Chapter Eleven continued Elaina took a hasty sip of her ice cold water. Then her eyes wandered back to where Robert was still poking at his food. “It’s not poisoned, you know,” she said, perhaps a little too rudely. He started slightly before looking up with a sheepish look. “Sorry, Elaina. I’m just lost in thought.” He took a sip from his own glass. “I apologize for not being a good dinner companion.” Elaina closed her eyes briefly. “Just tell me why we can’t paint your study a lovely shade of blue or green.” Robert sighed. “I just can’t. It doesn’t feel right.” “I swear, Robert,” she said, her voice…
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Queen of the Garden of Girls, Part 32
Chapter Eleven continued As much as jumping up and running out of this circus was starting to become more and more appealing, Robert was proving to be a conundrum that fascinated her brain. How he could go from being upset with her for acquiescing to his mother to wanting to repaint some room she’d never seen before eluded her. “Yes,” he said, somewhat more enthusiastically as he finally finished heaping root vegetables on his plate, which she thought was odd since he was definitely more of a carnivore than plant eater. “Typical man” was the only thing that ran through her head. “Is there something wrong with it?” she ventured…
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Queen of the Garden of Girls, Part 31
Chapter Eleven continued “You shouldn’t do everything Rose says,” Nigel said softly. “Robert is right in that. She’ll run you down like a lawn mower.” Elaina gave him a thin smile. “Don’t worry about me, Nigel. I’m starting to learn about his mother. Please trust I know what I’m doing.” He assessed her for a moment before giving a short, curt nod. “You have more of a backbone than most other companions.” “I’m trying,” Elaina said softly. “Thank you, Nigel. Please let Rose know I’ll be delighted to have freshly baked brioche ready for her at nine tomorrow morning.” Nigel gave her a deeper, more formal bow before leaving her…
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Queen of the Garden of Girls, Part 30
Chapter Eleven continued The dining room was brightly lit and full of the delicious scents of dinner when they walked in. Elaina felt her shoulders relax a smidgen as she took a deep breath of freshly roasted chicken. But Robert’s still stiff posture quickly brought her back to reality. The table had been set for three, but one plate had already been filled, the chair before it slightly askew. A chicken leg had been picked clean and a few half-eaten root vegetables littered the plate. A wine glass held the remnants of a red wine and red lipstick. A glass dish clearly bore the marks of a trifle eaten and…
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Queen of the Garden of Girls, Part 29
Chapter Eleven I chose Rose because of her name. Of course she never knew that’s what I plant. She was a bit like a rose, too. She was nice to look at, but turned out to be quite thorny. It was often hard to get her to open up, and I quickly became impatient waiting for the rosebud to bloom. I asked her to leave after a month because I couldn’t stand her harsh tongue. I thought of planting weeds in her honor, but I would never desecrate my garden that way, so I planted___. Elaina checked her dress three times before she headed down to dinner. After the chicken…
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Queen of the Garden of Girls, Part 28
If you missed it, in Part 26 Robert retold his favorite childhood story to Elaina. It wasn’t quite what she expected. Chapter Ten Continued By the time Robert had finished and his thoughts and mind had returned to the kitchen of Roderick Hall, Elaina had finished putting the chicken and potatoes in the oven and was standing before him. He couldn’t quite tell if she was surprised, horrified, or transfixed. Her expression seemed eternally mercurial, the look in her eyes ever shifting. Finally, Elaina put her hands on her hips. “That was your favorite bedtime story?” He shrugged. “It is sad, but I also like to think the prince and…
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Queen of the Garden of Girls, Part 27
Now we’re getting to my favorite part of this story, and the main reason why I really want to write this: my takes on different fairy tales. Chapter 10 continued She wasn’t a princess, as everyone likes to believe, but he was most definitely a prince, one destined to take the throne and ensure a strong royal line. Their meeting was inevitable, their ending a tragedy, though perhaps not to us. The mermaid had no name, or not one that was ever offered to him. She was First Handmaiden to the princess, whose hand had long been bound to the prince. She had no identity save the one the princess chose to…
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Queen of the Garden of Girls, Part 26
Well, Elaina is about to find out something about Robert. Probably not too surprising. But maybe he’ll surprise her with a very different kind of skill? Chapter Ten Annie was not lovely. She was actually very plain. That’s exactly why I picked her. I was tired of pretty faces and thought a plain one would be good change. Maybe it wasn’t a pretty face I would fall for. Sadly, she was just as plain in her thinking and interests. I don’t think I’ve ever been so bored before. And into the ground went the ___ in her honor. Robert shrugged apologetically as Elaina stared disbelievingly at the potatoes he had…
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Queen of the Garden of Girls, Part 25
I’d like to note that I just recently realized the world is basically under a stay at home order, and that Robert and Elaina have had a head start on that self-isolating trend considering they’re stuck in Robert’s family mansion and can’t leave. At least, Robert can’t. I find it funny how I’m writing the lives of isolated characters while being stuck inside as well. I hope it gives me plenty of fresh ideas. (Chapter 9 continued) Rose’s head turned sharply to her, her eyes narrowing. “Nonsense, Elaina. Companions do not cook.” Robert had also, finally, turned to look at her. He was shaking his head ever so slightly. But…
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Queen of the Garden of Girls, Part 24
(Chapter 9 continued) “Nigel is indisposed and will be unable to assist you this afternoon,” were the first words out of Rose’s mouth as Elaina and Robert walked into the dining room. Rose stood beside the table, already filled with plates and platters telling the tale of a cold lunch that would be presided over by an even colder woman. Her hair was, as always, pulled back into a shiny yet severe chignon and she wore a crisp violet dress that looked like it belonged in an office. One hand was delicately resting on the back of one chair, a large diamond ring sparkling from one finger. “What do you…
