Reaver's Servants
From The Heart
The evening had set in pretty early, as it often did in the fall. By this time, the manor was quiet. It had been quiet all day, which seemed odd to its inhabitants. The lack of clouds promised the next day would be sunny and that was important.
The decorations in place, the guests set to arrive in a few hours' time (some already there), and everyone too eager to sleep; that was Lakeview Manor. The only servant awake didn't bother to see what time it was as she strolled through the empty dining room. She hadn't slept well in quite some time and it was beginning to show. She had a big duty the following day and she was afraid she'd sleep right through it. But there was more at stake than just falling asleep during the wedding.
Rosie stood by the big window near the front door of the foyer, looking out toward the front yard. Everything was in place; all that was missing were the guests and the bride and groom. Two lives were going to change in a matter of hours, but Rosie's time was running out.
She sighed, wondering if she was doing the right thing. She stared at the contract nestled against her chest and then back out the window. She must have flipped through it a thousand times during the last few days and she had read every word down to the last period. It was all there, all legal and she would only benefit from it. If that were the case, why did she feel like she was getting the short end of the stick?
What would happen to the others if she didn't agree to the terms? Reaver would throw them all out and once again, they'd have nowhere to go. Back on the streets again, living in a shabby room at the inn waiting for work while their money dwindles. Rosie shuddered at the thought of joining another circus, so that was out of the question. Rosie could put her abilities as a healer to good use, but that would only keep her from going hungry, not the others.
There didn't seem to be much choice. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate Reaver giving them jobs around his home instead of turning them away, and she certainly felt flattered at the thought of him thinking of her in the matrimonial sense, but she knew it would be a sham. She knew he didn't love her and she couldn't say she felt anything of the sort for him, either. It felt hollow and Rosie didn't like it.
"Oh my, you're up late, Rosie dear!" yawned a voice from behind. Rosie turned around and saw Mrs. Hatch coming down the stairs in her nightgown with most of her hair under a nightcap. She was carrying something in her arms but didn't acknowledge it. "I was going to make myself some of that relaxation tea Sarah likes and look over some old photographs. Would you care to join me?" Mrs. Hatch didn't wait for an answer as she walked into the kitchen. Rosie put the contract on a table near the door and followed the swishing of Mrs. Hatch's pink nightgown. She sat on a stool at the counter where Miss Sarah normally prepared the meals.
Striking a match on a nearby surface, Mrs. Hatch lit one of the stoves and put a tea kettle on the burner. "There, now we wait. In the meantime, you can tell me what's bothering you." Mrs. Hatch sat next to Rosie on another stool. Mrs. Hatch looked tired, but no more than Rosie. She wasn't wearing any make-up, but still had a natural maternal beauty. She aged quite well. Rosie didn't get a chance to deny anything was wrong when Mrs. Hatch put up her hand. "Don't deny it. I may not be a seer, but a mother always knows when something is wrong."
Rosie sighed, remembering that she left the contract out in the foyer. Rosie decided she might as well not even bother to hide it. Nothing got over on Mrs. Hatch. "Well, I guess I'm not as eager to have this wedding end as everyone else." Rosie mumbled. "I'm happy for Miss Sarah and Mr. Hatch, but I'm afraid of what's going to happen to me and the others once they leave Lakeview Manor. I know it's selfish of me to think of myself when Miss Sarah needs me to be on my toes, but I can't help it."
Mrs. Hatch nodded and let Rosie continue. Rosie took a deep breath. "Mrs. Hatch, would you marry someone you didn't love to save yourself form the streets?"
With a soft sigh, Mrs. Hatch spread out the pictures on the counter. "Does this have something to do with those packages you've been getting lately?" Mrs. Hatch asked.
Turning her head, Rosie didn't answer. Mrs. Hatch had her answer. A disapproving moan came from Mrs. Hatch's lips, but she didn't press the matter any further.
