Withering Petals

Chapter 9: Awkward Situations

"Embarrassment lasts a moment. Regret lasts a lifetime."

"Put me down!" You cried, thrashing your legs around while struggling to get out of his arms. When he showed no sign of releasing you, but instead started walking to where the residential areas are (away from the garden), you panicked.

Swiveling your head to where your companions were standing, you begged, "Help! Tell him to put me down!" However, they were still glued to their stops, their jaws dropped open in shock, while staring at the both of you fading into the distance. "Eva, Aoife!" You tried again, this time pulling them out of their trance.

You heaved a sigh of relief as they lifted the skirts of their dresses up and started running towards you as fast as they can (since they were wearing heels). However, your relief was short-lived. Because as soon as they caught up to you, Marquess Patrick said gave them a look that silenced them immediately.

"You said she was feeling unwell. So I'm taking her to the physician right now," he said firmly, in a tone that left no room for argument.

"But...I'm sure Lady de Luna can get there by herself...at least with our help," Eva stuttered out. She desperately wanted to help you, since you were looking terrified and uncomfortable in that peculiar position.

"Stay where you are," Patrick warned, "go back to the tea party. She will be safe, if that's what you're worried about." With that, he stalked off--with you in his arms--leaving the two ladies gaping after his retreating form. You wanted to facepalm yourself. How did your attempt of gaining information to prevent yourself from getting killed completely backfire? You never thought that you would end up in someone's arms.

By now, you've stopped flailing around, and Patrick's grip on you loosened, so now you actually had room to breathe. He was still walking down the hall, staying silent all the way. He kept his gaze fixated in front of him, since he had stopped worrying that you would fall out of his arms any second.

It gave you the chance to take a peek at him, and when you did, you nearly gasped. From the angle you were looking at him from, he looked exactly like the one who had helped you when you were drunk at the celebration. You didn't know why, but you kind of expected it to just be a lie, and he was actually not the one who had helped you. No one could blame you for thinking that way, though, since in your previous life, you had been lied to many times, so it would be nice to take precaution.

But, now that you knew it was true, a warm feeling bubbled up in your chest. And with him holding you in his arms once more, and in the way he was holding you too, it made you feel...protected. It gave you hope, that maybe, finally, you can find someone you can trust and rely on (other than Eva of course).

However, like always, once you got your hopes up, it would be destroyed almost immediately. Because, one moment, you were staring up at him from where you were situated, and the next, you nearly had a heart attack, since someone literally bumped into the both you while Patrick was walking around a corner, and the force made him stumble backwards, nearly dropping you in the process.

"Oh my! I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going," the person apologized, but when she looked up, a flash of recognition flashed across her beautiful features. "Oh, it's you! I was just about to find you. Your father had some matters he had to deal with, so he needs you to help with some of the documents," she chattered enthusiastically, her soft pink hair rustling as she spoke. You recognized her as the woman in the paintings you saw when you first stepped into the mansion, and also as the woman whose portrait was hung in your father's study. It must be his mother, but why did my father have a picture of her? You couldn't help but wonder.