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“Miss Abbott, you have a visitor,” Michael announced from the doorway. I came to my feet and to my surprise, finding a woman I had never seen before. Had she been there the whole time?
The woman was stunning, dressed in such a revealing way I blushed. Her breasts were practically spilling from her neckline and it amazed me she had not fallen out just from breathing. Her dark hair was cascading down her back, pinned back by clips of pearls on each side. Her lips bright red, cheeks rouged, and I noticed her slender fingers had one golden ring. Her nails were long and sharp, and she had the smile of a viper. My skin began to crawl as I took her in. I stepped back again, unsure who she was and how she knew me. Before I could ask Michael, he quickly left.
“Do I know you?” I asked, on edge. The woman laughed, a merry sound of silver bells as she ran her hand over the back of the velvet settee.
“No, I'm afraid you don't. But I know you, Rosemary,” she said, her voice suave and gentile with the same accent as William’s. I raised an eyebrow, but before I could reply, she moved toward me. There was a sense of adrenaline in the air, a sense of dread. I was breathing too quickly, too loudly.
“Do you mind sharing your name andhowyou know me?” I tried to place the facade of a lady I’d been trained my whole life to keep up, but I was uncomfortable with her being so close. The woman smiled wider at me, the gesture itself utterly menacing.
“You are something of silly girl, aren't you?” Her voice was as smooth as it was seductive, goosebumps ran up and down my arms. She turned to the doorway seconds before William barged in with determination. Relief rushed through me, but it was short lived as I realized he hadn’t spoken to me since last night.
“Excuse me, dear friends, but what seems to be the matter?” William asked, glowering at the stranger. I quickly stepped backward while they were distracted, catching on my heel on my skirt, and falling. Before I could make contact with the ground, William’s strong grip hoisted me up right. He pulled me against him, arms around my waist while still staring down the woman.
“William, I was hoping you'd be out getting something to eat... but it appears you are eating in lately.” Her tone was teasing.
“Who is she, William?” I asked, placing my hand on his chest. Her eyes zeroed in on the ring, and she sneered. Her advance toward us was agitated and quick. William tensed as she grabbed my hand, inspecting the ring. He growled at her after a moment, to which she dropped my hand. Every hair on my body was on end, my muscles ready to make for a sprint. He actuallygrowledat her. But she stepped back, her expression growing more fed up with each interaction. Tension was thick in the air.
“I am surprised you did not tell her who I am, William, seeing as you two are so… close.” Her nostrils flared. “It appears you have forgotten. Though I don't know how, since I just saw Horris not long ago, and I’m sure he gave you a raving correspondence about it all.” She laughed easily, moving about the room almost as if she were dancing. Horris? It struck me at the depth of information I did not know about him and his life. My gut turned with unease, fingers biting into the fabric of William’s coat.
“I don't really want to infect her with your existence, as I try to block you out myself.” His words were dark and deadly, he pulled me over toward the door, and for a moment I thought he would want me to run. She snickered ominously; she had to be absolutely mad.
“My sweet William, you wound me. I can only hope that she loves you enough to put up with this all.” Her eyes and tone colored in mock-sadness as she absentmindedly grabbed a book from one of the tables, red leather in binding. I gripped William's vest tighter, worried suddenly for my life. My flight instinct was trying to tell me something and I could not tamp it down for the life of me.
“Leave, now,” he replied harshly.
“Why, my love? Have not we been through this before?” she asked, not a foot in front of us suddenly. “This very situation in fact, so many times I’m starting to think you an idiot.” I peered up at William, his face was immobile.
“There are innocent humans in this house,” he bit out through clenched teeth.
“Is that why you’re being so restrained?” She began flipping the pages of the book she’d grabbed. Laughing, she tossed it to the corner. “Someone is catching on—”
“That's enough, Noel!” William shouted, cutting her off. She scoffed, pushing past us.
“I feel as though I’m unwelcome. Pity. If he hasn't shared with you soon, Rosemary, I’ll take the duty upon myself. Itismy favorite part of all of this.” She paused in the doorway, sighing longingly. “I believe I have someone who’s dying to see you again, I hope we can all have a little get together soon.” She walked down the hall, so silently I wondered if she'd made it to the entryway at all. William did not move for several minutes, clinging to me, eyes closed, silent. I only set my head against his chest, breathing in his scent, the winter of him.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, he covered his eyes with his hand, massaging his temples.
“Are you alright?” I whispered, his cheek cool under my fingertips. William still made no attempts to move. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.”
“Well...”
“I apologize, it was so stupid of me to even be here, to come to this town and think I could get away from her. It was reckless for me to even for one second believe that I could outrun her. She lives–you have no idea, Rose!–she lives to make my life hell.” William let go of me and, in quick strides, went to the window. He hunched over, leaning on the sill, his shoulders bunched in such a way as to break my heart, riddled with stress and frustration. “You don't even understand what she has done to me over the years. I hope you never do, for it is far too depressing to even think about.”
“You can tell me,” I offered, coming to stand behind him. I wanted to comfort him in some way, to take the weight from him just for a little while.
“No, I can't. This is something I'm going to try and shield you from if I can. You must never know what it is like to live this life. I won't have it.”
“I'm going to be your wife, you needn’t be so cryptic,” I insisted, placing my hands on his stiff shoulders. “I love you,”
“You have never told me that in words before.” William’s shoulders relaxed only slightly as he turned to face me. I laughed lightly and unsteady.
“How can I not love you? I wouldn’t have fought so hard for you, or given you so much of myself if I hadn’t.”
“Nevertheless, it is amazing to hear.” He let out a deeply seated exhale.
“It is because I love you that I want to know who she is, who Horris is, what they’ve done! If it's any consolation, I don't ever plan on letting Michael show them in again.”
