Chapter 56

Hearing this the butler who stood there like a statue in the room glanced towards the man and his Lord before he went back to staring into space.

“Thank you for your offer Mr. Barton but we have our own disciplinary measures,” Lord Alexander spoke not bothering to look at the man as he cut the meat on his place to thin, elegant slices.

“That’s too bad to hear,” Mr. Barton laughed dropping the topic and picking a new one, “Sorry for imposing on you but my daughter seems to have taken a liking to you for her to bring me to your mansion. She speaks good things about you.”

“I am honored for your daughter to have spoken highly of me,” Lord Alexander said making Lady Caroline blush.

“It is my honor, Lord Alexander,” Lady Caroline said looking at him coyly resuming before returning back to her lunch where she had hardly touched her food.

Women of her status had to behave prim and proper. And one of them was to eat less during gatherings with the elites, which also helped them in starving themselves to maintain a petite body.

Katie who had led the man to the washroom, now stood outside waiting for the man to finish cleaning the shoe. She had breathed a sigh of relief when he had stepped into the washroom leaving her behind, feeling the panic and energy drain out of her.

Lord Alexander had an unreadable look on his face when her eyes had fleeted for a mere second towards him as she left the dinning room.

Since last night she had been nervous wondering how to face him but it seemed like she had been fretting over nothing while he sat there unfazed.

She reprimanded herself for getting ahead of herself with her thoughts.

And what was with the ‘cleaning the mess’ she glared at the pillar next to her and worse was that she had almost gone down to clean the man’s shoe without a thought like an idiot. But then that was how maids were supposed to be right? She shook her head in dilemma.

His leather shoe, Katie groaned mentally thinking about it, not on the floor but his shoe.

She hit her head lightly on the pillar, hoping to gather her thoughts and heard a chuckle behind her making her shrink with embarrassment.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” she heard the man speak as she turned around.

“I deeply apologize-” Katie began bowing her head but to be interrupted by the man.

“As I said previously I should have been watchful on my part. It is only a shoe, there is no need to fret over such trivial thing,” as she turned to lead him back to the dinning room he said, Could you take me to the garden please? I would like a break from the politics,” he requested her politely.

On their way to the garden Katie noticed Dorthy who was passing through the corridor giving her a questionable look secretly as they passed each other. Reaching the garden Katie stopped to see the man take a seat under the large tree.

Unlike Lady Caroline and his father who were loud and hostile, he seemed like a laid back person.

“If I may ask, have we met before?” he asked her to which she shook her head, “You must be new here then, right? I didn’t happen to see you during my last visit,” he said with a smile.

The man was easy on eyes with brown hair that was longer one side and shorter on the other side of his head in the front, partly covering his pale green eyes.

Remembering that he had asked her a question she replied, “It has been few months since I entered the Valerian household, Sir,” she said answering him to the point.

“I see,” he hummed, “I’m Quill Travers, what’s your name?” he asked her after introducing himself.

“Katherine Welcher, Sir,” she replied a little confused with his last name. Wasn’t it supposed to be Barton if he was Lady Caroline’s brother?

They spent few minutes in the garden, Quill sitting under the tree while Katie stood a few meters away from the man, waiting to lead him back to the hall. When they went back, they could hear Mr. Barton laughing about something trying to humor the Lord who looked bored with what the man had to say.

Looking at Quill walking through the doors with the maid behind, Mr. Barton commented smugly, “That was a lot of time in the washroom.”

Hearing this Alexander’s eyes move from Quill to Katie, realizing Mr. Barton was merely assuming things.

“I’m sure you know the washroom is used for various things, father,” Quill replied pulling up his cuffs in place.

Mr. Barton ignoring his son’s words turned towards Lord Alexander to speak, “So as I was saying I will pick my daughter tomorrow morning and bring you the signed papers for the acquisition of what you have asked,” Mr. Barton said as they got up from their seats.

“Very well,” Lord Alexander replied and they began heading out of the room.

When the carriage came, it was only Mr. Barton who got in to the carriage leaving Lady Caroline and her brother Quill behind at the mansion.

“I am sorry for intruding your time and thank you for taking in my father’s request,” the lady bowed.

Then you shouldn’t have asked in the first place, Alexander said it in his mind while he smiled at her.

“Not at all. It is a fortunate moment to take a lady as yourself to watch today’s opening play in the theater,” he praised her making the woman blush furiously.

If it weren’t for her father he wouldn’t have spared a single tick of his time on the woman but Mr. Barton had connections which was useful in his deals and trades, and Alexander knew how to get things in his favor and the one he had asked today was important. Once the man would stop being useful he would throw him out sight along with his daughter.

Katie who was standing behind holding Lady Caroline’s small bag snapped her eyes up. Were they talking about the play which Alexander had asked her for?

So that is why Lady Caroline had come all the way to Valeria only to have Lord Alexander accompany her to the theater, Katie thought to herself letting out a sigh which ended up in Quill looking at her with a questionable look.

Katie had asked for her day off from the mansion’s duties as she had planned to rest before getting ready for the theater but now that Alexander was taking Lady Caroline along with him, she now sat on the floor stroking Areo’s fur in her room.

Though nervous after what happened the previous she had been looking forward to watch the play with Lord Alexander. She remembered the conversation she had with him.

Seeing Lady Caroline and her brother going to the west wing to rest in the guest rooms Alexander spoke to her,

“Due to a circumstance I will be accompanying Lady Caroline today. I would like to take you there the next week. I apologize for the change of plans,” he gave an apologetic look.

“You don’t need to apologize, Lord Alexander. I understand,” she bowed her head.

She pondered if the Lord preferred women like Lady Caroline, hair that was straight and smooth, body that was lean enough to be held like a glass. And she did belonged to the high class society.

Not to forget the rumors that circulated around them about them being a couple. May be it was best to let go of her feelings for the man before she got hurt, she thought biting her lip and winced after biting it a little too hard.

She brought the cat closer to hug him which let out a ‘meow’.

Time passed by as Katie spent time playing with the cat and a knock was heard on the door. Opening it she found Lady Caroline’s brother Quill standing there.

“Hello there,” he greeted her, “I’ve searching for you.”

“Was there something you needed Mr. Travers?” she asked wondering what he wanted.

“I do,” the man replied scratching the back of his neck...

In the evening, when it was time to leave Lady Caroline was the first one to get ready like an excited child waiting near the carriage.

Lord Alexander precise with his time stepped down the stairs to see the sibling talking next to the carriage. Quill had come to visit the Lord with his own business in his study when his sister had gone to rest.

“Is it time to leave?” Lady Caroline asked impatiently not wanting to miss the start of the play.

“I am waiting for someone, why don’t you go ahead?” he spoke looking at the entrance.

“I thought you weren’t interested in theaters, Quill. Who are you taking along?” his sister questioned.

“You’ll see,” was the only words he spoke and when the woman came in sight Alexander’s eyes narrowed.