Callie smiled. “That’s good. Right this way.” She led Suzette over to the sunroom entrance. “I’ll bring dinner once our guest is ready.”
Suzette stifled a laugh, thinking of what could be holding up Frank. Was he getting all dressed up? She glanced at her dressed-down attire and shrugged. Then she stepped inside the sunroom.
There, the Lady sat in the middle of all the bright flowers at her fancy, round table set up for three. The rounded, glass windows encasing the room welcomed in the last strip of light as the sun disappeared, heralding in the full moon’s vibrant rays. Luckily, several large lanterns hung near the tops of the dome-shaped roof, giving the room just enough light. It must be a special guest, indeed. Frank must have grown very close these past few months. Suzette grew restless to see him.
At the sight of the young woman, the elder beamed. “Oh, child, it’s so good to see you again!” she cheered. “I must say, our phone conversations are wonderful, but they’re just not the same.”
“I know. It’s great to see you again, too,” Suzette agreed, sitting herself at the table. “What’s taking Frank so long?”
Lady Augustine paused, confused. “Beg your pardon?”
A cough interrupted them.
Turning their attention, they saw Callie standing between the open doors. “Your guest of honor has arrived.” She nodded to the Lady and stepped aside.
Suzette grinned, surprised by how much she missed Frank as well. But as the shadow of a man stepped into view, all she felt was a great sense of confusion.
Baron Constantin, the man who had hosted the charity ball, stood in the doorway, much prouder and awake than he had seemed when he made his speech on stage just a few months ago. He bowed his head and welcomed himself into the room.
Suzette blinked at him, surprised. When she realized that Frank wouldn’t be joining them, disappointment settled in. A tap came at her arm, shaking her attention away.
Lady Augustine stood and motioned for Suzette to follow. “Ah, my dear Baron, I feared you wouldn’t make it,” she said, presenting her hand.
He took it and kissed it with great care. “Forgive me for my tardiness, my Lady,” he replied, his voice thick with some odd accent.
Suzette stood awkwardly and stared at Baron Constantin, remembering the strange, unidentifiable feeling she had felt from him the night she danced with Dorian Gray. It left her unsure of what to say.
He stared back at her and gave a grin. “Miss Portinari,” he greeted. “I’ve heard much about you from Lady Augustine. You danced with Dorian Gray at the party, did you not?”
Suzette opened her mouth and felt herself blush when nothing came out. Finally, she blinked and said, “Yes, I did.” She gulped at the thought of the unusual display she must have been for the Baron, consorting with the likes of Dorian Gray. “I was just being polite.”
“Yes, a little too polite,” Lady Augustine tittered. “Little did she know he wouldn’t let her go. Poor girl didn’t know how to tell the man she wasn’t interested.”
Suzette’s limbs stiffened in embarrassment.
But the Baron chuckled under his dark, thick mustache. “Yes, Mr. Gray is not the easiest one to send away, unfortunately. You are not the only one who wishes to avoid him.” He nodded in a sense of understanding.
“Forgive me, both of you. Beatrice, this is Baron Dragomir Constantin,” the Lady said, sitting herself down.
At the introduction, he presented his palm. “It is nice to finally meet you, darling.”
After a moment’s pause, Suzette started reaching her hand out. He took it up and kissed it in his gentlemanly manner. His touch sent lightning through her and brought up the hairs on the back of her neck. Her cheeks burned at her poor response; she couldn’t quite place whether it was a good feeling or a bad feeling. The uncertainty left her uneasy. “Nice to meet you.”
Callie wheeled the food out to them, cutting through the cloud of tension.
Suzette quickly withdrew her hand, grateful for the maid’s interruption. She sat herself down, the Baron following.
“Are you Italian, Miss Portinari?” he asked, face curious as he spread his napkin across his lap. “Forgive me if I say so, but you do not look it.”
Is that an accusation? His words were slow, as if carefully measured—perhaps testing her reaction. Suzette remained silent, unsure of what was the correct response.
“Just a little,” Lady Augustine said quickly. “She’s distantly connected to nobility, you see. She’s grown up here all her life.”
“Yes, you mentioned that she is related to your husband,” he said with a nod. “You also said she is your personal assistant right now?” He turned to Suzette, waiting for her to answer.
