Fourth Meeting
1509 Words
Genevieve sat up in bed with a blank face and a confused heart. It had been a long day for her sanity and heart.
Her aunt and uncle were leaving. That was a weight off her chest.
Now she was living with a demon. A demon that was into close contact.
“Was that your husband?” her maid asked excitedly.
“You can leave after stoking the coals,” she replied shortly, not in the mood to talk about Lucian. Not that she knew a lot about him.
Her maid’s face fell and she frowned. She didn’t like to make people unhappy.
“He is my husband,” she said gently. “I will explain a different time.”
The maid’s face lit up and Genevieve knew she was going to be gossiping in the servants’ hall the moment she got there.
“Good night, my lady,” the maid said respectfully and closed the door softly behind her.
Genevieve let out a groan.
She hadn’t left the house for days and the servants knew that. They were going to be wondering how she had managed to snag a husband from nowhere.
Maybe Lucian could help her out with that.
There was also the servant that had told her about the demon. She would have to hope she wouldn’t put the dots together and work out that her new husband was the demon.
Whilst eliminating one trouble she had gained another.
Maybe they could move away somewhere with new servants that didn’t know them. Her parents had always wanted to visit other countries after all.
She blew the candle and the room was plunged into mostly darkness with a remnant of light coming from the fireplace.
Sleep didn’t come easily. On one hand she was happy to finally be rid of her aunt and uncle, but now she had a demon to contend with.
***
“I normally wake up my lady and get her tea.”
“I wanted to surprise my wife.”
Genevieve woke up the sounds of talking outside her bedroom door and took a moment to remember everything and work out who the voices belonged to.
She was married to a demon Lord who… wanted to give her tea in bed.
“If you insist.
“I do insist.”
The door was pushed open by Lucian bearing a tea tray and her maid standing behind him. Genevieve groaned when she remember Lucian’s plan.
This had to be part of his loving husband act. He was definitely putting effort in.
“You can leave us,” he said to her maid and closed the door behind him.
He walked over to her bedside and placed the tray on the table.
“I thought this would be a nice romantic act in front of your maid. What do you think?”
Genevieve eyed him up. He was wearing different clothes to the previous day and looked completely normal despite the late time they had retired to bed.
“Do you actually sleep?”
“I don’t,” he replied cheerfully and started pouring out the tea. “How much sugar do you take?”
She had a mental image of him staring at the ceiling all night and giggled. Then she realised that he was staring at her.
“What’s so funny?”
“It is nothing,” she answered and changed the subject. “One sugar cube please.”
He deftfully prepared her tea and passed it to her which she had no problem with. Then he sat down on the edge of her bed which was something she did have a problem with.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Spending time with you.”
Genevieve sighed and drank up her tea. He had chosen the proportions undeniably well for someone who didn’t know her.
“What are we doing today?”
“We are going to go downstairs to eat breakfast after you have dressed,” Lucian said simply,
“When are my aunt and uncle leaving?”
“After breakfast,” he told her with a grin. “I thought you would want to watch them leave so I asked them to stay for breakfast.”
The demon knew her well already. She had been wanting to watch them leave the house ever since they had come.
Breakfast was and wasn’t not what she had been anticipating. Whilst she was enjoying seeing her aunt and uncle silent for once, she was not enjoying Lucian’s act.
“Does my darling want another slice of bread?” he asked and blew her a kiss.
Her aunt shuddered and for once Genevieve agreed with her. It was nauseating.
“Young couples are different these days…” her uncle commented eventually. “Very energetic.”
“Quite,” her aunt agreed. “It seems like we’ll have nephews and nieces in no time.”
Genevieve coloured when she caught onto her aunt’s intended meaning.
“I’ll let you know when we do,” Lucian said without glancing at her face.
Genevieve was sure he didn’t want to see her glare. She had a very good glare and she knew it.
“Are you two all packed?” she asked to change the subject and to hurry the end of the awkwardness.
“Yes,” her aunt said. “We are both ready.”
“I’ll see you off,” Genevieve said cheerfully.
***
The carriage was packed almost too quickly for Genevieve to enjoy her aunt’s sour expression. Her aunt’s act at not being bothered that she being kicked out a manor had been starting to slip badly at the end of breakfast.
“Goodbye and thank you for looking after me,” Genevieve said politely. “Have a nice life.”
“You too. You will be living in riches,” her aunt said sourly with a look at Lucian. “Your husband is actually handsome.”
Lucian nudged her and Genevieve didn’t react. By now she had established that he was very vain.
“Well, goodbye,” Genevieve said again and her aunt climbed into the carriage.
Genevieve didn’t relax until the carriage was out of view. Her aunt didn’t lean out the window and wave, but she hadn’t been expecting her to.
“She was not all that bad. She said I was handsome,” Lucian said and preened.
Genevieve didn’t respond and returned to the manor. There had been some things she had wanted to do after getting rid of her uncle and aunt.
She pulled out the dress she had been looking at the night before and laid it on the bed. It was made of a gorgeous blue satin.
She would wear it tonight to celebrate the departure of the Bank family and the end of the restrictions.
There was also her mother’s jewellery box that she had hidden under her bed incase her aunt took a liking to anything in it. Her mother had a lovely collection of jewellery that she had been occasionally allowed to wear pieces of. One part of the set had been set aside for when she married and was the most beautiful part of the collection.
Wasn’t she technically married now? She would have to ask Lucian about that. Surely he hadn’t registered their marriage.
There was a knock at the door and it was opened by the demon without waiting for a response.
“You’re supposed to wait for an answer after knocking,” she said lightly.
“I’ll remember that human convention,” he promised. “I wanted to ask what your plans for the future are.”
Genevieve sat down on her bed.
“I never really thought that far ahead. Are we really married?”
Lucian raised an eyebrow.
“You don’t think I would just turn up here and tell your aunt we were married without doing anything to back it up? I registered it formally so on paper, we are married. You are Lady Genevieve Ward.”
Genevieve was glad that he had thought that far ahead in case her aunt had gone digging for anything. But it was a shock to find that she wasn’t Lady Genevieve Edwards anymore.
“Do you not like the surname?” he asked in concern.
Genevieve realised her silence must have worried him.
“It is not that. It just happened quite quickly.”
Lucian nodded in understanding.
“It will not be like this again.”
He put his arm around her and gave her a pat on the head.
Genevieve found that he was a surprisingly understanding demon.
- Writer
