Professor Layton and the Living Dead
Chapter 10: Red tinted roses
Layton, Flora and Scarlett have been living with Descole for a couple days and between Descole and Scarlett there was a lot of tension. Layton and Descole had talked sometimes, sharing their discoveries. While Layton was convinced that the Scarlett that was with them was his late wife, Descole was still not convinced. He had abandoned all hope to see her again a long time ago, but he couldn't deny that there were a lot of similarities between her and his Scarlett. To help Descole, Layton decided to let Scarlett stay in the castle and spend time with him. He decided to take Flora out to the small town that was just a little ways out. Descole, having received a letter with Layton's plan on it, grumbled and accepted reluctantly.
"Where is the Professor?", Scarlett asked when she came to breakfast and just seeing Descole sitting at the table.
"He decided to explore the small town near here and has asked me to make sure you are well. Now, sit down and eat breakfast.", Descole explained, turning back to his breakfast and returning to eating it.
"Oh, I see.", Scarlett sat down and started eating. "What are you planning on doing today?"
The sudeen question caught the masked man off guard. Looking up at the woman, he couldn't help but blush a bit. Scarlett smiled the same warm smile he had fallen in love with.
"Come on, Desmond. You can't sit around in our dorm all the time studying. You miss out on so many things.", Dimitri said as he was standing in the door. Desmond looked at him for a moment before turning back to his books and notes.
"Well, my dear friend, unlike you, I have very important things that need my immediate attention. I can not simply dilly dally whenever I wish to.", Desmond replied. He could basically hear Dimitri's eyeroll.
"Come on, dude. You are young only ones. Please come with me to that party!", Dimitri basically begged. Desmond closed his books and put away his notes before standing from his desk.
"I will humour you this once. If it is a disappointment I will hold it against you, Dimitri Allen.", Desmond said. He was serious, but that wasn't something that Dimitri cared about right now. He just dragged him to the party.
Desmond felt totally out of place, but also strangely at home. He kept to himself mostly, standing in a corner and watching the people, when something caught his attention. It was a stream of red hair amidst all the grey figures. Desmond couldn't help it and walked over to the red.
"Excuse me?", he said, and to his surprise, the girl turned to him with such a warm smile. His heart started to race, he had never seen someone so beautiful before.
"Is something the matter?", Scarlett wondered. Descole just shook his head a bit.
"No, everything is fine. I was going to go to my library. Maybe you find a book that you would like to read.", Descole answered. For the rest of breakfast it was silent. While Scarlett was occupied with her plate, Descole stole the occasional glance at her. Could she really be her? No, that was impossible. But what if it wasn't? What if she really was his Scarlett?
After breakfast, the two headed to the library. Scarlett following closely behind Descole, who tried his best to keep calm. His heart was racing the way it did the day he first laid eyes on his wife. At that time, he never knew he would have this feeling again, this feeling of longing. He opened the door to the library and went inside. Scarlett was fascinated by all books, she had never seen so many books in a private collection.
"Have you read all of those books?", she asked with excitement in her voice as she walked through the rows of shelves just scanning the backs of the books.
"Not all of them. Some more than others.", Descole responded honestly. He watched her go through the rows until she stopped and pulled a book from the shelf.
"'The Phantom of the Opera', I didn't take you for that type of man.", Scarlett looked at it, basically staring at he book.
"Oh, it's not mine. It was my late wife's favourite book. I just kept it for sentimental reasons.", he said, noticing that she was staring at the book.
"What is your favourite book?", Scarlett asked as she sat with someone at a table in the library of the university. He thought for a bit.
"Sherlock Holmes. The mysteries of the series are well written and a delight to keep your mind sharp. How about you, my dear Scarlett? What is your favourite book?", he asked, smiling at her. Scarlett didn't hesitate.
"The Phantom the Opera, a story of love and intrigue and betrayal. It may not be the most exciting book for someone as smart as you, but I really love it.", she replied, earning a smile from her companion.
"I want to read it. I want to understand what you love about this book.", he placed a hand on hers, his smile warm and loving.
"I love this book. The love story, the betrayal, the intrigue. I always like the Phantom more than Raoul.", Scarlett whispered, running her fingers over the cover of the book. It was old and dusty, as if it wasn't picked up in years.
"Me too. I always thought the Phantom was the more interesting character.", Descole stated. Then it was silent again. The silence hung in the air like a heavy blanket.
"Can you dance?", Descole asked suddenly. What possessed him to ask that? He hated the silence, the tension there was. He hoped to break it.
"Not really.", Scarlett replied honestly. "I am not even dressed properly."
"I don't mind. Just...", he hesitated for a moment. "A small dance."
Scarlett was hesitant for a bit, but accepted. Descole instructed her to meet him in the ballroom. His eyes fell on the book she held in her hands.
