"I wanted to just come to see you while handing over the papers of the mansion back to you Mr. Adams," Olivia said, giving the parchments of papers that were signed, "With this, your mansion is back with you. To complete the deal you will need to send Lucas to our mansion day after tomorrow," she smiled. Her thin lips setting in a line of smug happiness.
"Consider that to be done, milady," Mr. Adams gave his word to have the Lady nod at him in glee.
"How wonderful," she said, her eyes falling on Lucas who had not spoken a word except to greet her, "You can pack only important things, my love. I have a room arranged for you which you will appreciate."
Lucas bowed his head, "I do not doubt that, Lady Olivia. I am very grateful for your kind gesture."
"G.o.d must love me to be able to help you, Mr. and Mrs. Adams. I am delighted to be able to return your home safely, else in this world who is good enough to offer favor," hearing these coming from Lady Olivia, Belle could tell that this woman was only trying to show off that it was her who had helped then and if it weren't for her, the would not have a home.
The pureblooded vampire's gaze broke away from the elders to fall on to Belle who was seated next to her mother, "I heard you irked Mrs. Whitaker. Are you planning to stay without a governess, Belle?"
"Mrs. Whitaker would be angry even if I breathed," Belle replied back to the woman not caring if she was a pureblooded woman that had her parents look at her taken aback.
They grew up in a world and time where pureblooded vampires were considered to be powerful creatures who were above all of them. It seemed that the very thought had been ingrained into the minds where a lot fo them demanded respect without earning an ounce of it.
"Is that so?" Lady Olivia asked her, "As far as I am aware, Mrs. Whitaker has never had a complaint about her teaching. You are the first one who has complained and where the lady doesn't want to teach you. Her words went something like- an ungrateful child who doesn't know how to behave."
Belle smiled, a small harmless smile as she replied, "I don't think anyone has ever pointed out calling my behavior to be rude. Just because it doesn't fall in hers or your standard doesn't mean how I behave isn't right. If you do meet Mrs.Whitaker next time, please let her know that I didn't learn a thing from her and it was a waste of time."
"Belle," her mother tried to tell her not to speak any more rude words.
Lady Olivia instead of taking offense over Belle's words as she was the one who had a.s.signed the governess to teach here, she chuckled, laughing sweetly before the laugh died down and she said to Mrs. Adams,
"Your daughter has quite a mouth. I should tell that I do agree with what Mrs. Whitaker told me. Word has been going out in the town about your sweet daughter who has no manners," the woman clicked her tongue against her mouth, "Such a shame. To have a beautiful face but the words that come out are nothing but of disrespect to people. I would still insist that you choose a governess who will teach her from basics. Especially on how to talk to pureblooded vampires," the tone she used was sweet but the underlying words were nothing but irons nails directed towards the younger vampiress.
Belle's mother gave the pureblooded woman an awkward smile and before Belle could tell anything, she placed her hand on her daughter's hand, "Mrs. Whitaker must have misunderstood what Belle said. She might speak her mind out but I can tell she didn't mean to be disrespectful," she said, taking her daughter's side.
"Maybe," said Lady Olivia, picking up the teacup that she had placed on her lap, "Sweet Belle might have not meant it in that way but that is the very reason why she needs a guardian to tell her how she needs to speak."
"Do you mean to say how I speak to you, Olivia?" Belle asked, removing the word lady as she addressed the woman who looked as if someone had poisoned her tea.
Lady Olivia turned to look at Mrs. Adams, "And you said she didn't mean to disrespect," the woman then turned to look at Belle, "You truly lack manners. You will turn to shame your parents."
Belle retorted back in the same tone as Lady Olivia without raising her voice, "Like the way you are shaming the pureblooded people? I thought the pureblooded vampires had cla.s.s but it looks like even though you have the money of your parents you lack it all."
In less than a second, the blood tea which Olivia was holding was spilled all over Belle's clothes and her face, "How dare you disrespect me in such a manner? You should be grateful that I am paying for the loss your father went," she then snapped her fingers, "I can bring your entire family on the path where you will have no shelter, no respect for yourself to only know what humiliation means."
"Lady Olivia, we don't welcome behavior like this-" Mr. Adams said to only be interrupted by the woman,
"Mr. and Mrs. Adams, you should be glad that I only did this much. I am much more capable than this and I will not stop to bring your daughter in the needed right direction."
Belle who was holding her own tea was ready to throw it at the woman when Lucas raised his hand in front of her to stop her from doing anything to Lady Olivia. She was angry now.
"Riding on your parent's coattails must be amazing, isn't it?" Belle asked with a smirk as her eyes glared at the woman.
Mrs. Adams then said, "Belle, why don't you go wash the blood so that we can speak to Lady Olivia. Lucas," she called the butler knowing Belle would listen to the butler.
"Miss Belle," Lucas continued to hold a blank expression and followed Belle who grudgingly had placed her tea back on the table.
As easy it was to rebel, she knew the consequences not her but her family would have to pay for her actions and words.
It was an easy transaction to keep their reputation along with the house even though word had been spread about the loss their family went through and didn't speak openly that went only in whispers of gossip, she knew it was easy for them. It felt like they were cornered.
She despised the Stlinkson's, especially this woman who had come home. Her beige like the dress was soaked with blood and milk on it. Stepping inside the bath, she started to clean her dress and found Lucas who had pulled a fresh set of clothes for her to wear.
s.n.a.t.c.hing it from his hand, she grumbled to finally step out. She couldn't believe Lucas had agreed to work for the Stlinksons. When her eyes met Lucas' her jaw was set firmly where she didn't part her lips to speak.
"You should be careful what and where you speak, Miss Belle," he continued to speak, "I am not siding with her. There is always a place and time to strike, what you did was speak your mind. For some, it might work because of their position while for some it backfires."
Belle felt slightly small now that Lucas had seen the woman throw tea over her dress. The same woman who he would be leaving the mansion and working for.
Looking up at him, she asked, "What do you suggest I do?" the sides of her hair were wet with water dripping at the ends as she had washed her face.
"Nothing," came the simple suggestion and she furrowed her brows. Seeing the glum expression on her face, Lucas raised his hand near her face, "May I?" he asked to push the strand of her hair behind her face.
Gone was the hurt and shame which was now replaced with a mixed emotion in her mind that had Belle stand still without moving an inch nor breathing when his hand moved to push the strand of hair and retrieve his hand back.
"Lady Olivia might show that she is in the top and tell that you are lower than her, but remember this, Miss Belle. Everyone starts from somewhere but when you start from the bottom, you learn a lot of things. Things people at the top ignore, you will learn to carve where you want to go which in truth not everyone get to do."
"But that doesn't mean I listen to what she has to say quietly," she reasoned to see him smile.
"No one asked you to do that. I don't think what you did out there was wrong," said the one who had stopped her from throwing the tea, thought Belle to herself, "But sometimes you need to weigh what your action might cause."
"It didn't look like you supported what I did though," Belle said breaking her gaze from his entrancing gaze to look towards her window which now was open to the air in.
Lucas's eyes looked at her in mirth, "What do you propose a mere butler-like me who is beneath both the ladies do?" he asked her.
"Don't go," she whispered before turning to look back at him, "Don't leave this place."
