The Raven

Chapter Sixteen: What comes next

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Here is the sixteenth chapter with some suggestions for the cover.

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Chapter Sixteen: What comes next

Now it was his turn to embrace Nate. And this sentimentality continued, until the three of them went inside, Nathaniel taking my hand to bring me in the house, smiling all the time. I had never seen anyone this happy. Ever.

The house was warm. It was lit up with iron chandeliers that hung high in the ceiling. The walls weren’t painted, and they were concrete grey.

First room that I saw was the drawing room. It wasn’t much, it looked normal. Nathaniel’s family wasn’t poor, but they weren’t rich either. They were middle-class. There were few paintings and drawings on the walls, but they lit up the neutral grey atmosphere and transformed it into something more homey and pleasant.

Before I knew it, I was abandoned in the drawing room. I gulped from nervousness and walked around, eyeing everything, taking the smallest detail in. There was a carved wooden sofa with pastel yellow cushions against the wall, to armchairs at a diagonal angle beside it. The floor was wood and there were no rugs on it. A huge black bookshelf stood directly opposite the sofa, full of books. The fireplace was also in that room. It wasn’t full of grandeur and it wasn’t anything fancy, but it was good enough for this room, and this sort of house.

I heard footsteps approaching, and I turned. Nathaniel stood in the doorway to the drawing room, smirking, his eyes lit in excitement, with dark patches of fatigue around.

“So? What do you think?” He asked

“It’s beautiful. There is much love in your house.” I told him sadly.

He nodded, still smiling.

“My mother will tell you everything you need to know about life here. And she will help you with your… erm… things?” He cringed. Now it was my turn to smile.

“Thank you.”

“Nate?” Someone called.

“Come, I’ll show you the kitchen.” He said and I followed.

I didn’t realise the amount of dirt on myself. I was caked in soil. Mrs. Greene, Nate’s mother helped me with my bath and then she even combed my hair for me. She was incredibly nice, and Nathaniel had told her everything. Maybe I could trust her.

Nathaniel didn’t look like his mother. Mrs. Greene had blue eyes and she was completely blond, and in addition she looked too young to be his mother.

“I was only fifteen when I married Gail.” She told me when I asked, “It wasn’t an arranged marriage, I loved him. And I was a very proper girl then, when I realised that I couldn’t control myself around him, I had to marry him. And so I did. He is the best thing that ever happened to me.” She said.

I listened intently, enchanted by the way she spoke. She was a good story teller. She told me all about her marriage.

“I know you were put in a difficult position yourself.” She said when she was finished, combing my hair.

“My mother decided to marry me off a very aged Duke. She said it would do me good, I would get rich. But that’s just it. Only the money, love didn’t mean anything to her. I didn’t have a choice really, I had to come away with your son. He offered me a way out of it and I had to take it.  I am glad I did. Yes the journey was dangerous and we faced a lot, but it was worth it. I wouldn’t have lived with myself if I had married the Duke.”

“You poor soul.”

Mrs. Greene got rid of my green dress and gave me one of her own dresses to wear. I no longer cared what it looked like. But it did look pretty, it was dark red, not so low cut and very graceful. I didn’t wear it that evening. I was overtired so I went to sleep in the room Mrs. Greene had prepared for me. I immediately fell asleep. I was exhausted from moving place to place for four days and nights. That night, I dreamt of Sharlotte and what would’ve been if I hadn’t left. It was more a nightmare than a dream.

The next morning I woke up early, very early. I dressed and fixed up my hair in my do. I felt good. I made my bed and tidied the room. Then I went downstairs to go outside and swallow fresh air. Today was the day I had to talk to Nathaniel.

I found my cloak in the drawing room. The fire had died in the fireplace, but the warmth was still lingering in the air.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Nathaniel said from behind me. I jumped.

“Well, it is morning…”

“It’s five in the morning, even the cows aren’t up yet.”

I turned to face him.

“You have cows?” I wasn’t able to mask my enthusiasm.

“I… erm… Sorry?” He eyed me uncertainly.

“Cows?” I repeated.

“Erm…” He coughed. “I personally don’t. I am not good at farming. But my father does. He’ll be up soon.” He still stood there looking me up and down. It was uncomfortable.

“I was going to go for a walk outside.”

“Mind if I join?” He asked.

I shrugged and he grabbed his cloak.

Once we were outside, I sat down on a nearby stalk. It was time to talk.

“What happens to me now?” I asked, “We’re in Scotland now so?”

“We’re going to stay here and wait. My master will decide what to do.”

“Look Nathaniel. I’m tired of listening to you talk about your master all the time. Just tell me who he is. Maybe I know him. And that aside, what does he get out of all this?”

He looked at me, thinking about my question. He hadn’t thought about that. Now he was in trouble.

“Tell me. What does he get out of all this?”

“I’m sorry Miss Moore, he failed to mention.”

I stared at him in disbelief.

“So let me get this straight!” I said, my tone rising, “You kidnap me from Sheffield two weeks before my supposedly wedding day, bring me to Scotland under the orders of some fool who you don’t know anything about? Now you listen to me! I am not some puppet to be manipulated. I am no one’s pawn. Your master, whoever he is cannot prance me around like this. I am a person who has her own opinions about things and I am done being handled.” I shouted. I’ve had enough.

So with this, I pranced off in an unknown direction, having no idea as to what to do next. But sure as hell, I was not just going to sit and wait.

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