A Beast Sees No Beauty

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Vincent stared down at his glass of brandy, debating on whether or not he wanted to drink it. He already stayed up all night wallowing in self-pity, the last thing he needed was alcohol to interfere. Finally deciding to make a better decision, Vincent slid the glass to the side of his desk, ready to lay down for a bit before Lysander Chambers arrived for their meeting.

LuLu knocked on the office door hesitantly, knowing Vincent probably wanted to be left alone in his time of need. However, Lysander was a genuinely nice fellow who refused to be turned away. Normally, she'd laugh at Vincent's misfortune of an early meeting, but today she was silent.

"Come in," Vincent groaned and rubbed his eyes, wishing he at least had the courtesy to change after the events of last night. His evening jacket was hanging off the back of his chair, and his waistcoat was unbuttoned and loosely hanging from his form. His tie lay undone around his collarbone, with his top three shirt buttons unhitched. Overall, he looked like a complete slob.

Lysander entered alone, quietly making his way to the desk without a word. The smile on the man's face was natural, on the brink of even being kind. "Good morning Mr. McCoy, I would normally ask how you slept but..."

Vincent nodded his head gingerly before leaning to rest his head against the back of the chair. He was beyond being just too tired to deal with visitors, now he was completely exhausted from the human race as a whole.

LuLu entered the room at that point, going about dusting the surface of untouched furniture and opening the curtains behind Vincent's desk. Sunlight poured in making Vincent grimace as his brooding atmosphere was ruined. "Ms. LuLu, would you be so kind as to crack open the windows? The weather outside is marvelous today."

Of course, all of the Chambers children were so perfect. They must all love sunlight, gardens, dancing, and being the most tantalizing people on the planet. Vincent both admired them all, specifically Juliet, and despised them, except for Juliet.

"Now, I know I said I wanted to talk about the money owed by Joshua, but I find that my reasons for coming have changed since last night," Lysander made himself more comfortable, sinking further into his seat and picking at some fuzz on his trousers. "You told me you're in love with my sister, and I believe you."

Vincent's brows knit together in confusion, unsure of what that had to do with anything. Was he about to be charged with some form of kidnapping? At this point, he wouldn't be surprised if the Chambers family was going to fight for some form of revenge. He wouldn't blame them in the least.

"Against my better judgment, I've decided to give you a chance. Luckily, there's this dazzling little creature in your garden that happens to love you very much, so I suggest you don't tell her something so foolish as to send her running home again." Vincent couldn't possibly wrap his brain around what was happening. Here he was, prepared to deny any form of payment from the Hayes or Chambers families, and now he was being told that the woman he loved was out in his garden?

Vincent finally pulled himself out of his thoughts when he heard the humming down in the garden. Lifting himself from the seat, he calmly walked over to the open window. Down below was the beautiful Juliet Chambers, with her blonde locks falling against her back, wearing nothing but her nightgown and dressing robe as always.

Her new dressing robe in deep forest green to match her irises. Vincent couldn't help but wonder if she ever actually left the night before, but the image of her riding away was burned into his memory.

After spending several moments just watching her, Vincent turned to Lysander once more, nodding his head appreciatively. He wasn't sure what the other man saw in him, but he was thankful nonetheless. "I can't thank you enough-"