A Beast Sees No Beauty

Chapter Twenty-One

Vincent woke up with a familiar ache in his head. It was a pain he hadn't felt in ages, but he recognized it as an old friend. He should have known better than to doze off after crying.

His left hand made quick work of messaging his temples, while his right arm remained exactly where it was, tucked underneath the loving woman curled against his side. Vincent wondered if she even knew how her body reacted while she slept. It wasn't uncommon for her to fall asleep on him when he sat or laid down beside her. She often curled into him, grabbing onto his shirt or cuddling his arm.

Today had been an instance of her taking hold of his shirt and balling it in her fist like a child. He was sure there would be wrinkles, but her comfort was higher on his priority list than his appearance.

He couldn't move without waking her since this arm was underneath her body and with her curled entirely against his side, there was no way for him to maneuver away from her. Vincent had no choice but to lay still until Juliet woke up from her nap.

That being said, he either had a couple of minutes or a few hours. There was no in-between with Juliet.

The thought caused a smile to spread across his face. Juliet was most certainly an extreme type of person, but she constantly went from one extreme to another. There was never any rhyme or reason to her actions - which made life unpredictable with her around.

A soft knock came from the door before it was cracked open. Serena peeked her head in, taking a look around before slowly sneaking in fully. If she was surprised by the reputation ruining position Vincent and Juliet were in, she didn't let it show. Instead, she held out an envelope to Vincent with a quirked brow.

"You have mail from Mabelle," her gaze traveled down to the sleeping Juliet before returning to Vincent. She quirked a brow for a moment but didn't comment on their compromising position. "Though your mind must be preoccupied-"

"Oh shush Serena, you and I both know nothing has happened." A chuckle escaped her as Vincent focused on opening the seal to his letter. Whatever it was must have been important, otherwise, it could have waited until he got back.

"Sure I do, but I'll just keep my opinion to myself." Serena turned away and sauntered through the door, reminding Vincent of the old days. Jeremiah was lucky to have such a woman as his wife. Many men expressed explicit interest in her, but somehow that scrawny ginger managed to lay his claim first.

Rolling his eyes, Vincent turned his attention back to the letter.

Trouble when you return. A young Mr. Chambers wished to speak with either you or Juliet. Be careful of what you do.

~LuLu

"Mr. Chambers?" Juliet woke up without alerting Vincent and also managed to read the letter before he could stop her. In any other circumstance, Vincent would have lost his temper and scolded her like a child. For some reason, he couldn't even manage to be angry. "That must be my brother, Lysander, or my father."

"Lysander?" The name was foreign on his tongue, something he hadn't heard in ages. Not since he read Shakespeare as a boy. "Are all of your siblings named after Shakespeare's characters?"

Juliet laughed, the first true bubbly laugh in ages. "My mother adored Shakespeare! All eight of us were named after his plays!"

Vincent couldn't help but smile upon seeing Juliet's mirth. He couldn't help but imagine other women naming their children after Jane Austen novels, or Charles Dickens characters. It all seemed entirely comical.

"In all seriousness, you should be worried if it is Lysander," Juliet's smile slowly disappeared and made room for her concern. She took the parchment from his hands, her eyes glided over the words hoping for some hidden clue as to who it was. "He's a lawyer. No doubt he and my father are making plans for my rescue."