A New Estate - Crimson Peak

Chapter Eleven

"I know what I saw, Robert."

The young man frowned at me, letting out a loaded sigh as he tangled his long fingers into his hair.

"I do not doubt you."

"You certainly sound like you do."

"I'm not! It's just," he paused briefly, chewing on his bottom lip, "it's a little farfetched, don't you think?"

"Yes! But it's true!"

I let out an exaggerated and uncouth growl of a noise, grabbing fistfuls of my hair and tugging on it harshly.

Tears stung my eyes and blur my vision, whether they were from fear, frustration or sheer sadness I couldn't differentiate.

I knew that what I was saying sounded ludicrous, some may have even been locked away for the rest of their years for making the claims I was and yet it still hurt that he didn't believe what I was saying.

"I've never seen anyone before, it was always just noises and feeling things."

"So you're saying that the manor is haunted."

"Why else would I claim these things? I have no personal gain from these statements and I was alone for most of it, wild stories would get me nowhere without an audience."

Robert nodded, staring at the now lukewarm tea in his cup. His bottom lip was beginning to turn red as he continued to chew on it in what I assumed to be contemplation.

"And you're saying that he looked like me?"

"Uncannily so, he sounded like you as well."

The look he gave me was an obvious one of doubt, but he didn't verbally express his opinion.

I shook my head and buried my face into my hands, unable to bear the look this near stranger was giving me when all I needed was a little bit of comfort.

For the first time in my life I was alone, hours away from where I once called home and familiarity, why couldn't he just humour me?

Sure, perhaps I was asking too much but it was all I needed right now until I calmed down.

I missed home, I wanted nothing more than to cuddle up in my mother's arms and cry about the unusual occurrences I had been subjected to during my stay and yet the possibility was so far out of reach it tightened my chest in anguish.

"Robert."

The sudden voice invading the uncomfortable silence between us caused me to jump, one of my fingernails catching my cheek as the sharp jolt dragged my hands back down my face.

"Yes, sir?" Robert replied, letting go of his cup and standing from the seat.

"Break is over, get your ass back to work."

"Of course."

Robert's eyes briefly met mine in a fleeting glance before he gave a polite bow of the head and walked out, David watching him retreat and making sure the coast is clear before taking the newly empty seat.

"Now, Mam, I understand that this is your home but I have to ask you to stop distracting my men."

My eyebrow quirked a little and I found myself sitting up straight in surprise as if I'd flinched at the accusation.

"Excuse me? I am hardly around your men enough to be a distraction."

The older gentleman rubbed a rough hand over his beard, the sound of the fine hairs scratching his palm filling the tense air between us.

"With all due respect, I don't think you realise the affect you have."

As I opened my mouth to protest he held his hand up to silence me, a stern look in his eye reminded me of times my father would reprimand me as a child for wrongdoings.

"Now I understand that some of these men are young and may catch your eye, but we have work to do and we can't have you distracting them with fluttering eyelashes and exposed bosoms."

Heat rose in my cheeks and I couldn't help but to briefly glance down, my dress nor corset was hardly low cut and exposed near to no flesh, you'd see much more at any high society meeting with the ladies in their lavish dresses.

Yet I still found myself trying to pull my shawl further around myself to shield anything deemed crude from view.

"I don't mean to cause arguments, but I can assure you that I have no intentions of catching any of the men's eye."

"Perhaps not," he sniffed whilst leaning back in his seat, a sound that stirred my stomach and pulled a little on my gag reflex. "However, you need to understand that men these days would find a dog appealing if you put it in a dress."

I frown at the sentiment he was pushing, unsure whether or not that was meant as a backhanded compliment or merely a passive statement.

The awkwardness that had been here with Robert soon took a shift of hostility, David's brown eyes bored into me and made me feel increasingly uncomfortable.

He didn't seem to believe that my claims were true, that I truly had no intentions of wooing any of the men into any sordid activities.

Never in my life had I considered myself anything special when it came to my appearance, I was very plain looking amongst the higher-up ladies with their flawless dresses and decorated faces. They all held an air of confidence that I couldn't keep, that wasn't to say that I was shy or reclusive, I still enjoyed conversing with other ladies and tending various evening events.

It was more that I never went out with the expectations of a gentleman asking me to dance over another, more done up girl who oozed a refined appeal, rather than my bland, every other girl kind of appearance.

I was rather friendly in nature and got along well with most people I interacted with for a short time, however my vibrant personality didn't make the flat dark hair or dark rimmed eyes stand out, but I was content in my loneliness.

Being a loner, it was fairly preferred this way.

So to now be accused of such activities was foreign to me, flattering yet alien.

I was honestly left speechless.

There was a gentle nudge to my leg and when I look down my eyes make contact with the dark brown ones of China, who stared up at me as if trying to show some form of canine empathy.

"I'm sorry sir," I mumbled whilst standing from my seat, "but I must feed the dog and take her out."

Without any hesitance, I turned away from the rugged man sitting at the table and patted my leg, signaling to the dog that I wanted her attention.

Mentally, I couldn't have been more thankful for the distraction and excuse to get out of the room and away from the accusations by a man who had been so friendly upon his arrival.