As she left the boy had tears of gratitude and she wished him good luck with a smile as she left.
Seeing one of the coaches she hurried quickly.
“Wait!” she called loudly to catch it on time, “How much is the ride?” she asked.
“Twenty-five shillings lady,” the driver replied and her brows knit together.
“Isn’t it fifteen shillings Sir?”
“You do know the evening fare is more compared to the day, aye? Now do you have twenty-five shillings or not?” the driver asked making Katie smile funnily.
Drowned in emotions she had given all the money except for the fifteen shillings to the boy and this man says its twenty five.
“What is taking so long?”
“Start the ride already!”
The passengers in the carriage began asking making her sigh, “I don’t,” she said dully and saw the driver whip the horses, pulling the coach with it.
The sun was setting and she began to walk. If she was fast she could reach there by night before supper by taking the road.
It was a good thing that Caviar had gone out for an errand as he spotted her walking on the side of the road he stopped the carriage with a baffled expression to see her at this hour of the day walking alone. On the way Katie narrated what happened to which Caviar laughed calling her a foolish girl for not keeping enough money with her for emergency and she had replied with ‘whatever’.
When they arrived at the mansion, Caviar stopped the carriage to only be greeted by Lord Alexander standing at the entrance expressionless.
“It seems like you’re having a hard time following the rules of the mansion Ms. Welcher,” she heard the Lord speak to her.
“Lord Alexander, Ms Welcher was-” Caviar came to her aid to be cut off by the Lord.
“I didn’t ask you Caviar. Take the carriage,” Alexander ordered with a quiet and icy glare. When Caviar left them, the Lord ordered, “Meet me in my study in ten minutes,” and he left without another word.
Katie didn’t argue because he gave her the feeling as though she was walking on a land mine which could explode if she took a wrong step. Going up to her room, she changed her clothes and washed her face before heading towards Alexander’s study, standing at the front of the closed door and waiting to knock.
“Come in,” she heard him from the other side of the door.
Stepping inside the room, she closed the door carefully from behind and suddenly felt Alexander’s arms on either side of her body, trapping her against the door.
“What time did you say you would return to Martin?” he asked her sweetly and she gulped. His icy demeanor had turned to a sweet smile which was unreal. This was scary, she thought to herself.
“Before the time of evening?” she asked him unsure.
“And what time is it now?”
“Um it’s night,” she replied feeling the hair behind her neck stand.
“Do you have any idea how worried I have been since evening? The last time you went out alone you didn’t return back.”
“That was because I went to buy a dress,” she replied as his dark eyes stared at her.
“I regret that day for putting your life in danger. If I hadn’t asked you in the first place it would have never happened,” he said exasperatedly, making her heart sink in her chest, “I was going to send out people if you were going to be anymore late.”
“B-but I-” she began to protest and felt his finger on her lips to shush her.
“I have been very patient yet you go breaking simple rules to keep yourself safe. I should probably opt for another method,” he said as his finger brushed her lower lip.
Katie felt her heart race madly with the closeness Alexander and she shared. She felt him lean forward, feeling his minty breath on her lips.
His hands that were on either side of her now had gone to her waist and she stood there like a statue with her fuzzy mind.
Before they could close in the gap, a knock on the door broke the moment and Katie turned away her face with cheeks as bright as the apples and Alexander stepped away with a faint smile looking at her.
“Lord Alexander, Sir Mathews has arrived,” informed the butler.
“Let him know that I’ll be there in a minute,” Alexander said waiting for the man to go.
“I-it’s late. I should go to bed,” she said looking anywhere but him.
“By the way we’ll be going to the theatre tomorrow. Goodnight Katie.”
“Goodnight, Lord Alexander,” she said opening the door and walking straight to her room and plopping herself on the bed feeling her uneven breath.
“God, have mercy on me,” she whispered into the pillow.