Thank you to both Aniles and . for their reviews :). Good to know some like this story since I have loving it the more I write it.
always with love,
dark
Chp 2
The art of personal space
The morning could not have come soon enough. Remi had spent the remainder of the party with her mother showing her off like a prize to the highest bidder and with her mother's hard grip on her wrist. She laid in bed and looked at the sun that crept through her window. Remi wished she had the strength to run away, she was certainly no prize to be gambled off.
"Remi dear" Amy said walking into her room and seeing her still lying in the bed "Still in bed I see" she then saw the far look in her eyes "How about we go out for a bit, I need to get some things from the market"
"I would like that" Remi said as she sat up and sighed "Oh I apologize for myself, I feel like I am not here"
"That is why my dear we are going into town today, get you out of this house" Amy said with a smile as her grey hair reflected the sun "Now up girl, you must get ready before we can leave."
"I suppose that would help" Remi said as he got out of the bed as Amy laid a dress out and Remi got into it without much trouble.
It was a deep forest green color and it was one of Remi's favorites, it was so soft to the touch and it matched with the necklace her father gave her before he passed. Remi had followed Amy out of the room and noticed the absence of her mother and sister.
"They have gone out for the day" Amy said and Remi nodded as they walked out the front door.
"Could we walk" Remi said as she felt the warm sun on her skin "It is such a beautiful morning"
"Of course" Amy said as she held her basket and they both started the 10 minute walk to the market. "I hear your sister has her eye on a man that is not her beloved"
"Her eyes wander where they should not" Remi said with a sigh "She has everything anyone could want and yet she still craves more, one would think she was a pig in a former life" Amy let out a laugh and Remi let out a small one.
"That is not nice to say of your sister" Amy said regaining control of herself.
"I am aware" Remi said "However it is funny to think of, the mud and slop would suit her well" this sent them both into a fit of laughs.
As they arrived at the market Remi let a smile pass her lips as they started to look around. Amy would often let Remi look around as much as she wanted without bothering and pestering her like her mother and sister would or the others she had to take to the market. Amy understood the need to grow and explore in order to know the world better, however she always kept Remi in her sight no matter what. She loved Remi like her own daughter and would allow her freedoms when they were out that otherwise she wouldn't get. Having such a shelter life after her father left had crushed some of Remi's spirit to explore, and experience the world. Amy looked over and saw Remi was looking at a handmade hairpiece made by one of the poorer people in the city. This was what Amy loved about Remi, she could look past, she didn't need expensive things, she never cared for them. Remi was looking at a green hair clip and smiled at the women.
"How much?" Remi asked politely as she picked it up to examine it.
"1 florin" the women said as Remi noticed the little girl on the ground playing with a worn out doll, that had seen better days.
"I will take it" Remi said and reached into her pocket and pulled out 6 florins and handed them to the women.
"I can't take that" she said.
"I will not take any back" Remi said "It is at least worth 6 to me, thank you for this lovely hair piece"
"Thank you m'lady" the women said with a smile and the little girl looked up at her mom.
Remi smiled back to the women as she walked away down the street looking at the venders.
"Wouldn't expect a lady such as yourself shopping alone" A voice said behind Remi and she turned and saw it was Aramis.
"I am not alone" Remi said and looked at Aramis as he walked closer to Remi and looked at the hair clip she bought.
"That is quite lovely" Aramis said and then he reached into hand and took the clip out and examined it "I think it would look better in your hair"
Remi looked at Aramis as he reached up and gently into her ginger with his hand and ran his hand through it before taking come and putting the clip gently in her hair with a smile on his face. Remi still couldn't understand why she let him touch her, she was helpless against him and he knew it.
"There looks much better in your hair" Aramis said as his hand lingered in her hair before he let the loose strains fall out.
"Thank you" Remi said with her voice shaking slightly and noticed him holding some sort of pad "What is that?"
"Oh this" Aramis said with a charming smile "it's nothing, just what I use to write tickets" before Remi said anything she noticed he was dressed a priest unlike the previous night.
"Are you a priest" Remi asked as she looked at him innocently.
"Use to be" Aramis said.
"Oh" Remi said and then dropped the subject "Well it was nice to see you again Mr. Aramis, but I have a few more things to look for if you do not mind"
"It's Aramis, Remi just Aramis" he said and gently stroked her hand "And I do not mind at all, would you allow me to accompany you, since its only gentleman of me to not let you look on your own" he continued to gently stroke her hand.
