Chapter Text
^^^^^^
Garnet focuses on becoming stronger and actively working to make changes to her life situation.
^^^^^^
The days following Garnet’s return to the Osmington manor passed by in a haze. She didn’t remember doing anything really, perhaps she didn’t do anything. There had to have been another lecture from Holly, some small tasks she managed were performed. But those things carried no significance and had little effect on her numb state. If it weren’t for Skinny, Carnelian, and Curly’s usual shenanigans, Garnet might have become a ghost within her own manor. Their humorous stories and small bits of grief they would give Holly brought a rare and temporary smile to the duchess’s face.
Sardonyx’s hurtful, yet true words had ignited some serious internal reflection and analyzing of her current situation. Did she want to live out the rest of her days in the Osmington manor, ruled by Holly and in constant fear of the contract with her mothers changing? That was a definite no. If she could leave and never return, she wouldn’t bat an eye. What did she want? It was such a simple question sparked by the butcher who wanted her to quickly make her decision about what cuts of meat she wanted and be on her way. What did she want? The thought ran around in her mind for days on end, demanding a satisfying answer. Garnet had never actively thought of what she wanted. What she really wanted. Not what others had told her, not what society had told her, not what the pastors had told her, not what the Collingwoods or Terrance had told her, not even what Sardonyx had told her.
The first thing that came to mind was that she wanted to see her mothers again. Garnet breathed out as the longing in her chest for her home and her family made it ache painfully. At the moment there was nothing significant she could do to get to Tanzania, but she wrote a couple of letters, mailed them off and wore her dress and Khanga in secret one night. True to her mother, Sapphire’s, skill, the dress fit perfectly. For those fleeting moments as the fabric woven by her mothers enveloped her, Garnet felt beautiful and free. A wide smile formed on her lips when she stared at herself in the mirror. This was what she wanted. Feet jumped about silently, pivoting and sliding as the duchess danced about in her dress. She wasn’t performing any of the dances she had learned here in England, but the ones she could still remember from her childhood. Vocal chords wanted to sing out in her mother language to the graceful and rhythmic movements of her body, but they were kept to a barely audible whisper to avoid being overheard. Tears began to make their way down her cheeks. Brown eyes were closed while Garnet envisioned herself celebrating with her people; especially her mothers. Oh how she missed them and would give anything to be with them for real. However, this was the best she could do for now. Eyes opened once her dance had ended. Garnet admired herself in the mirror for a few more minutes. Reluctantly, the stunning dress and Khanga were taken off, folded, and hidden. As she went to bed that night, Garnet resolved to wear it more often, but never in a situation or time that might cause it to be discovered. Losing it would be a devastating blow.
The second thing that she wanted was to be treated with respect not just because of her title, but because she deserved to be treated equally. It was hard to know what to do about that, but after some time, Garnet figured out ways to push the limitations set on her by the Collingwoods without sparking any backlash. Complete a few extra managerial tasks before Holly had the chance to get to them, direct the servants to new tasks once they had completed their chores instead referring them to Holly, overall becoming more of an active presence in her manor.
The third thing Garnet desired was to clear the air between her and Pearl. If kissing really had been a mistake on both of their ends, then they would agree to never speak of it and to never interact in such a close manner again. Any future times where they would be around each other would be strictly in friendship or as acquaintances. Unfortunately, the duchess was at a loss at the moment on what exactly to do and how to talk to the woman. Visiting Sardonyx was out of the question, and sending a letter that could easily be intercepted would be disastrous. For now she let that want take a back seat.
The final was a goal to be a better friend to Sardonyx. The archduchess had been hiding her grief on Edward’s passing very well, almost too well. Garnet couldn’t make up for not attending the funeral and for not being fully aware of her friend’s mental state, but she could be there for her now. While it felt like she was doing the opposite by not checking in with her friend a week after her last visit, they needed some time apart; otherwise their tempers could spark another shouting match. Not only that, but Garnet needed to work on becoming stronger so she could be someone that others could lean on. A letter was sent instead of a personal visit. She spent several hours penning her apology for her lack of care and support, and implored Sardonyx to no longer hide her grief from her, but instead to let her help where she could. For a few days she watched the mail, but when no response came, she understood that either Padparadscha hadn’t given it to Sardonyx yet, or that Sardonyx was still mad. Garnet resolved to write and send another letter in a week’s time. In the meantime she would work on becoming stronger.
