The Beast of Napa

7 - Proposals

After a night of rest and a lively brunch of quiche and mimosas, Rose gave herself a tour of the house. It hadn't worn at all - there wasn't a single dusty corner, nor a faded tapestry. It was perfectly pristine, yet somehow void of all warmth and life. It was no longer the living quarters of the Griffin family, but instead, a museum.

Rose sighed, wishing for the days of warmth she remembered so long ago, when they played hide and go seek behind the furniture and chess in the parlor. But Griffin had taken his childhood games and turned them into joyless adulthood endeavors; he was now a man who played chess with businessmen and hide and seek with his thoughts.

Someone stumbled into the hallway, hissing to herself and stopping to put her shoes back on her feet. There was dirt and vines all over her dress and hair, but Rose recognized her immediately - after all, it was hard to forget the girl Griffin had his eyes glued to the night before.

The girl bowed to Rose, giving an innocent smile. "Sorry to startle you, Miss."

Rose pursed her lips and shook her head. "You didn't startle me at all, my dear. I was just giving myself a tour of the house. Catriona, was it?"

The girl nodded.

"You have a bit of an accent," Rose said. "Irish?"

Catriona's mouth glued shut. Rose nodded knowingly.

"I don't like what they say, you know," Rose commented. "I think if you went through the trouble of getting here, you should get the chance to make a name for yourself just like everyone else."

Catriona's shoulders dropped, the color coming back to her face. "Thank you, Miss."

Rose stepped forward, reaching up to pull a vine from Catriona's braid. "Call me Rose."

Catriona took the vine from Rose, looking momentarily at the small green sprig in her hand before putting it in her pocket.

"You work in the fields?" Rose asked. "Nathaniel usually has the men work there."

Catriona looked confused for a moment. "Nath--? Ah, you mean Mr. Griffin? You two must be quite close to know his first name."

Rose gave a warm nod. "We grew up together."

Catriona laughed to herself. "When I first met Mr. Griffin, I didn't think he had a childhood at all. But now that I've been working here, I can see that rumors are no way to get to know a person. He's straightforward, but not without some sort of compassion, yes?"

Rose narrowed her eyes a bit, nodding slowly. "I agree."

There was an awkward pause, but Catriona filled it with a smile. "I think if he had friends like you and Mr. Patrick as a child, then he's nothing like what people say he is. It makes me happy to think about."

She bowed and left before Rose could gather her thoughts and reply, but even after some time, Rose couldn't come up with a response at all. All she could do was take a deep breath, hoping the anxious curiosity in her lungs would settle.

Why was the new hire so interested in Nathaniel's personality in the first place?

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After a tour down memory lane, Rose stopped at Griffin's office, a bottle of whiskey in her hand. She looked up at the old office door that had once belonged to Griffin's father, a strange feeling of nostalgia and regret washing over her. At one time, this door had been warm and inviting, as if anyone could knock on it at any time and receive a warm smile in return.