Page 85 of The Last De Loughrey Dynasty

“Now I know where your sudden change in style comes from,” my mother muttered.

“Pardon me?” Maisie asked, a little confused. Instead of wasting any more time, I smiled at my friend. “Not relevant, the curtains are opening.”

She turned around to look at the stage. I gazed at my parents one last time before I pulled her with me to where she had come from. “I’ll meet you after the play,” I called to my parents, not waiting for them to argue that I’d stay by their side.

We had front-row seats, and they’d kept an empty one for me between Archer and Maisie.

“Does he know we’ll be watching?” I asked Maisie, who snuggled against Nathaniel by her side. She grinned, her eyes not leaving the stage as the lights lit up above to draw everyone’s full attention.

“He has no clue, only Naomi knows, and she’s backstage—hush, it’s starting.”

I sat back and watched as the first students slipped into their roles, eyeing the boy by my side for a moment. His concentration was completely on the stage, so I just admired his looks.

Just now, as I looked at him while no one was, I was ready to be honest with myself and admit that Archer Kingstone might be the most beautiful man I had ever seen.

Jesse’s performance was astonishing.

All of the students were, but my full attention had been on him the whole time. Even Maisie had her Polaroid camera solelyon our friend, who played the role of Puck. Seeing him as a malicious fairy wasn’t on my bucket list for this year, but it definitely is one of my new favourite memories. I fully hope that someday he can live out his dream of being an actor on a bigger stage than Aquila—he deserves it.

The cast lined up on the front of the stage, and I watched as Jesse’s face saddened a little, looking around the audience, knowing his parents and siblings didn’t make an effort to watch their son and brother doing the one thing he was so passionate about.

Naomi laid her arm around his shoulders and pressed a kiss to his cheek. He blushed, and his face twisted in confusion, but not even that could lift his mood fully.

My heart ached, but instead of continuing to watch his disappointment, I grabbed Maisie and Archer’s hands and pulled them up together with me. They knew what I was doing and joined the applause until he looked down at us.

Jesse’s brown eyes lit up the second he saw us mouthing his name during our applause for him, which was louder than the rest. Naomi said something to him, I couldn’t understand, but from the way her lips moved, it looked like,“We’ll always be there.”

He threw one arm around Naomi and tugged her close, his mouth forming a big smile.

After the curtain had fallen again and he and Naomi were jogging down the stairs towards us, we embraced the both of them, showering our friends in congratulations and compliments.

At this moment, I felt the warmth of a family enveloping me, a bond forged not by blood but by love and understanding, filling the void where comfort had been missing my entire life.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

DOROTHEE

Christmas Eveat the De Loughrey Manor was its own kind of hell. While it had been planned that the famous family dinner would be held at my aunt and uncle’s house, the change of plans brought the entire family to the dining room at our house. It was something about construction at their house not being done in time; the only thing I knew was that my aunt was terribly dramatic about it.

I sat in my room in front of the mirror while I put on some makeup, the way my mother liked. Wanting to be myself now that I was home was one thing, but actually being myself turned out to be harder than I thought. Now I was sitting here in a white short-sleeve button dress with gold details and my hair neatly pinned up with a pearl hair clip holding my long lengths in place. The dress was beautiful, and the hairstyle our stylist had helped me with as well, but it didn’t feel like me. Since I was a child, either my mum or one of the nannies had dressed me up like a doll. Always neat and perfect. I hadn’t even been allowed to buy my own clothes as I got older, and now I was fond of the freedom the academy was actually giving me. Yes, sure, most of the time I wore the school uniform that looked similarto the style my mother adored, but in my spare time I could wear things I actually liked. I could buy shirts that weren’t cut to prevent me from revealing too much skin. I could choose which colours I preferred and if I wanted comfortable trainers instead of ballerinas or Mary Janes that rubbed on my heel until it bled.

It’s privileged to think that way, but for me, choosing the clothes I wore on my own was freedom. And when my mother disapproved of them, it felt even better.

My phone vibrated on my dresser, and I looked down at the screen.

Archer

Did the ghost of Christmas past already come to visit?

I smiled, amused at his message, and picked up my phone, typing an answer.

Dorothee

I hope they steal me away before I have to join my cousins for dinner on the children’s table. How’s your Christmas going?

Archer

Just as miserable as yours, I assume.

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