Moon Guardian

Chapter 28... The Things That Happen at Noon

Noon couldn’t come soon enough. Monique found herself dare she say… hoping and waiting for the arrival of Nathaniel. She did tell him on their walk home that if he showed up at her house, Philippe would throw him out the same way he came, he’d just laughed and kissed her hand goodnight.

Honestly she had no idea why she was trying this hard to push him away, what other man would court her just for the sake of being with her? Everyone else either had their eye on her money or was just plain fascinated by her form; like a rare piece in a museum.

Nathaniel was neither. He had no want for wealth and he never treated her any different. None of the Vancrofts did.

It was only 9 hours into the morning… Monique groaned in exasperation. This was not normal for her. She had to busy herself go on a walk maybe, or just cook something with charlotte.

Fifteen minutes of indecision and pacing later found her putting on her hat, coat and tying up the laces to her walking boots.

The snow had not yet relented and there might be ice on the ground so she took extra care tying the laces of her boots.

Her body had already begun to tingle in anticipation of the biting cold that awaited her outside. Quickly she slipped on her gloves, glanced once more at the clock: twenty minutes after the hour of nine.

She swung open her door to reveal a familiar figure pacing outside her house. Periodically blowing warm breath on their freezing digits.

He brows scrunched in surprise, “Nathaniel?”

The figure spun around to face her, revealing a red-nosed very cold looking Nathaniel Vancroft.

“Monique, what are you doing outside?” he looked surprised to see her.

Her head tilted to one side. What was she doing out? He was the one standing outside her door.

She looked behind her, then back to him.

“Last I checked, this was in fact my house. What are you doing here?”

He looked around as though searching for the answer to her question in the snow blanketed streets of Sercielle. “I was waiting.”

The streets were almost empty; only a few dared to brave the cold that morning.

“For what?”

He shrugged, “Noon.”

To say that Monique’s stomach fluttered would have been a lie. Her heart began to do a series of quick rapid beats before settling back into its normal rhythm.

She feigned indifference, “What happens at noon?”

He stared at her, for once she didn’t see him grin, smile or even smirk. The green of his eyes were as piercing at the cold around them. The distance between them did her no good. Even though she was at the top of her staircase and he below in the streets it made no difference. Nathaniel cornered her with his stare alone.

“What happens at noon?”

If she could see his words coming out of that mouth of his she was sure it could be frosted with the coldest ice.

She was not expecting him to answer with a question, at least some witty comment.

“What?” Monique’s voice came out less than sure.

Nathaniel had not moved from his vantage point yet Monique was compelled to step back from the intensity of his stare.

His hands had fallen to his sides but his feet remained planted, as unmoving, as his gaze. Where was he headed with this? She didn’t know…