Curse of Rose de Winter

Chapter 14

Ruby had calmed down but she was staying in Calvin's room, and Calvin was sleeping with Dylan for tonight. But Dylan's face showed he didn't want that during dinner. We convinced him to allow this since Ruby was scared of my room still, and I would visit her.

As usual after dinner departed I went to Dylan's study and just as Dylan finished pressing ink to my neck he drew back when Calvin knocked.

"It's me," Calvin said.

"Come in."

Calvin walked in, and jumped when he saw me. "Blanche!"

"Oh, good evening, Calvin. If Dylan has a visitor I'll leave," I said quickly.

"No, I wanted to relay a message, actually," he said. He relaxed his face, his eyes even softer, reminding me of Ruby and her doe eyes. "Ruby wants to say it wasn't your fault, Dylan she simply couldn't stay in that room right now. But she will be going back tomorrow, if Blanche doesn't mind."

It was as though a burden flew off me, I felt my whole body lighten up. I'd been stressing over that the whole day, and felt warm inside again.

"Of course I don't mind. Please tell Ruby she's always welcome, and next time I'll catch the culprit."

"About that," Calvin closed the door behind him, "it's mother, no question. Ruby said I could tell you why she hates monarch butterflies. It's a very disturbing story I hope you'd keep to yourself."

"I will," I promised.

He nodded. "Ruby's instincts are never wrong, so I trust you with this. It began when Ruby was young, a manservant in this very house assaulted Ruby in her room, and at that time on her wall hung a pinned butterfly. After assaulting a child, the manservant thought it would be funny to take the butterfly and force Ruby to eat it. Since then she's been distrustful of people and unable to talk—no, she's had a stutter. But sometimes, when she was very scared, she wouldn't say a single word. That's why she's been quiet all these breakfast and dinners..."

I thought back on Ruby and her confession. I hadn't realized, but I only heard Ruby when it was only us, whether it was in the tea-room or in our bedroom. She only talked to Calvin and I. How stifling it must be, keeping quiet, no, being unable to talk when she wanted to, like when the monarch butterfly was on her very bed.

Every time she saw it her bad memories would return. I knew her feelings, although not to that extreme.

All I thought was Ruby must've wanted to speak, must've wanted to sing and read her poems out loud.

And I knew Ruby told her mother, who didn't do a thing.

"Claribel is twisted," I said.

"Yes, she's always been strange, so I raised Ruby growing up." Calvin looked down. "But that manservant got away unscathed. I will make sure Abraham Whitecross doesn't this time."

"That's why Calvin has been visiting me," Dylan spoke, hinting why I couldn't find him prior. "We've made a file on him for Vaughn to further improve on and ruin his life."

"Ruin?" I echoed. Of course I hated the man, but it scared me to think he'd be ruined for that: he'd hate me, and chase me down. All my life I would live in fear of him.

"Such scum has ruined lives. They deserve it," Calvin said, and his face at that moment was similar to Dylan's. It was so cold and closed off.

Calvin grimaced as he spoke. "I hated that man—our father—and mother for not protecting Ruby when she needed it! I blame them to this day. I'll never, ever play into his hands again, and I don't care about what you, Blanche, thought of him, but know this—he doesn't deserve anyone's love or pity! He should've died in much more pain—"