Rose Thorns & Love Letters

4 ➪ Love, Doyle

•Camilla•

24/12/1867
Sweet Vivian,
I cannot wait to see you tomorrow morning. I will finally have a lover to spend Christmas day with. I have never understood why this holiday was said to be the merriest of holidays. Now I do. I will make sure to carry around a mistletoe and hold it up only in your presence.
Love, Doyle

__________________

I press my ear up against the door for the nth time, trying to hear anything. Anything.

Lodovico told me to stay put coming up to an hour ago now and I feel as though I have stayed put for long enough. He even called me Rose when doing so.

I feel my throat grow tight as I think back to him calling me Rose. I have never been called that name. I have never heard anyone say that name other than my Father.

He called my Mother Rose back when they were in love. I think back to all the times I walked in on them in the mornings making breakfast; showing each other love and affection.

I used to think it gross back then. I was never close with my Father but the fact that he brought joy to my Mother was enough. I took advantage of seeing her that way. Now it's all just a distant memory.

Just like all the other times I have listened out for a sign of life, I hear nothing against the door. Though everything inside me is fighting my next move, I make it anyway.

I swing open the door and take in the space around me. The house is beautiful and modern. Though the aesthetic is rather dark, I wouldn't mind having one like this for my own.

It isn't a castle, but the house is huge. I notice there are barely any windows and I wonder how the owner of the house winds down.

I usually take a second to look out of the window and appreciate nature. I guess that isn't for everyone.

I slowly make my way out of the room I was placed in. I wonder who put me there.

The house is an open plan layout and I notice how neat and put together everything is. I wonder who lives here.

I know Lodovico is here, but there was also another man here. The first thing I noticed about him was the cute freckles he hid underneath his square glasses.

He had auburn hair that shone bright mimicking the look of fire under the light he was stood beneath. He was lanky and tall. Though not quite as tall as Lodovico.

A closed door in the corner of the room catches my eye and I find myself walking towards it before I can even decide to do so.

I bring my ear to the door and hear conversation. I cannot hear exactly what is being said but I can confirm that there are people in there.

I muster up all the courage I have inside me and slowly open the door.

The moment the door exposes what is inside the room, there is a lot to look at. There are 7 men sat at a long table.

Lodovico sits at the head of the table with his hands clasped together and there are three men on either side of him.

Though what my eyes are drawn to are the two men who quickly rise from their seats opposite each other and hold up guns.