“Charlie, can you please blow out the rest of the candles?” Scarlett asked. “They’re back, so I need to attend to my milady.” There were still at least one hundred candles that still had to be put out.
“Of c-c-course.”
“Thank you. I’ll bake you my special egg breakfast, tomorrow. Scarlett style. Ok?”
Scarlett knew Charlie loved the way she made breakfast. Her mother had taught her to make eggs in a basket. She would first cut out a hole in the middle of the bread, then toast it in a pan before she’d crack the egg open and let it pour in the round hole, so that it could fry within the bread. Charlie liked it with extra butter.
“P-p-please do!” The young man replied enthusiastically.
Scarlett nodded and rushed out to stand in the hallway together with Mrs. Dearhorn’s maid, Camelia, and William, who was still valet to Mr. Dearhorn.
After their little meeting inside the brooms closet, William hadn’t said a word to her that wasn’t necessary. Scarlett hadn’t heard him speak ill about Lucy again, so her threat had paid off. They did their jobs, and as long as William behaved himself, she would leave him alone.
The moment the family entered and Scarlett saw Lucy’s face, she instantly felt like there was something going on. Lucy should have looked happier than she did.
“I’m going straight to bed, mama. I’m tired,” Lucy announced. “Goodnight, papa.”
Scarlett followed Lucy to her room and as soon as they were inside, she locked the door, and grabbed Lucy by the shoulders to ask what was wrong. Lucy said she would tell everything, but first, she wanted Scarlett to take that dreadful corset off.
Scarlett gently twirled Lucy around and pulled at the silk ribbons of the corset. After she unlaced it, she softly spun Lucy around again, hands sliding down her body, and opened the front, kissing her women on the lips oh so lovingly while working her fingers.
The older plucked open the last little golden button and Lucy took a big breath. “Oh, gosh, that’s so much better.” She sighed deeply before she started talking. “Everything was amazing. Minnie had looked so pretty in her big white dress, and Jack was handsome in his military unicorn. The day was really beautiful. Mama was crying all the time because she was so happy and proud. And Roy came!”
“Really? Isn’t that supposed to be good news?” Scarlett asked, seeing Lucy’s smile fade again.
“It should be. But some other people ruined it.”
“What happened?”
“Something happened a few months ago and Roy didn’t want his parents, Jack, and Celina to know it just yet, so, apparently, he asked his superior not to tell them anything. But, he had an accident… and…” Lucy swallowed. “Now there is a big scar running down his face. And he also walks with a limp because his leg is damaged for life.”
“Oh, no,” Scarlett replied, softly.
“Yeah, it was quite a shock.” Lucy sniffed. “At first, he didn’t want to come to the wedding because he didn’t want to put shame on Minnie and Jack’s important day but then he regretted it and felt he should be there since he is Jack’s twin and he should just be able to attend his brother’s wedding day.”
“Of course, he should.”
Scarlett guided Lucy to the bed and pushed her down so that the redhead landed on her bum. She then kneeled and took off Lucy’s green satin boots, knowing that Lucy’s feet must hurt after such a long day.
“You should have heard the whispers. I’ve heard the meanest things tonight. They luckily didn’t tell it to his face, but he isn’t a stupid man. He’ll know what they said about him—that his face looked monstrous.”
“People can be so mean, especially if it’s about something they can’t understand.”
“I feel so sorry for him.” Lucy’s breath hitched. “Celina was in tears, but she immediately hugged him and Jack joined them. That was beautiful to see.”
“Ah, my girl,” Scarlett said when she saw Lucy’s eyes getting all glossy. “Come here.”
They crawled in bed together, Lucy into Scarlett’s arms, head resting on her chest.
“You’re worried about him, aren’t you?”
“Yeah… I just don’t think he deserved this. And I’m afraid his life will be hard.”
“Hm, I can imagine,” Scarlett said, while brushing her hand over Lucy’s head, fingers lacing through the orange locks. “Just, don’t treat him with pity. Trust me, he’ll hate that.”
“How must I treat him, then? We’re meeting each other tomorrow. He said he wanted to talk to me about something. I’m nervous.”
“Treat him the same way like you’ve always done. He’s a man with a scar, not a helpless being that needs pity from everyone, because that will happen. What he needs is your friendship and the feeling he is still the same man.”
“You always know how to make me feel better,” Lucy said. “You always know the right words to say. I had been so afraid of meeting him tomorrow, but now I’m less anxious. I think I can do that.”
Scarlett lifted Lucy’s head a little and kissed the rosy lips. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this nervous before.”
“I’ve also never known someone who had to deal with this. Oh, Scarlett, his scar is enormous,” Lucy whispered as if Roy was able to hear her. “He must have been in so much pain after the accident. I don’t even know what exactly happened.” Lucy bit her lip. “And this sounds ridiculous...and I’m not saying this because I want him or I regret not being with him or anything like that, but… I feel even worse for turning him down when he asked me to marry him, because no woman will marry him when he looks like this. Margaret certainly stopped with her flirtatious behavior. She didn’t speak a word to him.
“That’s not true. If he has someone out there for him, she’ll accept him. Would you not want to be around me anymore, if I suddenly had a scar?”
Lucy immediately sat up straight. “I want you always, with or without a scar. I want everything that is you.”
Scarlett smiled. “Because you like me.”
The younger woman nodded. “Oh, I have something for you!”
Lucy jumped out of bed and grabbed the dress that still laid on the floor like a green puddle. The gown had a small pouch sewn into the skirt, where women could keep little things.
“This is for you,” she said, presenting the golden ring to Scarlett.
“This is for me?” Scarlett asked, eyes wide. She had never received a ring before. Not even from the man that promised her the world.
“I won it in the cake search game. I won it for you. Please, I want you to have it.”
“But... it’s so precious. It’s gold.”
“So?” Lucy smiled. “You’re more precious than gold.“ Lucy grabbed her maid’s hand and pushed the ring around her ring finger, but it was too big so she shoved it around Scarlett’s index finger instead. “I don’t like you, Scarlett. I love you. As a teacher, a friend, and above all as my lover. You made me love not only you but also me.”
Scarlett’s heart pounded in her ribcage. “I love you too, Lucy. And I love what you just said.”
They both giggled, just sitting there on the bed while a few candles lit up the room.
“So you accept the ring? I know we can never marry, but it’ll be your wedding ring.”
“A wedding ring? You’re silly,” Scarlett said, swallowing her tears. “I can’t buy you a ring.”
“I have plenty of rings. You can choose one that is yours. I don’t care about the ring, even though I wanted you to have this. And… if I could, I would marry you.”
Sadly, both women knew it would never be possible. At least, not in this lifetime.
“Thank you, Lucy. It’s lovely.” They kissed, and Scarlett curled her arms around Lucy. After she broke the kiss, she proudly looked at the ring again. She was so happy.
“You’re lovelier.”
“Now tell me, Lucy… are you tired? Or—”
“I’m not tired anymore.”
Scarlett smiled and pushed Lucy on the bed. “You’re not?”
“No. Please, make love to me, Scarlett.”
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