WoA2.23Smashwords by Amber Newberry Read Free Book Online Page B

girls! She may do as she wishes, wear them in the stables if she wants!”
    * * *
    It was an exceedingly warm, early September day and we were preparing to leave for London the following morning. As I began to separate what would be acceptable to wear for a sixteen-year-old, refined young lady, I saw how little I had to pack. I stared at the overflowing pile of little girl's dresses on the bed. Ruffles and bows peeked out here and there with hues of pink, lavender and pale blue. Fleur walked into the room behind me, so quietly that when I turned to see her, I started.
    "Oh, Fleur, you scared me!" I said.
    Then she frowned and apologized, "I'm sorry, miss, I meant no harm, please don't be cross. Bernadine said to come to your room and..." Her eyes were large and innocent and her hair was in two long braids on either side of her head, which was covered by a bonnet. She seemed afraid to be in my presence, and who could blame her. I had not seen her since the day in the library.
    "Please, miss, I did not mean to frighten you, I promise it won't happen again. Bernadine said I wasn’t to be gone more than a moment, should I not have come?"
    "Now don't be silly, Fleur! You aren't in any trouble. You just gave me a start, is all,” I said, and her eyes went to the dresses. She pressed herself up against the wall like an angry hound was barking up at her and stared at the dresses as if they were her escape route.
    “I could hardly get into one of those on if I tried!" I said, hoping to lighten the mood. She briefly looked up at me and then down to her feet.
    She blushed and said, “I have never had such beautiful things. My Aunt says that I'll look silly putting on airs."
    "Well, you just tell your Aunt that Miss Tamsin would be disappointed if you didn't put on airs in those dresses." She waited till then to approach her bounty. She scooped the dresses up and rushed toward the door, as though I would change my mind. When I called her name, she stopped and didn’t turn back to me right away. Her arms tightened around the pile of gowns.
    “Fleur... That day in the library...” She had not turned to face me, so I walked to her side and stood in the doorway.
    “I didn’t mean--”
    “I know, Miss...” She still looked down, avoiding my gaze.
    “I’m sorry for what happened to you,” I said. She finally looked up at me and gave me a brief and very sincere smile before immediately looking back down. I moved aside and let her pass with the pile of frills and bows.
    It made me a little sad because it felt like I had just given away my childhood, but it was best that the dresses would be of use to someone else. I believed I had made Fleur happy, and that's what frilly dresses were meant to do for little girls. Even though Fleur had the hard life of a servant, she would have something of beauty in her life. With that, I sighed, closed up my half empty trunk and went downstairs for tea with Celia and my Aunt.
    * * *
    There were only the three of us at dinner that night because Julian had gone on to London along with his father and Leo. Celia told me stories about the city. It would be my first time in town. Come to think of it, the first time I ever spent a night outside the walls of Rhineholt was when I stayed with Creeda at Aven Cottage.
    Aunt Emmaline was quiet and after dinner she excused herself to bed early, complaining of a headache. This left me with Celia in the drawing room. We talked for a bit about the convent where I would be living for the next two years, and after a pause, Celia moved in close to where I sat and took hold of both of my hands. She looked seriously at me, so much so that it frightened me.
    "What is it?" I finally asked.
    "You are old enough now, I think," she said with her eyes never leaving my face.
    "There are things you must know, dear. Some of them are unpleasant, but it is important that you know the truth, darling. I wanted to tell you when we were on our way to Germany, but the weight is just so