Heart of Stone

Love

Eloise passed the rest of the day at the Pearson Estate with Luna. Caroline had given her some privacy in a cozy sitting room with books and blankets. Eventually Isabella returned home, and Caroline apprised her of the situation. The two of them spent some time in the garden, and then the three had lunch together. By night fall Eloise was feeling much better. She was bone weary, but her spirits had been lifted and she no longer felt as broken and anxious as she had earlier in the day.

She'd thought of and worried about Alexander in the back of her mind constantly, but she knew the only thing she could do now was communicate with him the next chance she got. She was uncertain if he was coming back here tonight, but Caroline assured her that he probably was. Regardless, she'd offered her a room for the night should she need it.

As the chef and servants prepared for dinner, Eloise, Caroline, and Isabella were sat at the table having a glass of wine, chatting and laughing. The front door opened and closed, and they all looked over as Alexander entered the dining room. Eloise sobered up at the sight of him, setting down her glass. She felt a note of nervousness grip her, uncertain what to expect.

"Hey, Alex." Isabella greeted, giving him a warm smile.

He simply nodded at her, his eyes taking in the sight of the three women together before him. They landed on Eloise, and she felt his gaze like a 50-pound weight. She swallowed.

"Are you coming with me?" He asked her.

She blinked in surprise, unsure what to say at first.

"Uh...yes. Yes, I am." She answered, rising to her feet.

Isabella and Caroline were quiet, watching the pair. Alexander turned and strode from the dining room without saying anything, but they gave her encouraging smiles. Eloise followed him with Luna on her tail, the nervousness gripping her again. The up and down tidal waves of emotions she'd had today had not yet ended, it seemed.

She grabbed her bag by the door where she'd left it, following him outside. He opened the passenger side door for her, but his countenance was still immovable stone. She stepped towards the vehicle but hesitated, feeling the anxious need to break the silence between them.

"Alexander, can we talk?" She asked softly, nervously.

"Just get in the car, LouLou." He responded.

"Alex, please." She insisted.

"Get. In. The car." His tone was short and clipped.

She swallowed back the urge to cry again, and she simply slid into the vehicle, placing her bag at her feet. He closed the door for her and Luna sat in anticipation, her tail wagging against the ground. He opened the back door for her as well, and she hopped right in. He walked around the vehicle and got into the driver's seat, smoothly pulling away from the Pearson estate.

The silence of the drive near permeated her bones. Her anxiety had her casting continuous glances his way, finding his neck and shoulders rather tense, but his fingers on the steering wheel were loose and relaxed. The words she wanted to say were on the tip of her tongue, but the way he'd spoken to her stopped them from spilling out. She hated the distance he'd put between them.

She soon realized they were leaving Rosewood Springs, and she watched as her familiar hometown turned into the less familiar adjacent city of Maplehurst. She found excitement growing beneath her anxiety, remembering him mentioning to her that this was the city he lived in. Eventually, they turned into a gravel driveway in a rural area, the house sitting at the end a far cry from the lavish Pearson estate. It was much smaller, made of grey stone, a peaked slate grey roof, and a white wooden farmhouse style front door with black lanterns hanging on either side of it.