Secrets In Chopard Manor

Chapter 1

It all started with a touch. A simple brush of my hand as I plated mashed potatoes in front of him on the dinner table, a graze against my back as he maneuvered through the kitchen for one of his prepacked honey-glazed ham sandwiches, and a squeeze on my shoulder whenever his mother decided to be a raging bitch.

Ledger Chopard always seemed to I find a way to touch me.

It led to a few hidden giggles, followed by small kisses in the butler's pantry, under the covered porch near the flower beds, and my personal favorite, in Mr. Ledger Chopard's Victorian-style bedroom. One that I was snuck into every night, laying next to the love of my life as he held me to sleep.

Scardale Hills's richest bachelor had maneuvered his way into my heart, and he used his pearly whites and the subtle chemistry of a single wink to do it. We were two birds from different trees, yet he spoke to me... treated me as if I was the woman of his dreams, and because of that my heart was his to have.

"Sairose," a finger snapped behind me, and I turned around quickly, steading the serving tray in my hand. Mrs. Chopard, with her ever so elegant grin, bit back the words she really wanted to say for the sake of her guests, and nodded towards her son. "Ledger would like a drink, his glass has been empty for at least three minutes now. Be on your toes, not your heels."

She tightened her fingers around the stem of her champagne glass and nodded her head toward him. I nodded with understanding, taking a deep breath and turning to face the music. Ledger stood far off left, near the dinner tables, talking to some of the men that frequented these parties. Almost every two weeks, the manor seemed to be filled with people, dancing to awful jazz music and sucking champagne from their glasses when they really wanted Johnny Walker to drown their woes.

Still, I was merely a maid – doubled to a server, whose duty was to make sure that the wealthy people were pleased. I weaved through the crowd, drawing nearer and nearer to him.

The freckles splattered across his nose grew more and more visible, and he lifted his hand up to his forehead, brushing away his golden brown waves. He needed a trim. Ledger spoke with his hands, no matter what he said, his fingers always pinched together, or his palm was always out-turned. It was something I think he did for confidence, although I wasn't sure he needed it, dominance oozes from every part of him, and with just a single look he could assert his authority.

His turn was over to speak as another man gave his opinion, and his eyes wandered for a second, surveying the crowd. My heart thumped in my chest. It was honestly my fault I hadn't gotten to him just yet, my legs seemed to slow down the closer I got, I just wanted to admire my sweet boy.

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion once he didn't find me in the sea of people, but finally, I was inches away and his eyes latched onto mine. My breath lept out of my throat as his eyes softened, and a small smile played on his lips. I looked away and down at the tray to hide mine, standing at the mercy of the four men.

"Refreshments, gentlemen?" I asked, and they happily exchanged their empty glasses for full ones.

"Thank you, Sairose," Ledger's deep, husky voice awakened something inside me, forcing me to look up at him. Like always, there was a flash of something in his eyes, something I'd often spend trying to figure out.

"You're welcome," I breathed, regretting it instantly as the scent of his sandalwood cologne filled my nose. I pursed my lips together. I couldn't move just yet, not whilst his eyes held me in place. From the corner of my gaze, a shadow passed by but I didn't pay any mind to it. Not until it roughly grabbed a drink from my tray and somehow managed to throw the remainder of the drinks, and the empty ones, falling onto me and shattering against the floor.