Love Is Never Ugly

Chapter 12

Charlotte did not see or hear anyone else until dinner time. Just as before, she found a table set with a delicious supper, candlelight, and silverware yet no one was in sight. She sat down and began to eat and drink. However she stopped when she heard a creaking noise like the sound a floor made when someone tries to walks on it quietly. Someone else had entered the dining room.

"Please stay as you are." She recognized the voice and knew that it belonged to Alastor.

"Good evening sir." She said in a polite manner.

" Good evening my dear." He replied in an equally polite manner. "Is the meal to your liking?"

"Yes. It is perfectly cooked and seasoned. Please give my compliments to Niffty."

"So you did meet her today. Did you meet any of my other staff?"

"I met Vagatha in the gallery."

"Were my servants respectful and courteous toward you?"

"Yes they were."

"Good."

She heard him take a few steps closer behind the chair where she sat. Her blue eyes fell on to the silver knife next to her hand, she got the idea to pick it up and angle it to where she could probably see Alastor's face in the reflection of the blade.

"I told you not to try to see me." He said startling her into dropping her knife.

"How did you know what I was trying to do?" She asked.

"I'm very smart. Smarter than most people would suspect, and I'm not sure if you're aware of this but it is considered very poor manners to not respect the rules of one's house hold."

"I am well aware of that." She said.

"Then why did you try to see me?"

"I...I suppose my curiosity got the better of me."

"Curiosity is very dangerous. If you know what's good for you, you'll keep yours under control before it leads you into trouble."

"Is that a threat?"

"No it's a fact. Curiosity has caused a lot of death with the way it lures people into danger. Trusting it is very risky."

"Perhaps but without curiosity how would anyone be able to obtain knowledge? Is it not a person's curiosity to know what things are, that gives them the need to learn and be educated?"

"Touché my dear." He chuckled. "A bit of a philosopher are you?"

"I have read many books in my life. I enjoy reading and it used to be one of my favorite pass times."

"Used to be?"

"When my father lost his fortune he had to sell all my books and I never had much time to read once we moved into the farm house. There was so much work to be done."

"I see. What books did you enjoy?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Am I not permitted to carry on a conversation with you? Do you find it offensive that I merely wanted to know what your interests are?"

Now this was very new to Charlotte. No one had ever actually wanted to know what her interests were, her likes and dislikes, not even Seviathan.

"I enjoyed history books and ones about far away places. Poetry was a wonderful subject but the story books were always my favorite." She answered. "Especially the ones with happy endings."

She heard him chuckle again.

"What is so funny?" She asked.

"When you say that you favor stories with a happy ending you sound like a child."