"Oh Aramis how lovely it is to run into you at the market" Juliana said suddenly and Remi quickly pulled her hand away and took a step back from Aramis.
"Yes lovely indeed" Esmeralda said as she moved closer to Aramis so her body pressed amplely against his arm
"Yes it is" Aramis said as he felt Esmeralda pressed up against him "I was just telling Remi that her hair clips is quite beautiful"
Juliana looked at Remi and a frown formed on her face before she masked it. "Ahh yes its nice for a cheap piece of jewelry, if only her tastes reflected her upbringing. Remi what are you doing in the market anyways, I thought you would be in bed most of the day"
"I came with Amy" Remi said as Amy appeared with a basket of vegetables "We went shopping for food"
"I see" Juliana said with a look Remi knew too well.
"We were just heading back mistress" Amy said and gave a short bow.
"I think that would be best" Juliana said as Remi and Amy walked away "I apologize for her"
"It's no problem" Aramis said as he watched Remi walk away.
"Mother wouldn't it be a grand idea if Aramis joined us for dinner" Esmeralda said as a twinkle in her eye appeared with a devilish smirk.
"I couldn't impose" Aramis said.
"Amy had bought enough for all so please come" Juliana said and Aramis smiled respectfully and thought for a moment.
"I would love to" he said and knew he could see Remi again.
Remi and Amy had returned and Remi was growing more and more nervous.
"That was a bad idea" Remi said as she helped Amy unload the vegetables into the pantry "A very bad idea Amy, I just know it"
"I am sorry if I would have noticed your mother I would have interfered sooner" Amy said and Remi looked at her and she just smiled "He is a handsome man"
"You saw all that" Remi said as a blush crept up her face.
"Yes, you do turn a lovely shade of red" Amy said with a laugh and Remi covered her face "Its alright, I thought I was rather sweet, he seems to like you"
"I don't see why" Remi said as she put some carrots away "Mother will not be happy when she gets home"
"Let me worry about that" Amy said as she took some potatoes from Remi "Now go get washed up and I will have some lunch ready, and take a look how pretty you look with that new clip in your hair"
"Okay" Remi said with a nod and headed out of the pantry and up to her room where she found a mirror.
Remi looked at herself and noticed how the clip did look lovely on her. She reached her hand up to it and could still feel Aramis' hands on her. It was something that she hadn't felt before a heat that stirred in her and she still had no idea how to handle it.
Most of the day passed without the return of her mother and Remi knew something was up and that made her more nervous.
"I will bet anything that little snake invited that man to dinner" Lily said another older maid which caused the rest of the Amy to laugh as they started to prepare dinner. "Mark my words"
"Bite your tongue" Teddy said as he chopped the vegetables "I have already enough to cook for"
Teddy was an older man that had been the family cook for ages and he was a big large man, but as cuddly as a teddy bear and his real name was forgotten ever since.
"If he is coming he has been rather sweet on Remi" Amy said as she peeled some potatoes "Its rather endearing"
"Hmmm, I will have to see for myself" Teddy said as he put some vegetable in a pot "No one talks to my girl without me knowing about it"
Teddy had been cooking for Remi since before her father died and had become protective over her since her father had passed. Lily and Amy were the only maids that took care of them and did most of the chores. Amy's husband Hector took care of the animals and any repairs they needed. Lily had the unfortunate pleasure of helping Juliana and Esmeralda when she came to visit. They had been with Remi ever since she could remember and were her family more than her mother and sister.
"He appeared to be a genuine man" Amy said "Also got Remi flushed behind the ears"
"Oh I remember what that is like" Lily said with a faraway smile "Those passionate nights in the hay stacks, and the fields"
"Now don't go telling anyone about that" Teddy said to his wife as he shook his knife at her.
"Don't you dare point that at me" Lily said as she gave him a sharp gaze.
"Sorry dear" Teddy said as he went back to preparing the food.
