close your eyes and feel me

15

-THIS IS THE LAST NEWLY EDITED CHAPTER- 

Walking up the stairs of Mr Robert's house, Charlotte could not stop herself to look all around. The hall was full of pieces of art, a majestic painting on the ceiling was picturing a representation of greek gods.

Her astonished look made Susan laughed.

- "Beautiful, isn't it?''

- "This is flawless'' said Charlotte with bright eyes.

- "Well, I don't know about flawless'' said a middle-aged man walking towards them, "But I sure try my best".

Susan squealed, which surprised Charlotte, and literally jumped into the man's arm.

- "My dear William! Oh, how I've missed you!

- "Suzy dear!'' said Mr Robert with enthusiasm. This whole situation was so surprising to Charlotte.

The two friends held each other for a long time, Susan's face buried in his neck. Charlotte felt like she was witnessing something intimate. Trying to give them the intimacy they deserved, she started to look around. There were sculptures of Greek goddesses alongside others, but those were made out of woods. The details were different, less realistic than the Greek one, but still beautiful.

- « Well, who do we have here? » asked Mr Robert, walking towards Charlotte with a giant smile. « who have you brought here, Susan? »

- « Good afternoon, sir. » said timidly Charlotte

- « This is a good friend of mine, Charlotte Heywood »

- « I see, Miss Heywood, that you are looking at my African statuette, » he said with interest in his voice.

- « African? I didn't know Africans could make art! » she said with genuine surprise

Her reaction made Mr Robert laugh, and Susan walked towards them with a smile.

- « Of course they can, every civilization can make art. » he pointed to the wooden figure «you see, this right here represent a Venus, symbol of femininity »

- « Did you went to Africa? »

- « Oh, not yet! This was a gift. But I've spent the last few years travelling in Asia, particularly in India. You know, for the Crown. »

- «The place you've seen...» wondered Charlotte out lout.

As she said this, the trio heard someone walking in their direction, coming from the front door.

- «Uncle Williams!» exclaimed Eliza, her arms open to hug him. She was so joyful and had such a bright and beautiful smile that it threw off Charlotte for a second. She had yet to see this side of Eliza.

- «Lizzy, my love!» replied Williams with a loving voice. They too hugged, but certainly not for as long as Susan and him before.

But still, it was enough time for Charlotte to see him. He was already looking her up and down before she was, which only made her feel more embarrassed. After all, the last time they had seen each other, she was a bit drunk and had asked him to kiss her out of passion.

When their eyes finally locked, her breath was taken away. Charlotte felt a twinge in her heart as she looked at him, with his indifferent look on his face and cold eyes. She, on the other hand, could not stop herself from staring at him with her big brown eyes.

- «Mr Parker, it is good to see you», said Williams.

Sidney unlocks his eyes off Charlotte's and offered the host a cold smile.

- «Mr Robert», he said with a cold voice, «Thank you for the invitation»

The atmosphere was heavy in the room. Two minutes ago, William was hugging and laughing, being a very bubbly person, but as soon as he saw Sidney Parker, his behaviour changed completely. The air was tensed for what seemed an eternity. Eliza was looking at her uncle then at Sidney, and so goes on. Susan was standing behind everyone, observing. As for our heroine, she was standing near both William and Sidney, unsure where to look.

She could not stop herself but to take a glimpse at him every once in a while. He looked so tall and composed, no sparkles in his eyes whatsoever.

- « I will never forgive you for what you did, Sidney Parker», said William after what seemed to be forever.

Sidney looked down like he was ashamed. Although it didn't feel to Charlotte like he was. What was happening here exactly?

- «How dare you, saying no... A man like you... Truly a shame.» observed the old man.

Sidney then looks at him, smirking.

- «The audacity this man had!» he then added, «Miss Heywood, could you possibly guess what this man right here did to me?»

Charlotte was posed, unsure how to answer this question.

- «I don't know, sir, what has he done?»

- «Refused me the great honour of following me to India!» He exclaimed, pointing a finger at him in a very dramatic way.

- «Oh.» Then answered Charlotte, both unimpressed and unsure at the same time. Was he playing with her?

- «Sidney had other matters to attend, uncle Williams,» noted Eliza after a long pause.

- «Sadly: getting married!» joked the man as he winks in Charlotte's direction as if she could relate in some ways.

There was an uncomfortable silence after he had said that. Charlotte glanced over to Susan, then took a look at Eliza, who seemed now frustrated.

- «I am not married, Williams.» proceed to explain Sidney.

- «Yet» then both quickly exclaimed Eliza and Charlotte at the same time.

- «I see, you must be quite the busy man, Sidney» stated the man, winking again but this time in Susan's direction. «Let's come in, the others must be waiting»

He followed the lead, followed closely by Eliza who you could clearly see was getting angry. Susan took Charlotte by the arm and they walked behind them, Sidney was near them.

- « What an...interresting character is he» Whispered Charlotte to her friend.

She let a  laugh out of her mouth, « Dear, you have no idea. » she glared over her shoulders quickly in Sidney direction and then add « are you alright? »

Charlotte didn't answer but rather smiled weakly to Susan, holding her hand with affection.

They then entered a room full of various people. Charlotte recognized a few artists she had already seen at the café, some to whom she had talked already. Among them were gentlemen's from all age, all talking with each other. A few women were there and there, but not many.

The room had a very high ceiling, and plants and flowers were hanging from everywhere. Someone was playing the piano beautifully, making this moment seems kind of magical to Charlotte. The night was young, and she was excited to see what it had to offers.