"You're very welcome."

"What a wonderful conclusion to this evening’s ceremony. And there you have it, Magnolia Midlands: Mr. and Mrs. Marlowe!"

As Shiloh and Noah waved to the cheering crowd, their expressions filled with genuine delight, they began to make their way off the stage. Shiloh continued to wave until she had disappeared from sight. Ariel watched Mr. Warner, noting his peculiar smile as he lowered his hand. The sound of applause still rang in her ears, and her hands stung from the clapping.

Through the gaps in the crowd, Ariel tried to catch a glimpse of Miss Marlowe's reaction, but the woman was nowhere to be seen. Mr. Warner, reluctantly releasing Mandy’s arm, announced, “You’ll have to excuse me. I must give the introduction for tonight’s play. I’ll be back.”

No one protested his departure as he navigated through the crowd, vanishing towards the stage.

"Okay, your turn," Leroy said, nudging Ariel in the side.

"My turn...?" Ariel repeated, still distracted by Mr. Warner’s exit.

"Hey, don’t even try that. This is an even trade—your blanks spots for mine," the monk persisted.

Ariel refocused on Leroy, her irritation evident. "You want to hear it now?"

The monk crossed his arms and stared down at her with a hint of challenge. "You couldn’t wait."

Ariel glanced at Jasper, who was engrossed in conversation with Max. "Fine, but if any of this gets overheard..."

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"I’m waiting, Ariel," Leroy urged stubbornly.

Ariel lowered her voice so Leroy had to lean in closer. "I went looking for a food stand... then things got interesting."

Leroy’s curiosity piqued. "Like what?"

Ariel pursed her lips, stealing another glance toward Jasper. "I got separated from the crowd and found this empty space just outside the festival grounds. I thought I was alone, but—"

She paused again as Mandy started talking to Jasper, her gaze flirtatious. Ariel’s frustration grew, and Leroy’s grip on her shoulders brought her back to the conversation.

"Don’t get distracted. Who was out there with you?"

Reluctantly, Ariel refocused on Leroy. "Oh, right. I heard voices. One was Mr. Warner’s, and the other was a woman’s."

Leroy leaned back, blinking at her. "That’s it? Just Mr. Warner out wooing Shiloh? Maybe you should share this bit of gossip with Mandy..."

"Leroy," Ariel protested, pulling on his sleeve to draw him closer again. "The woman wasn’t Shiloh."

The monk met her serious gaze with an unperturbed expression. "Alright, Mr. Warner’s a busy guy. Like I said, Mandy’s over there—"

Ariel swatted his shoulder, ignoring his pained cry. "You’re missing the big picture, Leroy. What was Mr. Warner doing out there with some random woman in the dark?"

A slow, knowing smile spread across Leroy’s lips. "Let’s see here, Ariel. It’s the night of love, and he’s alone in the dark with a woman. I’ll give you two guesses."

Ariel let out a frustrated sigh. "Leroy, this is serious—"

"I know," he agreed, adopting a grave expression. "Someone needs to tell Mandy and Shiloh that Warner’s running around on them."

Ariel frowned and crossed her arms. "You’re impossible."

"Well, sorry if my interest in Mr. Warner’s generous heart is lacking," Leroy said with a shrug, "but rest assured my concern isn’t. Let’s go break the news to Mandy—"

"If you would just let me finish," Ariel interrupted, yanking on his arm to stop him. "Mr. Warner wasn’t just out there to—whatever you think he was doing. From my hiding place, I heard him say—"

Released from her grip, Leroy observed her with raised eyebrows. "You were hiding? Why?"

Ariel brushed at her dress self-consciously. "I don’t know, just a hunch, I guess. But that’s not the point. Something was off. He seemed uneasy—"

"That can happen when you’re cheating."

"He was whispering with her—"