It was two days since Lady Storm and Lord Elric departed for Ruthven.
The house had settled into a deceptive calm. All velvet curtains and polished silver, every tray delivered on time and every servant moving like clockwork. But beneath that surface, something churned. A tension unsaid. A silence drawn tight like thread pulled too taut.
In the study, the fire crackled gently in the hearth. Coral and I sat side by side, parchment spread before us, tallying the logistics for the upcoming winter hunt.
"We'll need more saddle blankets," Coral said, her fingers trailing down a column of inventory. "And warm boots. If Cerelith's going, she'll need something more functional than satin."
I smiled faintly as I dipped my quill in the inkwell. "I don't know satin came in hunting edition."
Coral laughed, tucking a curl behind her ear. "With Cerelith, anything is possible. She once tried to fire a crossbow wearing pearls."
I shook my head trying not to laugh too hard. "Thank you," I said after a moment, quieter now. "For staying. For helping. I don't think I would have survived these past days without you."
She looked at me, brow softening. "You don't have to thank me Cici. You're doing far better than you think."
I shrugged, closing the ledger with a soft thud. "It's easier when I'm busy. It's quieter here."
Coral sighed, standing up to stretch. "If Cerelith were left in charge of this household, we'd be eating sugared almonds for dinner and scheduling seances before supper."
I snorted, " honestly, it sounds like an improvement some days."
Her laughter rang through the room like a balm. But even in the warmth of the firelight and Coral's company, the ache still lingered.
Darrell hadn't said much since that morning. His words still echoed louder than anything he could've said in an apology.
Still, sitting beside Coral, running the estate , holding the threads of my new life together was something I could grasp. Something I could manage.
Even if everything else felt like it was slipping quietly out of reach.
Coral then hesitated for a heartbeat. Then her tone shifted –firmer, shaded with something sharper. "You should know something. Evelyn came to him the night of the reception. Alone. She tried to seduce him."
My breath caught.
"He swatted her away, Clara. Told her so sharply and harshly it rattled the walls. She confessed it was Cerelith's idea. He went straight to mother. Evelyn was escorted out and banned from everyone stepping foot back here. Cerelith was heavily reprimanded. That's why she's been quiet."
I stared at her, the puzzle pieces falling hard into place.
"He never mentioned anything?"
Coral sighed resting a hand on mine. "He wouldn't. Because he thinks saying nothing spare you."
I looked away, blinking against the sting behind my eyes. "It doesn't."
Coral's voice softened. "Well I guess am not enough,"
Coral blinked in surprise as I pulled her into a hug, but she didn't resist. Her arms wrapped around me, warm and familiar.
"You are," I said softly against her shoulder. "You both are."
When I pulled back, her eyes shimmered, a soft pink in her cheeks.
Then I bent slightly, placing a gentle kiss on the curve of her stomach–barely there, just a swell beneath her dress, but already so precious.
Coral laughed, her sound thick with emotions.
The study door creaked open.
Darrell stepped in, the firelight catching on the brass buttons of his coat. In his hand he carried a porcelain cup, steam curling upward in soft spirals. Carrying the unmistakable scent of cocoa and spices.
He paused when he saw Coral in the room. "Oh," he said clearly not expecting an audience. "I didn't know you were here."
Coral turned towards him. "Well I'm done with what brought me here. I just remembered I'm expecting the physician today. Routine checkup."
Her excuse was quick, effortless. But I didn't miss the way her eyes flicked between us–me on the edge of unraveling, Darrell standing there, unsure.
She patted my shoulder gently, " I'll leave you to it."
And just like that, coral slipped out of the study, the door clicking shut behind her.
Darrell looked at the closed door then at me. "I brought you something," he said quietly stepping forward and offering the cup.
I hesitated before taking it, the porcelain warm against my fingers. The scent reminded me of simpler things –of Highmere, of home. I looked up at him warily.
"Thank you," I murmured.
He nodded, slipping his hands into his coat pockets. "It's cold in the study at times."
"Yeah," I said taking a sip.
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, as if searching for the right words to follow.
"I figured you could use something comforting," he added. "It's been.....a lot lately."
I met his gaze, guarded, the ache from what I overheard still clinging to the edges of my chest. The warmth of the cocoa did little to soften it.
He then cleared his throat, gaze shifting toward the window before settling back on me.
"You've hardly stepped out the residence since you arrived. I thought....maybe tomorrow you'd join me for lunch.somewhere beyond these walls."
He paused as if unsure whether to take the invitation back. "It wouldn't be formal. Just....a meal. You and me. Away from all this."
His hand vaguely gestured at the ledgers, the room and even the air itself.
"Only if you'd like," There was a flicker of something softer in his expression. Hope or maybe an apology dressed in another name.
"I'll mention it to my maid." I said taking another sip of my cocoa.