Chapter 35: Chapter 35

Heidi heard the clock tick while she laid on the bed, listening to the clock and the wind that breezed into the room through the windows she had opened previously before getting into bed.

Even though she had gone to bed early she wasn’t able to fall asleep. She turned towards the window to see the beautiful night sky where stars could be seen twinkling. How many days was it before she would be married to Mr. Lawson? It seemed like the man was busy with his work as he would be rarely found in the mansion but then this wasn’t his mansion but Lord Nicholas’. Sitting up straight, she took hold of the jug to find it empty. Stepping down from the bed and wearing the robe around her night dress, Heidi made her way to the kitchen to get some water for herself.

Drinking the water in the kitchen and taking a glass of water along with her instead of the jug, Heidi padded her feet across the cold marble floor when she heard a sound in the hall. Wondering what it was, she went to the hall to only feel her eyes widen with what she saw.

The Lord was with a woman, where the woman’s back was pressed against the wall as both of them kissed each other openly on each others mouth. His hands were settled on butt cheeks.

“Peeping is a bad habit,” the Lord spoke, his eyes a little dazed in lust. It wasn’t the scene or the beautiful woman but the look that the Lord possessed, his eyes dark and lost, hair disheveled and lips pale yet red. The look in his eye had made her heart sink.

“I-It wasn’t my intention, I only stumbled over the scene,” she replied seeing the woman wound her hands around the Lord’s neck.

“Is that right,” Lord Nicholas said taking the woman in to his arms, “Yet here you are, still standing watching us. Naughty,” he gave her sly smile, his eyes darting to her form, making Heidi frown. When she looked down she realized her robe had come loose to let a peak of the swell of her breasts. Her ears turned red and she immediately tightened the robe.

“I am sorry to say this but I have no interest in watching you display your weird,” she moved her hands trying to get the right word, “Hobby. And I think you should keep them in the bedroom that flaunt it when there are people in this mansion.”

“Whose the girl, Lord Nicholas,” the woman in Lord Nicholas’ arm slurred, lifting her face up to see Heidi. It was evident that the woman had too many drinks due to which she could barely stand on her two feet, “There’s a girl already! I thought you said I was the only one,” the woman kept her voice low as she spoke to Nicholas.

“She’s a guest. You don’t have to worry yourself about her,” but that didn’t stop the beautiful woman from glaring at Heidi.

“She looks like a simpleton,” the woman commented, “Ah, you are right.”

Heidi wasn’t interested to argue with a drunk woman and instead chose to ignore her while looking at Lord Nicholas, “Milord,” she spoke sweetly with a smile, “Please be more thoughtful. Have a good night,” she bowed leaving them alone.

When she reached the room, she locked the room before getting into bed without bothering to remove the robe. How shameful, thought Heidi to herself as the scene came back to her mind. She had walked into them and by the time she had processed what she saw the Lord had caught her before she could turn away from the scene.

The next morning, Heidi set out early to the town to go to the church the butler had spoken about which wasn’t far from the mansion. There was hardly anyone in sight. Because of the clear weather, the sun rays passed through the stained glass painting beautiful colors on the white washed walls. She sat at one of the bench, one hand holding another on her lap, eyes closed she prayed in peace. She felt her heart settle by the resonating sound if the bell. Returning back to the mansion she was asked to join for tea outside in the garden. Reaching the location, she saw Lord Nicholas, Warren, his mother Venetia and the woman she had seen yesterday with the Lord.

“Good morning, Heidi. Please take a seat,” Warren greeted her, “How was your visit to the town?”

“It was good, thank you for asking. Thank you,” she thanked the maid who handed her the cup of tea, “The church is very beautiful but there I didn’t find any priest there.”

“I heard you have a tutor assigned. How is it going?” Venetia asked in an uninterested tone.

“I am learning a lot of new things,” she replied diplomatically. Even though in reality she wasn’t she didn’t want to complain as it had been only two weeks since the tutor had arrived and she knew that tutors were expensive to hire. She knew it because once her family had thought to get a tutor for Nora which in the end they couldn’t afford.

“That’s good to hear. We wouldn’t want you wasting your time. Hmm,” the woman said to Heidi with a sharp look.

She didn’t know but Warren’s mother was intimidating to talk to. No it wasn’t just about it, thought Heidi sitting with them, it seemed that even though she had said a yes to her son’s marriage, she wasn’t happy that it was a human he would be marrying. As her eyes wandered, it was met with the hazel eyes of the woman who had been watching her since she arrived.

“I believe we haven’t met before. I am Frances Kennedy,” the woman introduced herself.

“I am Heidi Curtis,” Heidi smiled back. It appeared that the woman had no recollection that she had met her.

After an idle chatter to which Heidi kept her thoughts to herself for the remainder time there, they finally got up to see Ms. Kennedy as she was leaving. Warren had gone inside, leaving Venetia and the Lord to speak as they walked ahead of Heidi and Frances.

“I hear you are Mr. Lawson’s future bride. When is the wedding going to place?” Frances asked her.

“We haven’t picked a date yet but it should be in two months.”

“Lucky aren’t you, here we are the bachelorettes trying to settle down when a woman like you, have placed yourself a good looking man,” the woman commented.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“I am sure you will find a good man yourself,” said Heidi with a tight smile on her face.

“Of course, I will. But what did you do?” Frances stopped Heidi by her hand, “If you could give a little insight that would be very kind of you. How did you seduce Warren? To bag such a man. Oh my, and you- I mean you look so...pale and plain. I mean not that way of course but-”

“Ms. Kennedy,” Heidi interrupted her, “May be if you stopped sleeping and spreading your legs to every passing man, you might find a decent man. Might. And to talk about me, first please look at your hideous self in the mirror. I am sure even a mirror can’t handle the way you are right now,” Heidi didn’t wait for a response and turned around to get back inside the mansion. She had tried to be civil with the woman but the woman was asking for it.