Chapter 27
***
Dana tossed and turned all night.
She listened to Lady Liana's story, but it didn't motivate her.
Why would she want to marry such a man?
How would she react if she knew what her brother had been subjected to today?
Did she even realize how heartless and cruel her fiancé was?
Suddenly, a terrible fact popped into Dana's head.
Rodenschild Bank.
That one fact explained everything. Perhaps the lady wasn't in a position to say yes or no.
Lady Liana was a great beauty, with dazzling blonde hair and jewel-blue eyes, much like her brother, Master Edwin. Her beauty was said to be one of the finest in all of Peron, according to those who came to Belvida and those who knew her.
Even if her house had fallen into debt, a beautiful young lady from a venerable count's family could not fail to be popular. She must be even more attractive to the MacMilans, who were not short of money.
But even so, wouldn't she be shocked to learn what her fiancé has done to her maid?
If Dana were a young lady, she would choose to remain single for the rest of her life rather than marry him.
Would she rather tell the lady everything?
The impulsive thought was gone in an instant.
That would be like digging her feet into her own grave.
Or should she just go back to her hometown?
Strangely, Dana didn't feel any lighter than before.
What's the point of going back home now? The only thing left was her grandfather's grave.
For some time now, Dana has felt like Belvida was her real home.
There was so much here, unlike Dorset, where there was nothing but her grandfather's grave.
But... How could she leave it all behind?
Her head swam with despair.
How could she bear it?
Sleep was elusive as she was deeply in thought.
Dana tossed and turned until well past dawn, when she finally managed to get some sleep.
When she woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.
***
"I don't think she's coming today. Belvida's maid."
Wimfred glanced at the empty couch and put down the newspaper.
Theodore buttoned his sleeves wordlessly.
"As if she wasn't getting an education yesterday...."
He muttered to himself and winked at Tilly. Tilly rushed over and helped Theodore put on his jacket.
There was a moment of silence as he tied his tie and shoelaces.
"I think Ms. Celeste is too hard on her, and yesterday I was going to have her change the lamps, as there was nothing else to do, but Ms. Celeste was very insistent that she should be left to rest. I think she's some sort of young lady, not a maid."
Wimfred laughed in disbelief.
"Well, she is a favorite of the Hastings family... I should be careful."
He poured Theodore a cup of coffee, then gathered up his towel and clothes. Lifting his bent back, he muttered to himself.
"...are you ill, by any chance? You don't look well...."
He then lightly brushed the dust off the dress shoes.
When he stood up again, the master was still looking as perfect as ever.
He smiled with pride and turned to look out the window.
"Why don't we take a walk around the lake again today, and in this weather, you might even see the top of the Cologne Mountains again."
Tilly followed his lead and gazed off into the distance.
"Shall we prepare the shooting range? Isn't it going to be battle day soon?"
Theodore nodded.
"I'll arrange for horseback riding as well. Rothesandra is in excellent shape these days."
Another wordless nod.
Wimfred glanced at Theodore. The atmosphere was strange. He didn't seem to be in a particularly bad mood, but the air around him was all low pressure.
He heard he had an argument with Master Hastings yesterday, was that why?
He was puzzled, but he didn't want to pry.
After a few more formal words, Wimfred took Tilly and left the study.
Left alone, Theodore pulled out a book and leaned back against the couch at an angle. Before opening it, his eyes traveled to the empty seat across from him.
Annoyance flickered briefly across his cool eyes, and he flipped through the pages impassively.
One page, two, three...
Before he reached the fourth page, his eyes darted to the other side.
On the polished marble table, instead of textbooks and papers and tiny hands gliding across them, there was a vase.
He stared at the flowers in the vase, then lowered his eyes to the book.
Another page, then two....
The pages flew by. It was more like flipping through than reading.
For a moment, he stared into space, blinking slowly. He pushed himself up and moved to the window.
In the pouring sunlight, he opened the book again. But without turning a page, he turned his head and looked out the window.
The lake's scales were unusually shiny today, and the view on a clear day would be more beautiful than any work of art.
After staring for a while, Theodore tossed the book aside and left the study.
His trudging steps led him to the maids' quarters.
The maids were stunned by Master Theodore's sudden appearance. Even for the most heart-stirring of men, this was a no-go area.
The maids froze, unable to breathe as his silhouette filled the cramped hallway.
Theodore strode on, unperturbed. Finally, he stood in front of the innermost door.
It wasn't hard to find. All the other doors were open.
The man's hand reached out for the handle. A rough grip on the cold metal, and the doorknob began to turn of its own accord. Theodore let go of the handle and crossed his arms.
Slowly, the door swung open. A tiny figure stepped through the crack.
"....!"
The rosy lips parted in a small sigh. The fountain pen clutched to her chest fell out with a clatter, sending her tight ponytail swaying wildly.
Theodore blocked the door with his arm and stared down at Dana, who stared back in horror.
Dana stared up at the man who had blocked her way. Her heart pounding with surprise, her anxiety increased.
Why did he come all the way out here? What else was he going to do?
Dana closed her gaping mouth and composed her expression.
"Uh, hello... Master, I apologize for being late...."
When she looked up again, she realized he was too close. She could see every fine stripe of his pocket chief.
The faint scent of his body tingled her nostrils, and Dana quickly took a step back.
"What have you been doing up to this hour?"
She lowered her eyes, unable to answer.
Theodore stared at her for a long moment before looking away. His frosty pupils darted around the small room.
