stem of hearts

Introduction

CAMILLE

I stared up at the ceiling, sighing softly. I'd been in the manor for a day now, and Priscilla said I'd meet the earl in the morning. I'd done some digging (which had mainly consisted of me asking Damien questions while he tried to get work done) and found out some things about the earl. He was a year older than me, and his parents had passed away in a fire. Damien had raised him since he was five years old. Now that I was thinking about it, I realised that it was still pretty much nothing. I'd known his parents were dead- otherwise, he wouldn't be the earl at such a young age. I mean, I could've figured out that he wasn't much older than me. Why would I be marrying him if he was? That'd just be creepy.

I rolled onto my side, closing my eyes. I wasn't tired at all. Or maybe I was? I couldn't even tell. I sat up, my hair falling into my face. I was restless, that's what I was. Priscilla had already turned in for the night, which made sense since it was a quarter past ten. I never went to bed that early; I was definitely a night owl. Around this time, I'd usually be checking on the sheep and making sure the barn was locked.

I startled as a crow cawed outside. The sheets shifted around me as I climbed out of the big bed and went over to the balcony, looking outside. I'd always been fascinated with birds– though my not-really-pet finch had reached its untimely demise when one of the cats that lived on our farm decided it would make a good breakfast. That had been traumatising to see.

The crow stared at me, its black eyes piercing my soul. I shuddered. Creepy.

I pulled the door shut, closing the curtain. Tired. Now I was tired. I hobbled over to the bed and flopped down, shoving my face into the plush pillows. I didn't want to think about anything. I was definitely trying to avoid thinking about the earl; I knew how it'd go down if I did. I'd start coming up with insane scenarios about how badly I could screw up our introduction, and then I'd go down a rabbit hole of insane concerns until I had gotten myself so worked up that I was way overthinking every simple thing.

Mostly, though, I wanted to stop thinking about my brother and sister. Would they be all right without me? I mean, I trusted them– kind of. Emma would take care of Edward, and Edward would take care of Emma. Still, I wanted to be the one to take care of them. I'd always been that person. Would they really be okay?

. . .

Priscilla pulled the lacy strings tight on the back of my dress, the fabric snug against my body. I had never particularly enjoyed tight clothing, but no matter. It looked fine. It was mostly a matter of comfort on my part– but the fabric was soft and smooth, so it wasn't unpleasant to wear. I'd certainly live.

"Are you nervous?" Priscilla inquired as she looked for the lipstick. I pulled one out of my bag and showed it to her.

"Not really." I shrugged. I'd mostly been ignoring the anxiety.

Priscilla nodded slightly, taking the lipstick from me and swatching it. She then tilted my chin up slightly so she could apply it. "That's good. I do promise you, mademoiselle, the earl is a kind boy."

I managed a slight smile. "Well, then I suppose there's nothing for me to concern myself over."

She rechecked my hair quickly, nodding in reassurance. "It'll all go off without a hitch."

Her calm demeanour did help me some, and I could feel myself calming down as her soft hands brushed once more through my hair. "Thank you, Miss Vanderbilt."

I caught Priscilla's smile in the reflection, though her face was somewhat obscured as she reached for the brush. "Of course." She hummed.

She and I existed in silence for a few moments as she fussed over the ribbon in my hair. I glanced back up at her, fighting with myself. I really didn't want to bother her. She was nice. She probably had enough on her plate already.

"What's on your mind?" Her voice startled me out of my thoughts. I sighed, brushing my hair out of my eyes.

"Nothing." I smiled faintly. "I'm alright."

"It's my job to help you, you know. If you don't let me, then I'll have nothing to do." Priscilla prompted.

I sighed. "Well... I suppose you're right." I fiddled with the pendant of my necklace. It just reminded me of how out of place I was in this manor. My dresses were plain, old. They had some fresh stitching from all the repairs I'd done during the rainy season, since we couldn't work half the time.

"So, what is it you need?" Priscilla tilted my chin up, coaxing me to look at her.

It still felt wrong to ask for things. "Would it be possible for me to get some stationary?"

She smiled softly. "Of course. I can get you some while you eat dinner."

. . .

The moment I saw the earl, my heart stuttered in my chest.

I'd never seen a man as beautiful as him. I couldn't place what it was that made him so mystifyingly beautiful to me- he certainly didn't wear a pleasant expression. He seemed to be a bit of a grouch. His eyes flicked up to me as I stepped into the room, and he stood so abruptly that it caught me off guard. I couldn't tell what he thought of me. His thoughts were masked by his steely grey eyes.

We were both silent. It lasted a few moments before Damien stepped in, smiling nervously. "Mademoiselle von Rosewald, Earl van Cortlandt. Earl van Cortlandt, Mademoiselle von Rosewald. Er- have a seat, mademoiselle." He pulled out my chair, and Priscilla ushered me over. I blinked, taking a seat. The earl stared for a moment before sitting as well. I couldn't place him. He was a mystery. It made me anxious.