She looked down at her pictures. "Before I met my Bertram, I was to be married to a very rich farmer's son." Mrs. Hatch sighed. Rosie looked at Mrs. Hatch in disbelief. Mrs. Hatch always sung praises of her late husband but never spoke of a romance before him. Mrs. Hatch waved that thought from Rosie's mind. "I had only met him a few times and his father was a prominent figure in town at the time. My father agreed to it, seeing it beneficial to his business. I wasn't in love with the farmer's son and I'm pretty sure he didn't love me. My mother didn't like the arrangement any more than I did, and only went along with it because it was so important to my father. I couldn't bear the thought of being married to a man I didn't love. So, when I came of age, I told my mother and father I wanted to see the kingdom alone before I got married. My mother told me she wouldn't be upset if I never came back to Brightwall."
Rosie heard the tea kettle whistling and got up to make the tea. Rosie produced two tea cups and poured tea into each before sitting back down and handing Mrs. Hatch her tea. "I toured the kingdom, made new friends, sent letters back to my parents, and I eventually found myself in Bowerstone. But I knew I was only running from the inevitable. The money I had saved and the money my parents gave me had dried up, so I got a job at a tavern to save up in order to go back to the mountains. I knew my fate awaited me in Brightwall. That is, until I met my Bertram and you know how the rest of that story goes." Mrs. Hatch giggled and sipped her tea. "My father was furious when I wrote back home and told them I was staying in Bowerstone to marry Bertram but eventually he came around. Before he died, he told me he actually liked Bertram more."
The pictures on the counter were old and slightly worn from years of being totted around and shown off, but Rosie recognized Mrs. Hatch in a few of them. Rosie saw a soft smile crinkle across her face when she picked up one in particular. It was an old picture, from the days before the instant photo-boxes when pictures took a week or more to develop. Mrs. Hatch stood beside a man Rosie knew to be her late husband, from all the other pictures of him she totted around. The baby in her arms in the picture Rosie knew to be Barry.
"No one can tell you who you love, Rosie dear. I never married again after Bertram died because I knew no one could hold a candle to him. I wish he were here today to see our Barry get married, but I know that in whatever life we have after this one, he'll be waiting for me." Mrs. Hatch picked up her pictures and placed them in a neat pile near her tea cup. "The worst thing you can do is let others tell you who to love. Or worse, have someone force you to love them." Mrs. Hatch narrowed her eyes at Rosie, as if she knew why Rosie asked. "Let love find its way, my dear. If there is anything between the two parties, it will show itself in time."
Rosie didn't say anything. She knew Mrs. Hatch spoke the truth. She hadn't touched her own tea cup, even though Mrs. Hatch was almost completely done with hers. "Tell me, Rosie dear; can you see my son's future with Sarah?" Mrs. Hatch asked.
Rosie nodded. "Yes, I have seen it. I want to tell them, but Miss Sarah refuses to listen. It might be best if I don't. When one knows the future, they have a greater chance of changing it. That's what I told Mr. Hatch when I had the first vision of their future. He hasn't told Miss Sarah, either."
Mrs. Hatch, looking sternly at Rosie, put her empty cup down. "Rosie, have you seen your future?" she asked.
Rosie shook her head. "There is something most people don't know about fortune tellers, Mrs. Hatch." Rosie sighed. "Most can't see their own futures. I've never admitted it to anyone, but I can't see my future. Only a handful of seers can admit they can predict their future, but I can't. Honestly, I'm glad I can't. I see my abilities as a curse more than a gift. Ever since I was a child, I had these abilities. People saw me as a freak and shunned me, and those who wanted to help me only saw how they could profit from it. It's one of the reasons I never had a good grasp on my ability. I eventually found people who accepted me in a gypsy camp somewhere near the coast. They taught me how to control my powers and they even taught me how to use them along with healing arts. But as I learned control, I became scared of my own power. Soon, even the camp started to see me as a means to some kind of end they never explained and I left before I could fully grasp my ability. I ended up in the circus where I met the others. I guess I've spent so many years hiding my abilities that I started to hide from it as well."