Unable to contain her embarrassment, Dana’s head dropped to the floor again, where she caught sight of the dropped fountain pen. As she was about to bend down, Theodore turned.
"Come out."
Dana's body moved automatically, as if connected by a string. Theodore took a few steps ahead, and Dana followed.
The maids couldn't take their eyes off them. The admiring glances they had given their master drew a question mark in front of Dana, who was being dragged along like a criminal.
Theodore turned to one of them.
"Go tell Celeste. She'll be spending the night at Etia's hut."
The maid flinched, "Yes, sir, I understand." He looked back at Dana, his voice hard.
"Are you ill?"
"What?... Uh, no."
"Then come with me and clean up."
She understood immediately what he meant.
The master wanted to rest in his hut, and she was to clean it.
She didn't know where Etia's hut was, but it was a lot better than studying nervously under the prying eyes of the master.
Nodding, Dana looked down at the textbook and fountain pen in her hand. They were sure to get in the way when she cleaned up.
"...I'll leave them."
Back in her room, Dana tucked them away in a drawer, then grabbed an apron and a clean hand towel and headed out.
They passed through the main house and headed for the lakeshore.
Soon they came to a clearing with a tree stump. It was here that Dana had seen the turtle and sobbed.
A short walk later, the vast expanse of Shore Lake opened up. The tranquil waters were beautiful enough to overshadow any troubles.
She recognized two pairs of footsteps on the dry dirt, heard a crunch, and a bird flew over. She looked up to see giant horse chestnut trees stretching their arms in competition.
The view was spectacular, with majestic ridges of mountains beyond. The calm surface of the water reflected the dense forest and azure sky. Sculptural boats made of clouds floated lazily, blurring the boundary between heaven and earth.
The water was an emerald color. Like the eyes of the man walking ahead...
Her gaze, intoxicated by the scenery, fell on Theodore.
When he took it off, he held his jacket in his hand. The man's upper body formed a perfect inverted triangle along a well-fitted vest, and his legs, wrapped in dark ink-colored pants, were long and toned.
She suddenly remembered the chatter of the maids.
"How can he be so perfect?"
"That strong body once stood in my way...!"
Dana had to admit that he was just as beautiful in appearance as Master Edwin.
If only his personality was half as good as his looks.
She would have gladly accepted him as her lady's husband and tried her best...
Dana thought bitterly and plucked a long strand of poppy grass.
Where was she going anyway? Where the hell was the hut?
As she continued to ponder, Theodore finally stopped walking. A few steps away was a boat. It was a lady's pleasure boat called a tahinera.
Belvida had a similarly sized boat. It was a crude ferry, used by laborers when they didn't have a carriage, but it was similar in appearance.
Theodore turned toward the boat. She didn't think he was actually going to board one until he stopped right in front of it.
But when his long legs stretched out and grazed the wooden boards, Dana froze in place.
"Get in."
Dana's head snapped up at the muffled voice. Her stomach churned and she felt like she was going to vomit at the realization that it would be just the two of them on the boat.
"There's no carriage road to the hut, we'll have to walk or ride horses, and you've never ridden a horse, so?"
A heavy weight had been weighing on Dana since yesterday.
She swallowed her answer, "I can ride a horse and walk," and gathered her skirts together. Then she carefully climbed into the boat.
The water was calm, but she couldn't stand far from the rocking boat. Dana's body automatically squatted down.
Theodore leaned back against the cushioned backrest and glanced arrogantly at the two oars on the floor. He motioned for her to row.
"You've done this before, haven't you?"
"No."
"Then practice now."
"Practice…”
He wasn't wrong. When ladies went boating, it was the maid's job to row, of course.
The question was, why now, with this man?
The words “I want learn from Ms. Celeste” rose in her throat, but she pressed them under her tongue and swallowed.
Dana picked up the oars. It wasn't very heavy for a woman's playboat.
It reminded her of a time, long ago, when she had followed the head maid, Lou, to the city by boat. It had looked so much fun to row, she'd wanted to try it just once.
Cautious Lou had never let her take over the oars, but she remembered vividly the way she rowed.
Dana steadied her nerves and hooked the oars through the loops on either side.
She pulled her arms straight back in a large circular motion.
She felt a sudden jolt of resistance, and her stomach lurched from side to side. Her body swayed back and forth as she lost her balance. With a grunt, Dana clutched the corner of her stomach like a lifeline.
A sneering voice came from the man across from her.
"Wrong direction."
Turned out the pointy part of the boat was behind her back. She had swung the wrong way, and that was how she had stumbled.
Her pride was bruised.
Dana clamped her mouth shut, readjusted her oar, and dipped the tip into the water.
Boom.
The water splashed with a loud splash.
Theodore, expecting this, turned his head quickly, but it was too late: water splashed from his silky hair to his eyes, cheeks, lips, and shirt collar.
"I'm sorry!"
Dana practically screamed. Her heart, which had been calming down, started pounding again.
She could see the irritation in his beautiful green eyes, and she felt like he was going to tell her to jump overboard at any moment.
"....."
Theodore shot Dana a cold glare and brushed the water off his shoulder, then reached down and grabbed something from Dana's lap.
It was the handkerchief she'd brought to wipe her sweat.
Theodore wiped his face with it as if it were his own. Dana stared blankly, the words 'maid smell' echoing in her head.
"I'm sorry... I really...."
***
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Write a comment
krung12 (Tuesday, 08 October 2024 20:29)
yaaay! than you, thank you for the new chapters.. ❤️