Curse of Rose de Winter

Chapter 49

Changes came like torrents of rain. The house was left to Dylan by Blanche/Judy and Vaughn.

We didn't know where Judy disappeared to but hopefully she'd get the fortune in four more years. Vaughn appeared for my wedding, but he was rumored to be in England and France. He came from Belgium when Dylan finally tracked him down and called him about the wedding.

Vaughn had never stopped being sarcastic and snappy to us but I accepted it; it would be more disturbing than if he became nice all the time, anyways.

Rosalind and Leroy would come, of course, and Rosalind found a respectful young boy from her job now and they were thinking of marrying. Another surprise was that Sarah and Andrew decided to be civil and allow Rosalind freedom and me to be married.

Angel cried over the news of course, but with Connie they both said they were happy for me and glad we can actually be relatives. Scarlett teaches me things that were helpful in the dumb assistant job and her mood improved ever since her divorce to Mr.Carroll. Apparently he was domestically abusing her. You can never tell.

Claribel was on the not invite list, but only because everyone agreed. Olivia was, but a certain uncle begged Dylan into inviting her.

Dylan had healed a little. The skin was still scabbed, and he had discoloring around the neck. It was almost as though he was a snake and had skin to shed.

I felt his skin a few nights as we kissed and cuddled in bed.

"When you were first burnt I thought it'd never heal," I said. "Didn't the phantom look grotesque because he was burned, too? Or was he electrically burnt?"

"Sometimes you get curious about the strangest things. The doctor said I'm perfectly fine. It has been a year, I'd be depressed if I wasn't," Dylan laughed.

"But now you're so handsome!" I touched his smooth and yet kind of empty skin that seemed abnormal. "You'd catch the eye of all the girls again!"

"I'm marrying you in a week, Rose!" He ran his hands to my waist and then it was on my back. I was pressed up against him and as always, doing most of the talking because I couldn't exactly feel him up. Why couldn't I do it? Oh, because Auguste fed me that nonsense. But I was working with dirty old men back then, it was different.

I hugged Dylan and dug my face into his chest.

"Did your chest get better? I saw some scabs that hadn't peeled on your neck," I asked.

"Well, it's feeling strange, so let's leave the places alone and wait for them to peel off naturally," Dylan said. "Isn't it sad Ruby and Calvin will be leaving?"

"Aw, don't remind me. That's after the wedding, so I have a week to spend with them." I stopped. "No, I can't, because the plans are taking priority so we have to focus on that."

"The invites were sent, the dress chosen, bouquet and flowers chosen, church booked, after wedding buffet booked, catering chosen—what else is left?" he asked.

"I don't know, but hopefully nothing," I sighed.

"Then wait for it. I hope it's the best day of our lives."

Dylan closed his eyes and I hugged him, feeling the same coldness I'd felt all month. It was May and yet cold. Maybe it was the stress and pressure of everything, but I still felt something missing.

Was it because I didn't want to actually settle down and be a boring housewife who only tended to small things? We kept Irene after Gwendoline and Julie left. The rooms weren't cleaning themselves so I had to help sometimes.