“Oh, yes,” Lady Augustine said, drawing the Baron’s attention back. “She wants to learn a little about the family’s charity work to see if she likes it. And keep me company, of course.” She glanced up at Suzette and gave a small nod before turning back to her guest. “So, how are you liking the countryside of America, Baron Constantin?” she switched.
“It is…different.” He hesitated, trying to find the English words for it. “But I do enjoy the southern part of this country. It is so…spațios. That is, open—spacious.” He turned to Suzette. “Did you grow up in this part of the country?”
Suzette cleared her throat. “Yes,” she said in a quiet, mousy voice.
“It really is beautiful here,” Lady Augustine cut in. “But sometimes I do miss my home. I’m sure you can relate.”
“Ah, yes,” the Baron sighed.
Suzette forced her mind to focus on the food in front of her while the Baron expounded on the beauties of his country, though he never openly mentioned where it was—a detail he and the Lady already knew, leaving Suzette unable to join. Lady Augustine led the conversation after that, delving into topics like her own homeland’s foreign politics and their mutual dislike of Dorian Gray. Suzette pushed the scraps of her meal around with her fork. Don’t take it to heart, Suzette, she warned herself, knowing the dear Lady would never try to exclude her intentionally. The slight blush the old woman gave at the Baron’s many compliments only confirmed the thought. The Baron tried a few times to include Suzette, gentleman that he was, but it seemed Lady Augustine wouldn’t have it—too interested in being wooed by her younger guest, it seemed. The detachment Suzette felt and the empty plate in front of her left her with nothing to do but study this strange charmer a little further.
Her memory of his appearance was vague. She only remembered how she had felt when seeing him. His hair was raven-colored, its thick, long waves pulled back into a finely quaffed ponytail—very old-fashioned for a man his age and a look he just barely pulled off, in Suzette’s opinion. His charcoal eyes were harsh and piercing, but he was of a quiet, calm disposition. As if to substantiate the fact, his razor-thin lips smiled gently at the old woman from under his large mustache. Altogether, Baron Constantin was an odd sight, almost like a time warp; a seemingly younger man with a strangely older appearance. Perhaps that’s why he enjoyed Lady Augustine, and why she enjoyed him in return.
So weird, Suzette thought, still puzzled as she watched the English woman occupy herself with this mystery man. Maybe it’s a foreign thing.
Suddenly, Baron Constantin’s dark eyes locked onto Suzette’s bright ones. She tensed, feeling trapped as they seemed to force every ounce of her attention toward them, pulling every thought out of her head along with it.
“Will you be joining us, Miss Portinari?” he asked. “On our stroll?”
She blinked, still stunned by his strange, direct stare. “Uh…”
“Oh, Beatrice has some things to settle after dinner,” Lady Augustine cut in, drawing away the Baron’s lightning-gaze and allowing Suzette to take a moment to get her wits about her. “Besides, she’s not as accustomed to your late hours as I’ve become; she’ll want to turn in soon, I’m sure.”
The Baron touched his fingers to his forehead. “Of course! How fool
ish of me to forget.” He turned back to Suzette and chuckled. “Jet lag has my schedule completely destroyed, you see.”
“Oh,” Suzette breathed, trying to force a smile. “Sorry to hear that.”
The Baron shrugged. “No matter. I will have to sort it out eventually if I wish to stay in the country for a while.” He stood and tucked his seat back underneath the table. Without warning, he took up Suzette’s limp hand and gave it another kiss, making her fingers twitch. “I hope to see you again, Miss Portinari,” he said with a bright smile. If he noticed her unconventional reaction, he didn’t let on. Releasing her hand, he turned and offered Lady Augustine his arm. “Please show me the garden, sweet Lady, before it gets too cold and dark.”
The old woman returned his smile and took his arm, letting him ease her up. Together, they opened the glass door that led out to the gardens and strolled outside. Her youthful tittering carried on the brisk air.
Suzette remained seated, trying to contemplate the uneasy feeling Baron Constantin left lingering in the room with her. She couldn’t seem to shake it. There was a war in her gut, like the one she had originally felt with Bram, yet it differed somehow. She turned her gaze to the purple, star-speckled, young night sky through the glass windows. What on earth is this feeling, Lord?
