The Resilient Lady Collins

Chapter 88: Confused (2)

"Are you excited to have a portrait of you and Ian done today?" Alana asked, excited for Scarlet.

"You need to not let Ian fool you as it is not my portrait being done today. Your smiling is starting to bother me. Whatever it is that you are planning to do, don’t. As soon as the portrait is finished, he will be on his way back home or to his work," said Scarlet.

"I don’t know how you do it. I don’t know much about him but the man is handsome. Had I just come out of a terrible marriage, I would jump at the chance to be with a man like that. Nothing serious," Alana said as she knew how Scarlet was. "You also have handsome guards walking around."

"Leave my guards be," Scarlet replied. "Shouldn’t you be looking for a partner for yourself rather than trying to get me to be with someone?"

"Oh, I will not be courting anyone until it comes out that I am no longer in the palace. Then I will attend parties and try to find someone I can settle with. I can’t stay here with you forever. Not that it is not wonderful," Alana quickly added so Scarlet wouldn’t be offended.

Alana was still grateful for the welcome but Scarlet would eventually want to be alone again.

"I know that it is the dream of many to wed and settle down. I will not try to change your mind because my experience was bad. You can find the man meant for you one day. Then I will be able to go back to a quiet home," Scarlet joked.

"Mr. Kingsley has arrived," Florence informed Scarlet.

"Bring him here. This is where he will have his portrait done," Scarlet replied.

Scarlet wasn’t thrilled with Ian’s visit as the memory of this morning still lingered. She thought once more of moving this to another day but the painter was already called and was excited to do another job for her.

Scarlet trusted herself to be around Ian like normal. One dream wouldn’t have her acting a fool.

"Why didn’t you go to his home to have the portraits done there? I expected that you wouldn’t want anyone here again," said Alana. It was unlike Scarlet to have someone who wasn’t family here so often. "Are you certain you do not like him?"

"For all your questioning, you must go as I cannot have you distracting Ian. Now is the perfect time for you to find a hobby," Scarlet said, turning Alana around for her to walk to the door.

Scarlet knew that Ian would not agree to the portrait if it was not here.

Alana pouted, sad that she couldn’t witness how Scarlet and Ian were together, but knowing that they would be alone at some point was worth her leaving.

"Leaving already?" Ian questioned Alana as he passed by.

Alana was thankful the room was on the first floor so she could see Ian. "Scarlet is making me leave so the two of you can be alone-"

"That is far from what I am doing. Goodbye Alana," said Scarlet.

"Am I still to believe that there is no jealousy? Did you sleep well?" Ian inquired, attempting to touch her cheek only for Scarlet to step back. "Right. No touching. What?" He asked as Scarlet just stared at him. "Did I upset you?"

"No, you didn’t. The artist will be here shortly to set up. You’re a little early. Have you eaten?" Scarlet asked, looking away from Ian as she couldn’t stop thinking about the horrible thing she had done. frёewebnoѵēl.com

She was acting like the younger women when they were around a man for the first time and Scarlet didn’t like it one bit.

"I have eaten but if you wish to feed me, it would be wrong for me to object. I injured my hand last night so would you be so kind as to feed me?" Ian asked jokingly.

"What if I break the other so you have a matching set? Do you want to eat or not?" Scarlet asked, regretting that she made the offer in the first place.

"What is bothering you, Scarlet? You’re a little more moody than usual. Did someone send you a gift you didn’t like?" Ian asked.

"All of those gifts are burned," Scarlet replied.

"And the ones that I gave you?" Ian asked, hoping she would at least put him above the others.

"The teapot is still in my office. I was too busy to move it. I should put it elsewhere," Scarlet considered. It was too pretty to stay inside her office and would be more suited for the kitchen or even on display in her bedroom. "I’m sorry for leaving it there."

"Don’t be. I was quite the distraction yesterday. Scarlet," Ian said, noting the space she placed between them. "I am used to you pushing away when I get near to you but I am not used to you moving before I attempt to touch you. Did the kiss bother you?"

It was a simple kiss on the cheek so Ian didn’t think it should bother her that much. Perhaps Scarlet hated touching more than he knew.

"It did not," Scarlet honestly replied.

"Something is troubling you-"

"How would you know?" Scarlet interjected.

The answer was simple for Ian. "I pay attention."

"Again with your answers," Scarlet muttered.

It was this same kind of answer that led to him being the man that haunted her dreams this morning.

"I still think there is to be no touching but there is nothing wrong. There is just a lot on my mind right now. I am confused," she admitted, touching her head as she was giving herself a headache.

"Then, I will brew you some tea. You should take more breaks, Scarlet. You can’t do all of this alone and there is a bad side to you working from home as you may find it hard to stop working. I will be your distraction today. The price for making me have to sit for a portrait," Ian decided.

He might be the only person willing to get this stubborn woman to relax.

"You are a guest. I cannot have you brew tea for me now," Scarlet turned down the offer.

"To your servants, I am your lover so it wouldn’t be strange for me to treat you to tea. And on the note,’ Ian stopped to hold her hand. "With the servants passing by, I must be your lover. You cannot refuse."

"You are finding your way around the no-touching rule a little too much," said Scarlet.

Still, she used this as a test of whether she could end thinking about the dream and as Scarlet held Ian’s hand, it felt normal. The only thing she wanted to do with Ian was to get him to let go of her hand because she didn’t want to encourage his needy habits.

Whatever had come over her recently had now passed.

They made their way to her office first to get the teapot.

Ian reluctantly let go of Scarlet’s hand so he could carry it and when he opened it, he was surprised to find a broken piece. "I thought you loved it," He said, picking up the broken flower to show Scarlet.

Scarlet couldn’t believe her eyes that it was already ruined. "I do. If not, it would have long been burning in a fire. It can be fixed, can’t it?"

"Of course. Perhaps this one wasn’t made well," Ian said though he knew that wasn’t the case.

Ian couldn’t forget a certain lawyer who hurried out of this room yesterday with a pale face like he had seen something terrible. Now he had the answer that Nolan’s behaviour was because he had done something terrible.

Rather than be angry that his gift to Scarlet was ruined, Ian was entertained by the fact he had bothered Nolan so much that he would harm a little teapot.

’He’ll be a problem,’ Ian thought.