4~Apprentice

[Celia's POV]

"Mrs. Gibson, my housekeeper has gone to the market so I can only offer you water at the moment," Enzo said with a nervous smile. Celia did not feel any better. She felt as if any moment now either Austin or Lady Regina would come barging in and drag her away.

She shook her head. "That is alright."

Silence lapsed between the two. Then Enzo said, "So… you…"

Celia knew that Enzo had guessed why she had come to him at this hour, a time when one won't see ladies of respectable houses visiting the house of a young and unmarried man.

"About the apprenticeship," she murmured, trying her best to divert the topic and fill the awkward silence.

Ah right," Enzo began, his ears tinging red. Celia bit back a smile when she noticed it.

"You can stay here. Lodging and food will be provided, and apart from that you will also get a monthly wage," he continued, becoming a professional. Celia's heart soared with hope. The thought of not living in the Wilson manor anymore made her want to sing with glee.

"You will assist me with making of herbal medicines, and occasionally you might also have to accompany me when I visit patients," he added.

"Is this alright? Any questions?" He asked.

Celia shook her head. "Everything is clear. When can I start work?"

She was excited for something after a long time. She couldn't remember what excited her anymore. Enzo's gaze flickered to her satchel before his gaze met hers.

"From today. Mrs. Gibson will be here anytime soon. Can you wait for a while?" He asked.

Celia nodded. "No problem. Thank you for readily accepting me into this position."

Enzo's lips curled into a beautiful smile that had Celia's heart stuttering.

"I am glad I could be of help." He did not need to elaborate.

"Once you get settled, I will call you when I need help. Since today is your first day, I am being lenient," he added conspiratorially, his smile still in place. Then he stood up and left the parlor, leaving Celia alone with her thoughts.

Celia let out a slow breath. She hugged her satchel closer to her chest. Now that she was alone, the ugly thoughts returned. Questions and doubts clouded her mind, and began to give her a headache.

'It is going to be alright. Doctor Enzo is here, and his presence won't be easily shunned.' She chanted the words in her mind over and over again as if that would make Lady Regina stay silent.

Mrs. Gibson returned maybe after some time or after a long time. Celia was not sure because she had been drowning in her anxiety while Doctor Enzo was busy with other things. The crippling realization that she was the only young woman in the house, made her want to go back on her words.

Enzo must have informed the housekeeper because Celia was startled by her entrance. The woman was in her late 50s with black hair tied back in a tight bun, a chubby but stern face, and a stout average stature.

Celia immediately stood up and bowed in greeting. However, before she could say anything, the older woman said in a calm but utterly disapproving tone, "This is rather a strange turn of events. Doctor O'Neil informed me about you joining as the new apprentice, but you are Lord Wilson's ward, are you not?"

Celia wanted to refute and say that if by ward she meant a maidservant, then yes, she was a ward. But as years of conditioning had done to her, she kept her words inside her mouth. She lowered her head instead and nodded.

When Mrs. Gibson did not say anything, she peered at her only to find the other woman assessing her keenly. Celia suppressed the urge to squirm under her gaze.

"I hope that your guardian knows about your whereabouts?" She finally asked. The tone heavily implied that they both knew what the answer would be. However, Celia was spared from answering as Enzo entered the parlor at that moment.

"Ah? You are still here? Mrs. Gibson, show her where she is supposed to stay and then send for Fredrick because the garden needs some tending." Mrs. Gibson gave him an icy look before nodding in compliance. Celia looked at Enzo gratefully, but he did not glance at her.

Mrs. Gibson did not utter another word while she led her to her new room.

Once they were in front of the room, she said, "Doctor O'Neil is a humble young man with a good future. I hope that you are his well-wisher and will see to it that his reputation is not tarnished."

Celia swallowed thickly, her heart twinged at the crude way the older woman was blatantly blaming her already. She felt both nervous and guilty.

However, she nodded. "I wish nothing but the best for Doctor Enzo."

Mrs. Gibson gave a taut nod and left her to sort her things.

She was glad to be left alone this time. She had managed to become more collected and less frazzled. She was already chalking up ways to evade a scandal for the sake of the doctor.

While thinking all this, she stepped into the room and gasped. The room was so different from that of the one she had stayed in. There was an actual four-poster bed in the middle of the room. Two windows were on the left of the bed, and one of them had a little nook for sitting. There was a nightstand on the right of the bed where a candlestand elegantly stood, and at the foot of the bed, against the wall was a closet.

Despite all the worries, she smiled. She walked further inside and closed the door. She slowly unpacked the few things she had brought. She carefully concealed the sketches and other papers in a drawer and kept some other things on top of the drawer.

When she was done, and sat down on the soft bed, she realized that she had not eaten anything since last night. As if on cue, her stomach rumbled. She decided to find the kitchen, help Mrs. Gibson, and then maybe get something for herself to eat.

The house wasn't hard to navigate. She soon found the kitchen and when she offered to help, Mrs. Gibson did not refuse.

Celia was a quick learner so she was easily able to follow Mrs. Gibson's instructions. "You can keep some porridge for yourself, once you have separated the portions," Mrs. Gibson said as they prepared to take the food to the dining room.

Celia felt grateful, and also she felt her cheeks become pink with slight embarrassment. "Thank you," she mumbled.

They were about to leave the kitchen when a tall, lanky man appeared at the doorway. His impassive gaze fell on Celia.

"Miss. Wilson?" His tone made Celia's stomach drop.

"Yes?"

"Lady Wilson is asking for you. She is not… in a pleasant mood."