“So, the odd couple left you, I see,” Callie’s voice answered instead.
Suzette whirled around in her seat to see Callie, Mel, and Thalia wheeling an empty service cart into the room. The sight of them revived Suzette and she let out a deep exhale, throwing off all uncomfortable tension. “How long has that been going on?” she asked, getting up and helping them stack plates.
Thalia grinned. “Ever since the charity ball,” she whispered giddily. “He runs a charity and sponsors a few orphan programs, so he called and wanted to know if the Lady would be interested in collaborating with him, familiar with her own charity work. But he wanted to ‘get to know her’ first.” She giggled at that. “He calls her almost every day—and from what I’ve overheard, there’s not much talk about charities and orphans.”
“Oh, hush with all this gossip, girl,” Callie scolded, smacking at Thalia with a cloth napkin. “You don’t know what’s going on.”
“Do too!” Thalia argued passionately, swatting her own napkin. “I’ve heard the way she talks to him!”
“Oh, don’t listen to Thalia’s harping, Suzette,” Callie warned, pushing the cart toward the doors. “Come on, silly girl. Let’s get these dishes taken care of.”
Thalia groaned and followed the older maid out.
Mel stayed behind and started on the tablecloth.
Suzette joined her, helping to fold as neatly as she could. “Is Thalia just being dramatic or is there really something going on here? I mean, he’s charming, for sure, and really enjoys Lady Augustine’s company, but…” She shrugged. “Sounds to me like he wants to get to know a partner.”
Mel’s eyes wandered a moment, unsure. “Well, I’m honestly not quite sure,” she confessed. “He makes Lady Augustine feel young again. That much is obvious. Maybe Thalia picked up on something I didn’t, but again, it’s hard to tell when the conversation is on the phone.” She took up the tablecloth and set it on the seat with a shrug. “I believed it was just business, especially in the beginning. You see, after a while, Lady Augustine said he started to sound worse and worse on the phone. Then, for about a week, the phone never rang.” She paused a moment as she wiped the table, silently recalling the hours. “The Lady hardly spoke those days—disappointed, of course.” Then, after a few seconds, she stood and grinned. “Then, just a few days ago, he showed up at the door, saying he was staying in town. He kept going on and on about being ecstatic to collaborate with her. So, now, I’m not quite sure.”
Suzette frowned. “If it’s more of a romantic thing, that is weird. I just can’t imagine it.” She grimaced a little. “He did seem awful chummy with her, though. Right? Weirdly chummy?”
Mel sighed and glanced off to the side, thinking. “He’s charming, and not in the modern idea of it where a charming person is considered a flatterer and a manipulator. Simply put, he’s very pleasant to be around; sociable, cheerful, attentive to you. I dare say if I myself were to spend more time speaking with him, he’d treat me similarly. However, Lady Augustine steals away all his conversation time.” She coughed down her resentful tone. “He’s rich himself, so you know it’s not about the money. His charity has plenty of sponsors. He’s a good Christian man from what I can tell.”
Suzette shook her head, still confused. “So, you don’t think anything’s going on?”
Again, Mel sighed and tried to focus in on it. “Nothing he’s said to Lady Augustine has seemed overtly romantic. That is, of course, in my opinion. Don’t ask Thalia, though.” She grinned, drawing a chuckle from Suzette. But then Mel’s brows slowly knit together. “He’s an older soul, I can see. Perhaps that’s why they like each other. But there’s something else about him…” Coming short of a good answer, she finally said, “I don’t know. What I do know is that we’ll be seeing quite a bit more of Baron Dragomir Constantin around here.”
Suzette couldn’t find an adequate response, bemused by the gleam of admiration that Mel exuded from just his name alone. Has he got everyone here under a spell? The question shook Suzette’s thoughts to things outside of the Baron. “If he’s going to stick around more, what does Lady Augustine plan to do about Frank?” His absence started to evoke a sense of anxiety in Suzette. “Where is he, anyway?”
