Klay Carter wasn't bothered that the atmosphere in this party had turned a little dull due to his inconsiderate actions.

In fact, he was focusing his entire attention on the young lady seated next to him.

He rarely got the chance to be close to Cecily and did not wish to waste this golden opportunity to bridge the distance between them.

He knew that she liked someone else but there had been no news of an engagement between the Yona and Kiron family as of yet.

This meant that Cecily was still not tied up with the son of the Kiron family and was free to choose anyone else in the future.

Keeping this information in mind, he was sure that he could win her favor and her heart too if only she paid more attention to him.

Klay hoped that today would mark the beginning of a new chapter for the two of them and that their current distanced relationship might grow closer with time.

His father, Marquess Carter was able to decipher the kind of thoughts his son seemed to be having, however, this was truly not the time to behave in such a hasty manner.

Not to mention that even his father, Minister Syrac Carter was present here and the sullen look on the old man's face was causing him to lose his patience with that infatuated young man.

Marquess Carter had inherited his title from his father many years ago and soon it would be Klay's turn to do the same.

However, if he continued to act in this manner, he might lose the favor of the old man who still held immense power and authority in their household.

Thinking in this way, Marquess Carter glared at his son with a reproachful look in his eyes.

Only then did Klay realize that others were watching him and thus stopped trying to strike up a conversation with Cecily who wasn't interested to respond in the least bit.

Duke Brodie had also been watching them in silence and the frown on his face proved that he was not impressed with Klay's behavior today.

Even Minister Carter was glaring at his grandson who had almost caused a scene today.

It was Duchess Tanner who did not wish to let this incident ruin the pleasant atmosphere so she instructed her servants to bring out the refreshments in haste.

In no time, a sweet aroma wafted into their noses as a long line of servants walked towards them with trays filled with a variety of desserts and snacks.

This was enough to divert their attention from what had taken place and now they watched as the servants placed those trays on their tables before taking a step away.

With a single glance, they could make out just how much thought the Duchess had put into the preparations for this tea party.

Soon their attention shifted to the table and were surprised to find quite a few teapots placed at each table.

Duchess Tanner explained that she had chosen a few different types of teas for the guests to try and they were free to pick the one they preferred.

Once they had decided which one suited their tastes, a servant could help them pour a cup of that particular tea for them to enjoy.

"I gave Mother that idea,

" Taylor whispered in Yvonne's ear, reminding her of the time when she had done something similar for them.

Back then, she had served various refreshing drinks and had asked them to first try each and then decide which one they felt was the best in their opinion.

When he had revealed this idea to his mother, Duchess Tanner had declared that she too would like to use the same method.

Usually, at any noble tea party, the tea chosen by the hostess would be the one served to everyone, regardless of their preferences.

Of course, it was an unwritten rule that the hostess chooses one which would cater to everyone's needs but satisfying everyone was never an easy task.

Therefore, when the Duchess had heard about this method, she felt that it was time to bring a small change to the way they enjoyed their parties and would like to be the one to lead them with her example.

The Duke never forbade her from doing as she pleased so it was an easy decision to make.

Yvonne chuckled as she pointed at the tea she had chosen for herself from the options present here.

A blend of chamomile and ginger, floral but spicy at the same time was just according to her taste.

Roman was closest to that teapot and before the servant could even come closer, he had gestured that he would be the one to do it.

Without wasting time, he poured not one but two cups of the same tea, one for his cousin and the other for himself.

Yvonne smiled at this kind gesture before accepting the cup from him which caused Knox to glare at his twin.

However, Roman only smirked and sipped the soothing tea without bothering to retort, knowing full well that his brother despised chamomile tea the most.

His childish attempt to gain an advantage over his twin had fallen in the eyes of the only outsider here, making him roll his eyes at their competitive spirit to please the little girl.

Nevertheless, he did not concern himself with them and picked up the peppermint tea which was his favorite anyway without even trying the rest.

Howard chose the same tea as his sister while Taylor's heart leaned towards the hibiscus tea which was a beautiful crimson red color, much like his hair.

In this way, the Duchess's efforts to create a pleasant ambiance had succeeded and they were sipping the tea they liked in silence.

However, that silence did not last long as there was someone who had an objection to what was happening here today.

"Duchess, I wonder why you chose to serve so many kinds of tea?

" A voice coming from a different table brought their attention away from the tea and onto this person.

It was Marchioness Yona who had placed this query before the hostess.

Though it appeared to be a simple inquiry, Duchess Tanner needed to be careful while answering her.

If she said that she had done so on a whim then it would be a sign of disrespect to the traditions they followed for a very long time.

The guests were waiting to hear what she had to say which would affect how they thought of this matter.

Duchess Tanner had already expected to hear an objection from someone and to see that it was Marchioness Yona did not come as a surprise to her.

"Not everyone might like the tea I prefer so I decided to try something new for once.

" She answered without displaying any fear or hesitation.

Most of the people nodded their heads as, at most parties, they could not express their true intentions and would praise the hostess's choice regardless of whether they liked the tea or not.

However, today, none of that had taken place and they were allowed to pick which tea they would like to have.

While it might be a different experience, they did not think that it was something bad.

"I prefer a cup of hot black tea with a good amount of fresh lemon juice squeezed in it.

" She revealed while taking a whiff of the same kind of tea in her cup.

"However, I'm sure that not many would like that.

" She chuckled after seeing a few children making a strange face when she had mentioned her preference.

The parents of those children blushed and nodded in acceptance with her words.

"I most certainly do not like that kind of tea.

" Duke Tanner chimed in, expressing his support for his wife's actions.

Since he had said so, many people were now leaning towards this new idea, wondering if they should utilize the same method when it was time for them to host a party in the future.

Duchess Brodie was sipping her hibiscus tea in silence which was enough to display her admittance of what had been said.

The two most powerful women in this tea party were not objecting to what was being said so how could the rest do so?

Thus, Duchess Beatrice Tanner had created history by serving more than one kind of tea for her party today.

Marchioness Yona bit her lip and did not speak up again after she had been shot down by the Duchess's retort.

Yvonne was impressed with Duchess Tanner's eloquent words and even chuckled when she saw how the Duke had jumped in to shield her from criticism.

The tea party went back to its pleasant atmosphere once this incident had come to an end but it was too soon for her to breathe a sigh of relief.

When she and Taylor were discussing what kind of dessert they would like to try next, soft murmurs coming from a different table had made their way into her ears.

They were a little away from that table which had caused the conversation taking place there to reach them late.

The children seated here glanced in that direction and found that it was coming from the table with the adults.

"Yes, yes! I was surprised to hear about this from my son!

" The man recounting his thoughts was a Marquess she had met only a few times in the past.

At hearing these words, Yvonne's amethyst eyes shot at the speed of light in the direction of the 'son' mentioned just earlier.

Feeling her puzzled gaze, Jacob Kiron smiled and gave her a nod as though he was admitting to what his father had just said.