Taking her pictures back, Mrs. Hatch smiled and stood up. "Rosie dear, don't deny the world your power. Don't deny the world the wonderful person you are. When it comes to love, don't sell yourself short and certainly don't settle. Whoever he may be, let him earn your love. Make him chase you." Mrs. Hatch smiled deviously and left the kitchen.
Rosie sat at the counter for a long time. She wasn't sure what time it was when she finally got up. She needed to attempt sleep. She had a big job in the morning. Leaving the kitchen, Rosie walked toward the foyer and found herself stopping just before the stairs. She felt cold all of a sudden and her vision became fuzzy. The room began to spin and she found herself wobbling about. Rosie's head began to throb and soon she found herself doubled over on the floor. Her vision blurred in and out until all she saw was a pair of slippers and then darkness.
Sometime Later
Rosie blinked a few times and rose up. She rubbed her head and looked around, not recognizing her surroundings. Her eyes started to adjust to the candlelight and she finally knew where she was. What she didn't know was how she got there and how long she had been out.
"Tut-tut, my dear. Don't rise too fast." sang a voice from the corner. Rosie rubbed her eyes and looked around. She was in the master bedroom, but more importantly, she was in Reaver's bed. Rosie started to panic but found movement difficult while still dizzy. Reaver, sitting at a table near a row of bookshelves, let out a sigh and closed what looked like his journal. "I warned you. I found your body sprawled out on my beautiful imported marble floors and brought you up here. It was quite romantic, though I was the only one conscious for it."
Rosie heard him chuckle softy as he put his pen away. Rosie wasn't laughing. Reaver sat back in his chair. "Oh, come now Rosie; if it makes you feel better, I didn't fondle you or anything like that while I carried you up here. Your amazon physique was tempting, but I do have a bit more respect for you than that. Tell me, why are you awake when we all have a big day tomorrow, hmm?"
"I could ask you the same thing." Rosie mumbled, sitting on the edge of the bed. Reaver's bed was very comfortable, with silk sheets and a mattress filled with the finest cotton. It wasn't too firm, though it wasn't too soft, either. Everything in his room looked like it was made from the finest materials available. Even Reavie's bed at the other end of the room looked like it was specially made just for her. Rosie noticed that the bed didn't have Reavie in it.
"I was up doing some last minute business in the office when I heard noise downstairs. Since Hatch is sleeping in the spare bedroom of the servant's hall tonight, I decided to go see for myself what was going on. I found you and brought you up here." Reaver's answer was surprisingly simple.
Reaver glanced back toward Rosie without moving his head. Rosie looked over at the small clock on the nightstand. She was relieved to find it wasn't very late and she still had time to get more sleep before the wedding the next day. "Do you like my bed?" Reaver asked as Rosie stood up. "No expense spared, of course. The headboard was replaced not too long ago, though." Reaver chuckled, nibbling on the tip of his finger. "Still, I like to see things as an investment. I won't put money or effort into anything I don't see paying off in the end."
Rose didn't respond. She started to walk toward the door but stopped just before. "Anything worth doing is worth doing right." She muttered, reaching for the doorknob.
By now, Reaver was starting to lose his patience. "And what do you propose, hmm?" Reaver asked, still not looking at Rosie. "My dear, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not the traditional type of man. I'm not an ethical man, either. Hell, I'm still in litigation with the parents of a girl scout I…well, it's not important what happened to her or whether or not the neighbors found their rose gardens exceptionally lovely last spring. I am a businessman. I see something I know can give me a good profit and I take it. But profit need not be money, my dear."
Reaver finally stood up and faced Rosie. She had been avoiding him, and he knew this. She was conveniently cleaning another room when he was around or she made her escape quickly whenever he was around. It was a game Reaver enjoyed, but was quickly getting tired of. "So, what are your demands?" he asked, standing as straight as a board. "Long walks along the lake? Picnic lunches on the hill by the waterfall? A peck on the cheek here and there? I can act with the best of them, Rosie."