Pointed brass metal was dragged across the parchment, leaving a black trail of ink that formed organized lines and loops. Concentrated brown eyes darted back and forth from the receipts of the week’s expenses and the account booklet. Each number was triple checked before she did the simple math and proceeded to the next receipt and began a new entry. It was basic enough, yet thrilling to sit down and record the purchases she and others had made with the Collingwood’s finances. Another successful calculation was completed and Garnet internally applauded herself. Normally this was one of those tasks that Holly handled, but the duchess saw no reason why she couldn’t do it. The stern woman was busy at the moment, and Garnet wanted to use her mathematic knowledge for something more significant than figuring out the cost of thirty pounds of flour. Fingers paused their movements and lifted the quill so she could check the name of the place written on the receipt.
“Keith’s Butcher Shop.”
Garnet brought the quill back down and began to write the name down.
“What are you doing?!”
The familiar voice snapped through the air, causing the duchess’s hands to jump and mess up the line she was working on. A frown formed on thick lips as she examined the unsightly mark on her perfect entry. She could still salvage it if she wrote it just so. Heeled shoes stomped over to her. Garnet instinctively braced herself.
“I asked what are you doing?!” Holly demanded, louder.
Shoulders were rolled back as the duchess sat up straight and looked the intimidating woman in the eyes.
“I am recording this week’s expenditures in the booklet.”
“And what gave you the idea that you could do that?”
Brown eyes narrowed. “I am the Duchess of Osmington, am I not? While the Lord is away, I am to assume the responsibilities of the household and one of those responsibilities is to track and care for the finances.”
Holly pulled back for a fraction of a second, blue eyes widening in disbelief.
“You are not experienced enough to do such a complicated task, you’ll surely mess it up! Give it here, I’ll have to fix the whole thing no thanks to you.”
Not a movement was made to surrender the booklet. With a huff, the governess attempted to make a grab for the object, but Garnet slid it out of reach. Holly tried again, only for it to be shifted away just in time. For a brief instance the duchess felt successful in her goal to take on more duties; that was until the swift strike of a wide hand made her cheek sting. Garnet’s body went stiff.
“That is quite enough disobedience from you!” the white haired woman scolded as she snatched the booklet away.
Eyelids blinked rapidly, pushing back the tears of pain that had formed in response to getting slapped.
“Everything is correct,” Garnet stated in a firm, yet quiet voice.
“You may think so, but now it’s going to take me even longer to correct and record all of these due to your insistence of taking on tasks beyond your capabilities. Now go get out of here so I can do my job!”
Slowly the woman with dreadlocks stood up from the chair and began to walk out of the office. Brown eyes cast one last glance over her shoulder at the muttering governess. With her mouth set into a firm line, Garnet made her way to the study. It had been a week since she had made any significant progress on her embroidery piece. Dejected hands picked up the tightened cloth and the needle. One flawless stitch was created after the other.
Later that evening, as the duchess sat finishing her dinner in the side dining room, Holly strode into the room.
“Once you are done here, Lord Collingwood would like a word with you in his office.”
Garnet swallowed the spoonful of stew in her mouth and silently nodded. An ever so slight upward curl formed in the corners of the governess’s mouth as she turned on her heel and marched out of the room. The curved, silver utensil was aimlessly stirred around in the remains of the hearty stew. No longer did the dark woman have an appetite. After stalling for as long as she dared to, Garnet took her dishes the kitchen and thanked Sharky for the delicious meal.
