Chapter Nineteen
1134 Words
Chapter Nineteen
“Oh, Christopher,” I pulled away from his embrace, feeling uncomfortable. “What are you doing here?”
“You don’t seem thrilled to see me,” Christopher c****d his head, a frown on his lips. “I thought you’d be ecstatic.”
“What are you doing here?” I repeated, my voice hardening as flashes of the past crossed my mind.
He held up his hands, “Woah, petal, I was rehired recently and I was hoping to see you again.”
I fingered the letter from Bennet in my hand, and it made me steel my resolve, “After the way you left me, I thought you were running off with Kassidy.”
“It was one time, petal,” he reached for me again and I ducked around him.
“One time was plenty, Christopher. Good day to you,” I turned on my heel, my heart beating fast as I hurried to the playroom. I burst through the door, shocking Matthew and Arthur as I closed it behind me and leaned against the door, catching my breath.
“Are you alright, Sister?” Matthew stood and pulled me over to a chair.
“You rehired Christopher?” My voice squeaked out and I chastised myself for sounding so pathetic.
“The Wasley chap?” Arthur asked as he continued playing with Olivia. I nodded and Matthew explained that one of the stable hands had married into a wealthy family so they needed someone quickly, and Christopher was available.
“If it’s a problem, we can get rid of him,” Matthew said, patting my hand.
“No, no,” I replied, now that I was calmer. “I just have a past with him, that’s all.”
“You two were courting?” Olivia piped up, bringing a stuffed bear over to me and climbing into my lap. “But, you’re supposed to marry Bennet and be a princess!”
“It’s over now,” I combed her hair as she bounced the bear in her lap.
“What did he do?” Arthur asked casually, but the two of them exchanged angry looks.
I shrugged, “He kissed another girl.”
“What a little—” Matthew started and I glared at him, mouthing not in front of her.
“Meanie!” Olivia supplied and Matthew ruffled her hair.
“Yes, what a meanie,” he repeated, his and Arthur’s faces portraying their anger.
“It’s alright, I promise,” I said, trying to get them to calm down. “I just took care of it in the hallway.”
“If you ever feel uncomfortable,” Arthur said, “just yell for us and we will be there.” I thanked them profusely before putting a large smile on my face.
“Who is ready for some fun?”
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I played with Olivia for hours, Matthew and Arthur left to take care of some business after about an hour. We dressed up, played with her stuffed animals, and had a tea party—it was the most fun I had had in a long time.
“Tell me story!” Olivia said, nestling into my arms as she yawned.
“Let’s get you upstairs for a nap,” I carried her up the stairs and to her room, laying her in her bed. I undressed and redressed her in a nightgown and covered her in a blanket.
“Tell me the story about the prince and the servant,” she said, blinking her eyes heavily. I thought back to the first mornings as Bennet’s when I had walked in on him finishing the story. She yawned again, pulling the blankets up higher, “The story is like you and Bennet—the prince and the servant.” She closed her eyes, and her breathing evened, making the story unnecessary to tell.
…is like you and Bennet. The words she said rang in my head and I smiled as I tiptoed out of the room. As I closed the door behind me, a hand gripped my waist, and spun me around.
Christopher’s topaz eyes stared into mine, a smirk on his lips, “You’re playing hard to get, aren’t you, petal?”
“Stop calling me that,” I tried to pull away and he just gripped tighter, pushing me against the wall next to the door.
He snuggled his head into my neck and took a deep breath, “You still smell so good.”
I dug my fingernails into his arm, getting him to pull away and look at me in shock. “I don’t like you anymore, Christopher.”
“It doesn’t really matter if you do or not, princess,” he emphasized the last word and I swallowed at the glint in his eyes. “If you don’t want your precious Bennet to be hurt, you will do exactly as I say.”
“Bennet who?” I tried to play dumb, but Christopher barked a laugh.
“Right, like he didn’t send you a personalized note, RaRa,” he mimicked and my eyes widened when he waved the note in his hand. I tried to get it from him, but he held it out of my reach, laughing at my attempts. “I also got a personalized note from his sister.”
I stopped struggling to get the note, my gaze narrowing, “Is she who put you up to this?”
“It seems Bennet has been a wreck since you have left,” he fake-pouted. “Not eating, not sleeping, just wandering aimlessly around the castle.”
“What is it you want me to do?” I said through clenched teeth and his face broke into another smirk.
“Princess Martha wishes to break her brother’s heart completely,” he said, leaning closer to whisper in my ear. “You’re going to marry me instead.”
“I won’t,” I answered firmly, pushing him and storming away.
“You wouldn’t want him killed, now, would you?” He called out behind me, causing me to stop. His footsteps came to a halt behind me, his breath hot on my neck as he whispered, “I thought not.” He placed a kiss on my neck, shoving the note into my hand, before turning and cackling as he walked away from me. I bit my lip so hard blood began to drip out, but I couldn’t move, still shocked at what had transpired.
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