Here and There

As the carriage arrived at the manor, the sun had already set. Hannah and Julia were sound asleep. Lloyd seemed to be the only one awake. As the carriage stopped, Raymond, who was waiting as it had turned dark, immediately moved to the door of the carriage and opened it.

Lloyd signed Raymond to pick up Julia. Raymond did so and was about to take her to her room, when he stopped and asked," What about the governess, my lord?"

" I'll take care of that, you can take Julia first," Lloyd said looking at Hannah and Raymond went inside with Julia.

Lloyd bent forward toward the governess, he fiddled with her black hair for some time, then sighed and mumbled," To sleep so soundly in front of someone who can harm you anytime, I guess old habits don't leave even if you erase your memories with a Witch's Oblivion."

Lloyd held her waist and then carrying her up in his arms, climbed down the carriage and went inside the manor. Walking through the hallway, he turned around the corners towards the governess' room. Opening the door to her room with one hand and holding her with the other, he entered the room. He bumped her head into the doorway with a "Oops" sound. Carefully placing Hannah on the bed, he removed her shoes and sat beside her.

He stared at her for some time.

"Thank you for staying with Julia, today," Lloyd said." I know it's a bit unfair of me to say it when you're asleep. To be honest, I wasn't expecting to find you there even after the priest started coming towards you guys. I seriously thought that you would abandon Julia and run to protect yourself, but you were still there with her, trying to find out a solution. I felt kind of touched."

Lloyd turned around to see Hannah's face but found her two violet eyes staring at him with a poker face.

"That was really cringe," Hannah said sitting up.

Lloyd chuckled and said," And that was so like you."

For some time, there was an awkward silence, but then Lloyd spoke up," Since when were you awake? You were definitely asleep in the carriage."

" From the moment you bumped my head into the doorway while closing the door. That's shock enough to wake someone," Hannah said as she pointed to a small reddish mark on her forehead.

Lloyd chuckled a little and said," My apologies, it was dark so I made a mistake."

Hannah felt a bit annoyed at Lloyd finding it funny and said," I think you should leave, my lord. It's late and I want to sleep."

" Go ahead and sleep," Lloyd said with a smirk.

" I cannot. Especially, with someone staring at me. So please leave first," Hannah retaliated.

" You're so cute when you're trying to get rid of me," Lloyd chuckled as he took a strand of her black hair and started to wrap it around his finger.

" Goodness, that gave me goosebumps. Can you please stop being so difficult and just leave?"

" Goosebumps, huh? Are you that sensitive to me touching your hair?"

" Yes, I feel all flustered and shy when the lord touches my hair and puts his finger on my lips." (With obvious sarcasm)

Lloyd chuckled and kissed the strand of hair he had wrapped around his finger.

" Don't you have something you wish to ask from me?", Lloyd said with his trademark "all-know" smile.

" I think all the serious talk about Julia and her magic can wait until tomorrow," Hannah said with a face that was dying to sleep.

" Can I stay here tonight?", Lloyd said leaning in towards her face.

" Piss... Please leave, my lord. I really want to sleep," Hannah said while forcing out a distorted smile.

She almost said " Piss off'' to Lloyd but controlled her words in time.

" Pfft...," Lloyd would've have laughed out if he hadn't seen Hannah staring at him as if he had murdered her whole family.

" I guess I should leave," Lloyd said and leaned further in and whispered into her left ear," I wasn't lying when I said your lips are soft."

Hannah looked at him leaving and, on a whim, as it seemed, asked," You know that I'm a witch, right?"

Lloyd stopped and said," I thought all the serious talk was left to tomorrow".

He wished her good night and went to the door. Opening it, he turned around to see Hannah and said with a smirk," I wonder if it's only the lips that are soft."

And he left, shutting the door behind him.

' That bastard!!!' Hannah was trembling with rage. But all that rage could wait till the morning. She was too tired to do anything right now.

"Ha...," she let out a sigh and closed her eyes. The words 'soft lips' echoed through her mind and she went to sleep groaning.

Frank peeked at the window up from the garden. The window through which he had looked during the day. The large window of Julia's room.

He wanted to go in and he knew where the hidden stairs were that led to that window. He could easily enter her room, check if she's alright, come back down and not a single soul would know.

But the anxiety wasn't about trespassing a lady's room at night but about Julia being not in the best condition. He feared to find out that she was suffering. The atmosphere of the whole estate had been glum ever since the lord returned with the governess and Julia. The worry and fear about Julia were gnawing at Frank's heart.

He bit his lips and started to climb up the hidden stairs. Reaching the window, he peeked in. The curtains were drawn so he could hardly see inside. He slowly opened the window and with light feet, he went inside the room.

There well was quite a different scene than he had imagined to witness. There was a dog (supposedly the one encountered during noon) on the bed, Julia holding some weird liquid in a glass container, a lot of books and papers scattered around the room and a girl of age about eleven years sitting in the middle of what seemed a ritual circle or something. And all of them now staring at Frank who had made an unexpected entrance through the window.

Frank had filled his motive of seeing Julia alright. He decided to voluntarily unsee whatever other than that he had seen and turned right around to return.

"Frank!!! Wait!!!," he heard Julia call behind him and turned around. But Julia was dashing towards him. It would have been a natural head bump if Frank didn't try to catch Julia to stop her from falling. They both fell. But Frank being at the bottom, with Julia on top on him and their lips pressing against each other. The momentary shock subsided and the both stared into each other's eyes, lips still attached. They froze.

The spectator of this whole chain of romantic actions, the girl sitting in that ritual circle, actually Lucy Shaw, defrost them, saying," Isn't that enough for a kiss even though if you like each other?"

She had a very disgusted look on her face. Though her words worked like magic and the both sprang away from each other like released springs.

Both faces red and out of breath. Frank made a run for it but was caught by the ritual circle girl and now was sitting beside Julia as if being punished for mischief.