Step by step, the solitary figure made her way to the far side of the Osmington manor. She had never liked coming to this part, no good memories were contained back where Terrance Collingwood I and his wife had retired to. Upon her marriage to Terrance Collingwood II, the Duke and his wife reluctantly passed on the responsibilities and titles to the newly wedded couple. It had only taken a few days for Garnet to realize that the transfer of the title of the Duchess of Osmington to her was purely for show and a requirement of the marriage. It held no real significance or authority that she had been hoping for. All of the schooling and preparation she had been through was all just a ruse, she was to remain their glorified hostage forever. Brown eyes glanced to the side at one of the outfits put on display. An oriental gown from Japan. Never worn, just purchased to be a trophy of having traveled to such a place, just like the many other clothing sets, armor, ceremonial gowns, and taxidermy animals lining the earthy wooden and stone halls. The Collingwoods loved to collect tokens of their travels and conquests. Garnet passed by a gigantic furry animal standing on its hind legs and practically lunging forward with its claws and fangs ready to tear into flesh. A grizzly bear, shot by Lord Collingwood I during a hunting trip in the northwest part of the Spanish territory in the Americas. It had scared her a number of times when she had been walking through the halls when there was little light. Lips parted to let a long sigh drift out. Despite her leisurely pace, she had arrived at the office far quicker than she had hoped. Her wide, round nose wrinkled in distaste, the strong scent of tobacco wafted through the air. Knuckles rapped against the sturdy wooden door.
“Who is it?” the raspy voice demanded.
“It’s Garnet, my Lord, you called for me?”
Addressing him with that title always left a bad taste in her mouth.
“Get in here.”
Eyes were closed for a moment as Garnet took a deep breath. She reached up and felt her two studded earrings, one sapphire, one ruby, silently calling to her mothers to lend her their strength to face the unpleasant man behind the door. Without further delay, the door was opened and the dark woman walked into the room.
“Close the door behind you,” came garbled order, punctuated by a wheezy cough.
Metal popped back into place securing the hinged wooden object. Brown eyes turned to regard the slightly hunched figure sitting in the cushioned, velvet chair. Aging had changed the man greatly since she had first seen him. A full head of brown hair had fallen out with wisps of white barely hanging on the sides. The tall, fit stature had slowly bent, lost its strength, and fattened. Sharp blue eyes faded to a blueish-grey while white fuzzy caterpillars had taken residence in place of his eyebrows. The skin covering his face was crowded with wrinkles and brown spots. However, even though Lord Collingwood I no longer resembled the terrifying man he was, Garnet was still just as scared of him now as when she had her hands bound behind her back and the muzzle of his pistol pressed against her skull.
“Holly has informed me that you’ve been disobedient,” he began, drumming his fingers in together in front of his chest.
The duchess offered no response and simply waited for him to continue; as he always would.
“She told me of you ordering around servants that don’t work in the kitchens or washrooms, and has recently caught you tampering with the financial records.” A heavy breath was let out. “I would have thought we were well past this and that you clearly understood your role in my household. You are allowed to take care of the needs in regards to the food and cleaning of our various fabrics, but nothing else.”
Garnet’s hands curled into fists.
“I wasn’t tampering with the financial records, I was simply recording mine and others’ expenditures and figuring the new balance of the estate’s account.”
“You are not to mess with that, it is unnecessary to concern your little head with things such as finance. You have always been generously given what finances you would need to manage your responsibilities, along with having some spending money of your own.”
“Money that you’ve gained from gutting my homeland and enslaving my people.”
White, bushy eyebrows were raised up at the sharp words cutting through his prepared talk. The duchess was surprised as well at her words. It felt amazing to finally say it; she could almost feel her mothers approval.
“What did you say?”
It was a subtle order for her to retract her words, but she wasn’t going to; not ever.
“You know what I said,” Garnet stated.
Lord Collingwood the first pulled in a deep breath and drummed his fingers once again.
“Your people are paid for their work in the mines.”
“At a fraction the amount you would pay one of your own men.”
The wrinkled forehead became even more creased.
“And then you have the gall to say that you’re giving me what was mine from the beginning.”
“Your people didn’t even know how to make use of their own resources. We had to come in and show you; otherwise the precious stones would have just sat underground for centuries.”
“We knew how to use them and to what extent. There was no need to destroy lands or work people to the bone just to amass monetary wealth for a select few.”
A long silence filled the stuffy room. The old man coughed and wheezed, pulling in a rattling breath before clearing his throat.
“There was no need to educate you. You should have been brought here and made a slave like all the other Blacks. It would have been so much easier and no one would have held me accountable to the ‘agreement’ your mothers tried to force me into. Perhaps their appeal to my gentlemanly code worked to some extent. I, for some idiotic reason, upheld most of their demands. I wasn’t going to have Terrance marry you, that was never an option, but my own son turned on me and did so any way. At least now he has regained his senses and has sought the company of one very well suited to be the Duchess of Osmington,” the last sentence was added off to the side.
