The news that the elusive Caress Aragon finally accepts suitors spread far and wide. It excited several prominent families who dream of having the most beautiful maiden as their daughter-in-law. The day after the rumor was leaked, the Aragon mansion turned into a garden in an instant while in-house telephones won't stop ringing. Different flower bouquets were sent tucked with love letters.
The man of the house, Arnaldo Aragon, cannot sit still. He walked back and forth, grumpily speaking to the other line. Veins protruded from his forehead as his nostrils almost flared fire. Helena was rather lively compared to him. She stayed glued on the phone, accepting date invitations and even implicated the idea of matrimony either because she is delighted for her daughter's unexpected change of heart or she wishes to kick her out of the house. The latter seemed to be more probable.
Care couldn't care less about the fuss. She was sitting cross-legged on the Persian carpet engrossed by the variety of flowers surrounding her. Her expression was animated, her smile as bright as the afternoon sun and her eyes twinkled akin to stars. She indulged her sense of smell with the scents of red roses, tulips, carnations, camellias, lilacs, blue iris, sunflowers and the long list goes on.
"What are these adorable shaped buttercups called?" she probed.
Their gardener stood by her side, because the lady particularly demanded his presence.
"Ranunculus, mademoiselle. It's a symbol of admiration for your beauty." He replied.
"Aww, really?" she said, unable to react elated.
She peeked at the sender.
Roux Gilmour
"Why would I be flattered? These delicately arranged flowers are handpicked by those bastards' parents, not them." She criticized inwardly
A maid entered the living room bringing another batch of bouquets. Each looks hella expensive except for one: the lush baby's breaths tied together by a white ribbon. It seems picked recently from the meadows rather than sold from notable flower shops. This caught her attention thus she immediately blocked the servant then snatched away the baby's breaths. She sniffs them eagerly searching for the card pronto. To her delight, there was none!
There could only be one person, she speculated.
"How about this?" She turned to the gardener.
"Oh, the gypsophila! It expresses everlasting love, mademoiselle." He replied curtly, quite shocked by her enthusiasm.
"Really?!" she exclaimed, giggling like a mad freak.
Everyone in the room diverted their eyes at her. She abruptly reverted to her poised self, biting her lower lip to conceal her grin. Her heart fluttered so bad, she worried she might burst in different bright colors.
"Daddy, I'm going to my room! Keep receiving invites and---"
"Isn't it too much for you to accept so much, sweetpea?! I suggest you take it easy. Three at best, alright?" Arnaldo appealed.
"No! I'll accept as many as I can. Please, don't fret, Daddy! I'm not in search of a man to marry. Besides, I'll only allow them for a single hour at most, alright?" Care offered as a compromise using her sweetest pitch.
"It isn't okay! Caress, come back here!" he yelled but the brat was already gone and had no intention to listen.
"Let me put that to the vase, Milady." a housemaid declared, tailing behind her.
Her grip on her baby's breaths tightened.
"Thanks but it's fine. I will put them on myself!" she dismissively said.
Teddy and Harris stationed themselves at the opposite side of her room's door. Upon sighting them, she hid the baby's breaths behind her back and charged fast inside her quarters. However, she left the door ajar, one of Arnaldo's impositions citing security purposes. She just obliged instead of being disturbed by her paranoid father knocking and opening the door every damn minute!
With finesse, she arranged the stalks of baby's breaths on her Chinese porcelain vase bought from an auction overseas. The housemaid who retrieved back the tulips that were earlier on it, eyed her with scrutiny.
How could the mademoiselle prefer those cheap flowers, she inwardly revolted.
The young lady was oblivious of her disapproving expression, too overwhelmed of joy. She even hummed a lullaby, never minding if the bodyguards overhears. She was positive they did not know the reason for her spirited mood... unfortunately, she guessed wrong!
Teddy and Harris kept exchanging goofy smiles and knowing looks outside. Words were needless to say because both understood what was happening. Indeed, they remembered! They escorted her when she brought the same kind of flowers to the only hospital room she visited.
Whose room? Of course, Eliseo Manaloto.