章節 4: FOUR
Ding!
Elizabeth bounced up slightly in her seat. The grandfather clock had struck for what she thought was the hundredth time.
She sat in her manor's drawing room waiting to receive her guest.
The wide room was large with various longue chairs and rounds tables. Sunlight came in from glass windows and shined upon the sparkling golden and silken red velvet furniture. There was a cool draft coming in but the crackle of the wall fireplace provided mild heat.
Ding!
And right next to the fireplace was a tall wooden grandfather clock with a golden bell and golden foil decorated in geometric shapes.
She was told the great clock was a favorite of Henry Raynes, Ben's great, great, great grandfather. She was also told the man had commissioned the clock to be made from a wood maker that only made puppets. As a result, the timing of the clock's ticks and dings were slightly off.
Ding!
Elizabeth flinched again.
Well, there was that or thing was just broken.
She turned a glare to the wooden giant time device. The loud ticking, clicking, and dinging was doing nothing but adding to her nerves.
Sighing, she tapped her foot against the floors. She didn't know how long she had been waiting, but it seemed no matter how many seconds passed she was only becoming more nervous.
She shifted, picking at her nails and chewing her lips. She was seated on the round curved lounge couch in the center of the room. The seats were plush and soft but the longer she moved and fidgeted as if she were uncomfortable.
"Gretchen?" Elizabeth called, looking desperately around the room. "Gretchen where are you? I need some assistance. Gretchen?" Her head was swinging around as she searched.
"Miss Raynes?" Gretchen answered, standing behind her for past few minutes.
"Oh." Elizabeth sighed, finding comfort at the composed calm face. "Can you refill my tea cup?" She pointed to a porcelain white floral pattern tea cup on the small round table in front of her.
"Yes, ma'am." Gretchen nodded. She paced from behind the back of the lounge couch and began to refill Elizabeth's cup for the 9th time.
"Thank you." Elizabeth forced a smile, her foot tapping moving even faster as she watched the tea being poured.
"Of course, ma'am." Gretchen finished, moving the hot teapot away from Elizabeth in fear her anxious fiddling and fidgeting could result in an accident.
Clatter!
Just no sooner did Gretchen finish moving the teapot, Elizabeth hurriedly snatched up her cup and a splatter of hot tea cascaded against the ground, narrowly missing both of them.
"Miss Raynes, the tea is hot. Please be careful," Gretchen said, stoically examining the fretting woman.
Elizabeth awkwardly clutched the hot teacup, and fluttered her eyes. "O-oh, yes, right." She looked to Gretchen with a tight smile. "Yes, I should wait." She nodded, and sat the teacup down back to the table with wobbly hands.
"Be careful, ma'am." Gretchen calmly said.
"Yes, I will be." She nodded again, and folded her hands in her lap. For a second her eyes bounced to doors, before landing to the floor. Her foot was tapping even faster as she took a sharp deep breath. "Gretchen?" She turned her eyes back on the doors.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"We didn't get the date wrong, yes?" She turned away from the doors and then no sooner looked back to the doors.
"No, ma'am. The letter said you two were supposed to meeting today."
Elizabeth scratched the back of her neck as if she were trying to pull off the skin. "Okay. Yes, if it was today then what is taking so lon---."
---Click!
Elizabeth heard the doors opening, but she kept her eyes on Gretchen. "Miss Raynes, your visitors are here." One of her attendants announced.
There was a shuffle of feet and a few muffled voices before a familiar female's voice spoke up. "Elizabeth?"
For a moment, Elizabeth remained seated and turned her gaze to the floors. She felt paralyzed upon hearing a peppy high-pitched voice.
She had to suck the thick air in a long inhale before she could start to stand slowly and inflexibly. As she stood, in entered a woman she had not seen in years but time had changed so little.
"Louise?" Elizabeth muttered, observing the woman with wide eyes.
Louise was dressed in a loose-fitting sage green button up blouse with a short knee length skirt---a type of relaxed outfit Louise's parents might hate.
As she neared, Louise walked with a little bounce to her step, her black wedge heels clacking loudly. Somehow the beat of struts almost made Elizabeth crack a wry smile. Just like she remembered, Louise moved with her left leg jutting out first, head upturned, hay blonde hay long and wild, and bright green eyes passionate with life.
"Elizabeth Baxter." Louise stopped, standing directly across from her.
Elizabeth folded her hands, and straightened her back. Despite how familiar she looked, her old friend's voice was now more formal and sterner. Just because she appeared the same did not automatically mean the she had not changed whatsoever. After all, who you know is not always who you think you know.
She knew that from experience.
"Louise." Elizabeth dryly replied in a cold tone. "It is Raynes now."
"I recall. Pity I was not invited to the wedding," Louise said, peering at her with steady gaze.
For a long moment they stood stiff standing and cold staring.
The two friends had not seen each other for at least 2 years, and Elizabeth recalled exactly why. After Louise disobeyed her parents and married a man below her class, Elizabeth's parents wanted her to have nothing to do with Louise or her family. Her parents were adamant about it, and Elizabeth was obedient to it.
Elizabeth lowered her eyes and cleared her throat. "Why have you requested to see me?"
Louise scanned her. "Why have I come to see you? Well, you read my letter, didn't you?"
"I did."
"Well then?" She placed her hands on her hips.
Elizabeth firmed rigid in posture. "Simply requesting to be catch up, is quite vague, Miss Carters."
"Miss Carters?" She bloated her eyes to saucers.
"How else shall I address you?"
"For heaven's sake, Elizabeth!" Her voice suddenly bounced in volume as she shouted. "I know it has almost been 2 years---gosh, maybe even more since we last properly spoken, but how dare you take that cold and standoffish tone with me!" She threw her hands down and huffed. "Get over here and give me a hug, silly!"
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