𝘊𝘖𝘕 𝘖𝘍 𝘙𝘌𝘝𝘌𝘕𝘎𝘌 | ᴘʀᴇ ʀᴅʀ2

Chapter Seventeen

Rosalie woke early that morning to get ready for her grandfather's garden party. She sat by her tent and hummed a tune to herself as she detangled her curly hair with a wooden, wide tooth comb.

The book on German linguistics was kicked open at her feet, her eyes skimming over the page as she meticulously threaded the teeth of the comb through each strand, careful not to pull too hard and brush the curl out.

Rosalie knew minimal effort was needed to get ready for the party, as she would probably be shoved into a fancy dress and prettied up with makeup by someone else before the party began, but she still wanted to seem somewhat presentable. She wasn't an animal.

In fact, Rosalie was more particular than most about the way she looked. Before her father's passing, she would meticulously pick out her outfits in all sorts of bright colors, pairing shirts and pants together deliberately. She would shine her boots and take care that her clothes were clean.

It was hard when most of her things were worn, but she still tried. She was grateful for the things she picked up at Isabella's store, as she had needed some new clothes, and they made Rosalie look much more presentable.

She used to enjoy frivolous things such as shopping when they happened to earn extra cash from a good score. It didn't happen often, but she was always over the moon when they had the funds to buy her a new shirt or pair of pants.

It was hard for Henry to tell Rosalie no, especially when she would bat her eyelashes and rock on the balls of her feet after asking for something. Uncle Kurt was no help either as he usually picked out the item right there with her before turning to her father to give the 'OK.'

It was something she shared with her uncle, as Kurt liked his little nicknacks, his favorite being an expensive pocket watch he purchased as a Christmas present for himself when she was a young girl. Her father thought it was the stupidest thing ever and a waste of money, but Kurt guarded that watch with his life.

Rosalie missed them terribly.

Rosalie looked over to see Arthur had clambered out of his tent and started brewing coffee by the fire. The rich smell filled the air, and Rosalie had to resist the urge to go over and pour herself a cup. Instead, she remained planted by her tent with her eyes glued to the page, reading the words, but not really retaining anything from them.

A day had passed since their argument and they still hadn't spoken. Dutch told them no more fighting, so they weren't fighting—just not talking.

Maybe it wasn't fair of her to give Arthur the cold shoulder, but she had no idea how else to deal with her feelings of jealousy. It wasn't as though she could admit that she was jealous that Arthur had been seeing another woman because it would be indirectly confessing to him.

Which she would not do.

So, neither of them made a move to approach each other. Rosalie and Arthur were the only ones awake in camp, and yet, they didn't make any effort to make a conversation or even acknowledge each other. Rosalie continued to untangle her hair and Arthur drank his coffee, staring off into the distance.

The rest of the morning passed like that until Rosalie gathered her things and saddled herself on Blitz, setting off to the Montgomery plantation in the early afternoon.

The ride was easy, and she enjoyed the leisurely ride as she made her way through the towering oak and willow trees swaying in the light summer breeze. She rubbed a gentle hand over Blitz's neck as they turned down the familiar path toward the plantation, the gravel crunching underneath his hooves.

"You gotta be good for these gentlemen again, mister." Hummed Rosalie as she continued to stroke his neck. "They're gonna take real good care of you while I'm busy today, but you be sure to tell me if someone does anything to upset you." She finished with a small smile.