Cruel Beauty

She Knows

The next day when you get up and leave your room you are surprised to bump into Victoria as you usually help her dress, but she's ready. 'Good morning, Baroness.' Victoria stills then looks you up and down with disdain and walks past you. You double-take and go after her grabbing her wrist to make her look at you. 'Oh!' she lets out a little squeal of shock when you grab her and she snaps around. Angrily she yanks her wrist from your grip. 'Do not, touch me!' she screams. You are shocked and try to control your temper. 'Fine.' you snap. She storms off and gets into the waiting car slamming the door she narrowly misses your fingers and the car speeds off. You walk onto the middle of the motor court, the car drives off the drizzling rain falls down on you, you raise your chin and clench your jaw in anger. 'Sebastian.' you call to the standing servant. 'Call around the spare car I need to go to work.' you announce. The young man inclines his head and sees about the spare car. You leave it a while have a drink to calm your nerves then decide to follow her.

Victoria had spent her morning going over files of fabric and beading comparing them to trends and patterns. Numerous designs were pinned to the wall, then ripped off and replaced by others, and so the circle went on. Another few hours were wasted on accounts and checking everything was balanced and going where it should. Being the fashion Queen wasn't always about being the best-looking best dressed woman in the room, but it was an added perk. Designing concepts itself was a task, selecting the correct fabrics and trims, and overseeing the production of these ideas, was indeed a great deal of work. This didn't include running accounts, vetting staff, and dealing with a temperamental assistant. 'Heaven's sake!' she scrumpled up another design then pressed the intercom. 'John, find Estella, bring her to me.' she instructs. The redhead was brought to her and hopefully, she'd prove a competent employee and so they discussed ideas. Victoria ordered lunch, the day was going marginally better she picked at her food as they continued to talk.

'There's something about it that irritates me and I always trust my instincts.' The Baroness places a hand on her hip, you enter the room, and Victoria ignores you. Estella gives you a small smile but you roll your heavily made-up dark eyes at her. You set about pretending to be busy as you place yourself in the room to see what the two are really getting up to. 'I thought maybe if you tighten the silhouette...' Estella continues. 'Oh, you thought, did you?' Victoria snaps, your ears prick up, is she finally letting go of her little crush? 'I think it's better.' You smirk, wrong answer grubby bitch. 'Actually, it is.' You accidentally knock over a priceless vase it shatters. Estella jumps looking over her shoulder. Victoria vaguely looks up, you keep your back to them. 'For heaven's sake yn! Must you be so incompetent?' You see red, Estella feeling uncomfortable snaps back to the Baroness. You spin on your heel to give her a piece of your mind but your jaw drops as the Baroness leans over the table to see her design. Estella is most definitely eyeing her cleavage. You knew it, so she replaced you, with a younger model. Charming. You open your mouth to comment on this. 'Your necklace.' But Estella speaks first.

You see what the girl was staring at the sparkling red ruby on the golden necklace, beautiful yes, but you know what it is, what it represents. Victoria had never worn it once, till last night after you grabbed her she'd put it on as a reminder of events past. 'Oh.' she looks down at it. 'Family heirloom. Funny story, actually. An employee once stole it.' Nice save. 'No, she did not!' You and Victoria share a brief look then both study Estella who hesitates. 'Slight tone delivery problem. I meant..."No. She did not." Did she work for you?' You quirk an eyebrow. 'Did-the-employee-work-for-her?' You repeat staring at the stupid girl who blushes. Victoria brushes this off. 'Mmm. Years before. She stole this, was stupid enough to come back, and then she fell off a cliff and died.' she explains bluntly. An icy chill runs down your spine as you remember.

'Yn, yn, thank god.' Victoria clings to you so tight you know you will bruise. Looking down you both see Catherine lying at your feet and beside her a rock with her blood on it. 'Let's get you inside.' you gently kiss the Baroness's temple and lead her away. 'Go inside, I'll deal with this.' you comfort her. You turn back and go to the woman, you look down and feel sick but you did what you had to. Walking to the edge you surmise how you will throw her over. 'Ah!' you scream feeling her grab you, she wasn't dead. 'You, you perverted little bitch no loyalty to your own sort. Too busy following her arse with your tongue hanging out.' she's trying to shove you over the cliff. The Baroness turns hearing your squeal. 'Please no, no! Not her!' she looks stupid trying to run in her outfit. Without thinking she grabs her whistle and blows the lightning flashes illuminating her face. The three giant beasts hurtle across the grounds at record speed. She points towards Catherine. Genghis is the quickest of the three. You gasp seeing her run towards you, Catherine snaps around letting go of you just as Genghis pounces on her pushing her over the side. Your jaw drops and you immediately look over the balcony just in time to see her being engulfed by the black waves.

'How terrible.' Estella's comment snaps you from your memory. 'Yes, it was, actually. It was during my winter ball and her death really overshadowed the whole thing. Time for my nine-minute power nap.' Victoria walks from her desk to her chaise lounge lying down placing two cucumber slices over her eyes. Nicely played your ladyship, we don't want little snoops prodding around our history, you mentally congratulate her. 'Who was the woman?' Estella walks over to her, you watch her suspiciously and take a step closer studying her. 'Not really the point of the story. The story's about how lucky I am, but anyway, she had a kid - the kid's a snowflake. Special, blah-blah-blah.It was a basic shakedown situation actually.' Again nicely delivered but why is grubby girl still watching you...

Estella fidgets awkwardly. 'Maybe she...Maybe she just really loved her kid.' Victoria freezes, her kid, maybe she just really loved her kid. Maybe she was capable of love something you never were, a nasty little voice whispers to the Baroness. 'Maybe she only had one person to take care of and she failed dismally.' Victoria snaps. The energy in the room changes and Estella takes another few steps closer to the older woman who is totally unaware. You don't know why but you sense danger and quickly advance. Before anything else can happen the doors burst open you and Estella freeze and turn to see John, Jeffrey, and Roger enter. 'Speak.' Victoria snaps. 'Baroness, we have that meeting at the Ritz.' 'Oh, for heaven's sakes.' Victoria sits up removing the cucumber slices and throwing them at Roger in frustration. 'Necklace.' she snaps her fingers and John opens the box of jewels for her. Victoria starts to say your name then remembers you aren't on the best of terms. 'Roger, shoes.' she diverts the duty to him instead, he looks flustered but of course, like any man takes the opportunity to paw at her legs. 'Don't touch the ankles!' she barks.

Roger is flustered. 'Yes, sorry, it's in.' he gets up. The Baroness gets to her feet. 'Come along.' she instructs her entourage as she leaves the room. Estella stares after her, but your eyes are on Estella. 'Something wrong?' The redhead jumps in surprise having forgotten you were even there. 'No-nothing, sorry, my mind must've wandered.' she shrugs giving a fake chuckle, and leaves, you stare after her.