chapter 11

Chapter 11

"It is because I think so much of warm

and sensitive hearts, that I would spare

them from being wounded." Charles

Dickens, Oliver Twist

Chapter 11

Charlotte sat in the drawing room

at Ascot surrounded by a thousand

different fabric swatches that, to her,

were all white.

But according to Giselle Mornington

they each had a different name.

Giselle was a very fabulous woman,

always draped in the finest fabrics

and jewels. Her auburn hair was curly

and pulled back into a fancy knot on

the back of her head, with a flower

garland surrounding it. The same

flowers decorated her deep purple

gown that emphasised her hourglass

figure perfectly. Her honey-coloured

eyes were very unique, and often fired

with excitement when she was talking

about gowns. "Now, I think this will

look simply gorgeous on you," she said,

holding up a sample of white fabric.

"Ivory silk, isn't it just lovely?"

So it was ivory silk. Giselle held the

material up to her face and sighed

happily. "You've been blessed with such

a lovely complexion, darling."

"Thank you," Charlotte replied

half-heartedly. She'd never really been

involved with the design of her gowns

beforehand, to this extent. She'd often

selected material based on colour and

then picked a design out of a book and

she was finished with it. She sighed

and rose from the settee to stretch

her legs. "Giselle, Ive had enough for

today," she informed her. "Really, you

should choose everything. You know

much more about this than I do." And

she cared much more about it than

Charlotte did.

She didn't think planning a wedding

should be so tiresome. Her brother,

Emmett, and his wife, Bess, had

married almost instantly. Of course the

circumstances were not the best, but a

wedding still had been thrown together

rather quickly. Herwedding, however,

was taking an absolute age to plan.

And it was all Bess' fault.

For a woman who didn't care to do

anything but braid her hair, she

certainly insisted on planning every

detail of Charlotte's wedding.

She and Eric had become engaged two

months ago and the only thing that had

been agreed on was the identity of the

groom.

"Don't you want to design your own

wedding gown?" Giselle asked,

sounding quite surprised. "Bess

assured me that you would want to be

involved with every detail."

Of course she had. "I truly don't," she

murmured. "I trust your taste." She

wanted it over and done with. She

wanted to be married and taken to live

far away from Derbyshire. She didn't

understand why she and Eric couldn't

go into the village and be married by

the vicar that afternoon! "Excuse me,

would you?"

She felt guilty for being short with her

future mother-in-law, but she wasn't

in the mood to talk fashion. Charlotte

exited the room and followed the

voices of her family until she found

them in the dining room enjoying

Tuncheon.

Emmett sat at the head of the table

playing with a grape between his

fingers. Their mother, Marie, sat to his

side and her younger sister, Rose, sat

beside her. Bess was beside Emmett,

lounging in her chair with their now

seventeen-month-old son, David, sitting

on her lap. Charlotte couldn't help but

smile whenever she saw David. He

was incredibly adorable with a cheeky

smile and bright blue eyes.

But her happiness stopped there.

"This is a nightmare!" she exclaimed,

taking her seat beside Bess and helping

herself to a generous glass of wine.

Eric was so lucky to be called away on

business.

She'd been so happy to make a friend

like Eric. He was a kind gentleman

who'd awkwardly asked her to dance

during her first ball in London.

They'd gotten to know each othher as

friends and a mutual admiration had

developed. Once her season was over,

he'd travelled to Derbyshire so that

they could continue getting to know

each other, eventually turning it into a

courtship.

She loved Eric... in a way. Just like he

loved her, in a wav. They respected

each other and were very fond of one

another. It wasn't a terribly passionate

romance but whose was? She could

recall how much Emmett and Bess

detested each other at first. She and

Eric liked each other; that could only

grow, couldn't it?

