Never Be Friends
Embarrassment burnt her cheeks. How she had hoped that he would not speak those words out aloud when he had already shown her the parchment. A gentleman would have not. But he was no gentleman here, he was a soldier that had come to prove her crimes.
She used her saliva to separate her tongue from sticking to her jaws.
"It was a long time ago when I got married. I was not perfect when it came to… my husband had hired her to make sure that he estate did not face any trouble. I have been handling it now. And.." she looked at the file again, the parchment where a woman was drawn vividly as if she would smile at her any moment.
But it would never happen, the woman had left and she was here. "She did not run away. She was dismissed because I was able to handle my duties now." she sounded confident or so she thought but the look in his eyes told her otherwise. It was the look a knight gave to a criminal.
She gulped and looked away.
"I have come to invite you for dinner tonight." the coldness in his eyes started to increase every passing second. And it sting her with a needle. She knew that she should retreat. He did not trust her but she did not need her trust.
As long as he met her alone, she would tell him the truth. He could testify it then. Time was slipping from her hands. So, she steeled herself and continued,
"As the hostess of the house, it is my duty to welcome the guests. I was late in completing my duties and… it is time we start again." a burst of laughter broke her prepared speech. She looked at him with surprise when he laughed further.
"There seems to be a mistake, my lady." The way his lips curved at the word lady left goosebumps in her skin, "there will never be a day when we can make a new start." the words stung like daggers.
She knew what he meant. He was talking about her marriage. His betrayal and… everything in between.
"And whose fault it would be, I wonder?" if only.. If only he had run away with her. If only.. Her chest heaved as the possibilities ran in her mind. How different their life would have been if he had shown the courage to take her.
He had left her without even giving her a reply when she asked him to come with her. They would have lived as poor, but was this luxurious life better than that one? She would exchange it a hundred times if it was meant to be with him.. No! She had lost that chance too. For the man sitting in front of her holds nothing but hatred for her now.
"Are we talking about faults now? And here I thought you were attempting to seduce me again with that long slit of your dress." he let go of all the formalities at once as his hand reached for her hand.
The touch was brief. Just a brush of the skin one could have while working together or… she told herself that she must have had it many times. Then why in the world she was burning like the molten lava had been spread on her skin.
It must be the embarrassment she concluded as his lips twisting in an expression closer to disgust. Ha! She must have looked disgusting in his eyes. A married woman trying to seduce her ex lover in the morning. She could not even wait for the night.
She looked around the room and found four men looking at her intently. As if they wanted to register her every action in their heart. Why? Just to protect him or to inform Philip later.
She had already thought she would tell him that she was distracting Lenhart to reach for the papers, if it was required.
For her, her family and her life was more important now. Len and Philp could burn each other in hell for all she cared.
"You have taken my maids away. I am not good at getting ready." she sighed. She was never good at that. She did not understand the use of makeup or heavy dresses. He did not care in the past. She saw his face relaxing a bit as he entertained that possibility. He did not want her to seduce him. Should she be relieved about it or worried?
For now, she could not afford emotions. So, she shook both of them away.
"Lenhart, I am here with the offer of friendship. You are here for my husband not me." he took a pause, but nodded in the end.
"We have investigated you and found nothing. You hardly leave your room. You do not need new people. Hardly attend parties and did not even visit your maiden house.
Even if you want to commit a crime, you do not have the resources and men to do it for you." she blinked and then blinked again when he continued, "in fact, you do not have supporters at all. No family, no friends, no relatives who care for you. I heard that you only visited for a week when your father died. It had left nasty rumors about your coldness to your family." her eyes stung for she realized he was using a different way to wound her now.
Her hands itched to slap him. Slap everyone who had spread those rumors. What did he know? She had fought hard from Philip. She was even ready for the divorce if needed. But she had decided to live in her maiden house for six months to mourn for her father.
But it was her mother who threw him out of the house. She said that it was not her house anymore. She belonged to her husband and she must live where he was or she would leave Elara too for forever.
"You have no idea, Lenhart."