"You can keep it if you like it so much.", he said as he turned around to leave. Scarlett was left standing in the library with the book in hand.
Later the two met again in the Ballroom. Descole had set up a record player. He would usually play the piano, but how could he teach her to dance when he played the piano? He started the vinyl record. It was a beautiful melody, it reminded Scarlett of something, but she couldn't quite place it.
"Now, lets get started.", Descole instructed and made a bow to her. Scarlett returned the bow with a small curtsy before taking his hand and being pulled into position.
"Just look at me and follow my steps.", he said, earning a not from the red haired woman. Descole could smell her parfume, it was a smell he knew too well. He had given her such a parfume before. It smelled of apples and lilies. Descole decided to ignore it and his heart racing again. He took a step forward, holding Scarlett close to him. With every step, every spin and every dip, the music seemed to fade more and more into the background as the two dancers only focused on each other, with every step, there was this nagging voice in the back of Descole's head, the voice he kept ignoring. It was hard enough to look at her face and convince himself that it was just a coincidence that she looked like her.
The two kept dancing, it felt like they they were on clouds. That nagging voice kept getting louder and louder, until he took a step back from her.
"That was, lovely. You are more talented than I thought.", Descole said with a slight stammering in his voice. Why did it feel so naturally, as if they had done it before? It couldn't be, she wasn't….or was she? He was confused. How could she have survived such a tragedy? No one could survive such a fire.
"You seem tense. Maybe we should take a walk?", Scarlett suggested. Yeah, maybe a walk would help.
"You seem to know quite a lot about calming down people, my dear.", Descole said with a smile.
"I used to be a nurse.", Scarlett explained. Right, like hate wife. How can she be so similar to her? He wasn't sure if he should take her to take the walk with him, but he needed to know more about her. He agreed to the walk, and the two made their way through the lavish garden that Descole had maintained for the castle.
They sat down at the fountain in the middle of the garden. It was decorated with the statue of a woman with the most gentle face Scarlett had ever seen.
"Who is that woman?"she asked. Descole looked up at the statue before looking at the ground again.
"I modelled her after my wife. The most beautiful woman I have ever met. She was smart and gentle and the only woman that loved me, not my status.", Descole explained, his voice sounded solemn.
"I was married once. I can't remember his face, but he was very sweet, with the prettiest brown eyes I have ever seen.", Scarlett sat down next to him looking at the ground as well.
"My wife was a lot like you. You look so much like her too.", he said with a soft smile, earning a smile from her as well, the same smile he had fallen in love such a long time ago. The two sat there for a while just watching the stars.
Desmond was studying in his room. He hadn't seen Scarlett for a week, mostly because of her work. It saddened him a bit but he had studying to do. After half an hour he heard a knock on his door. Who would visit him this late at night? Desmond walked over to the door and opened it, seeing his Girlfriend standing there, smiling brightly.
"Scarlett, what are you doing here?", he was surprised seeing her. She grabbed his hand ready to drag him outside.
"Let's go stargazing!", Scarlett said. He agreed, got some stuff and the two went to the hill where they usually go to watch the stars. It was a nice summer day, and the two sat down in the grass looking at the sky. Scarlett rambled about her week at work, what had happened in all the time they haven't seen each other. Desmond liked listening to her and at one point just looked at her instead of the stars.
"I love you.", he whispered, causing Scarlett to fall silent and look at him. Desmond blushed. How could he just have blurted that out? They have only been going out for a few months, how can he already say that?
"I know. I love you too.", Scarlett responded, tilting her head to the side with that ever so lovely smile of hers. In that moment Desmond felt like the world was perfect. He didn't have to worry that maybe, she was just with him because he was wealthy, no, this moment made him realize that she loved him, not his status or money, him.
Scarlett and Descole had been sitting in the garden for a while. It was getting late so they decided to head back inside. Out of the goodness of his heart, Descole took off his cape and drapped it over Scarlett's shoulders so she wouldn't be cold. It was strangely familiar to him. The whole way they didn't say anything, just a small "Good Night" when they parted at the door to Scarlett's room. Descole headed back to his own room, but he seemed restless. This whole day was strangely familiar, it felt good, it felt like he was reliving the memories he had buried so deep in his heart that he had almost forgotten them.
"Where is your cape?", Sycamore asked. Descole looked at the mirror, he had totally forgotten about that.
"I gave it to that woman.", he replied to his reflection. Sycamore smiled, he knew what that meant.
"You should get it back.", the man in the mirror said with a knowing smile. Descole nodded and left his room, walking over to Scarlett's door. Before he could knock, the door opened and Scarlett stood there, the cape in hand. The two looked at each other for a moment, before Scarlett raised the cape slightly to hand it to him. Whatever it was that possessed Descole that moment, he would never know, he just grabbed her face and kissed her. To his surprise, she returned the kiss and didn't even protest when he slowly pushed her back in the room, closing the door behind them.