Enchantress And The Guardian

Ghost From The Past

The following morning, Quinn had woken early. She had decided a simple dress that required no additional help from the maid. Quinn sat at the small writing desk that looked out her window. Quinn gazed upon the trees that she and Dev had met only a few days ago.

Quinn's dreams that evening had been plagued with a handsome figure that resembled that of Dev. Although she could not see the face of the stranger clearly, the presence and the over-whelming feeling of being safe emanated from the figure. She only truly felt that when she had been alone with Dev in the last few days.

If Quinn's mother knew about their meeting in private, Quinn had no doubt that she may have a conniption. Quinn sighed as she let her thoughts drift to Dev once more. Her confusion about why at some times he would be joking with her and then, others, he turned serious and left.

Dev and Quinn had been quite close growing up. Their mothers and fathers spent a lot of time in each other's homes. Quinn recalled the time that Dev had talked her into going in search of ghosts on her family's estate. At the time, she had been completely terrified of going near the attic that held old trucks and portraits. Quinn could never explain why but she always felt that someone stood at the top of the attic stairs whenever she came near. Almost as if to say, you shall not pass.

When Quinn had confided in Dev about this, he had simply said, "Then let us go and show that ghost who the real daughter of the Lord is". Dev had laughed and grabbed Quinn's hand as he pulled her along behind him. Quinn had argued and tried to pull her hand, but it had been no use, Dev was stronger than her.

At the end of the day, Dev had been right and stomped right up the attic stairs with no fear. When he had arrived at the top stair, he turned around and motioned for Quinn to follow. Quinn hesitated but in the end she took each stair carefully and arrived to stand next to Dev. Dev held his hand out towards the rest of the attic and the final stair that separated them.

"The victory shall be yours," Dev said and gently pushed his shoulder into Quinn's. She had chuckled and took the last step into the attic. She was met with cheers from Dev as she followed. They had spent the rest of the afternoon in the attic, creating forts among the dusty furniture coverings and drawing in the thick layer of dirt that sat upon the floor until Lady Walker came to fetch her son.

As much as Dev had teased her in their younger years, Dev had also always been the one person who encouraged Quinn to embrace the person that she was, not the person that anyone else wanted her to be. When Quinn had learned that Dev had to leave for India, she was heartbroken. Her one true friend was leaving her to survive in the world among the gentry alone.

After Dev had left, Quinn had felt that wild spark slowly fade. She had done her lessons as her mother wished. She listened to her father about being careful. In the end, Quinn had tried to tamper down that wild nature that seemed to run through her veins. It wasn't until Dev's welcome home party that she felt that spark return.

There was a noise behind Quinn that ripped her from her current thoughts. Her maid quietly pushed the door open and was shocked to find Quinn already dressed and sitting at her writing table. "Good morning, Miss," the maid said after she recovered from her shock. "Do you require any assistance with the remainder of your appearance?"

"If you could just braid my hair simply this morning, Anna?" Quinn answered and turned towards the window once more. Anna nodded and went in search of the brush in order to remove any tangles from the night before. Anna made quick work of braiding Quinn's hair and tying it off with a lovely yellow ribbon.

"All finished, Miss," Anna stood back and allowed Quinn to stand and check her reflection in the mirror on the other side of the room.

"Thank you. Is my mother and father awake?" Quinn asked as she turned around to face her maid once more.

"I believe Lord Blackwood rose not too long ago and is sitting in the dining room breaking his fast," Quinn nodded her thanks and left her small bedroom. She would leave Anna to finish her tasks while she went to sit with her father. Quinn wondered when Dev would show up for their lesson.

Quinn rounded the corner of the large foyer and into the dining room. Lochlan Blackwood sat at the head of the table, a small plate of food sat in front of him along with a steaming cup of tea. Lochlan's attention had been on a piece of parchment he was reading. When he heard footsteps, he looked up and smiled at his daughter's arrival.

"Good Morning," Lochlan said as he sat down the parchment to the side of his plate.

"Morning Father," Quinn smiled and sat down to his left.

"Did you sleep well? You are usually the last of us to wake up," Lochlan teased his daughter. It was a known fact that Quinn enjoyed sleeping for the better part of the morning. The fact that she had risen so early had Lochlan intrigued.

Quinn decided to keep her true thoughts about Dev to herself. She was unsure of the nature they were taking and so decided to dissect them in her own time rather than share them with her father. "My first ball is only a couple of days away," Quinn said instead.

Lochlan nodded in the realization of why his daughter was on edge. "You will do just fine. I promise," Lochlan patted her hand that rested on the table. One of the kitchen maids came out with a plate of food for Quinn and sat it down in front of her. Lochlan pulled his hand back and watched as Quinn began to eat.

"You know, when I first came to Britain, I was scared as well. My life was in the highlands. There were rumors circulating before I had even though my feet to the earth. But I was advised that the best way to meet something difficult was to look it dead in the eye and trudge forward," Lochlan hoped that his daughter caught his meaning.

Instead, Quinn thought of the ghost memory once more. She nodded, distracted. Lochlan was unsure what more he could say to help calm his daughter's nerves. Their butler walked through the door frame and announced the arrival of young Walker. Lochlan noticed a change in his daughter's demeanor at the mention of it. Quinn sat up straighter and wiped her mouth quickly with her napkin. Lochlan's brow rose. Was Quinn's nervousness not only over the idea of coming into society?

Lochlan nodded to the butler. As the man was leaving, Dev walked through the doorway. Dev's surprise was clearly written on his face and not only finding the Lord but also his daughter at the breakfast table. Dev had been hoping to talk to Lochlan before Quinn rose for the day.

Dev cleared his throat and stood at the end of the table. "Good morning Lord Blackwood, Ms Blackwood," Dev said as he made a slight bow to each of them. Lochlan noticed Quinn fidgeting with her napkin as Dev stood at the end of the table. He remembered his wife's smile as she had come into the house the day before. Lochlan had wondered what she had been smiling about. He could see now what that something exactly was.

Lochlan stood up from the table and held a hand out towards the study as he walked the length of the table towards Dev. "Shall we make our way to the study then for today's lesson?" Lochlan asked. He would make sure that at some point during their session, he would ask Dev about the interaction between Quinn and himself.