Penny offered Damien's elder sister a warm smile, "Good morning, Lady Maggie," she still found it hard to greet her just by her name as they had started to know each other through their status when Penny had first come here. I am glad to be back. Did you meet my friend Caitlin?" Maggie raised her eyebrows as no one had introduced them.
"Oh- Hello, I am Maggie. Damien's sister," Maggie introduced herself by leaning forward and Penny leaned back to make way as she sat between them.
Caitlin didn't hold herself from greeting the woman, "It is good to meet you, Lady Maggie. I am Caitlin," Penny found it hard to not introduce her not as her aunt as the words had come until the tip of her tongue.
"It is good to see Penelope make friends out there in Valeria. How is cousin Alexander doing? All well from his side?" Maggie enquired with Penny.
"He's been doing well," Penny answered the vampiress who smiled before going back to her meal.
A loud clatter of a spoon fell on the floor from the other side of the table and they raised their head, their eyes moving to see where the spoon fell and it was Grace who had dropped her spoon down.
Penny chewed her food, her eyes on Grace who said, "I didn't know Quinn's mansion was going to turn to some sort of hotel or charity lodge for people to come here and stay," the young vampiress turned to her father to speak to him, "I think it is time you renamed the mansion to the guest house as your son has been bringing people. The next thing you know in less than a few months there will less space for us and more room and food for them to eat."
"Grace," Maggie warned her sister, "Don't you know how to treat a guest when they come home?"
"Behave, Grace. There is no need for you to be impolite to someone who has done nothing to you," their father spoke not wanting to rebuke a fight early in the morning.
"Behave about what? What wrong did I say, mama?" Grace turned to look at her mother.
"She is right. She is only concerned with what might happen in the future," replied Lady Fleurance, a woman who was always in support of what her doting daughter did.
"More than half-siblings it feels like you are my step sister and stepfather," Grace turned her eyes from one person to another.
"Aren't you going a little too far over it?" Maggie voiced her opinion as her father appeared to sigh, making it look like he was bored with the usual bickering that took place at the table.
"Far?" Grace turned her head back to look at her half-sister, "What is far? You bring slaves and God knows what at the table and expect us to share the same space as these lowly mongrels."
"Penelope is not a slave as mentioned by Damien before. She is a lady and to make it further clear she would one day turn to the lady of the house," Senior Mr. Quinn's words had everyone's head snapped to look at him and then at Penelope who looked taken aback by the man's words.
Penny loved Damien and she had loved him for who he was and how he made her feel but it never occurred to her that she would turn to the lady of Quinn's house.
Lady Fleaurance looked absolutely horrified by this news, "What do you mean she is going to turn to the Lady of the house. Until I am alive-"
"It is Quinn's tradition, Fleur. Once the girl gets betrothed to Damien and they get married, she would be the one to lead the house forward with Damien," the man was firm with his words.
His wife laughed, almost like a huff. She placed her hand on his arms, her voice coming out to be soft and gentle, "Things change. Previously, we didn't let our children marry out of our society.
But here you are willing to let Damien marry a human who is not lower than our status but also was part of the slave establishment."
Penny frowned hearing this, "Nobody asks or willingly goes to join the establishment. It is the unfortunate circ.u.mstances that lead them there-"
"I am talking to my husband. Could you kindly not interrupt it?" Lady Fleurance cut in and Penny pursed her lips without cutting into the conversation and waiting for her turn to speak.
"You speak about rules, Gerald but do you really follow them?" Lady Fleurance questioned, her eyes holding unkempt fury that was slowly starting to spark out, "You bent rules for your son's sake but you didn't bother to do anything about it when it came to defanging your very own daughter. Where is the justice here?" she continued to question her husband.
"That was different and you know that, Fleur. What Grace did was something Damien would never forgive as part of the family."
"And what about justice for my daughter? She only followed what she believed to be right in the pureblooded society," Fleurance looked with a look of disbelief look on her face.
"In no time this place will break rules and my father will be okay with it. It makes me question if you even love me, father," Grace spoke in a monotone voice without bothering to look at her father's face, "It is how it has been going until now. I am always the one in the wrong. Why is that no one punished sister Maggie when she killed that maid in here? Everyone's mistakes are forgiven except for mine."
"You know it isn't true, Gracie," her father stared at her, a grim expression on his face.
Grace smiled, "Then why don't you and all of us follow rules. Have these to live somewhere else and not in the mansion."
"They will stay here," Maggie chipped back in with her words.
"Of course, you will. If I am not wrong even she will bring someone out of the family rules to marry," Grace smirked looking at her elder sister who stared back at her, "Isn't that right? Why don't you ask my sweet sister where she has been going lately and why?"