Free Web NovelChapter 80: Kiss (1)
"Take this to the lady and be quick with it. You mustn’t disturb her work," Florence said as she handed a tray to a maid. frёewebηovel.cѳm
"Can I take it to Scarlet?" Alana asked, approaching Florence and the maid.
"We have been instructed to not let you work. If there is something you need, we’d be more than happy to get it for you," Florence answered. How could she as the head maid allow a princess to do such a simple task?
Alana appreciated Scarlet letting her stay here free of any costs but it was hard to just be here and not do anything. "Please. I want to do something to thank her for allowing me to be here. I can’t sit still doing nothing so please, let me take her drink to her. I won’t spill it."
"I’m afraid that I must follow the lady’s orders to not let you work. If you wish for that to change, you must speak to her," Florence said, sticking to what she had been informed.
"I should have known that it wouldn’t have been easy to get you to go against what Scarlet said. Not that I mind," Alana said as she appreciated how many here were loyal to Scarlet.
No one could just walk in here and get the servants to go against Scarlet. Alana was only here for a few days but she saw why the servants were loyal to Scarlet. Scarlet treated them with respect and in return the servants were quick to do anything for her.
Though the servant didn’t act out of turn as Scarlet was still their employer, Alana had witnessed moments where Scarlet would allow the servants to speak freely and it was less of a working relationship.
It was different when Alana compared it to the palace. The queen had gone through a lot of maids from the moment she entered the palace. Alana had kept the one maid Luke allowed her to have for years though the maid would rarely show.
"Then I will just join in walking to Scarlet. She seemed distracted all morning. There must be something bothering her. Was there anything sent to her recently? Bad news?" Alana asked.
Florence couldn’t think of anything since she had been throwing away all of the gifts sent to Scarlet. She wasn’t always present when Scarlet received calls so she was in the dark just like the princess. "I do not know if something is troubling her." ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
Now that Florence thought of it, when she went to Scarlet a few minutes ago, she had found Scarlet standing by the window in her study. It was unusual since she would normally find Scarlet hard at work by her desk.
Were they expecting visitors?
"I will find out for you," Alana said to end Florence’s worry. She could see it all over the woman’s face that there was worry about what was troubling Scarlet.
Florence welcomed the princess’s presence here even more as now there was someone free to approach Scarlet to check on her.
Alana joined the maid in going to the second floor to see Scarlet. With the maid’s hands full, she knocked on the door and then opened it when Scarlet answered.
"Hello- Why do you seem disappointed that it is me? Were you expecting someone else for work?" Alana asked, pretending to be hurt as she entered the room.
"I am not disappointed. Nolan is to come here to drop off something he says is important. I thought you were him but it was a good surprise. Have you been trying to work again?" Scarlet asked as it wasn’t the first time Alana came in with a maid.
"Can’t you let me do something small?" Alana asked.
"No. It doesn’t matter that you are outside the palace, you are still the princess so you will not be doing any work. I have never had a guest come here and end up working. I will not start with you," Scarlet replied.
"Then, what am I to do?" Alana wondered. She had no business like Scartlet to keep herself busy.
"The same as you did in the palace or find a hobby. I will give you money to spend. I will not have my mother losing her mind that I made you work and when it gets out that you are now living here, I would not like that you are working to be added to it. You mustn’t give your brother something to laugh at," said Scarlet.
"You are right," Alana realised. "Then, can I look around your study for a moment? I won’t disturb you. I’m just a little curious as to how you run all these businesses from the estate."
"Do as you wish," Scarlet said, going back to work right after.
Alana walked around the room, inspecting the books and trinkets which anyone could easily identify as belonging to the Collins family until she ended up at the window. "Oh. There is an automobile. Nolan has gotten quite fancy with what he drives around."
Scarlet looked up from her work as she knew Nolan didn’t have one. Other than her parents, there was only one person she met with recently to have one. The one person she had allowed the guards to let in when he came.
Alana squinted her eyes, trying to get a good look at the visitor. She was so high up that she couldn’t see the person clearly when they stepped out, but just by how the visitor was dressed, she was starting to think that it wasn’t Nolan. "Scarlet, are you expecting someone else? Or maybe I haven’t seen Nolan in a long time."
"It might not be Nolan. Ian is-"
"Ian?!" Alana exclaimed.
Scarlet wished she had predicted the noise and covered her ears. Hopefully, Ian did not hear it as she didn’t need him thinking that she was excited to have him here.
"Why didn’t you inform me that he would be coming? I would have left for as long as you needed. I can still find somewhere to go now. Not in town because that would create a bit of a crowd," Alana said, trying to think of somewhere else.
"He is only here to take back his carriage so whatever you are thinking is far from what will happen today. Please do not share what you were thinking," Scarlet said as her day didn’t need to be ruined by Alana’s vivid imagination.
"How could I not think something was going to happen when you allowed him here? Why are you just sitting around when you should be getting up to greet him? You mustn’t keep him waiting," Alana said, moving from the window to make Scarlet get up.
Alana looked over Scarlet’s attire to make sure Scarlet was dressed well to have him drooling.
"He’s only here for his-"
"I don’t believe it! That man is driving something many can’t causally buy. If he just wanted his carriage, he would have sent someone for it. That man is here for you and I will not allow you to be at work when there is a man present. As your princess, I order you to get up. Please," Alana added, terrified by how Scarlet stared at her.
Scarlet sighed. It might have been better to just let Alana work around the estate so she would have missed when Ian arrived.
