Melinas Men

Chapter Five.

Chapter Five.

“Melina,” my mum poked her head inside my room.

“What?” I groaned, my mother calling me herself, instead of getting a maid to come find me was always bad news.

“Please come to Jessabelle’s room,” she said, then leaving.

“Why? What’s wrong?” I called for her, but she did not answer.

Of course, she tells me a little then leaves so I have to follow her.

I get up from my bed, placing my book on the bedside table and follow towards Jessa’s room which is two doors down from mine, the door between was that bloody closet.

“Yes,” I opened the door to find Jessa’s standing in the middle of the room and mum sitting at her dressing table.

“You look beautiful Jessa,” I tell her.

She is wearing a white lacy gown that cascades along the floor behind her.

I sit down on the end of her bed.

“This is my wedding gown Melina, from when I married your father all those years ago.”

Oh god.

“Isn’t it wonderful?” Jessa beams.

She’s always loved this stuff.

“Yeah, it’s aged much better than you, mum,” I joked.

Surprisingly my mother wasn’t angry at that comment, she just laughed.

Jessa’s eyes went wide in surprise.

“Maybe you’ll get to wear it one day Melina, one day soon,” and there it is.

I smiled, “yes of course, one day. Maybe Jessa will first,” I wink at Jessa, “after all, she is the one trying it on now. And it fits perfectly.”

My mother smiled, “you two have a similar frame, of course we’ll have to take it out a bit for you Melina, then back in for Jessa.”

“That was rude, mum,” Jessa frowned, still twirling and watching herself in the wall length mirror.

My mother gasped, “I just meant for her bust and buttocks. You do have beautiful curves, Melina.”

“Ew, mum.”

I watched Jessa, she seemed so happy wearing the dress.

“Maybe, now this might be crazy but hear me out,” I started, “maybe Jessa should marry first, then we’d only have to alter the dress once.”

She frowned at me, “nice try Melina. It’s shameful to marry after your younger sister.”

“I won’t mind,” I announced proudly, “and I’m sure neither will Jessa.”

Jessa kept quiet through this conversation; she was smart that way.

“Maybe Jessa could marry Prince Eric, we should put that forward,” I stood up, “that confirms it, I will speak to Prince Eric now.”

I went to walk off.

“Melina Montague, you better not! Get back here!” If she said my full name, I knew the joke was over. There would be hell to pay.

I held onto the door handle, “I’m just joking mum, calm down.”

“You will be the death of me Melina. Go find your brother and father, leave Jessa and I be.”

“You’re the one that called me into the room,” I laughed, opening the door to leave. Before I left, I made sure to stick my tongue out at Jessa first.

“Father, please save me from your wife,” I called as I walked towards my dad and brother, once again playing croquet out on the lawn.

He stopped and looked at me, a smile on his face, “what has she done now?”

“The wedding dress is out,” I declared, taking my stance as a spectator.

Michael pretended to look at his watch, “that’s earlier than usual.”

“Don’t joke, you don’t have to do this,” I rolled my eyes.

“Dad, is that true?” He looked to my father who laughed.

“God no, you think your mother is bad, you should see me when a fine lady rolls into the property.”

They both laughed.

“I’d much rather that, it’s probably over copious amounts of beers and talking s**t,” I laughed.

“You’ll never know,” Michael sang.

“It’s just so annoying!” I moaned in defeat.

“So sad the world revolves around you, right?” Michael said sarcastically.

“I know!”

“You’ll live, Melina. Just don’t give your mother such a hard time,” my dad, the voice of reason, said.

“Can I go out into town by myself today? To clear my head?” I asked, just wanting to get away.

My dad thought about this, “if it’ll get you off my back then sure, with a driver and your maid of course.”

“Yeah sure, I’ll go for lunch,” I stated.

“You don’t want to take Eric?” Michael asked.

I scoffed at his remark.

“I will see you all later then,” I saluted them and went to my room to shower and change.

Dressed in a high waisted, mid length pleated skirt and a singlet I put a cardigan on and was ready to go to lunch. I had my hair down today with my usual natural makeup. I was not allowed to leave the house without being properly dressed and made up as there was always people watching. Unless I was sneaking out. Georgia and a driver had been alerted and were waiting outside for me.

“Where to princess?” Darryl, one of the drivers, asked me.

“You remember that nice little café the next town over? I’ve been there for lunch a few times?” I asked.

“Yes, I do,” he bowed instead of nodding.

“Then there,” I smiled.

He opened the back door for us, and I piled in, followed by Georgia.

“You’re alright to go to lunch, right?” I asked Georgia, not wanting to burden her.

Georgia was two years older than me; she first got the job as my personal maid when she was eighteen, I sixteen. So, we had been together for a long time.

“Of course, I love getting out of the house, it doesn’t feel like work going out with you.”

I smiled; it was nice to hear. But I knew she’d say that even if it weren’t true.

We arrived at the little café the next town over and it was beautiful. We sat out on the terrace and the vines were in full bloom with flowers. The sun was shining I had to wear my ray bans.

“So, tell me what’s up,” Georgia started, “I know you’ve been tense since Prince Eric got here.”

I sighed, slouching back into my chair and taking a sip of my champagne, “you know I don’t like all this arrangement stuff.”