"I don't want an act." Rosie finally said. "I want…" Rosie sighed and said nothing more.
Reaver walked over to Rosie and put his hands on her shoulders. "Rosie, I think we need to make some negotiations." he whispered, turning her to face him. "Look at all I am offering you." Reaver turned Rosie to face the bedroom. "Not just my mansion or my money, but I am offering you a life without worry or actual work! You don't have to do anything at all! All I ask is that you stay here, with me. Stay with me, Rosie. You won't have to worry about anything and the others keep their jobs. All you have to do is sign on the dotted line and stay with me."
Rosie could tell Reaver was getting desperate. Rosie felt his efforts weren't just for business anymore. Reaver walked over to his bed and grabbed the sheets. It took all his willpower to keep from tearing them.
Rosie felt her head hurt again but she smiled softly. She had another vision. "You've made deals in the past you seem to regret now. But I won't hold it against you, Sir." She chuckled. The vision she was having made her happy, though Reaver found the look on her face very creepy. He had second thoughts about the arrangement when he saw her smile. Rosie rarely smiled and seeing it was a scary sight. "I believe I've made my decision." She announced, turning the doorknob.
Reaver looked hopefully at Rosie. "Well?!" he shouted, gripping his sheets to the point of almost tearing them. "Well, what is it?! Do we have anything to announce to the crowd at the wedding tomorrow?! Do I put in the work order to turn my 'secret love chamber' into a walk-in closet or what?! I need to know these things ahead of time! Be more prompt with me in the future!"
With a laugh, Rosie shook her head. "You're impossible. I've made my decision, but I don't think tomorrow or even tonight is the best time for it. Mr. Hatch and Miss Sarah deserve their day without interruptions." With that, Rosie left Reaver standing over his bed, nearly tearing his sheets apart. "Mr. Reaver, the reason I was on the floor was because I had a vision. The reason I don't look into my own future is because I can't. At least I couldn't until tonight." Rosie turned back to Reaver, though her eyes weren't angry. "When one knows their future, they have a greater chance of changing it." With that, Rosie left Reaver's room.
"THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING!" Reaver shouted as his door closed. What was coming over him? Reaver had no idea why he was putting so much effort into Rosie when he knew he could have any woman (or man) he wanted. Why was he investing so much into grabbing Rosie? Whatever the reason, Reaver didn't like what he was feeling at the moment. He felt an emptiness in his chest that money, alcohol, nor sex could fill when Rosie left his bedroom. A feeling he hadn't felt in years. A feeling he vowed never to let take over him again.
Reaver didn't like to lose. He detested the very notion of letting someone get over on him (unless it was a different type of 'getting over'). But for once, there was nothing he could do. For once, Reaver wasn't in control and now all Reaver could do was wait.
N'cha, my loves!
So, this is filler for to tide you guys over until the next chapter. That chapter being the wedding!
Not much to say about this chapter, but I wanted one last chance to explore Rosie's background a little more. What do you think Rosie's answer will be? What was her vision? WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON WITH REAVER?! Well, let me know what you think!
Oh! I have a tumblr account now! You know what you should do? You should follow me on tumblr! My name on there is lunapeachielovesyou and it's quite a lovely place. Updates, little peaks into my everyday life, and maybe an odd rambling or two; not to mention I usually follow anyone who follows me. My replies and reblogs are hi-larious. I like to think they are, anyway. I'm a pretty boring person outside my fics haha…ha…hmm…
ANYWHO! Let me know how I did in the review thingy and let me know what you think Rosie's answer will be. LET ME KNOW! REVIEW! Sorry, I'm currently on a diet and my systems have yet to get used to not having junk food in them.
So, read, review, and be merry, my doves!
Reaver and Barry Hatch belong to Lionhead.