The People of Dewbrook

Chapter Six

The morning after the affair was not different from any other for Caroline. Although the sun was not shining at all, the sight of a white sky and white grass brought a small smile to her face. It was like a scene from a fairytale, where the withered trees with black branches still had beauty in them, where snowflakes were dancing gracefully in all directions and painting a masterpiece on the glass, where children ran across the streets with laughter that resembled birdsong, seeing nothing but good in the world and knowing nothing of the future, and where flowers lay to rest with a thick blanket stifling them, robbing them of their presence until spring, which she had always much preferred. Still, in every season, there was something magical to be witnessed.

She was lost in her thoughts until Rosemary lightly nudged her shoulder. After turning around, she noticed that the young lady was holding a porcelain cup of chamomile tea in it with a frown on her face. It caused her smile to fade as she wrapped her arm around the other woman's neck, pulling her closer. Rosemary's jaw dropped at that gesture, but Caroline spoke before she could say anything.

"What is the matter that torments your heart, my dear?" she asked in a gentle voice. "Whatever it may be, and however much it may hurt, you must remember that, with time, the pain will pass, and a while after that, the memory of it will pass as well."

Rosemary let out a deep sigh. "My secret admirer has sent forth another lovely letter that engulfed my heart with mirth last night, but not long after dawn, my father announced that my future husband is coming over for our first meeting. My body is too feeble to bear my distress, and if things go on this way, I will have died of it. What do I do, madam? Please do tell me, for you are far more experienced than I."

Caroline beamed at her. "There will never arrive distress strong enough for you to have died of it. As to what the secret of enduring in society as harsh as this one is, it is not a riddle whatsoever. Act as though nothing in the world bothers you, and within you, keep the belief that things will improve, for they will in a span of time that is not long. This is all the advice you need, and I hate repeating myself, so for the last time, you are welcome, and I wish you to get better at managing your sensitivities."

Rosemary scowled. "Love will not pass, unless you are suggesting that I leave my admirer behind and break both of our hearts, believing that with enough time, it will seem as if nothing had happened. That is an impossible task."

Caroline shrugged. "Yes, either that or loving him in secret. No other options are available."

Rosemary bent her head down. "I suppose you are in the right. Let us end this conversation at once, for I feel the smell of breakfast in the air. No one else has woken up, and the servants will know well enough to leave us alone, so we can talk about another topic. That would be great, am I right, Madam Proust?"

Caroline nodded eagerly, and with that, they descended the long stairs near them, recently polished and made out of marble, the cold air all around them bringing shivers to their skin. However, they tried not to think of that, especially as they saw a table full of croissants, bowls of pudding and eclairs. Slowly, they drew their chairs and sat down, Rosemary grabbing a pudding and Caroline grabbing a croissant to place onto their porcelain plates with pink flower patterns. While Rosemary was eating nothing, Caroline took her first, tiny bite, savouring it as much as she could.

"I spoke to Mildred while you were sleeping, and she said she heard someone breaking into her house. Would you happen to know anything about that?" Rosemary inquired, which promptly caused Caroline to choke on her food.

"Well, although I have not seen a thing of it, I must say it is rather unfortunate," she responded the moment she regained herself. "I hope it does not happen to the poor woman again."