Chapter 105
Just seeing the initial ‘C’ made Mauver’s heart race.
Growing impatient, she tore open the envelope without a second thought. She scanned the short letter in one go and clapped a hand over her mouth. Without another moment’s hesitation, she raced up the stairs two at a time and burst into the office.
“Miss Mauver?”
The editor-in-chief, sensing something unusual, called out to her. But Mauver, now forgetting she was only a rookie, stood in the middle of the office and declared loudly:
“Clarisse wants me to read her manuscript!”
“…Huh? Are you saying she’s publishing a new book?”
Just as she’d torn open the envelope, Mauver now ripped up her resignation letter.
“No, she didn’t make any promises, but she said she’ll try writing something again.”
The editor-in-chief said, deflated.
“She’ll probably change her mind again. Clarisse has a knack for backing out—she’s the queen of second thoughts. Do you know how many drafts she’s abandoned since A Love Covered in Filth?”
The editor mechanically marked up a manuscript with proofreading symbols.
“She sent a few practice stories, then asked if we could run a good short story under a new pen name in Nap Time, so I thought maybe she’d finally settled down as Clarisse again, but then the manuscripts just stopped coming. Happens every time.”
The editor seemed more weary than anything, tongue clicking in annoyance. But even that couldn’t cool the heat burning in Mauver’s chest.
Now that Clarisse had finally reached out to her, Mauver was certain—their writing would definitely see the light of day.
She had an odd, unshakable conviction about it.
* * *
How much longer was he supposed to be patient?
Cairn’s steps were heavy as he got out of the carriage. When he told Lilien to do as she pleased, he hadn’t meant she should start avoiding him.
Today, he was determined not to just let things slide. With long strides, he made his way quickly to the side wing.
“Where’s Lilien?”
He handed his jacket to a servant as he asked. The servant, sensing his irritation, flinched.
“She’s in her room. She dismissed all the staff and told everyone—including Matilda—not to come in.”
“She’s skipped her meals again, hasn’t she?”
“…Yes.”
The change in Cairn’s expression prompted the servant to add hastily.
“But she did have a slice of pie at noon…”
“I’ll go see her myself. You’re dismissed.”
The servant, now feeling like a useless employee for failing to even see to the lady’s meals, gave up trying to explain and left the room.
Cairn loosened his tie and glanced out the window. Across the courtyard, Lilien’s room was shrouded in dark navy velvet curtains. She’d apparently swapped out the sheer linen ones for heavy winter drapes after just a day.
His wife was nothing if not industrious—so much so that it made having a window in the wall nearly pointless.
He crossed the pond with purposeful steps and knocked on Lilien’s door. Silence greeted him.
No answer again today.
He tilted his head back and knocked a second time, making sure it was loud enough to be heard. He was giving her one last chance.
But with no sign of compromise, he decided to go by himself.
He pushed open the door, and there was Lilien, her head bowed, scribbling something furiously.
“Lili.”
He deliberately made his footsteps loud as he approached, but she kept writing with her quill, never looking up.
“Lilien.”
It was only when he called her name in a much louder voice right in front of her that she finally looked up. Eyes wide, mouth agape, she hurriedly stuffed her paper into the drawer. The way she did it was frantic and swift, like a squirrel stuffing acorns in its cheeks after its nest had been discovered.
“When did you get back? Was your trip okay? Did the amnesty bill pass?”
She fired off questions she didn’t really care about, just to distract him. After locking the drawer with a key, she finally let out a sigh of relief.
“But Cairn, I told you not to just come in whenever you want.”
Discussion
0 CommentsReactions
No comments yet.