Curse of Rose de Winter

Chapter 45

As summer crept up I took care of Dylan daily until Rosalind wanted me to live with her.

Rosalind and Leroy had me tell Dylan I'll have to live with her because the rent was more than she could afford. She had also escaped her parents' hold and with Leroy's help, found a job and place to rent. I was quite surprised when she asked for me to live with her.

I told Dylan I want to live with my sister before our marriage. I saw the fear and desperation in his eyes.

"When Judy is better we should meet again, as a family and as past partners in crime," I said to him, holding the side of his cheek that wasn't burned.

"Promise you'll be back."

"I promise."

I told Ruby and Calvin I'd be on the telephone if anything and to update me on Dylan's status. He still mainly sat on his bed reading or writing. There was obvious tension in the de Winter house, especially with Vaughn, so I left quickly.

The night I moved in I told Rosalind the whole truth, with Dylan, Hughes, and Judy.

Rosalind hated Dylan. She found him despicable and wouldn't believe why I was engaged to him although I kept repeating he was not only a kidnapper but Dylan.

When Dylan was nearly healed, or so I heard on the telephone from Ruby, I visited the house in November. Summer had passed with me "working" or so I told Dylan. 

Now I looked different, I had no makeup but lipstick and wore simple dresses, and never wore gloves although I still wore heels. I worked as a secretary for an acting company, through my strings of being Rose Blackwood, soon to be de Winter.

I was sick of my job so I returned, eager to see Dylan's smile as always.

"Hello? Dylan!" I called out in the empty hallway.

They hadn't hired a new butler for the time yet, so Irene was the housekeeper and always seemed tired.

"Dylan is in his office," she said to me.

"Already?" I asked, as he left most things pertaining to Blanche to Vaughn. "Where's Vaughn?"

"At Judy's residence," Irene answered.

Interesting.

I ran up and knocked on the study.

"It's Rose," I called out.

"Come in."

I opened the door, and he hadn't healed at all. His skin was now burnt dark brown and it seemed like he had skin discoloration until you saw the texture of rough leather on his left side of the face and neck, stretching down to under his shirt.

"Good evening, does it feel fine to wear a shirt now?" I asked.

"It's fine." He smiled. "How is living with Rosalind?"

"It's fun, everyday we both have news about our job. The actress I work with is always telling fun stories, such as rumors about Scarlett Carroll." I laughed. "They weren't pleasant stories either."

"And what do you want to do?"

"Pardon?" Dylan never asked me that. I thought he'd announce the engagement as soon as he could, in fact.

"Do you want to leave the de Winter?"

"What?"

Dylan chuckled before speaking. "You know, Vaughn outsmarted me again. He always does, doesn't he? I didn't even know he was a bastard son that Austen had. My cousin. Auguste even chose him after he graduated to be our lawyer. Now he's taken liberty to plan to sue me, along with Blanche. All he needs is you. I'm sure you'll hear from him soon."