“They would have found out and they would have fought back without reserve,” Garnet stood tall.
“Yes,” he laughed for a moment before it was interrupted by a short coughing fit. “And I would have killed them both and any who fought alongside.”
The duchess stiffened; her rage towards this monster steadily building. A shaky, pale hand reached out to the side to grasp the cylindrical, crystal cup filled with scotch and lift it to be drunk out of.
“But then I wouldn’t have them to keep your people relatively cooperative and would have lost a lot of potential laborers in the process. Not a smart business move you see.”
There were no words that Garnet could put together to even begin to describe how she felt upon hearing such talk.
“Educating you made it easier to communicate and to make you more useful, but at the same time made it harder to manage you. You actions as of late, especially today, are a great example of that.”
Deep brown eyes burned with fire as they bored holes into the man’s forehead. Oh how she wished she could just handle this situation like she had with Jasper constantly blocking her path in the polo game. Her right fist tightened. It would be immensely satisfying.
“What I should have done is just train you like any other animal, after all there’s not too much of a difference, just slap you around whenever you did something incorrectly and reward you with food when you did something correct. But what is done is done, I can’t go back and change that,” came the sigh.
“I would have still learned, I would have taught myself, and I sure as hell didn’t need to know anything more than I already did when I came here to know exactly what you had done to me, my people, and my land. You just don’t like it that I can communicate it to you in your own tongue.”
Before Lord Collingwood could interrupt, Garnet continued.
“My mistake was thinking that in time you would become educated and learn how to treat me and my people like humans.”
“Humans?” a laugh was barked out. “Humans, barely, and only good for taking care of the labors and tasks below us. You Blacks are below us, so much so that I’d much rather have an illegitimate son from Terrance’s mistress than to have one come with half of your ugly features.”
Every fiber of her being called out to just strike out once. Once. Yet, she knew once she started, she wouldn’t stop. She would return every slap, every insult, every threat, every revoked meal one for one.
An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.
She could gut and skin him just like she had done with the warthogs found in her homeland.
“This time only will I send you to your room for the rest of today and tomorrow. If I get word of you acting out of turn again, the consequences will be much more severe.”
Garnet furrowed her eyebrows at the change in conversation. When did he suddenly decide to close the topic and issue her punishment? It was then that she realized that in the silence that drifted about due to the duchess envisioning beating down her captor, the man had perceived it as having won the argument. Now she was being ordered to her room and locked up like a child.
“You pale faced monster,” Garnet spat out in Swahili before turning and heading towards the door.
“What did you say?” the Lord’s face was wrinkled with anger.
The duchess opened the door and paused.
“It’s interesting how knowing a number of languages is seen as a mark of great intelligence, yet you who constantly berate mine and put yourself above me don’t know as many as I do.”
Red blossomed all over the livid man’s face. She didn’t even stay to hear whatever thing he was going to retort with. The door was swiftly shut behind her and the dark woman made her way back through the halls towards her room. While she was sure to pay for that remark, she would do it again if she got the chance. A short detour was taken into the office. Brown eyes darted about making sure no one would see her, especially Holly; then she dashed into the room and located the account booklet. Hands carefully opened it up to the page she had made her entries. Full lips were pulled down. Ugly black lines cut through each one of her perfect recordings. The lines following her crossed out ones were the duplicated entries made by the governess. There wasn’t a single difference between the duchess’s lines and the duplicates Holly had made. Garnet’s rage at the insult burned inside of her once again. There was nothing wrong, it was wrong simply because she had done it. Quietly the booklet was closed and the duchess made sure it was in the exact same spot she had found it. Hands were curled into fists once again as the dark woman made her way to her room.
