Chapter 58
Millicent had departed on a business venture, leaving me, Charlotte, and Cecilia within the grand greenhouse of the Vaneeri estate. Sunlight streamed through the towering glass panes, casting a golden glow upon the flourishing greenery. The air was thick with the fragrance of roses, though to me, it was nothing more than a reminder of how nature dared to bloom when I, in contrast, still felt as if I were wilting.
Cecilia, draped in an elegant white gown, sat upon the ground with a quiet grace that was hers alone. With slow movements, she plucked the leaves from crimson roses, stripping it bare petal by petal. The contrast was striking, the deep black of her cascading hair and fathomless eyes set against her alabaster skin and the pristine white of her attire.
Charlotte, seated upon a bench next to my wheelchair, had fallen into some manner of reverie. I did not need to look directly at her to know her thoughts. It was written plainly in her posture, in the way her gaze lingered upon Cecilia, utterly bewitched. I half-expected her to summon a maid, demand a canvas, and begin immortalizing the moment with brushstrokes of obsessive admiration.
But then she shifted, ever so slightly, as if pulled back from her daze by my presence beside her. I did not miss the flicker of realization in her expression, the way she remembered that I was still there, still watching.
A slow smirk curled upon my lips. "I know you like her," I teased.
Charlotte's reaction was immediate. A brilliant flush overtook her features, staining her fair skin with unmistakable color. "Lady Florence, I-"
I reached into my pocket and retrieved the torn remnants of Cecilia's contract. I held them out toward Charlotte. "Take this."
She blinked, clearly thrown by the gesture. Hesitantly, she extended her hands, grasping the torn parchment with careful fingers. "Lady Florence, what is the meaning of this?"
"Keep it safe," I instructed simply.
Charlotte studied the pieces, her uncertainty evident. "But why give this to me?"
I inhaled slowly, my expression never faltering as I forced the smirk to remain upon my lips. "You are a princess, are you not? And I am merely a lady. Surely, you have the means to preserve it forever, ensuring it never meets an unfortunate end at the hands of flame or misfortune."
Charlotte's blush deepened. "I-I could certainly keep it safe," she stammered. "But are you certain you trust me with this?"
I tilted my head ever so slightly, watching her with an expression of mild amusement. "You like her, do you not? That alone ensures you will guard it as though it were your own heart."
The blush upon Charlotte's face deepened. "Must you keep saying it?" she mumbled, looking anywhere but at me, her entire composure unraveling before my very eye.
I leaned forward slightly. "So, you promise?"
Charlotte exhaled sharply, as if gathering the last of her composure before she nodded, her resolve settling. "I promise," she declared with determination. "The royal family keeps a secure vault in Landfox for safeguarding invaluable items. I shall place Cecilia's contract there, where no harm shall come to it."
"Can you do it soon?"
Charlotte straightened, her composure snapping into place as though she had been called to royal duty. "Yes! I shall depart for Landfox at first light tomorrow."
"You do not wish to take Cecilia with you?"
The effect was immediate. Charlotte nearly choked on her own breath. "But Cecilia has not yet recovered!"
"And since she has not, what do you expect me to do when she asks for you? She has grown quite… attached to you as of late."
Charlotte, poor flustered creature, opened her mouth only to close it again, as though her very thoughts had abandoned her in a most cruel betrayal. Her hands fidgeted upon her lap.
"Tell me, Princess, have you two ventured beyond mere kissing? And before you summon some noble defense, do recall that I have personally witnessed the two of you locked in rather… passionate exchanges on more than one occasion."
It was the truth. Not even I could feign ignorance on the matter, nor could Millicent, who had likewise borne witness to Cecilia's rather unpredictable whims. Under the sway of her fragile, fractured mind, Cecilia would, without the slightest warning, cast aside her innocent, childlike demeanor and transform into a creature of utter temptation. One moment, she was soft-spoken, wide-eyed, lost in naïveté, and the next, she was a seductress, pressing herself against Charlotte, her lips parting in the most deliberate of ways.
And poor, helpless Charlotte had been ensnared, time and time again, drowning beneath the weight of Cecilia's unexpected, yet undeniably skilled affections.
Charlotte's hands flew to her burning cheeks, her entire body stiffening as she sputtered, utterly incapable of forming a coherent response.
"Stop it!" she finally managed, though her words carried more desperation than command.
I chuckled, my amusement growing as I watched her crumble beneath the weight of her own scandalized thoughts. "Cecilia is quite the seductress, is she not?"
Charlotte's entire body tensed, her mind no doubt conjuring images she had no desire to revisit in my presence. I could only imagine how powerless she had been beneath the touch of a woman who had been forced to master the 'art' of pleasing others.
I waved a hand in front of Charlotte's face. "Ah, judging by that look upon your face, I daresay the two of you have already crossed that threshold, have you not?"
Charlotte immediately jolted upright, sputtering a most frantic defense. "It was not I!" she exclaimed, her words tumbling over one another in desperation. "I swear to you, Lady Florence, I have never laid a hand upon her. You cannot scold me for something I did not do!"
I laughed softly, thoroughly enjoying her distress. "Oh, I know it was not you. That much is plain upon your face, Princess. You would never dare. Your restraint is almost admirable, though I do wonder how long you shall maintain it. But since you have already reached such an understanding with her, why not take Cecilia on a trip? A change of scenery may serve her well, and it would spare me from the delightful agony of watching you suffer under her affections."
Charlotte hesitated, her fingers fidgeting restlessly in her lap. "Cecilia often asks for her lady. What am I to do should she become distressed in your absence?"
I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "Her memory of me remains fragmented, her attachment fragile. A journey to Landfox will do her no harm. In truth, could you not depart with her immediately? The sooner her contract is secured, the better."
Charlotte's fidgeting only increased. "I-I suppose I could ask her if she wishes to accompany me, but I cannot leave so suddenly. Millicent has not been informed, and I cannot simply vanish without a word."
I offered her an easy smile. "Yes, you can. I shall explain to Her Grace myself. My priority is ensuring Cecilia's contract is safe, and you are the only person I trust with it."
"Are you certain? Millicent likely has a secure place for it. Surely, it could remain in her possession for the time being?"
"No. I want you to safeguard it, and I am quite certain Cecilia would prefer it that way as well."
That did it. The moment I invoked Cecilia's preference, Charlotte's blush returned with a vengeance, blooming across her cheeks like the very roses Cecilia had been plucking apart.
And then, as if summoned by the very weight of our conversation, Cecilia rose from where she had been sitting, her movements unhurried like a cat drawn to warmth. She drifted toward Charlotte with effortless grace, settling close, her presence intoxicating in its quiet intensity. She leaned into Charlotte, her body pressing ever so slightly against her, and with the lightest touch, brushed her thumb across Charlotte's parted lips.
She murmured, "I counted eighty-four leaves upon the roses I plucked."
A most peculiar statement, yet one that left Charlotte entirely undone. Before she could so much as formulate a response, Cecilia's lips parted further, and in a move so casual yet devastatingly deliberate, she traced the tip of her tongue along the shell of Charlotte's ear.
I watched, thoroughly entertained, as Charlotte froze, her entire body rigid, her breath caught. Desperate to recover, she cleared her throat, though her voice wavered despite her best efforts. "Cecilia, would you… would you like to travel to Landfox with me? It shall be a long journey, but I believe it may do you some good."
Cecilia's expression brightened, her dark eyes shimmering with unrestrained delight. "I wish to go wherever you go!" she declared.