Today was Wednesday, finally the day of their beloved tea party.

Sage entered the beautifully decorated drawing room. Hyacinth hosted the tea party this time around, for she didn't want to part from her darling baby just now. Everything was coloured in pastel blues with hints of yellows and pinks here and there.

“Oh Sage!” Lucia yelled happily, she had been the first to arrive, followed by Sage. “Oh Lucia and Hyacinth” she looked at the baby in Hyacinth's arms. “And uhm baby” 

She sat down in her chair. “I'm so happy to

see you Sage. I enjoyed your letters very much.” Hyacinth spoke.

“Are you recovering and adjusting well?” Sage asked, worried about her dear friend. She had a difficult birth. 

“Yes very much so. I'd like to think your herbal mixture helped alot to” she smiled gently at her friend. “I'm afraid only Alice will join, the others are still catching” Hyacinth remarked as she already started drinking her tea.

“Ohhh what a pity” Lucia pouted with a sigh but then smiled “but at least we have us yes? We shall have a splendid time and” she looked to Sage “splendid stories”

Hyacinth raised her brows but didn't ask further. She knew Lucia would come back to the topic later anyway when the time was right.

“Apologies for running late” now Alice had arrived as well.

The ladies chatted for a while over tea and biscuits until Alice spoke up. “Have you heard? The Duke of Greenson is apparently courting a young lady who has joined this season! He's such a handsome man ugrh”

“Right, Sage would you like to enlighten us about this affair?” Lucia said with a smug grin. Hyacinth raised her brows again now understand what Lucia had hinted at.

Sage almost choked on her tea, her cheeks blushed deeply. “ …uhm. Yes that…might be me” 

Lucia hissed “what do you mean might! I've seen you two at the latest ball that man fell head over heels for you!”

Sage blushed even more “...perhaps” she just mumbled. 

Both hyacinth and Alice looked utterly shocked. “Oh!” Alice exclaimed whilst looking at Sage with a grin “do tell more Sage”

“Yes! Sage promised to tell us everything!” Lucia claimed.

Sage nodded with a sigh, having all excited eyes on her. She placed down her tea cup.

“We actually met before…the day before my debutante to be precise. I mistook him for a butler of sorts. And hunter. I was rather bold to him. You know how much I hate hunters after all” all nodded in unison “anyway I suppose my boldness and love for animals caught his attention. As it turned out he too is an animal lover. At the debutante ball he asked me to dance and oh my” sage had to breath in “we had a rather scandalous flirt” Lucia clapped her hands before her mouth in astonishment,  Alice grinned widely while Hyacinth waited for more information. 

“Afterwards he started courting me. We've been out many times so far and oh my is he a stunning man” Sage was very happy to finally be able to speak freely about her affection for the duke. “That eyes, urgh, I could het lost in them forever. And that look? How can a man be this gorgeous” she had to breath in again to calm herself. “You will not believing it but, my dearest, he wishes to get married as soon as possible” both Alice and Lucia jumped up with a squeak, followed by cheerful screaming. “OH SAGE!” Lucia exclaimed and grabbed her hands “are you serious?” Alice followed having a grab on Sage's shoulder “you are to be a dutchess!!!” Both squealed again.

The only one keeping calm was Hyacinth. She cleared her throat. “Ladies…” she shot them a glance then turned to Sage. “I'm feeling a but… you don't seem overjoyed and aren't engaged yet so what is it?”

Sage sighed. “Indeed so there is a but. A rather unsettling one to say the least.” She fiddled with her hands. “..as you know I'm a witch and so was mother. Surely you remember the witch trial?” 

“...yes? But what has that to do with the duke?” Silence has settled in followed by concern.

Sage sighed again. “ Fennel- I mean the duke is from a long lineage of witch hunters. His uncle is apparently especially bad. In fact his uncle had asked him to keep an eye on me and convert me if needed. Now he insists he is not one of them and is just fooling his uncle. His affection for me is genuine and he wishes to be with me for who I am…but…what if he is fooling me all along?” She sighed once more and leaned back into her chair, gaze fixed on the ceiling. 

“Oh” Lucia was the first to speak. “That is frustrating. But has he given you any reason to distrust him? I mean surely we all agree one's lineage shouldn't define one's life.”

Both Alice and Hyacinth nodded in agreement.

Sage shook her head. “No, not really… it's just the guilt and anxiety eating me up. I feel like betraying mother for possibly courting with a witch hunter and the anxiety that the  man I too fancy turns out to be a monster.” 

“Oh so you do fancy him” Alice smirked. 

“Really that is what you gathered?” Hyacinth raised a brow then turned to Sage. 