Charlotte had only felt passionately

about one person in her life, but

she'd let go of her delusions of Nate

returning a long time ago. He might've

even married an American woman by

now, she wasn't to know. Whenever

a letter of his arrived, she'd stopped

asking to hear what he was doing. In

the beginning she'd felt abandoned,

and the tone of his letters showed that

he wasn't thinking about her and he

was having a fantastic time. But she

was older and wiser now. She knew

not to give her heart away so easily.

Besides, Bess had been right. As each

day went by, it hurt less and less. Now

Nathaniel Swift was just a memory.

"What is?" Marie asked as she too

poured herself a glass.

Charlotte took a long drink of her

wine and felt it ever so slightly calm

her down. "Weddings. I don't see why

we can't just go to the church!" she

tootodprotested.

"Because you'll always look back on

your wedding with fondness and you'll

regret it if you are just married on a

Tuesday afternoon in a dress you've

worn ten times before," Bess replied,

bouncing David on her lap. He was

loving the attention.

"Doyou look back on your wedding day

with fondness?" Charlotte quipped.

Emmett snorted as he tried to control

his laugh. Bess shot him a dirty look.

"Anyway"Bess continued. "I really

think that the wedding should be

moved to next January as the lakes will

be frozen and there will be ample ice

to carve sculptures. I was thinking a

majestic Swan ... or perhaps an angel?"

Charlotte rolled her eyes at the next

strange idea that Bess had. Last week

she'd suggested that they find actual

swans to walk down the aisle before

her.

David climbed off his mother's lap

and onto Charlotte's. She smiled at

her young nephew and proceeded to

cuddle him. "Your Mama is insane!"

she cooed, not letting on to David

that she was irritated. "Honestly, at

"Hush, you," Bess instructed comically

as Emmett smacked Nate around the

back of the head.

"Hey!" Maggie exclainmed angrily. "No

hitting my Daddy!"

That made Charlotte smile. Maggie

had a lot of nerve. Perhaps it was an

American thing.

Emmett winked at her and invited

Marie to bring David over to them.

Rose followed, still looking a little

starstruck. Clearly she had not

expected their guest either.

"How are you, Bessie?" Nate asked,

turning to Bess and inviting her in for a

hug.

She hugged him and kissed him on the

cheek. "Good," she replied. "You needa

shave," she said next, gesturing to the

hair on his chin.

Nate ran his hands over his jaw. "I

know." He nodded. "First on my list of

things to do, I promise." Nate smiled

widely as Marie handed David over to

him. David was reluctant to leave his

grandmother's arms but he allowed

Nate to hold him. "You're looking lovely

as ever, Marie," he complimented.

Marie arched one of her perfect, dark

brows. "Mm," was all she said.

Marie wasn't one of Nate's greatest

fans. Charlotte believed it to be because

of how upset Charlotte had been after

his abrupt departure.

"You're looking beautiful too, Rosie,"

Nate added, winking at Rose. His

comment had made her sister blush.

"Both you girls have grown up so much.

I can hardly believe my eyes."

Charlotte's mind immediately travelled

back to the night that he had called her

a 'child. Their age difference was the

reason that Nate had given up pursuing

her. That and Emmett's pigheadedness.

Though she'd forgiven her brother,

Nate, however? No. Nate could have

fought for her. He could have proven to

Emmett his worthiness. But he didn't.

Instead, he'd boarded the next ship to

America without even saying'goodbye.

He'd most likely worked his way

through every American prostitute he

could find. She wondered if Maggie's

mother was one of the women he'd

bedded. The thought made her feel ill.

"Hello, young man," Nate said tenderly

as he bounced David ever so slightly

in his arms. The motion made David

IITsmile. "Tm your Uncle Nate." Charlotte

could have sworn she saw tears in his

eyes as the blue eyes of his nephew

peered up at him. He looked up at

Bess and Emmett. "You two have done

well," he said sincerely. "Maggie, this is

your cousin, Davy." He set David on the

ground, but held onto both his hands,

so Maggie could meet him.

"HoW on earth did she get that bloody

pet name across the Atlantic?" Emmett

exclaimed.

