She had only been gone for two weeks, but it felt like a lifetime.
Walking into the Ravenglass manor felt like she had passed through a time machine. The smell of her favorite rasberry danishes floated from the kitchen, the distant rustling of busy bodies as everyone worked on somthing.
The quiet of the cabin, the soft chirping of the birds, and the whisper of the breeze through the trees was already a distant memory.
All the servants greeted her, and a man from the kitchen whom she'd known for a good portion of time informed her that her father was out at the pub.
He picked up her 'luggage' as he called it, and made his way slowly up the stairway with the awkward basket.
She trailed him. "Sorry I'm having such a slow go at it Miss." He huffed.
His voice had startled her from her quiet thoughts of the forest and she smiled at him preoccupied.
"Don't worry. I'm not in any hurry." She whispered.
At the top of the stairway her personal maid hugged her saying somthing about, ' It was good to see her back from her vacation so soon.'
"I had wondered why you headed off in a hurry. You usually warn me about these things, but never mind that," She paused her babbling long enough to close Nadines bedroom door behind the kitchen man.
"Will you be attending the party tonight Miss?"
"Yes ofcourse, Falina, Now if you would fill my bath." She clicked the door softly shut behind her as she rushed off.
She went to the bathing room and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked tired she thought. She turned to the bath and stared at the porcelain. Surprisingly she missed his contraption. It was nice to fill your own bath. She stripped and went to her closet. Her laundry had been dumped out. She picked simple lavender dress and strode to her jewley box. Falina came in and out with buckets of steaming water. A male servant probably was whisking them up the stairs. Perhaps two she guessed as she picked out a pair of silver earrings. Falina continued to dash in and out of the room. She was a young woman and in shape at that.
Nadine picked out a silver necklace with a purple diamond setting.
She lazily walked to the closet for silver heels and by the time she'd laid everything out on her bed Falina stood in front of her and curtsied.
"Your bath is filled."
"Don't do that anymore."
"Pardon me madame?"
Falina looked shocked.
"Don't curtsey to me. It's not necessary." She smiled genuinely and headed off to her bath. She slipped beneath the hot water and ran her hands over her face washing the cabin from her face, her body, her mind. At least she tried to.
Here so far away, in just the few moments she had been home the cottage began to feel like a dream. Scar himself felt like a dream.
When she got out of the tub she wrapped a soft salmon colored towel around her. There was beautiful white stitching at the boddom. She smiled. Her mother had stitched this towel. She frowned thinking of somthing else and walked into her closet to find Falina sorting clothes.
"I'll do that," She said firmly. Falina looked up rather suprised. She stood and smiled.
"Alright. Are you sure?"
She nodded and continued to her room to get dressed.
Falina collected a few items and walked to the door.
"What do you have there?" Nadine asked slipping into a under bodice.
"Just some stained clothes for the trash miss."
Nadine sauntered over and grabbed the gray purple coverlet out of her hands softly staring at it. The sleeve was stained copper.
"This was a special gift from my father on my birthday." She released the fabric.
"Have it washed, and brought back to me please."
Falina bowed and laughed as Nadine raised a brow and they both shared laughter anew before she headed quickly out of the room.
Nadine finished getting dressed and painted her face like she had not done in such a long time. She sorted her clothes and carted her laundry into the hall. She was about to call for Falina to retrieve the basket when she saw her father.
"Dad?"
He turned and she swallowed her dissapointment as he wobbled down the hall. His face was frozen in shock.
"Alaina?"
She forced a smile onto her face, "No dad. It's me, Nadine."
He frowned and then looked at her confused.
"Nadine, it's about time you came back. Boren has been down my throat about you."
She smiled wider to hide the shock.
"I missed you dad." She said simply; she didnt know if it was the truth or a lie, but he bustled past her to the stairwell yelling for one of his personal servants.
"I have to tell him your back. We can make him the guest of honor at the party for your arrival."
"Dad!" He paused on the stairwell his eyes glossy his body wobbling.
'I don't want to marry Boren.'
The words sat on the top of her tongue like hot acid. She watched him lean to and from on the banister and sighed.
"Invite him tomorrow. I'll wear somthing nicer."
He smiled his cheeks rosy, "Very well."
Perhaps when he was sober she would bring it up. She watched him wobble back down the hall to his room. Or perhaps she was just prolonging the inevitable. She frowned and headed to the kitchen.
The kitchen staff greeted her as she checked the dishes for the party. She felt like a wraith floating from one room to another her real body in a different place while a strangers hands and mouth went through the motions.
Later when the guests poured into the grand hall she stood in front of the looking glass fastening her hair and adding a fresh gloss to her lips. She came back down to the hall full. People greeted her and she greeted them back smiles and polite laughter fell from her lips and nobody noticed that it didnt reach her eyes.
She sat in the corner of the room with an exspensive, dark, and sparkling Cevarian Green Champagne. It tasted like sour apples and sweet notes of somthing she couldn't quite pin. She watched as some of the single woman gossiped over the latest bachelor.
While a couple of men strutted around them like peacocks and the woman stopped gossiping to giggle and flirt.
She imagined the men were talking about their vast amounts of money or the number of servants in their manor. She turned to go fill her glass when one was pushed into her hands. A big hand swallowed her wrist and a predator smile flashed at her.
"Hello my darling. Your father said you were back from holiday."
Her stomach dropped as a smile spread over her painted lips. "Boren. Good to see you."