"There is going to be another guest for dinner" Hector said as he walked down the stairs carrying two dead chickens and a small pig and put the animals on the table to be butchered "A man that the mistress and her lil brat invited from the market" he then took out his butcher knife "Its not a wonder her husband knows what she doesn't when he is not around"
"Her eyes want more than it should" Lily agreed "Is the man named Aramis"
"Yes" Hector said as he chopped off the heads of the chickens "How did you know"
"Amy saw him talking to Remi earlier and said her face almost matched her hair" Lily said as she finished cutting come celery and put it in another pot as Amy finished the potatoes.
"He has no interest in Esmeralda" Amy said as she looked at Hector "I know the look a man gets when he sees something precious"
"Good" Hector said with a nod "He seems too good of a man to be caught in that venom trap"
"I have to go and help Remi get ready" Amy said and Lily stood up as well.
"I will see to the others" Lily said with a frown as she dusted her hands off "One of these days, Remi will own this place and kick those creatures out and be done with it"
"Creatures what creatures" Juliana said from the door and everyone gave a small bow.
"Nothing mistress" Lily said "We were taking about the meat that will be prepared for tonight"
"Good, make extra we have a guest attending" Juliana said "He is very close to the king so I expect remarkable service tonight with a smile, now get to work, and you two upstairs to help Esmeralda, then after you have her all set you can go help the other" she then turned and stomped out of the kitchen leaving them shaking her heads.
"I will show her service" Lily said and headed up with Amy to find Esmeralda.
Remi was in her room sitting looking out the window when Aramis arrived with her mother and sister. She looked down and saw his eyes look up towards the right and saw her window near the corner of the house tucked away. She knew that her mother was trying to get Esmeralda to ensnare another one. She let out a sigh as she went back down to reading her book.
A door opening withdrew her attention from her book and she saw Aramis standing at the door of her room.
"Good I would have disliked to open another wrong room" Aramis said as he looked at Remi sitting by the window reading "May I enter?"
"What are you doing her, I would have expected you to be engaged with my mother and sister" Remi said as she stood from her chair and put the book in her place.
"They went to get ready and gave me permission to look around" Aramis said "May I?" he then gestured in and Remi nodded.
"Of course please" she said as he entered the bedroom.
"I am disheartened that our conversation was cut short at the market" Aramis said as he stepped closer to Remi "I do rather enjoy speaking with you my dear"
"Likewise" Remi said as Aramis got within a foot of her.
"You intrigue me" Aramis said as he looked around her room "That and the fact your mother seems so eager to send of her already wedded daughter but says little to nothing about her unwed daughter. Very curious"
"My sister had always set her sights on things she shouldn't have" Remi said as she walked past Aramis to give them some space as she walked to the book shelf in her room and began looking at the books.
"Eyes that wander too much end up getting caught" Aramis said as he walked towards Remi again and stood behind her "I am much more interested in this instance" he then reached out and gently took Remi's arm to turn her "And am wondering if you feel something as well" he then closed the space between them and trapped Remi against the bookcase. "Or am I just misreading it all" he said close to her lips and Remi looked in to Aramis' eyes.
"I feel something" Remi whispered quietly and saw the spark in Aramis' eye "I don't know what"
"I figured as much" Aramis said as he then tentatively placed a hand on Remi's face and gently stroked her cheek and Remi reached up and placed her hand over his and closed her eyes as he continued to stroke her cheek with his thumb. "Such beauty locked away"
Aramis looked at Remi's face and realized she was new to everything and it bought a smile to her face, he knew. She was so much unlike her family he was happy that she would be genuine in anything she did. He had heard the maids talk about her as he walked around the house and passed the kitchen, they cared for her greatly and that was something he took to heart. Being kind to someone even when they serve you shows a great deal of respect and love. Aramis then took his other hand and ran it through Remi's hair and smiled as he leaned so close their noses touched and their bodies were pressed against each other.
Remi took in a sharp breath as she felt Aramis against her. Her heart rate picked up and her body had turned a slightly pink shade as she was feeling things she hadn't felt before. Aramis was looking directly into her eyes and she couldn't look away as their noses touched.
"I should go and explore more before you sister or mother find out that I have discovered a hidden maiden in the house" Aramis said as he retreated from Remi but slowly removed his hands from her and walked out the door but not before looking back and giving Remi a soft smile as he then vanished out the door which he closed behind him.
Remi finally took a deep breathe that she was holding in and still stared at the door where Aramis had left but the burning need had come back and this time she knew he did it on purpose.
