Rose nodded but did not attempt to leave the carriage until Lady Delphine stepped out with the help of Slade, who looked a little too eager to help her. He still wore a mask over his face and his cap. He stretched out his hand, and Lady Delphine took it with a soft smile on her lips. She thanked him for his help as she ca down from the carriage.
"My pleasure, my lady," Slade replied. Slade looked like he was ready to offer even more help.
Lady Delphine was oblivious to this and quickly pulled her gloved hand from him, turning to face Rose. "Aren’t you stepping out, Rose?" she asked softly.
Rose nodded and lifted her rear from the seat, walking to the door with her head bent. Lady Delphine imdiately offered her hand to help her while Slade glared at Rose like he was fighting back the urge not to kick her legs from under her. Rose shivered. It was scary—the difference between the looks he sent her way compared to Lady Delphine.
Rose got to the ground, landing softly on her bare feet. She could feel the gravel under them, but it wasn’t too bad that it would hurt her toes to walk on.
"Oh no, you’re barefoot," Lady Delphine cried, noticing Rose’s feet as she got off the carriage.
Rose wiggled her toes, trying to hide them from view, but her dress wasn’t nearly long enough. "Aye," she whispered, feeling slightly embarrassed.
"Quickly, let’s go into the house. I will ask one of my girls to get you sothing to wear and so shoes."
Rose frowned at this. Lady Delphine didn’t call them maids or servants. Girls. Rose thought it was an odd term, but as if to answer her question, the front door of the manor was thrown open, and two girls—who looked around Rose’s age—walked out of the manor.
"Lady Delphine," they said in unison with a curtsey. "Welco back."
"Es, Kali, thank you," Lady Delphine said.
The ladies nodded in response, and then everything stopped when they noticed Rose behind her. Rose shuffled on her feet. She knew she was dirty, most likely slled, and wasn’t wearing any shoes. Her hair was also a ss from lying on the ground, probably had dirt in it too, and her face was red from all the crying she had done. She locked her gaze on the floor as she waited for their reaction.
"Who is this, Lady Delphine?" the one called Kali asked. She had brown hair and was taller than Es. Her hair fell over her shoulder and her clothes were a little more revealing than they needed to be. Es also wore similar clothing.
"This is Rose," she said. "No more questions. She has had a rough day. Take her to one of the spare rooms."
Es and Kali exchanged glances, then nodded. "Yes, Lady Delphine."
Lady Delphine’s manor was neither grand nor modest. The structure itself was sturdy and it looked a little ancient. The walls were a little faded but it was big enough that Rose could tell and it had a lot of rooms. She looked around and saw sothing that looked close to a garden, but it was too dark to tell.
"Slade, take the carriage to the back and take care of the horses," Lady Delphine dished out orders.
"Right away, my lady. I will be in the house soon enough."
"No need for that. You have done enough for today. You can retire for the night."
Slade slowly raised his head, disappointnt clearly written all over his face. "I can still go on for the rest of the night, my lady."
"No need for that," Lady Delphine said, starting for the door. "I will see you tomorrow morning."
"This way," Kali said to her.
Rose nodded and took a step forward, not missing the way the ladies scrutinized her with their eyes. They didn’t say anything an, so Rose was going to take that as a good sign, but it wasn’t like they could say anything an with Lady Delphine right next to her.
The huge doors opened, and Rose’s eyes almost fell out of her sockets as she stepped into the manor, if she could even call it that. She didn’t know what to expect from the outside, as it hadn’t given away the sight before her. As soon as she stepped in, the sounds also reached her ears. Rose locked her eyes to the floor—it was either that or letting everyone see how red her face was.
Rose didn’t easily get flustered, especially when it ca to lewd things, but this had not only caught her off guard—never had she seen it displayed so blatantly. The first room they entered looked like so hall or a big drawing room.
There was a dim fireplace in the room. The fire didn’t look like it was going out; rather, it was made to burn that low. But it wasn’t the only source of light. There were candles in specific spots—not to light up the room, but rather to give a romantic ambiance. But the lighting wasn’t what caught Rose off guard—it was the actions being carried out.
Rose could count no less than four chairs scattered in the room, and each was occupied with naked ladies moaning unnecessarily loudly. One sat across a man, moving up and down while he grabbed her bare buttocks. Another had her face pressed against a chair while the man slamd against her, saying the most vulgar of things.
Upstairs, leaning on the railing, was a man aggressively kissing a woman’s neck while she giggled and grabbed his head. This was undoubtedly a brothel.
Rose had never been in one before. She knew Lady Delphine was a courtesan, but when she said her house, Rose expected a normal one. She should have figured it would be sothing along those lines, but she had her mind on other things.
"Oh, Rose," Lady Delphine said, coming closer. "I apologize, I should have warned you, but I—I thought you’d already know."
"Lady Delphine," a gruff man’s voice yelled, dragging her attention. "You’re late."
Lady Delphine’s gaze darkened, but when she turned to face the man, she was all smiles. "Kali, take Rose. Es, co with ."
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