Chapter 42

Ms. Catherine was a world-renowned perfumer, and any fragrance she sent was sure to be extraordinary.
Everyone looked at Eleanor with a mix of envy and admiration.
To become Ms. Catherine’s protégé was proof enough of Eleanor’s remarkable talent.
Eleanor offered a gentle, respectful smile. “This is my mentor’s latest creation,” she said softly, turning to Mr. Frost. “Please, would you do us the honor of sampling it?”
A hush fell over the crowd. All eyes were fixed in fascination on the bottle in Eleanor’s hands. To experience Ms. Catherine’s newest perfume was a privilege not many could claim.
Mr. Frost nodded. “Go ahead. Open it.”
With careful hands, Eleanor unlatched the glass case and lifted the bottle free, unscrewing the cap. The scent drifted out, rich and intoxicating, and seemed to transform the room into a palace of luxury and grandeur.
“This is a concentrated essence,” Eleanor explained, sealing the bottle again and placing it back in its case. “The fragrance is a bit more intense than usual.”
She looked at Mr. Frost with hopeful anticipation. “What do you think, Mr. Frost?” He chuckled warmly. “Not bad at all.”
Eleanor’s heart lifted, and she was about to respond, but Mr. Frost’s attention had already shifted. He turned to Aurora. “Ms. Quinn, is that peony I detect on you?”
Aurora nodded. “Yes, it is.” ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ.net
She rarely wore perfume, but for an occasion this formal, she’d made an exception.
Peony had always stood for elegance and grace, its scent lush and refined.
Compared to Ms. Catherine’s perfume, the fragrance Aurora wore was subtler, more dignified.
“Wonderful. Ms. Quinn, if you don’t mind, could I trouble you for a bottle?”
He was asking her personally.
Aurora was caught off guard by the honor. “If it pleases you, Mr. Frost, I’ll have one sent to you as soon as possible.”
“Come, have a seat over here,” Mr. Frost said, gesturing to the lounge area.
Aurora joined him in the nearby sitting area.
With just a few words, it was clear to everyone in the room-Mr. Frost valued Aurora’s presence far more, while his reaction to Eleanor, Ms. Catherine’s protégé, was almost indifferent.
All he’d said about the famous perfume was a brief “Not bad,” and nothing more. Eleanor’s eyes grew red with humiliation.
She’d come here today with a carefully chosen gift from her mentor, accompanied by Daniel at her side, confident she would win Mr. Frost’s approval.
But the moment Aurora arrived, she had effortlessly stolen the spotlight.
The gift Eleanor had so painstakingly prepared was outdone by the simple fragrance Aurora had chosen almost on a whim.
Why?
A quiet bitterness welled up inside Eleanor, and before she could help herself, she muttered, “Why did Aurora have to come at this exact moment?”
Why couldn’t Aurora have arrived a little later, after she’d had her chance?
Daniel caught her words, and his brow furrowed in mild reproach. “Eleanor, she’s a perfumer too. She’s free to come and go as she pleases at Mr. Frost’s event.”
Eleanor’s shoulders slumped, her eyes glistening. “I didn’t mean anything by it, I just… I just
Her voice wavered, nearly choking up.
“Maybe I really am not as good as Aurora,” she whispered, gazing at Aurora chatting so easily with Mr. Frost, her expression full of longing.
But beneath her envy was a prickling sense of resentment and even a trace of jealousy.
“You both have your strengths,” Daniel tried to reassure her. “You bring different things to the craft.”
Eleanor gave a strained smile, but found little comfort in his words.
Because as he spoke, Daniel’s eyes were fixed on Aurora.
And in that look, she saw admiration-and something more.
Daniel felt a rush of conflicting emotions. He had always known Aurora was gifted; otherwise, she never could have written The Almanac of Air.
Still, he’d always believed Eleanor had the edge-after all, she’d trained under Catherine, the world’s premier perfumer, while everything Aurora knew, she’d learned on her own from books.
But tonight, Aurora had surprised him.
His wife had earned the respect of the esteemed Mr. Frost, and she carried herself with such poise and confidence in their conversation.
This was his wife…
And Daniel couldn’t help but feel proud.