Upon reaching the gate, she was stopped by the gatekeeper. "What are you doing here?" asked the middle-aged man. Calantha slowly removed her hat and watched the man's eyes threaten to pop out of their sockets. Yes, that was what she was avoiding. "Lady Calantha! My goodness, what happened to you?"
Calantha's mouth twisted to the side, not appreciating the fact that the gatekeeper was keeping her outside like a commoner, "Is Victoria in?"
He quickly regained his composure. To say he was shocked was an understatement. Never in his life did he think he would ever see Calantha in such a state. "Yes, she is in the mansion. Where is your carriage, my Lady?"
"I sent him on an errand to pick up something," She lied through her teeth. God forbid she ever disclosed to anyone her torturous adventure that had caused her to feel and look like a toast. She would take the secret to her grave!
Sceptical about the answer, the gatekeeper nodded. For Crisake, the lady looked sun-ripened and that could only happen when you've been under it or in it for too long.
"Should I get the carriage or will you prefer to walk down to the mansion?"
"Get the carriage," She ordered. No way in hell was she going to do another walking.
"Yes, lady Calantha," The man turned around to carry out the order, but midway he stopped. He walked back to where Calantha was, but not close enough.
"What is it again?"
"I just want to share my condolences for your loss. Lord Blackwood was a good man. I hope he is in a better place."
Calantha's nose flared. She wasn't there for sympathy, especially one from a gatekeeper. She opened her mouth to say something but one look into the man's eyes told her he meant no harm. She swallowed her words, "Go get the carriage." The man smiled at her in pity before jogging off.
A few minutes later, Calantha was helped out of the carriage by the butler who was standing by the door. "Lady Calantha, what a lovely surprise to see you."
Calantha nodded, eyes fixed on the butler. Nothing had changed. His nose was still overly too big for his face. "Where is Victoria?" The man's eyes darted from left to right. If she didn't know better, she would think the man was panicking.
Pretending not to have heard the question, the butler began, "Lady Calantha, I am sorry for your loss. Who would have thought death would be so cruel to take kind Lord Blackwood away from us?"
"Bob, give me the condolences later, for now, where is Victoria? Is she in her room?"
"I think she stepped out earlier,"
Calantha's eyes narrowed infinitesimally. The man was like a hawk in the mansion, nothing passed him by. He knows when everyone is moving, be it from your room to the loo, so how can he not know if his young mistress stepped out?
She turned her head to the side and caught sight of a familiar carriage, "The gatekeeper said she is inside." She pointed to the familiar carriage, "Is there a visitor in the mansion?"
"Not really,"
"Not really?" She repeated. Why was the man acting strange? "I am going in right now,"
"Oh, Lady Calantha, I don't think—" That was as far as he could get when two familiar figures emerged from the mansion. Hands that were locked together quickly untangled upon sighting her. Okay, not weird at all.
"Cal!" Exclaimed Victoria as she looked at her friend in a mixture of surprise and embarrassment.
"Lady Calantha," Came that velvet voice. He approached her in quick strides and embraced her—publicly, "Where have you been?"
Confused and hurt, she said, "I should be asking you that, Duke Harold. What are you doing here?"
He led her away from the little crowd, close to his carriage. "I have been looking all over for you and didn't know where else to look, so I came to your friend to ask around."
Victoria gritted her teeth, eyes glaring lasers at her butler, "None of you dimmed it fit to tell me she was around?" Her voice was low, she didn't want the wind blowing a word of what she was saying to the duo who chatted away from them.
"I was trying to get her to leave when you and the Lord walked in."
"You could have done it faster!" She whisper-yelled,
"I am sorry, Lady Victoria. I will take note of that." The butler's eyes darted between the couple and his young mistress.
"Make sure you inform me about her arrival next time before letting her in. Am I understood?"
"Yes, Lady Victoria."
"Direct Lady Calantha to my room when they are done." One glance at the couple, she stormed into the mansion.
"Yes, Lady Victoria," Bob whispered into the air.
"Why didn't you reply to any of my letters?" asked Calantha
"Oh, my dear, I had an emergency meeting at the palace. I didn't get time to read or reply to the letters, I am sorry. I heard about what happened to your father, I am sorry for your loss. You don't deserve any of this."
Calantha's eyes welled up with unshed tears. She didn't know which one hurt most, was it the fact that she was standing before her ex-fiance looking like a sun toast or was it the fact that she was once again reminded of what could have been? She was supposed to be running around planning her wedding. She was supposed to go for her fittings and then check how many accepted wedding invitations they got, but none of those things were happening.
He held her hands in his, "Everything is going to be alright,"
"Yes, I know. We are going to make it through this together, right?"
"Yes, of course," The rest of the discussion went by with her getting as much assurance as she could from the Duke. Her day was significantly better.
Inside the room, Victoria paced back and forth. She was seething. Just when she was so close to getting the Duke to look at her, Calantha magically appeared from God knew where. She schooled expression when she heard a knock at the door, "Come in," The First thing she saw was red, which was Calantha's red hair. The hair always made her stick out like a sore thumb.
"Oh, Cal, I am so sorry about your father's loss." She wrapped her hands around Calantha who reciprocated the gesture. "You poor thing,"
"Why didn't you reach out to me," Calantha swallowed the bile that threatened to choke her
"I did, but you were nowhere to be found."
"Yes, my father paid for the house to be renovated before his demise,"
Victoria's brows drew together in confusion, "That explains why the whole place was empty." She led Calantha to the bed, eyes scanning her face.
One look at her friend, she knew what was going to come out of those lips, "Don't say anything about my sun-toast face. I did a bit of walking to this place. I needed to clear my head."
"I was going to ask how you were holding up?"
"I am fine."
"Where are you staying so I can visit and write to you? Is it the Eastfall Mansion?"
Calantha's back straightened up, "No, that one too is being renovated,"
"Then where are you people staying?"
"We are staying with a relative."
"Oh, I didn't know you had relatives around,"
"I do."
"So, what's the address."
"Unfortunately, you can't visit. They are quite old and grumpy, new faces make them jumpy."
Victoria's brows drew together. If she didn't know better she would think Calantha was lying to keep her away. "Okay, so I can write to you then,"
"Yes, the mansion is on a secluded part of an estate, delivery men are usually scared of venturing into our property because rumour has it that the house is haunted."
"So, you live in a haunted house?" Victoria's eyes widened,
"A rumoured hunted house. I do hear funny sounds and see things," Things like the roof falling and squashing me like a fly,
"I am so sorry you have to go through this,"
"It's fine."
"About you and the duke…" She opened her mouth to explain the situation, but Calantha placed a finger on her lips. She didn't want to hear anything. She trusted her friend and Duke Harold.
"We will talk about that once you get the maids to arrange a good bath, a clean cloth and good food for me." What? She wouldn't miss the luxury of a good bath before going back to that dungeon.
"What about food? Have you had something to eat? You look a bit underweight."
"I have no appetite,"
"I will have them make something anyway. You might need it later."
Calantha nodded. She hadn't eaten anything before leaving because she was sure the man would have tried to poison her!