CHAPTER 6
1153 Words
After the meeting with the DeLanceys, Lord Harrison hit the path to his suite, cutting through gardens and walkways.
He was halted on his path by Lady Celesta, her sister trailing behind, all giggles.
"What makes my lord scamper about the garden in such haste?" She offered her hands.
It was soft, feminine, and cold, the wet type of cold. He kissed it in courtesy. "I had matters that required urgency, my lady."
"I guess my father's cockiness doesn't bother you in any way?...he could be a lot, sometimes."
"Not at all," He responded wryly. "I am more intrigued by the gracefulness of Lady Delancey. Her graciousness breathes through your youth, I can see."
Lady Celesta blushed. Lady Colette excused herself from the duo and walked into the darkness.
Of course, she had better things to do than stare at two lovebirds exchanging affection. Celesta led the lord to a stone bench nearby, her posture soft, eyes lowered. When she looked up and saw him, she offered a small timid uncertain smile.
She was troubled that her Father had granted Lord Harrison some power over the family business empire. In a way, she felt excited, but she had her fears, and rightfully so,
going by the way the betrothal was mimed. And now seated next to him, she didn't know where to place his feelings.
"I can say my father fancies you enough to give you authority over the winery business."Lord Harrison nodded.
“In a way… I am. He sees potential in growth in the future and perhaps... in me” She hesitated, and then the words spilt. “My brother is furious. And I... I don’t know what to feel.” He turned to her, voice low.
“Your father understands the legacy. He understands the part my power plays in the grand scheme. He wants the Delancey name to outlive empires. That takes innovation and strategy and someone bold enough to break old cycles.”
He could bet she was awe-struck. There was a spark in her eyes as she looked at him with awe and wonder. He wasn't Shakespeare but he sure knew how to pitch a tent in a woman's heart.
“You speak like a man born for this.” She hitched. “I’ll talk to my father and make certain you’re named in the estate planning... soon.” Harrison smiled a slow victorious smile. Just what he wanted. He already knew the power Lady Celesta had over her father.
It was the sweet bond shared between a daughter and her father. And Celeste, sweet, smitten, completely entranced, nodded, holding onto every word as though they were spun from prophecy.
Harrison turned slightly, letting his gaze settle gently on Celeste. “You know,” he began, his voice dipped in honey and smooth confidence, “I’ve met royalty with less grace than you. And yet, here you are, worried about pleasing everyone but yourself.”
Celeste blinked, caught between blushing and disbelieving. “You’re just being kind.”
“No,” he said. “I’m being honest. You’re the kind of woman men build empires for. And yet they’ve tucked you away behind this mansion..”
She looked away, flustered. Truly, this young man knew how to strike a chord in a lady's heart — a perfect gentleman.
Harrison murmured. “Your softness invites loyalty, and that’s worth more than fear ever bought.”
Lady Celeste shifted towards him on the marble bench. She could feel his breath caress the skin on her face. Under the faint light, she could trace the outline of his face.
"You sure do know how to make a woman feel special. I must say, I am impressed by your eloquence. You… you see things. You listen. I don’t know why I’m telling you this, but... ” She looked around as if the roses had ears.
“There are things, ugly things. Secrets that keep the Delancey name polished.” She exhaled.
“There was a fire years ago. Not an accident. My father called it a necessary reset. The rival Dunes family were gaining ground and there was talk they had a patent, a distillery method that could outsell our wines.” Celeste’s eyes flickered.
“The fire took out their estate and everyone assumed it was an accident. But I overheard Uncle Hadrian once say the boy survived but vanished.” Harrison’s face remained unreadable. “Do they know where he is?”
“Uncle Hadrian hired someone recently. He’s obsessed. My father brushes it off, but… I think he’s scared if that heir ever returned…” Celeste’s voice lowered as though the very hedges might betray her.
The evening air hung heavy with jasmine and secrets, and Lord Harrison leaned just slightly closer, careful not to break her rhythm.
“I heard something else, It didn't bother me then, but.” She bit her lip, hesitation flickering in her gaze.
“One night, Father and Uncle Hadrian were arguing. Loud but trying not to be. They mentioned the Dune's estate and… and a will.”
“A will?” Harrison said gently, masking the spike of adrenaline behind composed curiosity.
Celeste nodded. “Not the public one, but the hidden document. The one that would change everything. Father said the original Dune patriarch left the entire estate… all of it… to the surviving heir, should there ever be one.”
She swallowed hard. “And if that heir comes back, everything the Delanceys have, our name, our wine empire, this estate, could be contested legally or publicly.”
“Do they know where the document is?”
Celeste shook her head. “Only that it’s somewhere in the old library wing. The one no one enters anymore. Father says it’s full of dust and rats but... I’ve seen Hadrian go in… alone.”
Harrison’s eyes flickered with something unreadable. “Why keep something like that hidden?”
“I can't tell,” she said, her voice cracking, “But then if all this is true...oh God, I can't imagine.”
The words hovered between them like a loaded trigger. Celeste, too trusting to see the storm brewing behind Lord Harrison’s polished gaze, looked to him for comfort.
He smiled, slow and warm. She smiled back, unaware she had just handed him the map to reclaim everything that was once his… and burn the Delancey name from the pages of history.
She trailed off, unaware of the storm behind Harrison’s calm gaze.
“And you?” he asked softly. “What would you do if the heir returned?”
She turned to face him. “I would return his birthright and seek forgiveness. And if he didn’t forgive me, I’d understand.”
Harrison reached over, gently planting a kiss on her lips. Indeed her naivety and innocence were not a mask. “You have a good heart, mi' lady.”
- Writer
