Leaving Lady Shirley with the rest of the crowd behind, Leonard made his way to find where Vivian had been taken to which would probably be the servants quarters. His steps resonated across the empty corridors of the hallway. With the master-servant bond placed on her, it wasn’t hard for him to find her.
The door to the room was wide open. The old butler stood in the front directing the maids as they helped Vivian change from her previous dress into a new one. The sound of his step into the room was sharp enough to bring everyone’s notice that someone had come. With a wave of his hand, both the maids and the butler bowed to him before taking their leave, leaving only Vivian and him alone in the room. Though the butler was an old man who wouldn’t take a spec of interest in anyone except for his lord or the maids who were doing their duty, he didn’t like the fact of anyone seeing Vivian undress or naked.
She stood there with her head down wearing a cleaner dress which was white in colour. Her hair was tied low in a ribbon just as he had last seen her except for a few errant baby strands of hair at the sides of her temple which stood out. The tip of her nose had turned red.
Finally feeling his presence, Vivian turned to look at him, her eyes black eyes quieter than usual, holding shame and embarrassment of letting him see her.
Vivian who had never been brought to the Lord’s mansion before didn’t know what to do and had let the maids pull down her dress after struggling and asking them she would do it herself. It wasn’t uncommon for high-class women to be dotted with plenty of maids hovering over them as they bathed or dressed but she wasn’t one. She wasn’t used to it as she was a maid herself.
With her back exposed which was yet to be buttoned, she turned it away from him as his eyes had fallen upon her lower back. Her action broke Leonard’s gaze and his eyes slowly travelled back to look at her face.
“Are you alright?” he asked her, his eyes burning into hers heatedly which she didn’t understand.
She nodded her head, “Yes, master Leonard.”
“Come here. Let me help you button your back,” Vivian looked at him suddenly with widened eyes, words stumbling out of her mouth in form of stutters.
“I-I will do it, m-master.”
He stared at her hard for a fleeting moment, before saying, “Fine. Do it.”
Vivian raised her hands before moving it behind to get the material in her hand which had fallen on either side of her back. Though she did get a hold on the cloth, she found it hard to push the button in the assigned puncture. As a minute passed with her struggling and trying she didn’t notice Leonard walking up to her to stand behind.
Cold hands caught her wrists and she turned behind to meet his dark red eyes.
“I don’t have all time, Vivian,” he stated, letting go of her he placed his hands on either side of her waist to position her straight behind him. Now that he stood close to her, the faint smell of blood and alcohol still lingered on her skin. His long elegant fingers began to button the dress but not before admiring her pale back which had little spots of brown scattered on her skin scarcely.
With Leonard standing right behind her Vivian’s form had turned rigid not to forget his warm breath on her neck which only made her heart thud that much louder.
Feeling him button up the last one in the dress, she took a step front to only be pulled back to him and this time much closer than could have ever imagined. Her back touched his chest while one of his hand had wound around her waist to keep her where he wanted.
“Where are you going? I am not done yet,” his demanding voice did something to her like a spark had been ignited which would slowly burn and crumble her very soul to dust.
All the buttons were done therefore Vivian didn’t know what Leonard meant when he said he wasn’t done.
He kept her in place for seconds which turned to minutes, her body slowly getting laxed against his. His warm breath felt pleasant against what she felt, the insecurity of her status disappearing as the heat began to seep into her skin which was offered by his mere actions, “Vivi,” he whispered her name.
For a moment Vivan forgot about their status, her mind fuzzing as she felt him lean closer if it was possible, his nose hovered above the skin of her neck.
“Leo,” she gasped when the tip of his neck came in contact with her skin before covering her mouth for the error she had done.
Leonard was intoxicated by the girl’s presence by having her in this position in his arms right now to consider the fact that she hadn’t addressed him with the title ‘Master Leonard’. Hailing from the pureblooded family and being mentored by the finest purebloods, Leonard was too intuned to the girl.
The last time he had held her in his arms was when Martha, their last housekeeper had passed away. He noticed how there was room even after he hugged her.
It wasn’t just him but also her living in sleepless nights, pondering about what had happened and what the future held. Then there was just them, their relationship fragile and delicate which had been built since the time they had known each other.
Hearing a pair of shoes approaching them Leonard let his arms fall down. Vivian twirled around when he set her free, her eyes looking at him anxiously with her lips slightly parted. Her wet eyelids looked dry.
“Come with me,” Leonard began walking towards the door knowing well the girl would follow his footsteps and it pleased him when she did as he thought.
On their way, Vivian was filled up with mixed emotions. She was embarrassed to step back into the room, not that anyone would give her another look as she was a maid of the Carmichael family. Her eyes traced Leonard’s wide back which was covered by the shirt he wore.
She couldn’t stop the small blush that crept up her face which she had been holding inside her. Vivian couldn’t deny the fact that things weren’t the same as it once used to be, she thought to herself, something had definitely changed.
He had hugged her but never like this. He had called her name plenty of times but had it been always so…sweet?
Stepping into the room with her eyes lowered down, she followed Leonard. The room strangely contained less chatter than when she had left.
“Has Lady Shirley completed with knitting a scarf for the Lord?” she heard Leonard ask the people around.
With furrowed brows, Vivian raised her eyes carefully before spotting the small crowd that had formed at the couch. At one side sat Lady Shirley and on the other far corner sat Lord Nicholas with crossed legs. The furrow between her brows only deepened when her eyes fell on the two needles Lady Shirley held in her hand with a ball of woollen threads. Was this one of the ways people spent their time at a tea party hosted by the Lord?
She saw the woman who had poured her drink on her speak, “Duke Leonard, Lady Shirley isn’t doing that well today. I am sure once she returns back home she will be able to get the scarf done.”
“I am in no hurry, dear,” the Lord said, his eyes gentle on Lady Shirley.
Lady Shirley felt a wave of relief and was about to set all the knitting items aside when Leonard spoke, “That’s too bad to hear but I am sure even a tiny patch would lower down people’s curiosity here. Don’t you agree, gentlemen?”
“It is true,” one of the men who stood behind the Lord commented, “With the Duke having nothing but praises for Lady Shirley, it makes one curious. And I don’t think I have ever heard Duke Leonard compliment anyone.”
“One cannot deny that,” added another vampire.
It was true though, thought Vivian looking down at the floor. She had never got the opportunity of Leonard showering anyone with a single compliment. His words were reserved for a very few people.
