Louise

Chapter 22

In the following days Sebastian made attempts to speak with Louise, but she remained detached and cool, insisting only on a professional relationship between employer and staff. One afternoon, Louise was in Katherine's study teaching her the finer points of French etiquette when Katherine suddenly spoke up.

"Miss Louise, is everything alright? You seem rather distant lately," Katherine asked, her brows furrowed in concern.

"Everything is quite alright, Katherine" she lied, forcing a small smile.

"I don't think so. Something is bothering you; I can tell." Katherine insisted.

Louise sighed, growing impatient. "Katherine, I appreciate your concern, but truly, I am in perfect health. There is no need for worry." she insisted, her tone firm "Now, let us return to your studies."

Katherine pouted. "Why won't you tell me what's wrong? I want to help."

Seeing that Katherine would not let this go easily, Louise decided on a distraction. "You know what? It's such a lovely day. Why don't we take a picnic out in the fields and continue our lesson there?" she suggested, brightening her tone.

Katherine's face immediately brightened. "Oh yes, what a wonderful idea! I'll go tell Mr. Davenport to prepare a basket right away!" she bubbled with excitement. She jumped up from her desk and scurried out of the room to find the butler, leaving Louise momentarily alone with her heavy thoughts. Though Katherine's cheerful spirits had provided a temporary distraction, the lingering ache in Louise's heart remained. She stared blankly out the window, reminding herself to maintain appearances, at least for Katherine's sake.

Moments later, Katherine came bursting back into the room, grinning excitedly. "Mr. Davenport is preparing cheese, fruit, and sandwiches as we speak! This will be such fun!" She clapped her hands together eagerly.

Louise managed a small smile. "Yes, I am sure it will be lovely. Now, let's gather our things." She rose from her seat, careful to maintain her composure, and began to collect the various books and papers they had been using for their lesson. Katherine skipped over to her side, taking her arm as they made their way out of the study. The butler, Mr. Davenport, met them in the hallway with a large wicker basket filled with a sumptuous picnic spread.

The sun was shining as the two made their way outside, but its rays could not penetrate the clouds that had gathered around Louise's heart. As Katherine and Louise stepped outside, they were surprised to see Lady Marianne's carriage pulling up the drive, with Sebastian Warrington accompanying her.

"Good afternoon, Lady Marianne, Mr. Warrington," Louise said politely with a curtsy, while Katherine greeted her father enthusiastically but greeted Lady Marianne with disdain.

"And where are you two ladies headed off to?" Sebastian inquired, his gaze lingering on Louise. She forced herself to meet his eyes, feeling the weight of their shared knowledge bearing down upon her.

"We're going for a picnic!" Katherine declared happily. "Miss Louise said it's too nice a day to stay cooped up inside." She paused for a moment, her expression clouding slightly, before regaining her composure. "Mr. Davenport prepared the most delicious picnic basket," she continued, gesturing to the butler.

"A picnic does sound lovely," Sebastian said, his eyes never leaving Louise's face. "I hope you enjoy yourselves." Though his words were polite, his tone betrayed the undercurrent of tension between them. Lady Marianne, on the other hand, seemed to notice the radiating tension and looked at Louise with a mixture of disgust and anger.

"Yes, well, we should be going," Louise murmured, taking Katherine's hand. "Come along now." She led Katherine down the path toward the fields, the picnic basket clutched tightly in her free hand. Sebastian watched them go; his expression unreadable. Lady Marianne, however, lingered for a moment, shooting a venomous glance in their direction before turning to her escort.

Once they arrived at a grassy hillside, Louise and Katherine spread out the picnic blanket and basket. But Louise's mind was elsewhere as she gazed out at the manor below. Sebastian's presence at the house, and the way Lady Marianne had looked at her earlier, weighed heavily on her mind.

Louise and Katherine spent the afternoon bird watching, picking wildflowers, and reading poetry together under the warm sun. It reminded Louise fondly of simpler times with her dear friend Mary. The gentle breeze rustled through the grass and carried the scent of the flowers, but she could not help but feel a sense of unease lingering in the back of her mind.

A few hours passed before Louise said, "I think it's time we start heading back now, Katherine." She stood up and gathered the remains of their picnic, carefully packing everything away. Katherine, who had been lost in thought, did not seem to hear her at first. "Katherine?" Louise repeated, her voice growing louder.

"Yes? Oh, right," Katherine said, snapping out of her thought. "What did you say?"

"I said it's time to head back," Louise replied, glancing at the manor once more. "The sun is beginning to set, and I am sure your father would like you home before it gets too dark."

Katherine's face fell. "Oh no, do we have to? I do not want to go back yet. I was having such a lovely time." She pouted, kicking at a nearby rock.

"Why ever not?" asked Louise, her tone light and soothing.

Katherine fidgeted with a blade of grass, not meeting Louise's eyes. "It's just...Lady Marianne. She has been acting like she's already the lady of the house. Telling the staff what to do, rearranging the furniture. She's trying to take my mother's place." Her voice wavered, and she bit her lip. "And Father hasn't done anything to stop her."

Understanding dawned on Louise. She spoke gently, "Your father intends to marry Lady Marianne. It's only natural she's preparing for her future role here."

Katherine stood up; face flushed. "Well, I don't like it one bit! I will never accept her as my new mother, never!" With that, Katherine turned and rushed back towards the manor, blonde curls flying behind her.

"Katherine, wait!" Louise called out, hurriedly gathering up their picnic supplies. But Katherine did not slow down.

Louise stuffed the last sandwich into the basket and ran after the upset girl. "Katherine! Please wait for me!" she called out, her heart racing as she tried to catch up. When she finally caught up to Katherine at the edge of the gardens, the girl had tears running down her cheeks. "I want you to be my new mother, not her!" Katherine cried out; her voice hoarse.

Louise knelt and embraced the distraught child. "Hush now, all will be well," she soothed, though doubts crept into her own mind. She did not know how to convince Katherine that marrying Lady Marianne was for the best, or how to ease the girl's pain. "Perhaps...perhaps you should speak with your father about this. He may understand your feelings better than you think."

They walked in silence for a few moments, Katherine's sobs gradually subsiding. The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the grounds. As they neared the manor, hey were surprised to see Lady Marianne waiting for them outside, her expression a mix of anger and annoyance.

"Katherine, excuse us please. I need a word with Miss Louise," Lady Marianne said sharply. She motioned for them to step aside; her expression tight. Katherine looked worriedly at Louise, who gave her a reassuring nod before the girl went inside.

As soon as they were alone, Lady Marianne fixed her cold gaze on Louise.