"Bessie was the one writing me

the letters." Nate smirked. "He's a

handsome little monkey, isn't he?" he

remarked.

"I think so," Bess agreed proudly.

Charlotte couldn't take it anymore. It

was all too surreal. After such a long

absence, she'd come to terms with

the fact that she wouldn't be seeing

him again. She'd accepted it and she'd

moved on. She was planning her

wedding! And now Nate had come

back home, daughter in tow, and

behaved as if no time had passed.

Now she truly knew how he'd felt

about her. Obviously she'd been

delusional to think that he'd cared for

her"Excuse me, would you?" Charlotte

said icily. "I should help Giselle." Being

bored out of her mind was better than

feeling all of her emotions at once. She

quickly started out of the foyer, moving

swiftly past Emmett and Bess, towards

the hallway.

"Charlotte," Nate called out, stopping

her in her tracks. "I... I hear

congratulations are in order." She

couldn't tell from his tone how he felt

about that, but he certainly didn't

sound sad per se.

She turned and looked over her

shoulder. "Thank you. I'm afraid I

won't be here to welcome you home.

I'm going to London in the morning

to see my fiancé." She didn't know if

she was trying to punish him or get a

reaction. Either way it wasn't fair to

Eric to do either. She did have a fiancé,

one that cared about her very much,

which was more than she could say for

the absentee before her.

"You are not!" Emmett exclaimed.

"You're not travelling to London

without one of us to chaperone. You're

too young to be travelling alone,

anyhow."

Charlotte clenched her teeth to refrain

from screaming childishly. When

would she not be considered 'young' by

her brother? In twenty years? Thirty?

She shot her brother a look that told

him she was seriouslydispleased and

then disappeared into the hallway to go

and find Giselle.

more story by this writer like wondered

chapter 1

1-Employed

ago from her "other worldly beings"

collection. It was such an honour to see

that the owner of this biggest gallery

had bought her piece and liked it so

much they were showcasing it in their

precious collection, not to be sold.

"We have star in our midst." Was what

her partners, Jake and Pam praised as

they saw her old piece.

Alana had felt odd seeing the painting

she'd long forgotten about. She still

remembered being reluctant to sell

it in the first place, since it was a

personal piece. Although the art subject

was of a ethereal woman she'd only

seen once in her dreams, this woman

had left a huge impression. There had

been something familiar about her,

something extra special.

In the dream, Alana had seen the

woman twice:

The first time, she was in

field of snow with the woman's back

to her. She followed the woman for

a long time, there was something

heartbreaking about the way she

walked on the frosty ground. As if she

was lost in bloom of snow flakes oon

the ground. Alana called out to her but

the woman didn't seem to hear her.

The cold had sipped unto her bones,

as the woman squatted on the ground,

her attention drawn to something.

When Alana looked she saw that it

was a blooming pink flower, defying

odds as it blossomed against the cold.

Alana couldn't tell what expression-

whether she was sad or happy-was on

on the woman. However, there was a

bittersweet feeling in her heart when

she watched her.

The second time, she'd seen

the same woman lying in a round

bed inside a huge glass-like box.

She had looked surreal and utterly

breath-taking, with long flowing silver

hair against her shimmering dark

brown skin. Alana had watched the

woman for a long time until she had

realised, this woman wasn't waking

up anytime soon. She did everything,

trying to break the glass so she could

get to the woman. However, the glass

didn't budge, as if it was made of the

hardest uncrackable material-a glass

force field that ricocheted everything

she had thrown at.

Alana had woken up from that dream,

in sweats and panic. More panicked

than when she had woken from her

nightmares. She had quickly picked up

her paintbrushes and began painting

the woman while the dream was still

fresh in her memory.

It had taken the whole morning to

finish painting the two pieces. Her

first and second dream. And although

Alana had tried her best to bring the

subject alive through paint, when she

had looked at the finished product of

the second, she felt dissatisfied with it.

