Chapter 7: Splintering
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"Stop fanning yourself, its distracting." he said as he turned a page in his newspaper.
She rolled her eyes and snapped the fan close. She almost caught herself for such a rude action. He seemed to take no notice of it. The blonde girl's face was still fresh in her mind and she opened the fan slightly.
"It is terribly warm in here, wouldn't you agree?" she replied. She opened the fan a little more, hesitant in her actions, and continued fanning herself.
The newspaper ruffled and he was staring at her from above the edge. She could see his expression from the corner of her eye and her fanning slowed. He was not going to repeat himself.
She closed the fan softly and tucked it inside her skirt. Her legs were itching to stand.
"I would like to take a walk in the gardens." she asked suddenly, her politeness slipping.
"You may go." he responded, allowing her to rise and leave the room.
She pretended to have forgotten her curtsy.
It blisteringly hot outside and her fan moved back and forth rapidly. The weight of her dress did nothing to help her but she could not sacrifice fashion for measly comfort. Her dress was new and of the latest summer trend. She was impatiently waiting for the coolness of fall. She could barely admire any bit of the garden's beauty. Passing by a large collection of rose bushes, she picked one off a rebellious branch that had missed the gardener's trimming. It was pure white and just beginning to display its loveliness. These were the same ones used in their wedding. She tore the head from its stem and threw it on the ground. She made a point to crush its petals beneath her heel as she continued walking.
Her stomach was unable to be calmed as she entered the manor. Her nerves were piling themselves high in her throat. What if her rudeness was too apparent? Had he become angered by it? She had acted so foolishly! But, she could not forget what she had seen. She walked briskly into the parlor where he was finishing his paper and stood by the entrance, the window's light bouncing off the small beads of perspiration she had accumulated outside. He did not acknowledge her presence whatsoever. Her words stumbled out before she could catch hold of them.
"I was hoping you would join me for lunch today, Draco." she said as sweetly as she could, an enthused smile gracing her features.
He slapped the newspaper down on his legs and looked up at her.
"What did you call me?" he asked, his voice low and yet surprised.
"Draco; that is your name, isn't it?" she responded cheekily. She could feel the dangerous waters rising. First, she had been most unladylike and disrespectful. Now, she addressed him by his given name. There was something wrong with her today.
He stared at her for a few moments before raising his paper once again.
"When I finish reading this last page." he replied.
She smiled confidently to herself and made her way to the dining hall where food was already being set out.