Waiting and Awaited

Chapter 6 - Seat No.2, Left

Cai thought it would be a night of fitful tossing and turning, and was surprised to find her alarm buzzing when her eyes snapped open the next morning. She tossed away the covers and did an massive stretch. She sat with an empty gaze for about a minute before finally getting up and heading to her closet. She took out her usual work clothes and headed to the bathroom. Only when she faced her functional mirror did her eyes widen as she remembered last night's events.

She hurriedly spat out her toothpaste before she could swallow it in alarm. It was true what they said, things do seem a lot different in the light of day and she was now wondering what the duke would make of her refusal. She had not heard anything from him since last night, no guards had knocked down their door to arrest her for insubordination, and their lights were still on. She opened her faucet and found water still running, so the duke must not have decided to flush her and her parents out from the Manor with poor supplies.

Despite all those fears and the-day-after realizations, she concluded she could not have any change of heart about the duke's proposed bargain. Instead, she found she could now think of more offenses the duke had committed. Whether knowingly or not, it did not matter to her. His sudden whim for having tuna steak when all saltwater fish should be in the freezers for months now. His arrogance in assuming she would jump at his offer. His brash idea of how marriage should be – a farce to cover up her crime. As if accepting it did not mean committing another crime. Marrying with only one broken vial was another capital offense punishable with the same penalty as losing a vial. His always jumping or turning his head away from her. If he found her fish-smelling hands so offensive then they certainly should not marry at all.

No, she did not regret her answer. Perhaps just the way she gave it. She should have held her head high and said a firm, irrevocable but elegant no, instead of blurting it out like a brat. Unless he carries out his threat and have you arrested for losing your vial and deceiving the Manor.

She shoved the voice at the back of her head and looked straight at her reflection. I refuse to spend the rest of the day worrying about this.

Her parents were already out by the time she went to their dining room. Their jobs started earlier than hers. As usual, her place at the table was set and the newspaper was right beside it. She went to the coffeemaker and poured herself a cup, poured the cream liberally and added some sugar. She was on her way back to the table when the doorbell rang. Nobody called on them at this time on a workday.

She opened the door to 2 guards standing on alert. One of them was facing her while the other faced the hallway.

"Ms. Calista Bell? We have instructions to make sure you receive this." He handed her a small cream envelope. It was quite hefty and her name in burgundy cursive was on the back. She racked her brain for what it could possibly be and stood there for quite a while before she realized the guards had left and she was standing in the doorway alone.

She went back to the table and opened the envelope carefully. She knew it was somehow the Duke. She didn't know anybody who can have any reason to write anything on such beautiful paper and have the manor guards bring it to her door. Her heart was pounding and her palms had started to sweat. Surely, if they were going to arrest her they would have stayed and read the warrant themselves, wouldn't they?

Her confusion increased when all she found written on the card inside was "Seat No. 2, Left". She turned the card over and found a note in bold handwriting:

Cali,

Short notice. But will you be my guest tonight?

I left Goldie alone.

R

Cali, her mind seemed determined to stick to the nickname. Nobody called her that. How presumptuous of the Duke to think he can make pet names for her too.