[This is my first ever Fanfiction story. The story is original, a partner having helped me to write it out. Please leave comments so that I may improve on my writing technique in the future chapters.]
Freedom, there was many a time where she thought and dreamt of freedom; not that she was lacking in personal freedom. No, she lived a life of luxury, being born of noble blood, of wealthy, noble blood at that; her life surrounded by men and woman bending at her will. Despite all the luxuries that she had in the palm of her hand, she longed for the one thing she could not possess, the freedom of choice; to walk her own path, to plan her own life rather than follow the directions of others. She dreamt of living in a home that she wanted, with a man that she married because she loved him, not because it had been asked of her. That dream, seemed beyond her reach as crystal blue eyes stared off at the cloudy skies.
"Lady Catherine!?" a voice shattered her daydream as long lashes fluttered while her mind focused on the real world that still kept moving while her mind wandered. She tilted her head back, looking up at the figure who stood before her and finding her breath catching in her throat. Amber eyes stared down at her with mild concern and slight aggravation. They were the eyes of Charles Selvic, one of the butlers that worked around the estate. Though Catherine's expression remained unreadable her heart fluttered and mind panicked as the male's eyes captivated every portion of her thought process.
"Hmmm? Charles… What's wrong?" Catherine's voice wavered slightly due to nervousness. She couldn't lie to herself, she'd had a massive crush on Charles since he first began working at the estate; she couldn't understand why, but figured it was probably due to the fact that he was the only male around that was somewhat close to her age. Not only that but he seemed to understand her, knowing when she's upset and bringing her what would make her feel better; it was either a sign that he had learned to understand her, or, he was just being a very proactive butler.
"I've been calling your name for a while now, You had me worried Catherine" his tone, though respectful, was slightly condescending, though she didn't note that. What she noted was the slight mistake in his speech as he'd forgotten to address her by her proper title as Lady. That fact that he had used just her surname had a strange effect on her, making her feel oddly satisfied, as if she was glad he didn't see her as just his master's daughter.
Charles was not the head butler at the estate, that position belonged to Claude Faust, a cold man who put duty before anything else. Unlike most of the other servants and maids in the estate, Charles had been raised there, having never known his father and having a mother who lived in a whore house made it an easy choice for Henry Lafeuvre, Catherine's father, to bring Charles under his wing. The Lafeuvre family were very high in nobility, and as such, Catherine's hand was sought after by the lower class nobilities. She'd just turned 20 and her mother continuously asked about her meeting some suitors but Catherine expertly avoided those conversations until her father backed her mother up.
"I'm sorry Charles… I was daydreaming" she whispered the last part that referred to daydreaming almost inaudibly, almost as if she didn't want him to know. She looked down at the now lukewarm tea that was nestled into the palm of her dainty hands and frowned; having let the jasmine tea go to waste. She put the China down on the table with a soft clink as the glass connected with the plate of the same make. A bored sigh escaped her painted red lips before she looked up at Charles once more, only to see curiosity shining in those gorgeous golden orbs. She could never bring herself to talk about what the subject of her daydreams were, afraid of being scolded for having such thoughts; she settled to remain forced into a life she did not wish to live.
She stood from the table that was nestled in the garden and looked around to the pathway that lead inside; she'd spent a lot of time outside so assumed it would be time for the evening meal. She excused herself in a polite manner before heading inside, mentally preparing herself for the suitor talk she was most likely going to receive from Lady Adelaide, her mother, and Lord Henry, her father. She finally arrived in her room, the curtains drawn to illuminate the room to show off the scarlet and gold colors scheme that she adored so much. Her steps were quiet and thoughtful as she walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out a formal dress, the black satin feeling cool against her fingers as she laid it down on the bed and stripped out of the light blue dress she'd worn for the midday meal.
As she was changing, Catherine found that her mind began to wander, thinking about the tanned brown eyes, and the concern that made them catch the light so spectacularly. After a few minutes she shook her head, realizing she'd been standing there staring at the ebony dress while her brain teased the idea of her and Charles together. Catherine mentally scolded herself for such thoughts, he was the family butler and she was to wed some noble of another family, society would never approve of such a relationship; but in all fairness, she cared very little about what society thought.
She finally put her thoughts on getting dressed, pulling the silky dress over her skin before heading to the Vanity and bringing her hair up into a bun to keep it out of her face as she ate. When she found herself to be presentable she turned and made her way out the room, trying her best to focus her thoughts as to not daydream about the butler during diner. She found her way to the dining hall and the double doors opened for her as she stepped into the well lit room to find out which direction her life was going to go.