“My love, I very much understand your anxiety. With Archy I felt similar. I mean obviously not the witch part but what if he was a cruel man indeed? You never fully know a person, especially before marriage. Trust is a choice one makes. Eventually you have to marry someone. So if you fancy the duke you should marry him. At least you would be an unhappy Duchess as opposed to being an unhappy worker's wife. You don't just choose a husband you choose a lifestyle as well. And your future with that. A Duchess is the best thing you can hope to be. Even if he turns out cruel there are ways to manage. Realistically speaking most marriages are a matter of mutual benefits, not so much understanding, love or anything else. So as long as you can live comfortably, even if you may have to practice witchcraft in secret, it shall be worth it. Perhaps think of it that way. Now I cannot tell if he is truly dangerous but for my understanding converting you is enough. So as long as you act converted if needed what shall happen? You are taken care of with a comfortable calm life you wished for. Isn't that the ultimate goal after all?” Hyacinth took a sip of her tea then smiled kindly. “Remember that dearest.”

Sage looked at Hyacinth, her clockwork ticking and ticking. She had a hard time processing her words, or mayhaps she made it hard. For she didn't want to admit it was a rather easy choice. Who wouldn't want to be a Duchess? And married quickly without having to join another season, and balls and entertain tiresome suitors. Indeed, she truly should marry him, rationally speaking. 

“Oh and as for the guilt” Lucia chimed in. “Your mother was such a loving and kind person. As long as he treats you well and you are taken care of, I'm sure she doesn't really care who you are marrying. And anyone else can be a bad person too. As Hyacinth claimed you should make the best choice overall and being a Duchess certainly is that- the best choice. At least you'll have all sorts of pretty things.” She smiled brightly. “So worry not”

Sage sighed but nodded “I shall think of it some more…but you are right. Being a duchess should weigh more heavily in my decision.”

Now Alice grinned “soooo…will you tell us more about your scandalous flirts?” 

Both Hyacinth and Lucia had to grin as well, awaiting her reply. Sage blushed deeply again 

“You made me tell all about Archy as well, now it is your turn dear” hyacinth grinned wider.

Sage sighed smitten but spoke up “we've done nothing scandalous…yet. Whenever we are alone I can feel my heart beating uncontrollably oh what will happen next? I can't tell. When noone is watching her always holds my hand and whispers sweet things into my ear.” She stopped for a moment to sip on her tea then continued “as for the scandalous talks, I did question him about his past affairs.” Lucia jumped up again and reached for Sage's hand, almost knocking down the tea can. “What did he say?!”

“Apparently his uncle made him visit brothels, but he promised he only gathered information and never joined in on the bodily pleasures.”

Alice grabbed Sage's other hand. “Oh my he must be well taught then” both Alice and Lucia chuckled “your first bedding must be utterly pleasing then” both squeaked.

Sage blushed deeply red with a small grin. “probably so”

Alice leaned in closer. “Have you gotten a glimpse yet?” Lucia nodded excitedly as well “is he …equipped well?”

Sage now blushed even deeper. “I.. I have not set my gaze on that yet.”

“Ohhh…” Lucia seemed disappointed. “Well you must tell once you did”

“Anyway how will you proceed?” Hyacinth asked, leading the conversation back to a more appropriate topic.

Sage sighed again. “I don't know for certain…He is interested in my rituals and wishes to join. Father has invited him to join us in our summer residence so we made a deal. If until then I have no further reason to distrust him we shall do a love reading together. If we are a match I shall let him propose”

“Ohhhhh” both Lucia and Alice hummed. “Exciting”

Sage smiled softly. “I really wish to trust him and marry him. But I require some more time until I am able to do so.”

And with that the ladies continued to chat, some drinks and cake, until it was time to leave.

Sage was the last to leave but before she could get up now Hyacinth had a hold on her arm.

“Sage a moment please” she spoke up with her gentle voice. “I have met Duke Greenson and let me tell you he is a great man. A very popular one at that. I don't mean to scare you but you better keep that man bewitched and at that, don't keep him waiting for long. For there are many more women out there who want to be a duchess more than anything”

And with that Hyacinth let Sage leave.

Sage laid in bed staring at her ceiling. Her head kept spinning in all sorts of ways.

Especially Hyacinth's warning kept replaying in her head.

Would he truly pick someone else if she waited for too long?

Should she just accept him?

Was she perhaps ruining her life by letting him wait?

Uncertainty hit her in waves.

She turned around and faced her mother's portrait on her night stand.

She truly was the spitting image of her mother, besides the green hair. She loved her mother's dark red curls.

She sighed. 

She wanted him, but her heart told her she needed to wait for some more time.

For as much as her mind protested.

But instead her body broke down in tears.