A Love Worthy

Chapter Twenty

            He was gone. Ginelle knew the moment her eyes opened that he was gone, and with his absence, an immediate pang of emptiness. Her eyes fluttered wide, brimmed with tears as she stared blankly up at the wide, ivory ceiling, her heart sinking heavily as a deep void of hollowness spread within her chest.

            She sat upright and pulled the coverlets to her chest, inhaling deeply of his masculine scent. She shifted and than spotted the white lily resting against his pillow.

            Her heart accelerated as she studied the beautiful flower, the tender gesture flaring hopes anew. As she reached for the lily, she couldn’t help but feel a bit foolish for acting very much the lamented widow but somehow she feared the day of his return would never come.

            She cradled the delicate flower, her thumbs gently caressing its milk-white petals. Her tears slipped uncontrollably as the night before embraced in his arms surfaced to mind.

            A sudden, unexpected knock came to the door and Ginelle quickly brushed her tears away as Lucile entered, lugging a silver tray fraught with an assorted breakfast. The aromas struck her senses with a ferocity that suddenly churned her stomach. She felt her face grow pale and immediately pressed a hand to her suddenly unsettling belly.

             “You have slept well unto midday, mademoiselle.” Lucile’s voice was stern and her dark eyes inquisitive and for a moment, Ginelle feared the older woman would question her afflicted disposition.

             She was relieved when the housekeeper said naught, and preceded about the room. She jerked the drapes wide and immediate sunlight poured into the darkened room, emitting effulgent light amongst the masculine furniture.

            Ginelle’s fingers curled around the white lily as Lucile crossed back to the tray and removed the silver platters. “Cook has prepared a hearty breakfast I expect a good portion of it to be eaten.”

            The older woman turned and her severity wavered but she refrained from saying anything but her dark eyes beheld a deep empathy.

            Clearing her throat she motioned towards the tray, “Once you’ve finished your morning meal, you are to get dressed for you are expecting a visitor today.”

            Ginelle stilled to awareness, her eyes averting from the flower to Lucile’s face. “A visitor?”

            Lucile nodded, “A missive arrived early this morning from the Duchess of Hadley. She asked if you would join her for tea later this evening but considering the circumstances, we informed her that you were feeling a bit under the weather, so we asked if she would come to Ashford instead and she gladly obliged.”

            She frowned, “Circumstances?”

            “Monsieur Dorian gave adamant orders that you were not to venture far from Ashford while he is away.”