บท 24: You are my butler
Hearing the creak on the couch, her imagination started to go wild and before anything could happen, Belle stepped in the light where everyone could see her. The women here included her mother, her aunt Irene, Olivia, and Mrs. Harriet who lived not too far away from where Adams' mansion was located.
Lady Olivia had her body leaned towards Lucas who sat facing her and her fingernails dug further into the palms of her hands. She didn't know why Lucas was playing along.
The woman wore a silk dress that was emerald in color, enhancing the color of her pale complexion and her dark red eyes standing out like jewels. The front of her dress pushed her bosom forward to show the swell and size of her body.
Belle wished she could fork the woman but with her mother and others in the room, not to forget Lady Olivia was a pureblooded vampire, things wouldn't end well if she did something uncivil in her mother's words.
"Belle," Olivia turned around to exclaim her name, "It is good to see you," the woman didn't bother to get up to greet her and neither did Belle bow her head. She believed that respect went both the ways that were to be given before being taken. She hadn't bothered with this woman for many years but now that it was the matter of Lucas, she didn't want him leaving this mansion to work in another one.
Mrs. Adams caught her daughter staring at Olivia and she guessed that she had heard the conversation that took place a few moments ago, "Are you done with today's session, Belle?" her mother asked.
"I am on a break," she replied to her mother, staring into her mother's eyes where she had questions to ask but this was no place to ask.
"Mrs. Whitaker is a very sharp-minded woman for governance. Do make sure that you make excellent use because I had to free up some of her appointments and slots so that she could help and teach you," Olivia said with a sweet smile, "Why don't you come and join us," the woman moved her hand over an empty seat which was next to Lady Harriet.
"No, thank you," Belle declined her offer, "You wouldn't mind if I borrowed my butler, do you?" she asked in front of everyone that had the pureblooded vampiress chuckle.
"Get another servant, Belle. Lucas is occupied right now," Belle couldn't believe that it was her mother who was speaking like this with her. She didn't understand why she was indulging this woman right now. Olivia raised her hand before Mrs. Adams could speak another word.
"Do take him. He is going to be here for only a few more days. You must be really attached to him," when Olivia said this, it raised brows in the room and Mrs. Adams' jaws clenched together, "Of course, like a father or a brother as you grew up with him here. It is quite understandable," she chuckled a smile that didn't reach up to her eyes.
"Yes," Belle played along before her mother would say anything more and she looked at Lucas who offered a bow before he stood up and followed the young girl until the end of the corridor and out of the house to step into their backyard. She didn't speak right away and instead folded her hands across her chest. Looking in the direction of the trees that were lined in their very mansion.
Lucas hadn't spoken a word since he had left the room. Belle wasn't angry anymore as she couldn't hear what Olivia or the rest of the women had to say. She was upset with the news.
She then turned on her heel to ask him, "Will you be going to work for the Stlinkson's?"
"In the near future, yes," he answered without blinking his eyes.
Belle felt a prick in her chest, "When?" The sad part was that though her feelings were changing, Lucas looked at her as if she were a child, the daughter of Adams, and nothing more that than, and Belle felt hurt.
"Lesser than a month's time," Her eyes looked away from him when she heard him ask, "Is this why you pulled me out from there?"
"Were you really going to kiss her?" she questioned him back.
Lucas who was looking back at her saw the anxiousness in her eyes. He had seen many emotions pass through those expressive red eyes of hers but this was the first time he had seen this emotion which he was far too familiar with.
"Why does it matter?" he asked her, his tone even and calm. Belle's eyebrows were knitted together in question, demanding the answer yet still worried about what his answer was going to be.
"Because you are my butler…" came her obvious response to it.
The man offered her a smile, "That is right, milady. I am a butler but as you heard, both Mrs. Adams as well as Ms. Stlinkson are going to create a deal. You shouldn't be worried about it, you will have the governess now to take care of you."
"I don't want Mrs. Whitaker to be my governess. I refuse to agree that you have agreed to be part of Olivia's household. You are Adams butler, my butler," said Belle, her eyes having a turmoil of emotions that was moving in waves right now.
"It is understandable that you are upset but you will be able to have a new butler. I am sure he will be up to par."
Belle shook her head. The thought of him leaving was already creating a void in her chest. It was only recently, did she come to understand and see who he was. Even though Lucas didn't feel the same way, she liked him. She liked him a lot more than she had liked a man, where her heart ached right now, "Don't go," she said to him, "I will talk to papa about it."
This silly girl, thought Lucas to himself. It was both Mr. and Mrs. Adams, who had taken the decision and Lucas didn't care where he went. Several years ago when he had come here, it was because he needed a place to live in and the white witch had asked him to solve something for her. Humans, vampires, witches, all the creatures of the living, no matter how things went down here, they were frail ones in his eyes.
And the girl who stood in front of him right now, he could detect the emotions in there. She didn't want him to leave but Lucas held no obligations when it came to the Adams family. While it had provided him a place to disguise himself from his true form by letting him blend into the society, he had returned back the favor by doing what a butler had to do.
Like how the little stuffed toy was to Belle Adams where she played with it to her heart's content. The same way to Lucas, she had been a wonderful amusement. Part of her soul had been eaten which now resided in the land of the dead but what was left behind, it was still bright.
Lucas had noticed the change of gaze in her eyes and he knew it well.
What he was doing earlier was only feeding and entertaining the thoughts of the women inside the mansion. A little play was no harm but the girl here didn't think so. The small girl had grown into a beautiful doll, and somewhere he found joy seeing how pained she looked right now at his possible departure which would be in a few days.
"Olivia is not a good woman," came Belle's reasoning, "I have no need to find a suitor right now. I don't need her governess either. I will have them sent away so that you can stay here," spoke the doll, and Lucas did nothing but look at her.
"You should go back to study, Miss Adams if you want to keep me here with you," Belle's eyebrows furrowed in question, "I am a pricey butler. If you don't have enough to fulfill my demands, someone else will come for me."
Belle knew that Lucas told it just to resonate what she wanted to hear from him but it made her question what he actually wanted, "You are my butler," came the firm words from her mouth while her heart slightly shook in her chest.
Lucas humored her thoughts by stepping down on his knee while taking her hand in his to kiss the back of her fingers, "Your word is my command, Miss Adams," he said looking back into her eyes with a small smile and his eyes calm as the river that had not flown or touched in many years.
She didn't know why but his words though was meant to be sincere, she couldn't feel but a sense of doubt with what had almost occurred back in the mansion where Lady Olivia wanted to kiss him. Lucas' lips on her fingers sent a jolt through her veins and spine and she could feel her cold body turning warm because of the heat she felt rising him in her body.
When he let go of her hand, she took her hand to hold it with her other hand.
"Is that all you wanted from me for now?" she heard him ask her.
Belle nodded her head, "Yes," she whispered.
"Alright then," he bowed his head and went back inside the mansion, leaving her behind.
Her lips were pressed against each other and she decided to go back to studying. If what Lucas said was true where he was a man who was being sought out by many people, especially women, then she would need to study and start earning like some of the women did.
There was an unsettling feeling in her chest which she was trying hard to get rid of.
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