She didn't question why because she knew how skillful this handsome butler of the Adams was.
"Is that what you want?" she heard him ask her.
Belle, who was already dazed with Lucas' gesture, turned to look away from him. She took a deep breath to sort out her mind. Instead of answering his question, she said, "You will be leaving in two days."
It felt as if the hours were going to sleep through her fingers and she would be standing here unable to stop him from going as the deal had already been made.
Belle felt powerless but she was determined to bring him back one day, back to the Adams mansion, "Is it allowed to let the people p.a.w.n other lives? Isn't it wrong?" She tried to reason now with logic.
"Slaves are living breathing creatures too, Miss Belle. Their lives are maneuvered depending on their master and mistress. Like I said, I am just a servant here."
"But we didn't buy you, you are your very own person," but there was also the matter where he had agreed to work for the Stlinkson's readily.
As if reading her mind Lucas didn't respond to her statement and said, "We should get back to the parlor room. Your parents will be expecting you," he said and Belle felt her feet being unwillingly dragged outside her room.
The request she had placed, Lucas couldn't do anything about it. She despised Lady Olivia, her status, and the way she spoke, including everything she was. She didn't know there could be a time where she would hate a person's presence this much. It felt as if if the woman breathed it would get on her nerves right now.
Reaching the parlor room, Lady Olivia who was getting ready to leave looked at Belle with a small smile on her lips, "I hope with the change of clothes you have changed your train of thoughts. As free-spirited you are, you should learn how to speak to people unless you want to get your family name in a puddle."
Belle who couldn't keep quiet responded back to tell, "I will be sure to be on my best behavior when we meet again. I won't let you down," she gave her a bow that surprised her parents and the woman but Lady Olivia could tell the younger vampiress was being sarcastic about it.
"I hope you do that," and as if what she had done here wasn't enough, she raised her right hand with her wrist that was slack towards Lucas. The butler leaned forward to take her hand and kiss the back of her hand, "See you soon, Lucas. I cannot wait for you to start working in the mansion," Belle could tell that there would be less of mansion work and more of Olivia's work which Lucas would be tending to.
Once Lady Olivia had left the mansion in her fancy-looking carriage that was made with the combination of teak and rosewood, Mrs. Adams turned to look at her daughter while Mr. Adams walked inside with Lucas who waited on him.
"Are you alright, dear?" Her mother asked her, placing her hand on her shoulder.
"Yes, mama."
"Come here, Belle," her mother, took her by her hand and gently tugged her so that they could take a walk in the front of their mansion in the garden where many plants stood tall and short with flowers in them. Belle didn't resist and instead, she went along with her mother, following her footsteps, "Did I tell you how your father and I came to meet each other?" her mother turned to ask her daughter.
"It was an arranged marriage."
"Yes, it was one but do you know that we both didn't want to get married but had to because of the social norms? We had to follow them because that is what we were expected to do. There are times you need to follow things, dear. Your anger might be justified but you need to know to hold your tongue, know to speak only when you know you can take down your opponent with nothing at stake."
She knew that but that didn't help in sorting out the situation, thought Belle to herself, "Though I agree on a few things, I cannot stay put if people like Olivia are going to slander our name, mama."
"You are still a young girl. Look at the butler. He might not like a lot of things but he knows what is right and wrong. You should learn from him," on Mrs. Adams words Belle said,
"He won't be here to learn anything."
Mrs. Adams had a faint inclination and she could tell her daughter was very upset with the fact that the butler would not be working for their family. She also somewhere felt that her Belle had grown an attachment to the butler which wasn't something she was looking forward to and maybe somewhere it was a good thing to put distance. She believed the butler to not do anything by crossing his status but the same couldn't be told of her daughter. Belle often followed her heart and she had noticed lately how Belle looked at him.
"The next butler will have the same caliber," her mother tried to cheer her daughter up, "Definitely not like Mrs. Whitaker. By the way, I heard Mr. Esmond has returned back to Bonelake with his wife and son. Do you remember them? You used to play with their son when you were little."
"I don't think I have heard about them."
"You were small back then. Mr. Esmond moved because of his work with his family but now that they are in town they have sent out the invitation to join them for dinner that they have hosted in their mansion..." her mother went on to speak about the Esmond's family but Belle heard the words as if they were spoken in a distance as she didn't heed to them but did occasionally nod her head so that her mother would think she was listening to her.
Belle who returned back to the mansion saw how the maid named Marie was coughing and she went to the girl who almost fainted but Belle caught hold of her,
"Marie?!" Belle called the maid's name whose eyes rolled back and her eyes closed with her forehead covered in sweat, "Bernard!" she called the servant boy who was nearby, "Help me bring her back to her room."
Once the girl was placed in the bed, Belle placed her cold hand on the maid's forehead to feel it hot. She was running a high temperature.
"Was she not well?" Belle asked one of the maids who had followed them here.
"She seemed alright last night when she went to sleep, milady. She must have caught something in the wind," answered the maid.
Though the girl had fallen weak, she was still conscious and she coughed, "Go get the doctor from the village," Belle said to the servant man who bowed to leave the room. She didn't know how she had fallen sick so quickly, it was as if as time was pa.s.sing by her health was getting worse and worse. The maid's face was pale and her lips were unchapped and cracked. There were dark circles around her eyes that weren't there in the morning.
Belle was a compa.s.sionate girl and it didn't matter if the person was lower than her in status.
"Lady Belle, I need to finish cleaning," Marie uttered the words.
"Don't speak," Belle said, who was seated next to her bed, "Bernard has gone to fetch the doctor and the food is being prepared. You can rest for today and once you are better, you can continue your work," but somewhere Belle doubted if the maid would get better.
It was because she could see the black vapor surrounding the girl right now. The vapor was all around the girl that moved like a flame would. The last time she had seen this on the deranged vampire and it gave her an ominous feeling.
Lucas who appeared at the door heard Belle say, "Marie is not feeling well. She needs to rest," and he gave her a nod. The girl wouldn't be alive for too long as her time was ticking close to her end.
The doctor arrived, he didn't bother to stop the lady from a.s.sisting the maid. The doctor had told her she would get better but he knew it wasn't going to happen. Though he could see that Belle was having her suspicion, she was being supportive and helpful to the maid, sitting next to the girl and accompanying her in the room so that she wouldn't be alone.
When the time of evening arrived, Lucas went to his room to pick up his coat as he had to go out to finish work.
"GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
It was Barron the reaper who was stuck to a stuffed toy, who was unable to move his legs or hands but could only speak that were heard only by the butler, "Do you know who I am?! I can snap my fingers and turn you to dust!"
Lucas didn't bother to listen to the reaper and as if he didn't exist, he shut the door close to his room.
