[December 12th, 2000]
Moonlight shone through the curtains, caressing her skin as she stood by the open window looking out over the horizon of her estate. Josh gazed at her from the doorway, stunned by her beauty. He had cast his eyes on her before, of course, but somehow each time he looked at her she had become more beautiful than previous. He was mesmerized by her ample breasts in her silly pale blue dress, and longed to touch her supple skin, to feel her beneath his fingertips, to kiss her all over. He closed the space between them, shutting the door quietly behind him, his heartbeat hammering in his chest as his breathing became heavier, laced with a mixture of lust and an overwhelming desire to love. But Josh did not fall for women so easily. This woman, this angel, his goddess, had cast her magic on him; he couldn’t breathe when she was around. He ached for her to feel the same helpless feeling as he did, to long for his body as much as he did for hers. She gazed up at him with silver-blue eyes, her lips parted slightly, and he became lost. He gently placed a hand on her soft, pale cheek, stroking her moist, bottom lip with his thumb as her breath silently hitched in her throat. Neither spoke for a moment, their proximity heating the atmosphere between them. Her heart leapt in her chest as he stroked a silver-blonde ringlet behind her ear, his lips tenderly kissed her neck. She gasped softly..
“Are you here to seduce me, Joshua?” her voice, breathy and laced with lust, escaped her mouth as he smiled against her skin, overwhelmed with sexual desire. He pulled away from her neck with great difficulty, his hand slipped to her chin, holding her captive with his thumb and forefinger and he leaned in, his lips mere centimetres away from hers as he whispered tenderly
“Why yes, my lady, I am.”
***
[March 3rd, 1999]
The sun shone down on the carefully tended acres of the Greenwood estate, the birds sang gently in the trees and a feeling of peace and tranquillity overcame Lady Rosalie as she sat on the balcony, sketching the scene in front of her. Her handmaiden, Olivia, brought a tray to her and set it down on the small table next to Rose, who set the sketchbook aside to smile up at her.
“Good morning, Sweet Olive” Rose was always kind to her handmaiden, unlike her Father, who threw his weight, wealth and power around and flaunted it in his servant’s faces. Olivia, however, was more like a sister to Rose, perhaps a friend even, she didn’t know. Rose was home-schooled from the age of five and forbidden to leave the estate, so she’d not had the opportunity to make friends or live as normal girls her age did. Her closest companion was Olivia, and Rose was damned determined to keep her close, even going so far as to giving her the nickname of Sweet Olive, as olives were Olivia's favourite snack, which Rose had ensured she was allowed to pick whenever she wanted.
“Good morning, my lady” Olivia poured tea from the china pot she’d prepared into the matching teacup alongside Rose’s hand. “A lovely morning it is, too”, she smiled. Rose glanced over the tray, her gaze resting on the collection of crockery before her as her face shifted to one of confusion. She glanced up at her handmaiden,
“Only one teacup…are you not joining me, Olivia?” A mild panicked look crossed Olivia’s young, pretty face.
“Is that an order or a request, my lady?” Rose smiled genuinely back at her handmaiden. She was not a lady to be afraid of, she was a friend. She chuckled slightly
“Come now, Sweet Olive, we always have tea together. I would not ask you to bring me tea and then not invite you to join me.”
“Thank you, my lady” Olivia disappeared into the house to fetch another cup as Rose tutted softly, making a mental note to cease this “my lady” nonsense as soon as possible. It was just not something she’d imagined a friend to call her. Turning back to gaze out over the horizon once more in wait for Olivia to return, Rose noticed a figure she had never seen before, wandering up the pathway towards the front door. He was tall, with dark hair and well-groomed, and all of a sudden Rose found herself unable to tear her gaze away, she had never before set eyes on such a handsome man, whom she assumed to be about her own age. He happened upon that exact moment to look up and spot her. A very faint blush blossomed in her cheeks as he raised a hand and waved to her. She sat, frozen, as he dropped his hand before she had time to recover herself and wave back, as he continued on his walk to the front door of the estate. Olivia returned promptly and caught Rose staring down at the mysterious gent, her breathing slightly noticeably heavier. Olivia looked across, following Rose’s gaze and smiled to herself as she noticed the reason for Rose’s distraction.
“Pardon the intrusion, my lady, but who is the gentleman?” Olivia giggled softly as Rose still found herself unable to look away. She licked her lips slightly as she felt her mouth had gone dry.
“I have…absolutely…no idea”
***
Josh caught his breath by the doorway, convinced he was safely out of the eye line of the girl sat on the balcony. He pulled the collar of his shirt with one finger, letting some air get to his chest. Her beauty was like a punch in the gut, and what had he been thinking waving to her? He had no right to be waving to beautiful women of the houses he was visiting to do business with. He sighed, trying to dislodge thoughts of her from his mind as he knocked on the door to the impressive mansion.
Josh, with his entourage, was led through the vast foyer, down the hallway to a large, heavy oak door. A block in the door itself was pushed aside as a pair of tired, grey eyes stared back at him.
“Can I help you?” the grey eyes demanded in a gravelly voice, unnervingly not blinking.
“I hope so. My name is Joshua McDonnell. I have a meeting with Master Greenwood” Josh struggled to keep his voice calm, slightly nervous of the piercing eyes. He reminded himself not to shuffle or fidget as the eyes looked him up and down. Josh heard yelling from behind the door, the words blurring in to an almost indescribable mess of slurs and curses.
“Master Greenwood is busy right now. In fact, he’s busy for the rest of the day.” The voice came from the other side of the door in a hurry. “You’ll have to call back tomorrow” with that, the block of wood was slid into place as the alarmingly unblinking eyes disappeared. Josh sighed softly, careful not to let the Master hear him as he turned and began the long journey back down the hall to the front door.
Josh reached the foyer just as he heard two women talking, coming down the impressive spiral staircase. He looked up and noticed the woman who was sitting on the balcony beforehand coming down the steps, her handmaiden closely following. The woman’s step faltered as her eyes met his across the room, and a faint pinkness rose in her cheeks. He felt his own face getting warm as he drank in her beauty, awestruck. She squeaked slightly, cleared her throat, composed herself and continued down the stairs, gracefully nodding at Josh and Samuel, his best friend and close associate. Josh, dumbfounded and frozen to the spot, found himself unable to nod back or even utter a word of greeting. The elusive woman passed him by and in a heartbeat, he’d missed his chance. He mentally kicked himself and continued out the door, his mind crowded with thoughts of the delicious prize he had just laid his eyes on.
YOU ARE READING
Shi no seppun.
RomanceLady Rosalie Greenwood has never wanted for anything. With an alcoholic Father, a deceased Mother, her handmaiden Olivia as her only companion and everything served for her on a silver platter, Rose enjoyed her cosy, uncomplicated lifestyle. The onl...