The Kiss that Sparked it All

Chapter 2317
“Mara’s foot is hurt too. Let’s get her to the hospital together too.”
Mara had twisted her ankle, and Balfour only remembered when he saw her wince. He couldn’t ask Dean to carry her – it just
wouldn’t be proper. He was at a loss for what to do until Alyssa stepped in, urging him to take Ivy to the hospital first.
“Ivy can’t even stand on her own two feet, unlike Ms. Lewis here, who managed to stay upright for quite a while. It’s likely nothing
too serious,” Alyssa rationalized. “When the others come back, we can ask one of them to give her a lift. You go ahead and get
Ivy checked out, especially since she’s fresh out of the hospital. We don’t want her taking a turn for the worse.”
Balfour looked to Mara for confirmation, and with a forced smile, she didn’t object. Left behind, she had to figure out her next
steps. Alyssa and Dean’s support had slipped through her fingers, and she couldn’t afford to fall out of favor any further.
More troubling was the shifting attention of Balfour, who seemed increasingly drawn to Ivy. Mara’s jealousy simmered – before
Ivy’s arrival, Balfour’s affections were hers alone. How quickly had this new woman usurped her place? Did he truly fancy her
that much?
True to Alyssa’s word, there were plenty of men among the search party. Alyssa casually picked one out to carry Mara, who
accepted with outward grace. Still, Alyssa couldn’t help but wish Mara could be whisked away from this drama-filled place and
back to her home,
country.

The chosen porter was Mark, the son of the family cook, Edith. Raised in the Howard estate, he had grown into a robust and
cheerful young man, a sight that warmed the hearts of his elders. Alyssa had appointed him as a guard for the family, and now,
blushing slightly, he prepared to carry the attractive young woman.
Scratching his head, he crouched in front of Mara. “Ms. Lewis, please hold on tight so I don’t jostle you and make your leg
worse.”
Mara had complained of a hurt foot, not a leg, but she bit back a retort, realizing it was probably just a slip of the tongue
prompted by Alyssa’s meddling. With a cool huff, she climbed onto Mark’s back, finding his frame surprisingly solid, his muscles
even more pronounced than Balfour’s.
Mark, puzzled at having seemingly offended the beautiful woman with his well-intentioned warning, decided to keep silent, wary
of further missteps that might be interpreted as insolence.
He was well aware of his status; as the child of a servant, working for the Howards was a natural part of his life. He never took
issue with his position – after all, jobs were scarce, and the Howard family paid their staff handsomely, much to the envy of
others.