𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐄. chapter seventy-two; Who Should Choose " You and the Monster were made for each other. "
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ELSPETH DECIDED THE following day she would evade any and all courtly duties. After spending a week free from it all, the idea of a stuffy gown and remaining indoors all day was deathly to Elspeth.
So, she took her paper and blueprints, packed it all away, and laid it out on the lawn of the castle.
She was in a plain dress, with a simple braid to keep her hair out of her face, and had ignored the ink on her fingers and chin from writing. She had been mistaken for castle staff at least three times, and had been apologized to profusely by each person that accused her of evading chores.
And it was here on the lawn, after three hours, that Elspeth finally had a breakthrough in the planning of the new estate.
"Lady Elspeth?"
The woman jolted, tipping over the pot of ink in the process, hardly sparing Louis a glance before diving to try and save her notes.
"I'm so sorry--"
"Hello Louis, it's no problem," Elspeth said quickly, grabbing the ink pot and her now dripping parchment, "My head was in the clouds-- hold this for me, will you?"
Louis breathed out a laugh, accepting the soaked parchment from Elspeth as she resituated a new sheet, dipping a quill in the low ink well before starting again.
"It's fresh enough that I recall what I'd planned out," Elspeth informed, grinning as she scratched her ideas onto the parchment, "It's quite lovely as well; I should become an architect in the future."
"You're building a home?" Louis questioned, taking a seat on the grass beside the woman.
"Yes, for Kenna and Sebastian," Elspeth informed matter-of-factly, "Part of me has wondered if Demetre allowed me this duty to keep me busy while he meets with Francis; it's quite the task."
"Is there anything I can do to help? Especially after causing you to restart your progress, I feel it's my duty to offer."
Elspeth pursed her lips, still writing down her ideas as she thought.
"Actually, yes," Elspeth said quickly, looking up at him and squinting in the bright sun, "A man's opinion would be useful here; I've told Kenna about this, but we've agreed to keep it from Sebastian until the home is built. He would never accept such a thing, but the estate will lay empty otherwise. . . so, Louis, if you were married, perhaps with children, would you rather a secondary study, or an art wing in your home?"
Louis let out another soft laugh, before pondering the idea for a moment.
"An art wing. One study is enough, and an art wing may be utilized by the entire family."
