She followed him blindly, foolishly without question until her thoughts lashed at her for seeming too cheap and easy.
Even though this was what she wanted; to seize this 'once in a lifetime' opportunity, she did not want to put it to the "boss's" face, that she was some desperate maiden.
The view of the richly embellished carriage stabbed at her irises prompting her to halt in her stride.
'Wow!' She internally exclaimed while her lips broke out a smile.
When Simon saw that he was no longer being followed, he stopped walking and spun around to face her. Louisa quickly put on a straight face.
"Why did you stop?" Simon begged to know.
The rainwater drizzled down in tiny slugs, staining his brow ridges.
"It seems the rains have long subsided," Louisa affirmed, "since that is the case, I would like to get on my way now. Also, before I leave I need you to do me one favour: help me thank your boss for his kind offer. Hopefully, in the future, our paths will cross again and I can personally thank him then."
'What is she saying?' Simon tried to process his thoughts but before he could say Jack Robinson!, Louisa had already flipped a turn, veering in the previous direction she had walked.
Simon felt like she was moving too fast so he panicked.
"Wait!" He yelped in an authoritative tone, startling himself.
Louisa smirked secretly before turning to face the man.
"Yes?" She asked, expecting him to say something more.
"Why don't you see him first," Simon inferred. "I mean, my boss. Only by talking with him, can you find out if he needs something more from you."
'Something more?!' Those words imprinted a sparkling shine on Louisa's face despite the gloomy afternoon.
She felt super giddy about this that she feared it had started to show.
"Take me to him!" She declared and Simon heaved a sigh of relief.
"I am glad you accepted to see him," Simon told her, "Come with me."
They walked a while, on a straight path. But when they had stood some few paces before the carriage, Louisa started to feel naughty.
"Stop!"
Her shout hindered the man from taking another step forward.
"Is anything else the matter?" Simon reluctantly turned to look at her.
"Well to your question, I would say that the answer is a Yes and a No."
"Uh! What do you mean?" Her talk threw him off balance.
"I would like to know your name so what is your name?"
"My name?"
"Mm-hmm." She chimed a rhythm with her voice.
"Simon."
"Oh, Simon. And what is your place of service to that man? Your boss."
"I am his Butler." He said.
"How long?"
"5 summers and a half."
"Mm."
She eyed him from top to bottom as if assessing his worth. He looked prim to a certain degree. So she could immediately guess that his boss must look a lot better.
Simon fixed his eyes on his path now, expecting her to resist him like before. But she didn't and he was grateful for it.
…
Simon opened the door of the cart, with Louisa standing by his side.
The minute Rochester set his eyes on her, he was more dumbfounded than she who was equally studying his charms.
His eyes gawked at her blond transparent skin speckled with gems from the rain. She looked slender in a graceful way; Svelte in her mannerisms. Her hair which slicked to the back of her head portrayed her eyes, bold as they were that all he could think to classify their bigness was the word, Lemure.
Louisa decided to sort a means to grasp his attention. His black orbs which gawked shamelessly at her shooting nips caused her to become uncomfortable.
"Sir…"
Rochester comported himself quickly. He'd not intended to startle her in the way he'd done or give her the wrong impression of his actual intention. He shifted his gaze from her breasts to her eyes instead.
"Pardon my uncommon behaviour just now. Your beauty is simply breathtaking."
"Thank you." Louisa tweaked her hair more to the back of her ears and her cheeks flushed red.
"Well, I didn't intend to keep you standing for long. Ride with me and I will accompany you to your home after stopping at a fancy shop to acquire a more befitting dress for you, m'lady."
"Thank you for your offer, Sir-"
"Call me Rochester or Chester."
"Okay... Chester."
"Much better, my sweet girl."
"You are very kind but I'll decline your offer to drop by a dress shop. I have several dresses of my own."
She bit her lips after saying so.
"Oh," He sounded hurt. "That's a shame. A big shame indeed! As you may have guessed, I am a rich merchant from out of town. I should have been able to buy you the fanciest dress in all your wardrobe if you'd been more grateful."
"Anyway, I am looking for a girl. My future bride and the person I intend to spoil with the finest jewellery and sparkliest diamond. Giselle's her name. Where can I find her?"
Giselle!???
Louisa's brain popped into a loud crack.
'Never!' She mentally declared.
There were only very few maidens who bore the name Giselle, so Louisa could tell at once that it had to be Lady Osborn's daughter the man had mentioned now.
"That snake!" She further cursed under her breath, "I can never allow her to enjoy this man! Over my dead body," She vowed.
But why not?
Louisa had legal rights for her loathing of the Osborns, Giselle in particular and it wasn't because she was simply naive to tell the consequences of her actions.
Wrong!
She had done it on purpose.
Louisa thought that
If Giselle and her mother had not chauffeured her foster sister, Elizabeth, en route to Aegremonth for the King's coronation she had also attended, then Briceus should not have chosen her to be by his side.
It would have been her, Louisa!
Not Elizabeth!
~~~
Rochester expected the girl's reply to come sooner but it had been a wholesome minute now and she had not said anything.
He saw her smiling briskly with her eyes as she chimed a melody with her mouth.
Louisa walked closer to the coach on purpose to allow the perceived merchant to worship her however he pleased.
"By all means, are you the affluent merchant Giselle has been telling me about?"
His balls lit up.
"Yes. She talks about me?"
His anticipation gave him away and Louisa knew what to say next.
"She said you have been stalking her for quite some time."
"Me? Stalker?" The man gritted his teeth; his ears billowing out the fumes.
"Yes, she truly said those things."
"Wait, why should I even believe you? What is your relationship with her?"
"I am Giselle's cousin."
"Name?"
"Hazel."