Chapter 11: The Children (A)

When I opened my eyes, Julien still held me in his arms and we were both on the bed. We were alone and it was really quiet. What happened to the party? I looked out the window, it was really dark. Was the party over yet.

"Are you awake?" Julien asked me, moving away from me for a bit to get a good view of my face.

"Yes. Is the party over?"

"It is. It has been over for hours, it's nearly dawn now. Are you well?" I looked up at him and smiled. He did care about me after all.

"I'm well. Thank you for coming in at that moment you did, I can't begin to imagine what would have happened to me if you didn't." He returned my smile and relaxed more on the bed, pulling me closer into his arms. I know we looked like a real couple and I actually liked the feeling, but I just couldn't understand Julien at all.

"Sometimes you're kind and gentle, other times you're harsh and arrogant. Have you always been a complicated person?"

"You speak so well, did you have an education?" He asked, ignoring my question.

"My mother taught me to read and write, every other thing I know, I learnt them from books."

"Ah, I see." He commented, smiling at nothing in particular.

"Will you answer my question?"

"What question?" I see, of course he'd play dumb.

"Have you always been a complicated person?"

"No, I learned to be this way from experience."

"Wh..."

"I apologize for my words." He said, interrupting me. "I shouldn't have lumped you up with a harlot or called you cheap. I was just startled but it's no excuse for my behaviour." He was a gentleman after all.

"Apology accepted. I am also sorry for hitting you and for listening to Penny about the dress. I knew it was too much but she said it would cheer you up and you've been upset since the other morning and I just..."

"It's alright, you did nothing wrong. The dress looked really beautiful on you, I was just startled, that's all."

"Why were you startled?"

"I knew you were pretty, but it looked like you got even prettier in that dress and I felt like a fool not to realise just how lucky I am to find you." I was already laughing before he finished.

"Don't tease me like that."

"Who said I'm teasing you?" I laughed more, feeling lighter than I have in years.

At the crack of dawn, Julien already had two horses saddled and ready for our journey. I didn't expect it but Penny and her husband came out to see us off. Now that he was singled out, I got to know who Penny's husband was. He wasn't the one who kissed my hand of course, he was rather very well built as if he's been doing some heavy labor all his life. But he was a Viscount! How could he be involved with hard labor? Even I who haven't had a nice comfortable life, the heaviest thing I've lifted is a crate of eggs.

"Hello, my Lady." Greg said to me, still standing next to his wife, but he gave me a slight bow. Why?

"I didn't get to introduce myself before, I am Gregory Manesse. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." How charming! I felt like I was in a fairytale.

"Urh... Yes... I um... I feel the same." I said, feeling like a idiot.

"Yes, yes, we're leaving." Julien said hurriedly and helped me up my horse, then getting on his.

Penny came over to my horse and hid something in the bag hanging on its saddle.

"A present for you." She whispered and winked. Oh God, please not another lewd dress. "Goodbye, Gwen. Come visit soon!" She said louder and waved.

"I will. Goodbye." I waved back and followed Julien's lead away.

As soon as we were a great distance away, Julien turned to me with a strange look on his face I couldn't understand.

"For someone who has her own husband, who might I add is very good looking, you sure were fawning over Greg." I giggled. Someone's jealous.

"I wasn't fawning over him, I just admired how well built he is."

"That huge meathead lives for brawls with his brothers. Didn't you notice how all of them have the same build? Besides nature, they take pride in getting fatter muscles everyday."

"I only met them once and even then, my eyes were on you the whole time?" Julien slowed his horse so that we rode side by side.

"Really? Not even the one that kissed your hand?"

"Don't start, I've only ever had eyes for one person my entire life..."

"Your Albert." Julien cut in, then kicked his horse. "Come on, we are already behind time." What was his problem? He didn't even let me complete my statement. It's true I've always had feelings for Albert and those feelings are still there but things are different now and there's no going back. Julien isn't really a bad person and I was sure with a little more time with him, I will get to love him as his wife should.

This was also the longest I've spent with someone who isn't family or Hailey. Albert never had time for me; he was here now and before you'd cough, he was gone.

The first time I met him, I had gone to the pub to bring pa home and coincidentally, Albert was there with other men of his status, drinking quietly in a corner when one of the drunks had a fit and pushed me into a chair. Albert rushed to my rescue, beating the daylight out of the drunk. I was relieved it wasn't pa, else I would have been orphaned. Anyway, after that day, Albert made it a habit to check up on me and sometimes take me on walks; for his gifts, I rejected them all.

"Are you alright?" Julien was already far ahead when I heard his voice and I kicked my horse forward to meet him. "Why are you behind? Something on your mind? Or are you still ill?"

"No no, I just let my mind wander for a bit. I'm sorry." He stared at me for a moment, then nodded.

It was almost sundown when we arrived at another town but this one was more busy and more populated. As I rode behind Julien, people kept staring at us until we went out of sight, going deeper into the town. The house was nearly twenty minutes ride from the town and the only other house in sight was an old house that didn't look occupied.

Julien's house was small but really lovely; it had a porch complete with a rocking chair and lamps. Maybe the children would love listening to stories on the porch. The house was painted blue and white and it got shades from Apple trees around it. It was really beautiful, not to mention the lake far behind the house.

I was already smiling when we got down the horses and took them to the small barn by the side of the house, then we went for the front door, opened it and my smiled vanished.