Middle of The Night Chats
It was so dark and quiet save for the creatures inhabiting the countryside. It was not an environment Sylvie was accustomed to. She preferred the city where it was busy and there were people everywhere.
She turned to her side trying to get comfortable in an unfamiliar bed, but found no peace to be had here. She pulled her blankets off and grabbed her thick robe and slid into her slippers. Grabbing her phone she pulled up her newest flashlight app thinking it was very fitting for this place and headed into the hall.
Sylvie had never been in such a grand house before. A tiny flat was all she knew. She walked down the hall heading for the stairs when she came upon a room she had previously noticed had its double doors closed. The doors were massive made from a beautiful dark wood she knew not of.
One of the doors was opened now and light spilled out from inside. She peeked inside and was taken by surprise by the library it held. She had only ever seen anything like it inside bookstores. One bookstore in particular came to mind.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a noise from inside. She looked further and noticed Athos sat in a leather wingback chair.
"Sylvie?" Athos looked up from the book he was reading. "Sylvie," he repeated when she didn't immediately respond. She felt her cheeks warm and hoped she hadn't been caught staring at Athos; she had never seen him wear glasses before.
Once he took off his glasses placing them on the desk he sat next to Sylvie stepped in. "I'm not disturbing you, am I?" She asked.
"No," he said. "You couldn't sleep?"
"I'm not used to the country," she said. "What has your sleep disturbed?"
Athos took a moment looking around the room. "Old ghosts."
Sylvie raised an eyebrow and he let out a soft snort of laughter. "No need to worry; this house is not haunted…at least not literally."
She smiled understanding his meaning. "Did you spend much time here growing up?"
"A few weeks out of every summer," he said. "This was my favorite room."
Sylvie's smile grew. "Now I understand the bookstore," she had met Athos for the first time a few months earlier at a bookstore he owned. Constance had recommended it when Sylvie mentioned she was looking for a specific book.
The bookstore had an old world look to it. The books were all hard-back and looked like first editions.
"The bookstore was my mother's; it was bequeathed to me after she died a year ago," Athos said.
"I'm sorry," Sylvie said remembering the loss of her mother when she was only a child and then her father a month before meeting Athos.
Athos shrugged. "I'm afraid we weren't very close. She didn't approve of who I married ten years ago. Turned out she was right."
Athos stood up. He was still wearing the close she saw him in when she arrived at the house earlier in the afternoon.
"I suppose we should try to get some sleep," Sylvie said. "Tomorrow promises to be a busy day."
Athos groaned and Sylvie laughed. "It was very sweet of you to offer your house to Constance and d'Artagnan for their wedding."
They were walking towards the door when Sylvie turned her flashlight app on again. She heard Athos snort over her shoulder.
"A candle?"
She grinned at him and then down at the app. It was an image of a flickering candle. "It seemed appropriate for the surroundings. This house looks like it has been around a lot longer than electricity."
"It has," he agreed. "And didn't get any electricity until the beginning of the twentieth century."
"Well, I guess this is my door, Monsieur," her voice had a teasing quality to it.
"It has been a pleasure, Mademoiselle Boden," he surprised her kissing the back of her hand.
Sylvie felt her stomach flutter in delight; she liked this hint of a lighthearted side to Athos. Giving him a broad smile she played along some more and curtseyed. "Goodnight, Monsieur."
"Goodnight Mademoiselle."
They shared amused smiles and Sylvie slipped inside her room. She leaned back against the closed door and took a calming breath. This weekend was looking very interesting.
The End