It hadn't been until Pam saw her

painting and pointed out how that

woman bore a striking resemblance to

Alana, that she finally figured out why

she had felt odd.

"It's so weird cos you're pale skinned

and she's dark skinned, your hair is

pitch black and hers is silver white,

and yet... there's a resemblance

between you two...Did you do that

thing where you forgot what you were

painting and ended putting yourself as

the subject?" Was what Pam had asked

her.

Alana had sighed in response and

wanted to destroy the painting right

then and there. If it hadn't been for

Pam persuading her otherwise, she

would have lost something important.

She stored away the painting of her

second dream and sold the painting

of her first dream. That first was more

colourful. A buyer had bought it for

a ridiculous amount of money. This

money she had used to start up the

partnership company she was now

working at.

Because of the heatwave, it was very

hot this evening. The stock room had

no air-condition and because of this,

she had hurried in finishing her task of

returning the failed piece, the owner

of the gallery didn't want to use. After

labelling them accordingly, she placed

them ata vantage point where the

deliver could see to return them to

their owners.

Since her company was an informal

business, where one didn't need to

wear office suits and heels. Alana had

worn a white tank top, jean shorts and

Vans and covered herself with a long

light-weight cardigan.

She was returning to the main officce

of the building when she heard the

conversation her fellow partners were

having. The event was about to start

and buzzing voices could be heard

in the main hall of the event. She

wondered why Jake and Pam werent

inside already, starting their work for

tonight.

"..Bloody good looking, so he was...his

voice to..." Pam spoke.

"Pam, you were busy trying to undress

him with your eyes to really hear what

he was saying-well, what his assistant

was saying." Jake admonished her.

"Hmmm... somehow, she looked

familiar, was it only me?" She frowned.

"Familiar how? You have never met

her before.. " Jake stated.

"No, there was wee bit of something

about her that seemed familiar, as if

Ive known her a long time." Pam was

determined to figure it out.

"Are you sure it wasn't you in

drool-land over the guy, to mistake his

secretary for someone you know."

Pam was about to smack Jake shoulder

when Alana entered their main office.

"Whose secretary?" Alana asked in

amusement, staring at them both.

Pamela was in swoon-land while Jake

was studying Alana up and down with

bulging eyes.

"Alana, you're still in your work

uniform?" He reminded her.

By "work uniform", he actually meant

her casual attire. It was an inside joke

of them, the fact that for their work

they were free to dress as they wished,

compared to those whom had to dress

in work suites for their 9 to 5 jobs.

1

"I texted Pam earlier, telling her that

the workload here took all day long, I

didn't have time to go back and change

for this evening. I thought-"

"I've got your dress with me here,

love..." Pam interjected her. "..I only

came to bring you this, Jake followed

me after I had stopped to admire that

yummy guy in Armani." Pam then

handed Alana the garment cover that

had the dress Alana had purchased

earlier for this event.

"Ah, you're a life-saver, Pam," Alana

instantly hugged the cover to her chest.

Although, she now considered herself

to be well off for a twenty-one-year

old, when it came to money, she was

still frugal. Their business did okay

however, sometimes for months on

end nere were ramy moments WInouu

clients. It was this reason alone,

that the partners were considering

relocating to somewhere like Italy

where art was very much appreciated.

"Anyway, I need to hurry...aren't people

already coming in for the event?"

"Yeah a few, but, the owner said right

now is just reception, we aren't needed

until.." Jake checked the time and

frowned. "..Nine-thirty."

There was thirty minutes until

nine-thirty, Alana sighed in relief

realising there will be enough time

to use the staff bathroom toilet to get

ready.

"Pam, you brought your make-up bag,

right?" Alana asked her friend/business

partner.

"Ready and equipped."

Alana smiled, nodding in appreciation.

She ruffled the garment cover she was

holding and said to them, "So what will

it be? Going back at reception to mingle

and drink? Or Coming with me to help

me get ready?"

Pam wiggled her eyebrows and Alana

instantly knew she had chosen the latter