Being locked in her bedroom for a day was a typical punishment, thus the duchess knew well how to deal with it. A week had already passed since her last letter to Sardonyx and she had yet to receive a response. So, it was time to write another. The contents were similar to the first in an abbreviated version, while also adding some news of what she had been doing, followed up with the inquiry on how her friend was. Garnet was lucky in that she was able to catch Carnelian walking by her door and slid the letter out and asked to have it delivered that day. The short woman enthusiastically accepted the job. As the duchess was looking through her closet, she came upon the riding outfit tailored for her by Sardonyx. It would be a shame for her to have only worn it once. Tomorrow she would don the clothes and go for a ride throughout the Osmington lands. For the majority of the day she spent locked in her room, Garnet made an adjustment to her desire to be a more active force in the Osmington manor and brainstormed new, more subtle ways to go about it. Most of the household servants had actually preferred taking assignments from her as she would compliment them on what tasks they had completed. Through them and their loyalty she could have greater influence.
The next morning, Garnet got up and began to get dressed for the day. Any minute now Holly would unlock her door and she would be free. Her stomach grumbled. What little food and water that had been dropped off in the morning hadn’t lasted long. It never did. As she was finishing buttoning up her dress, the deadbolt was pushed back and her door was opened. Excited eyes turned to the governess standing in her doorway. Garnet’s smile fell a little when she noticed the woman holding a small plate of food and a glass of water. That was never a good sign.
“Your timeout has been extended for another day due to your disrespectful behavior towards Lord Collingwood the first during his talk with you,” Holly smugly announced.
Garnet’s mouth fell open, her body frozen with shock. The plate was set on her nightstand, right next to the empty one from yesterday. Holly grabbed the old dishes and walked back to the door.
“I hope tomorrow you’ll be ready to behave properly, otherwise you’ll be spending a lot of time in here.”
With that the door was shut and the deadbolt was slid into place once again. The duchess stumbled forward after the door, slowing to silently slam her fists on it. Her forearms and forehead were pressed against the cold wood, eyes staring blankly into the grain. They had waited until she thought she was going to be let out to extend it; just to spite her. White teeth were shown as a snarl formed on Garnet’s face. Legs pushed forward, driving her forearms harder against the solid wood. If only she was strong enough to break down the door and escape. Her attention was drawn back to the large paned windows that opened up to her balcony. A chain and padlock wrapped around the handles made it so she couldn’t escape that way. However, the windows were made of glass and she could easily break glass. Garnet sighed as she walked over and stared out at the trees just beyond the half-circle balcony made of stone. Breaking the glass was not an option, that kind of action would be severely punished once they caught and brought her back. Her one view into the outside world would certainly be replaced with a wall or solid door. Fingers reached up to play with the thick, metal chains and padlock. They didn’t initially lock the windows. That quickly changed when her twelve year old self, fed up with being locked in her room yet again, climbed down the ivy growing on the edge and underside of the balcony and took off at a sprint into the small grove of trees only meters away. Once the Collingwoods had discovered she was no longer in her room, they had everyone searching for her. It had taken calling out the dogs to finally locate where she had been hiding in a tree. Even then several guards had to scale the very same tree and drag her down while she kicked at them and shouted in Swahili. Garnet smiled at the memory.
I was such a spitfire when I was younger. What happened?
The dark woman knew what happened. Incremental adjustments had been made to her “rebelliousness” in order to avoid getting slapped, locked in her room, or having meals taken away. It was such a slow and steady change that it could only be noticed when looking into the past. Garnet scoffed at Lord Collingwood’s words about wishing he had just trained her with slaps and rewards of food. They had already done that. The only difference was that she did get formal education. A smirk appeared on her lips as she recalled a couple of her finer moments in that argument. Fighting back verbally against Lord Collingwood was incredibly refreshing. For once she had the tools to combat him on level ground. The dark woman breathed out evenly. Her recent efforts to push against her restrictions couldn’t be derailed by this. It was time to combine her past rebelliousness with her present knowledge and skill. Lips turned upward in the corners. Garnet retrieved her meal for the day made up of a small roll, some fruit, and a quarter of a sausage, pulled a chair up to the paned windows, sat down, and ate it while staring out at the green trees and grass.
Tomorrow I will go for a ride.
Brown eyes darted to her closet where the box from her mothers laid hidden. If she was going to be locked in her room the whole day again, she was going to wear what she wanted to.
Hooves thumped against the dirt covered in a blanket of tall, pale green grass. The sun lit up the sky, basking the land with its warmth. Fall was just around the corner and Garnet was determined to enjoy the last of the summer sunshine before it turned into the constant grey with rain and eventual snow. