Chapter 186: What’s Wrong with Arlan?
She hadn’t realized that she had fallen asleep clutching the necklace until she had to peel her fingers away from it when she awakened.
Everything started coming back to her with the speed of a horse chasing the runaway sun on the horizon.
They were sleeping on the floor of the drawing room in their new house.
How absurd.
The servants must think she lost all her wits for preferring to sleep on the floor rather than on a bed.
And if the guards saw sothing wrong with it, they hadn’t voiced it aloud.
No one dared to.
Which was a good thing.
Aurora was still soundly asleep beside her.
When she glanced around, she saw that the candle she had lit the night before was still burning, although it was a few minutes away from dying out.
Her head ached from all the thinking she had been doing before she had managed to fall into the clutches of sleep.
Claire rubbed her temples and rolled out of the bed gently.
After tugging on her robe, she set the necklace down on the table and went out to see about the rest of the house.
Everyone was already awake and going about their duties as if there was an imaginary clock ticking above their heads.
Breakfast was nearly done when she poked her head in the kitchen and the guest rooms had been swept, dusted and aired. All the beddings had been changed and the windows were wide open to chase the stale air out.
They did look indeed habitable, but anyti she glanced at the end of the hallway where the two rooms she dreaded the most were, a shiver ran down her spine.
But how long would she and her sister sleep on the floor of the drawing room?
One night was understandable even if outright absurd, but more than that?
She nodded at them to continue on with their work before heading down the stairs.
It was a bright day outside. The sun had managed to chase the gloomy clouds away, giving the house a certain lively look.
The staircase railing had been waxed and polished till it gleaned. The carpets and rugs didn’t have a single sar of dirt or dust on them.
Everything was spick and span. No one needed her to give them any instructions - not that she was skilled in the area.
They were all... very efficient.
And more lively than she ever rembered.
The chambermaids were humming to themselves as they worked and there was laughter coming from outside - none of that happened when uncle Jarren had been their ’Master’.
"Where does Arlan sleep?" She asked one of the chambermaids as she was passing.
"He sleeps with the stable boys at the back of the house, my lady."
Her face paled instantly.
"Why?"
The woman shrugged and went about her duties.
Why was the boy so intent on punishing himself for a cri he didn’t commit?
When she descended the stairs, her sister was already awake.
"I’m going to have a bath, Claire. Is it alright if Arlan helps
wash my hair?"
Claire blinked, tightening her robe around herself.
"He asked to help you or you just want him to help you?"
Her sister coloured slightly. "I was complaining about how hard it is for the maids to wash my hair properly and how I can’t do it myself. It still always itches afterwards. So... he volunteered to help ... but I said I would ask you first."
Claire’s jaw dropped slightly.
"You’re a girl for heavens sake, Rory. Boys don’t visit when girls are taking a bath and especially not to help them wash their hair."
Rory looked down at the ground.
"Will you help
then?"
Claire nodded.
"I haven’t taken a bath since we visited the inn." She admitted.
Claire scowled but said nothing. It was no one’s fault anyway.
"Where is Arlan anyway?"
"He is outside with the stable boys playing hide and seek."
Oh.
He wasn’t planning on coming inside because of her?
The last thing she needed was soone else to worry about. The King was already a handful.
"Go and have the bath prepared. I will be with you shortly." She said and walked outside to find the boy.
True to her sister’s words, the boys were all hiding.
She tried waiting for the ga to end, but they didn’t appear forthcoming.
"Arlan!" She called out.
She heard a shuffling sound behind a barrel at the side of the building and went towards it.
There he was, hiding behind it.
He looked very afraid of her, his eyes wide and his lips trembling.
"Hello, Arlan. Is it alright if I talk to you?" She spoke gently.
He nodded hesitantly and climbed to his feet, only pausing to beat the dirt out of his trousers.
His clothes were creased and in dire need of a pressing.
"Why don’t you co into the house and have breakfast with ?"
He eyed her suspiciously, his eyes narrowing before nodding.
Claire felt uncomfortable at the way he treated her like soone who had the intention of poisoning him or harming him in so unspeakable way.
Hadn’t she always been kind to him?
When they reached the table, breakfast had already been served.
"Please wait here a mont while I help Aurora with her bath." She said when he was properly seated.
He nodded, but she saw sothing flash in his eyes.
Jealousy? Envy?
Maybe she was just imagining it.
Aurora was already in a tub in one of the rooms upstairs.
"What took you so long, Claire?"
"I was just speaking to Arlan." She crouched beside the bath and picked up the lavender bar soap. "Are you sure he hasn’t told you any other thing about ?"
Rory shook her head.
"If he does, do not hesitate to tell ."
After scrubbing her sister’s hair until there were tears in her eyes, she helped her dry herself and dress before they both went downstairs to join Arlan at the table.
But as they were coming out of the room, her guard stood there.
"Is there a problem?"
He shook his head.
"You have a guest downstairs."
Her heart began to pitter patter, but judging from his tone, he didn’t sound pleased about the visit - so it couldn’t be the King.
But who was it?
"Who is it?"
He didn’t say anything.
She and Aurora exchanged glances.
"You should put on a dress, Claire." Rory told her.
She rushed back into the room and wore one of her erald elegant day gowns and brushed her hair till it shone in the morning light.
She hadn’t heard any carriages arrive - or had she been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed.
When she finally descended the stairway, she found Aldrich standing at the foot of the stairway.
Her stomach folded inwards and Yeren’s words rang in her head.
"Lady Stenly? You look very pale." He started climbing the stairway to reach her but stopped when she remained unmoved.
"I just thought I should visit you and see how you are doing in your new ho. And possibly court you in the process." He flashed her a charming smile.
She stood rooted to the spot.
"Claire?"
She blinked.
"Won’t you co down? I have a lot to tell you, especially about the ball the King is planning to throw in a fortnight."
A ball.
Another ball.
Would he invite her?
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