Part 4
Unsent Letters
To His Grace Duke Damien Ernst von Thisse,
My Lord Duke, I hope this letter finds you in good health. It has been three months since my return from the exquisite city of Swane, where the sweet perfume of roses permeated the air. The adage that time flies may seem trite, but there is undeniable truth in it.
The Verdier estate is now cloaked in lush greens, the air thick with the fragrance of the forest. The summers here are notorious for their intense heat, yet the coolness of the forest offers a brief respite. During such moments, l often find myself reminiscing about the wonderful moments your magnanimity granted us.
My younger sister, Alice, has been corresponding with a gentleman she met at the ball that day. Our family is overjoyed, for he is a fine man of the highest moral character. I am acutely aware that this is the fruit of your generous invitation. After much deliberation as to how I might even begin to repay your overwhelming kindness...
Chloe groaned, halting mid-sentence. Her eyes narrowed in self-reproach at yet another failed attempt. She had not intended for the last sentence to sound quite so servile, but her anxiety was affecting her choice of words.
"What a waste of good parchment," Chloe sighed to herself, watching as the crumpled piece of paper rolled across the desk. Drafting documents and keeping ledgers had always come easily to her, but penning a letter proved to be a different matter altogether-particularly when the recipient was as disagreeable as the one in question.
"My lady."
Chloe looked up to find Gilles standing hesitantly in the doorway with refreshments in his hands. The maidservants had left due to their wages being in arrears, and the sight of the stable boy personally delivering her beverage sent a pang of guilt through her heart.
"Thank you, Gilles. I was just thinking l'd like some tea.
Come, sit." After taking a sip to soothe her parched throat, she turned to look at him. "How is Alice?"
"She went out briefly this morning but hasn't left her room since. She has been refusing all food, complaining of stomach discomfort."
"I see." Chloe nodded, suppressing a sigh. "She didn't... go meet with that bohemian again, did she?"
The past winter, Alice had mentioned forming a friendship with a bohemian traveling with a troupe of musicians. Chloe could never have imagined the extent to which this seemingly innocent encounter would escalate. How the man had managed to pose as a nobleman and sneak into Duke Thisses castle was beyond her understanding-and frankly, she had no desire to know.
"Well..." Gilles hesitated for a moment. "I don't believe so. Lady Alice seems to have matured as of late."
Chloe desperately hoped that Gilles was right. Alice had shared her last dance with Count Cormier, and he had sent a letter announcing that he would visit soon. The sisters were both well aware that a marriage proposal was highly likely.
Chloe bit her lip, recalling how Alice had been on the verge of tears as she asked how she could possibly marry a man she did not love.
"Alice will be happy with the Count," Chloe murmured to herself, almost as if in prayer. "He is a good man and a well-respected member of society."
As her sister, it was impossible to condone a relationship with an itinerant man of unknown lineage and uncertain future.
Anyone who held Alice dear would share the same sentiment.
Gilles paused, his gaze lingering on her before he said quietly, "If Lady Alice gets married and leaves Verdier, I fear that you'll become rather lonely."
