An elongated vintage Rolls-Royce, painted pearl white with rose-gold trim pulled into the gravel driveway like a moving statement. The sunlight of Maistown caught every curve of the car, making it gleam like something out of a dream. And then she stepped out, Aunt Grace. Just as dazzling, just as deliberate.
She was the embodiment of contrast. Where Mother was reserved and rigid, Grace was bold, expressive, and unapologetically unconventional. She didn't just walk, she arrived. Always. And she never stayed long enough for the dust of our world to cling to her hem.
I spotted the car from my window and didn't hesitate. Despite the stiffness of my gown and the quiet disapproval of the house rules, I flew down the staircase two steps at a time, heart pounding with anticipation.
"Aunt Grace!" I called, the name bursting from my lips like music.
"Melody!" she exclaimed, opening her arms wide as we met halfway down the gravel path.
We hugged tightly, spinning a little as we did, a whirl of fabric, perfume, and forgotten warmth. For a moment, it felt like the estate wasn't swallowing me whole.
"What a surprise," I said, breathless. "What brings you to Maistown?"
Grace gave a mock gasp and opened the car door to retrieve her hatbox. "It feels like I haven't seen you in ages!"
I laughed. "Even though you were here just a few days ago?"
She winked, swinging our clasped hands between us like children. "Time stretches in this place. I swear Maistown exists in its own clock."
Before we could get much further, the front gates opened with a familiar metallic groan and there she was. Mother. Perfectly composed, wrapped in her usual cream ensemble that somehow always looked both ceremonial and suffocating.
"Grace," she said.
"Mary," Grace replied.
The air between them tightened, heavy with words left unsaid. They stood facing each other, two sides of a history neither had ever fully unpacked.
"I'm so sorry for showing up unannounced," Grace added, setting her suitcase gently on the ground as though trying to soften her entrance.
Mother didn't respond immediately. Her eyes flicked from the car to Grace, then to me. And just before the silence could tip into awkwardness, Mr. Darcy appeared beside us.
"I'll take this to the guest room, ma'am," he said politely, lifting the suitcase with quiet ease.
"Thank you, Mr. Darcy," Grace said, offering a grateful smile as he ascended the stone steps.
I noticed, with some measure of relief, that he was taking her to the guest room closest to mine. For once, fate had a sense of timing.
Mother didn't move. She simply watched, expression unreadable.
"I won't be here long," Grace added, adjusting the brooch at her collar. "Just passing through for a project. Thought it might be… nice to visit."
Mother's lips parted, but no words came out. Instead, she gave a slight nod, a truce, or maybe just a delay of the inevitable.
I glanced between them, the contrast sharp and aching. Two sisters raised under the same roof, yet living in different worlds.
And now, they were under this roof again.
Just to clear out the tension in the air, I slipped my arm around Grace's and led her toward the guest room.
"Dinner will be ready soon," I said softly. "If you need anything, I'm just down the hall, okay?"
Grace smiled warmly. "Yes, Mel. And... would you walk with me later? I could use some air."
"Sounds like a nice idea, Aunt," I replied, winking back.
As I turned to return to my room, I noticed Mother whispering something to Mr. Darcy in the corridor. Her expression was cold, controlled. Whatever she was saying, it wasn't casual. I didn't hear the words, but I felt the tension curl down my spine like a warning.
That evening, Nanny Chopper arrived to summon us for dinner. The usual rituals of the household snapped into place, the silent procession, the hushed clink of silverware, the stiff-backed rules Mother enforced with invisible thread.
No one was allowed to speak at the dinner table. It was one of Mother's oldest decrees. But now that Grace was here, I sensed trouble.
"Yum," Grace said brightly as she took her seat. "Smells wonderful, Nanny Chopper. What is this dish called?"
Nanny Chopper froze mid-step, her lips tightening. She glanced nervously at Mother, then quickly exited without replying. The silence that followed was absolute.
"So, Grace," Mother said, breaking the rule herself, "what brings you here? You hate Maistown. I'm quite shocked you decided to pay us a visit."
"You hate Maistown?" I asked, turning to my aunt, confusion coloring my voice.
Grace kept her gaze on her plate. "I don't hate it, my darling. I just don't exactly like it. That's why I'm rarely here. The memories... they linger."
Her words were vague, yet they hung in the air like fog.
"Did something happen?" I asked gently. "Is there a reason why you're not comfortable?"
Grace dabbed at the corner of her mouth with a napkin. "Since your mother brought it up, why don't we take a little trip down memory lane."
Mother's fork froze halfway to her lips.
"There was a nobleman in this town once," Grace continued. "Very well-loved. Admired by many maidens... except me. Or so I thought. But somehow, we fell in—"
"Grace," Mother snapped. "There's no need for that."
"I think Melody wants to hear the end of it," Grace said, looking to me for confirmation.
I nodded, unable to hide my curiosity.
"We fell in love," she said simply. "It was a match made in heaven. Until someone I trusted took him from me. And now... they live happily ever after."
My breath caught. "That's so cruel. Did you ever move on?"
Grace smiled softly, but it didn't reach her eyes. "That's the funny thing, my princess. I never stopped loving him."
The silence that followed was thunderous. Mother's lips were pressed so tightly together they turned white.
Grace set down her fork. "Anyway, I didn't come here to stir the past. I'm launching my fashion house next week. The reason I'm here is because I need a venue. After touring Maistown... I think Dynasty Hall would be perfect."
Mother's knife clattered sharply against her plate.
"What?" she said, eyes narrowing. "That's insane, Grace."
"Two days, Mary. That's all I ask. Then I'll be gone from this estate, from Maistown."
"You do not need to leave, Aunt. Mother, what's going on?" I asked, glancing between them.
Mother stood abruptly. "Two days, Grace. That's it." She turned and strode toward the kitchen without another word.
"One last thing, Mary," Grace called after her. "I'm taking Melody with me. After that beautiful eulogy she gave at the funeral, I need her voice. If you don't trust me, I'll have Mr. Darcy escort her to Dynasty and back."
Mother turned slowly, her eyes fierce. "Grace, you're crossing the line. And you know it."
The room was frozen, breathless.
Grace simply smiled, unbothered. "Then let's draw new lines."
She returned to her meal as though the conversation had been about the weather. I sat still, my heart thundering. The locket beneath my dress suddenly felt heavier.
Everyone we know will be at the event, we better start getting along, dear sister. She said locking eyes with her sister.