“Yes,” she giggled, “but he’s caring, and young, and good looking.”

She emphasised that last part.

“I know, but I just don’t think he’s my type, I don’t have that spark when I speak to him. I groan internally when he’s near me.”

“Unlike someone else right?” She wiggled her eyebrows at me.

“What!”

“Come on Melina, you know nothing gets past me,” she smiled.

“But how?” I wondered.

“Jack and I are quite friendly.”

“Oh god,” I placed my head in my hand on the table.

“I have done something for you,” Georgia stood up, “Jack is here.”

“What? You didn’t even know where we were going until we got into the car,” I looked at her astonished.

“I knew exactly where we were going as soon as you said we were going off campus, you’re so predictable,” she smiled.

“I can’t believe you’ve done this to me,” I laughed, shaking my head.

“Just don’t let your family ruin your happiness okay,” she dumped her napkin on the table and walked off towards the bathroom.

I downed the rest of my drink.

Not a moment later I saw Jack walking towards me, and surprisingly my heart started to race.

But before he could get to me someone else did.

“Princess Melina?” Two girls, surely Jessa’s age or younger approached the table.

“Yes, hello,” I smiled sweetly.

“We love you,” the other one said, “can we please get a selfie?”

“Sure,” I stood up and smiled as one took a selfie of us three.

“Thank you so much, enjoy your lunch,” they ran off all giddy.

It was nice, to see people look up to me. But I did go to the next town over in hopes that wouldn’t happen as much.

“The people love you,” Jack sat down where Georgia once sat, placing a champagne in front of me.

“You’ve got to stop following me,” I laughed, taking a sip delicately.

My heart was still pounding, but I also felt at ease with him, safe. I didn’t know what that meant.

“Can’t help myself,” he shrugged with a smile.

The sun was reflecting off his golden hair and it was angelic above the tattoos peeking through, almost like they were metallic.

“Well, at least tell me why then,” I leant forward, elbow on the table, chin in my hand

“What else is there to say? You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve seen,” he said so casually like it was nothing.

I could feel myself turn hot and I hoped it didn’t show on my face, I almost choked on my drink.

Jack laughed in reply.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” I composed myself.

“That’s what’s so beautiful about you, you don’t even know it.”

“And what about your best friend Eric, the one who’s courting me?”

“Well, that’s the hard part,” he looked conflicted for a moment, “but in actual fact I saw you first, right? So, he’s technically stepping on my toes.”

I chuckled, “I guess. So, what’s your point?”

“Straight to it, huh?”

“Why not,” I shrugged, “you’re a bad boy, whose only here to aid the prince, and I’m the princess he’s trying to marry?”

“So, you don’t feel the connection I do?” His question wasn’t sad, it was more like he was challenging me.

“I can’t deny that, no,” I couldn’t lie I did. I had noticed myself looking for him in the past two days whenever I could.

“Then we can figure it out from there,” he shrugged, pleased with himself.

“Okay, I guess so,” I sat back, crossed my legs and took a sip of my champagne.

“So, what did you say to Georgia to create this arrangement?” I said, looking at him through slanted eyes.

He laughed, “well, we’ve chatted once or twice in the servants’ headquarters. And I don’t know if it’s her or I, but your name comes up quite a lot.”

My head fell back as I laughed, “of course.”

At the back of my mind, I was still worried about my family and even others finding out. Nothing sinister had happened, no. But it was still bad, and people always think the worst. God knows my mother would. But here with Jack now, I didn’t worry about it.

“Okay, so tell me something about you, since you know so much about me now,” I smirked.

“Well, I grew up in the same town, alongside Eric. My father was the head of the house and took care of most of their business, so I grew up on the property,” he stopped for a while, thinking about what to say next, “at sixteen I dropped out of school and went to live with my mother, got into a lot of bad things with some bad people, hence all of this.”

He motioned to himself, his neck and arms, all the tattoos.

“Interesting,” I pondered, “and very vague.”

“What about you?” He asked, “surely there’s more to you than just Princess Melina, how did the sneaking off to pubs come about?”

Do I tell him about the Duke? It’s not really something I like to mention, and already once this week was enough.

“I just never really felt I suited this lifestyle, it’s kind of like my release,” I shrugged, “I’d been trying to do rebellious things since I was a kid.”

He raised an eyebrow at me.

I laughed, “not like running away or tattooing myself. Things that were easily fixed.”

“So, you’re a wannabe rebel?” He asked, smiling.

“Something like that,” I took a sip, “it’s as good as it gets around here without dishonouring my family.”

He scoffed, “I’ve heard a lot of stories about Carmichael.”

“It’s different, you know families like mine. We’re living in the last century and completely sexist.”

“You’re right, you’re a delicate little flower that needs protection,” he said, watching me like he was sizing me up for dinner.

I sat back once again, taking a sip and watching him.

“I’ll protect you.”

The ride home Georgia and I stayed silent for the most part, we knew Darryl could hear everything we may or may not say, and this was our little secret. She kept giving me weird knowing looks which made me blush. So, I’d just look out the window and watch the world go by, all the hills and forest until we got back into town. All the while I had this giddy feeling that I hadn’t had in a long time…since I was sixteen and realised, I was in love with Sebastian.