Mel’s pleased demeanor gradually slumped with her shoulders. Her eyes dropped, avoiding Suzette’s quizzical gaze. “Well, the Lady wanted to avoid a run-in with the Baron, so…” Ashamed, she peeked up at Suzette from under her orangish-red bangs. “She stuck him in the basement.”
Suzette cocked her head, almost startled by the comment. She blinked, waiting for the maid to correct herself. “He’s in the basement?”
Mel ducked her head again. “I went down there a few times to check on him and feed him. Even played cards with him, I did.”
Suzette remained struck in her spot, feeling her offense gurgle up. No, stop, she tried to tell herself. It would be bad to have him run into the Baron. But still… She finally shook her head and tried to smile as best as she could at the maid, knowing it wasn’t her call. “Thanks, Mel. I’ll go check on him now.”
Almost sensing her detachment from Suzette’s frustration, Mel let out a sigh of relief and nodded her head. “That would be best.”
Suzette darted into the house, dodged past Thalia and Callie as they scrubbed at dishes in the kitchen, and flew down the basement stairs. She came to a halt on the last step, stunned.
The basement was medium-sized with boxes of decorations and other knick-knacks shoved up against the front left wall. A small bed sat in the back corner with a nightstand, an array of classical fiction and scientific reads in messy stacks next to the setup. Scattered throughout the room were large bouquets of flowers to hide the stench that still lingered, the petals quivering as the AC blew out a frigid temperature. On the right wall sat an old couch where Frank sat, his head hung low over a book.
Suzette finally stepped fully into the basement, the sight of the man bringing her out of her brooding. “Hi, Frank.”
The sound of his name drew his attention up. His glowing eyes focused in on her, as if surprised by her presence. Then he closed his book and set it down. Cautiously, he said, “Helloooo, Suzzzzette.”
Rubbing her chilly arm, she took a few casual steps forward and glanced around again. “Is this the room Lady Augustine gave you?”
He looked around before turning back to her. “Nnnno,” he muttered, though the question made him solemn. “Lady say: ‘Ttttttemporrrrrary.’”
Let’s hope so, Suzette grumbled in her head, shivering. Quickly, she brushed the grouchiness aside and smiled at him. “So, how have you been, Frank?” She pointed to the thick book. “I see Lady Augustine’s been helping you.”
&nbs
p; He glanced over at it and grumbled. “Lady nnnnot tttteach Frank for loooong time. Frrrrank learn himsssself.”
And just like that, Suzette’s frustration returned. “Why not?” she asked, trying to hide it.
“Uuuuuh…” His distorted features crinkled as he searched for an answer. Finally, he took his finger and his thumb and stuck it up by his ear. “Tttttalk toooo much.”
Suzette let out a huff and quickly dropped her head. She feared ranting about the injustice would upset the man, so she took a long time to bite back the words before she responded. “Well, then…” She took a deep breath, searching for the bright side. With a sincerely cheerful smile, she looked him in the eyes and said, “I’m proud of you for teaching yourself, Frank. You’re doing amazing.” She walked over and sat next to him, picking up the book. “And you’re actually reading—and understanding?”
Frank looked down at the book and gave a brief, toothy grin. “Yeah.” But then he frowned, his eyes falling to the ground. “Mosssst times.”
Suzette followed his gaze to the concrete floor, ruminating on her concern. The thought of him staying cooped up in the cold basement for who knew how long while the Lady pranced around upstairs with the younger Baron pained her. The maids did all they could, Suzette was sure, but they also didn’t have the same compassion for him as she did—as the Lady once had. What do I do, Lord?
“Suzzzzette?”
“Yeah?” she asked, her gaze turning to the side of his face.
A look of discomfort spread across it. He looked around on the floor, perhaps mapping his words out there. “Frrrrank sorrrrry.” He paused and closed his eyes. “Forrrr evvvv’rything.”
The words warmed her heart, despite her worry. With a great tenderness, she reached out and touched his arm. “I forgive you, Frank,” she whispered. “I don’t hold anything against you. I’m sorry if I ever came off as rude or condescending to you in the past.”
He shook his head, ashamed of his past actions toward her. “Nnnno. Suzzzzette nice—verrrry nice. Good to Ddddante. Good to Frrrrank.”
Blind World (The Onyx Fox Saga Book 1) Page 44