
"Well, you are adorable, just like the angel! Nice to et you, Gabriel, I am Shelby."
"Nice to et you, Shelby. Are you my new mama?" he asked innocently.
Shelby looked over his head at Katie.
"This is master Ian’s son.... I’ll give you the details later," Katie mouthed over the child’s head and Shelby nodded.
"I believe I am.... Are you happy about that?"
"Yes!"
Gabriel nodded happily and made his way to stand between Shelby’s legs, never once letting go of her hand.
"Can I ask you sothing? new mama?"
"Of course, Gabriel, what is it?"
"What is he doing here?"
"Who?"
"The man behind you.... He looks weird..."
The room beca quiet because only the female staff were there to help Shelby get dressed, but Gabriel kept looking at the sa place behind Shelby.
"You are the only man in this room, Gabriel-"
"No, new mama," he said, pointing to the empty space behind her. Sothing about the way he said it made Shelby think,
’It looks like he is not joking. But there is nothing there.... At least nothing that I see, and judging from everyone’s looks, it’s the sa for them.’
Shelby, "...."
*********
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