L'audition (Published on Amazon and Materica.store)

3- Chapitre Troi

Albert and the other servants watched in awe as Dei seemed to gracefully glide down the grand staircase in her black strapless mermaid cut evening gown with her hair set to one side in a loose bun and a string of pearls elegantly draped over her bare collar bone. Although, he was the one who placed the items in the young lady's room, a spacious and lavish chamber on the top floor of the three-storey mansion adjacent to the young master's bedroom, the steward could not help but admire how perfectly everything suits Dei.

"Mademoiselle Dei." Albert smiled as he took the young lady's hand with a bow. "This way please. The master is waiting."

Richard was mesmerized upon seeing her by the door and almost jumped out of his seat to meet the vision that just walked into the dining room.

My God! This woman is beautiful.

He took a deep breath to steady his wildly beating heart and keep his composure. He remained seated and hawkishly stared at Dei who sat at the other end of the 20-seater dining table.

Richard has been with many beautiful women in his life but none quite as stunning as Dei who made such an impact on him with her mere presence.

They sat quietly across each other just staring and weighing each other's thoughts as the servants started serving wine and food.

"So why the tests?" She said breaking the silence.

"Straightforward. No nonsense lady. Just the way I like it." He grinned over a glass of wine he raised to her and sipped from it. "The first one is obvious. I need a woman I can trust not to steal from me or drain my pockets during our pretend marriage. I also need her to be graceful and smart and knowledgeable in the arts. One I would proudly escort to social functions. Therefore the second test. You, actually, impressed me on that one. I saw you inspect each painting like you really know what you're looking for. Working for the Batholdis must have really paid off."

"How do you know about the Batholdis?"

"I told you. I have ways of knowing." He smirked.

"And the third?"

"I needed a woman who can handle pressure. As you would soon realize, being my wife won't be easy. That's why we had to scare you and when you were most vulnerable, we pulled you away from the group and put you in solitude. You, despite the tears, went though those hours calmly while Cora broke everything in the room she was in. She's lucky, the bullet from the gun she dropped didn't hit her."

Dei slowly nodded her head, processing the information she just heard.

"Trés bien. Mais pourquoi? Why do you have to find a wife in such a way. I mean you are a rich and handsome man. You can have any woman fall in love with you and marry her."

"That's what the problem is. I am incapable of love. I have shut that emotion out of my life since both my parents died in a fishing accident when I was young and I was forced to live and be tossed around my relatives who all wanted to take my inheritance and since every woman I have ever been with only wanted my money." Richard paused and sighed. "Now, I need a wife, under contract, whom I can show to the executor of my parents estate in a week, to stay with me without emotional attachments for two years in order for me to receive the entirety of my inheritance."

Dei watched as Richard spoke, seeing his expression change with each sentence he told and though he did not speak of them, Dei listened to the sadness and pain with her eyes. She knew then that this man who she initially thought was beastly and sadistic is more vulnerable than what he claims.

"Two years?" She frowned.

"Two years." He confirmed.

Dei nodded and looked at Richard. "Je comprends. So what's next? Now that I have agreed to play the part."

Richard smiled and raised his glass to Dei. "We get married of course." He grinned.

//

After dinner, Dei asked if she could go back to the room she was locked up in. Richard said yes and went up to his study.

Albert escorted her and left to give the young lady some time alone. Dei looked around the room and realized the fear she felt just hours ago when she first stepped in the area was completely gone.

She smiled as she saw the piano and walked to it. She sat down and started playing a song that her father used to play for them to put them to sleep.

A song that always reminded her of home.

Home... The place that she would keep dreaming about to lift her spirits while she lived with Richard.

She closed her eyes and let her hands carry her heart home with each note they played that filled the entire mansion.

//

Richard sat in his study staring at the fire that burned in the furnace when he heard Dei's song.

And with each gentle stroke of her fingers on the ivory keys and with every sound of music that fell on his ears, the beasts that guarded his heart were tamed and Richard started seeing tenderness, love and real beauty in the world again.

******
Hi! Thank you for reading.

The next update will reveal to us some of the mysterious young master's secrets.

I hope to get that to you by Tuesday.😊

Translations:
Trés bien. Mais pourquoi? - Very Good. But why?
Je comprends. - I understand.