EDWIN ASCAR...!
SPEAKING WITH HER EYES
YOU DO REALIZE THAT YOU'VE JUST MADE FOOLS OF ALL OUR GUESTS?
I'M GETTING MARRIED, JUST LIKE YOU WANTED ME TO. SO WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?
DID HE JUST SAY, "THE WOMAN I'LL BE MARRYING"?
THE DOWAGER DUCHESS CLEARLY TOLD US THAT HE WASN'T INVOLVED WITH ANYONE.
AFTER ALL THE MONEY WE SPENT DOLLING UP OUR DAUGHTERS FOR THIS BALL...
UNBELIEVABLE
TO THINK THAT THE DUKE HAD A FIANCÉ ALL ALONG...!
I FEEL BAD FOR ALL THE LADIES...
WHO CAME TO THIS BALL THINKING THEY HAD A CHANCE WITH THE DUKE.
LADIES.
I THANK YOU FOR GRACING US WITH YOUR COMPANY THIS EVENING.
I HOPE YOU CAN FORGIVE ME FOR TAKING AN EARLY LEAVE FROM THE FESTIVITIES.
ENJOY THE REST OF YOUR EVENING, LADIES.
COME ALONG.
CINDERELLA FOR HIRE (3)
ELIZABETH ASCAR DOWAGER DUCHESS OF BRISTON
I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT PROPERLY GREETING YOU.
YOU GAVE ME QUITE A SHOCK, YOU SEE.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU, LADY WENTWORTH.
THE PLEASURE IS ALL MINE, DUCHESS.
AS YOU MAY ALREADY BE AWARE, OUR MANOR HAS ALWAYS BEEN QUITE SHORTHANDED...
AND I'M AFRAID I'VE BEEN SO BUSY WITH MANAGING THE AFFAIRS OF THE HOUSEHOLD...
THAT I'VE HAD VERY LITTLE CHANCE TO LEARN ABOUT YOU, LADY WENTWORTH.
THERE'S NO NEED TO APOLOGIZE, DUCHESS!
I HAIL FROM COTNY, IN THE SOUTHWEST.
IT'S SUCH A REMOTE AREA, THAT IT'S ONLY NATURAL YOU WOULDN'T HAVE HEARD OF IT.
YOU SURE TRAVELED A LONG WAY TO GET HERE.
WHY ISN'T HE SAYING ANYTHING?
YOU CAN'T JUST SIT THERE IN SILENCE AFTER INTRODUCING ME TO YOUR FIANCÉ!
I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS THE REAL EDWIN.
NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY HE CHOSE TO KEEP HIS IDENTITY HIDDEN.
THE "BRISTON" FAMILY IS INCREDILY WEALTHY...
IN ADDITION TO BEING THE OLDEST AND MOST POWERFUL FAMILY IN THE KINGDOM.
AND...
...I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT HE'S INCREDIBLY HANDSOME, EVEN IF THIS ISN'T EXACTLY HOW I PICTURED HIM...
HOLD ON, DOESN'T THIS MEAN...
...THAT I STOLE QUEEN ELIZE'S MAN?!
I WAS WONDERING...
THE BUMPKING WHO STOLE THE QUEEN'S PARAMOUR
...JUST HOW YOU TWO CAME TO MEET.
AND WHY LADY ANRI AGREED TO THIS MARRIAGE.
IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF...
I KNOW THAT MY EDWIN IS A VERY HANDSOME, REFINED GENTLEMAN...
MOTHER.
WE SHOULD PROBABLY GREET ANRI'S FAMILY BEFORE IT GETS TOO LATE.
...BUT HE CAN ALSO BE QUITE TACTLESS.
UGH, YOU DON'T NEED TO TELL ME TWICE.
NOT AT ALL, DUCHESS.
DUKE EDWIN HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT KIND TO ME.
HE DIDN'T CRUSH OUR FAMILY, EVEN AFTER ALL THE LIP I'VE BEEN GIVING HIM...
AND CONSIDERING HOW HOT-TEMPERED HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE, THAT SHOULD COUNT AS AN ACT OF KINDNESS!
I-I SEE. I'M VERY RELIEVED TO HEAR THAT.
HOW... HOW CAN THIS BE, MOTHER?!
HOW CAN ANRI GET MARRIED BEFORE ME?!
NOT ONLY DID THAT MYSTERIOUS GENTLEMAN TURN OUT TO BE DUKE BRISTON...
YOU SHOULD'VE SEEN THE LOOK ON DUCHESS BRISTON'S FACE...
MY GOSH!
...HE TOOK AN INTEREST IN ANRI...
AND EVEN INTRODUCED HER TO HIS MOTHER...
MOOOM...!
BE QUIET!
CAN YOU PLEASE STOP CRYING? IT'S EMBARRASSING.
EITHER WAY...
...AS LONG AS ONE OF THE WENTWORTH GIRLS MARRIES THE DUKE, I'LL GET TO BE...
...THE MOTHER OF A DUCHESS!
OH MY!!
I KNEW PLAYING MOTHER TO THAT BRAT WOULD PAY OFF SOMEDAY!
I MUST ADMIT, I HAD NO IDEA THAT DUKE BRISTON...
HAD BECOME SO ENAMORED BY "MY DAUGHTER."
IT'S NO SURPRISE AT ALL, CONSIDERING HOW LOVELY AND KIND YOUR DAUGHTER IS, VISCOUNTESS.
I MUST SAY... THAT THIS ALL FEELS LIKE SOME SORT OF A DREAM.
BECAUSE I HAD "NO IDEA" THAT THESE TWO WERE INVOLVED WITH ONE ANOTHER.
EXCUSE ME?!
I MUST SAY...
OH MY...!
EDWIN, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!
THIS MUST HAVE COME AS QUITE A SHOCK TO YOU...
I APOLOGIZE IN MY RUDE SON'S STEAD, VISCOUNTESS WENTWORTH.
NO NEED FOR THAT AT ALL!
I SUPPOSE THAT'S JUST HOW MUCH THE DUKE TREASURES "MY ANRI."
BUT HE STILL SHOULD HAVE BEEN HONEST WITH HIS INTENTIONS TOWARD YOUR PRECIOUS DAUGHTER.
I MUST INSIST YOU SPEND THE EVENING HERE...
AND JOIN US FOR A MEAL TOMORROW.
LADY EUNICE WENTWORTH, DUCHESS.
OH, FINALLY. THE WHOLE FAMILY IS HERE.
EUNICE...?
WHO?
AT LAST!
EUNICE!
TH-THIS... IS EUNICE...?
EUNICE DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THIS!
ARE YOU SURE YOU BROUGHT THE RIGHT GIRL?
DON'T BE SILLY. WE CAME IN THE SAME CARRIAGE TOGETHER.
ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE YOU TO MY BEST FRIEND AND SISTER, EUNICE!
S-S-SO...
...THIS REALLY IS EUNICE?!?
At the ball, when Duke Edwin Ascar announces the woman he will marry, the guests are stunned; it was thought he had no relationship with anyone. Edwin introduces Lady Anri Wentworth as his fiancée to the Dowager Duchess Elizabeth Ascar. While the Duchess hides her surprise and invites the family to dinner, the Wentworth family's and Eunice's appearance creates a new shock.
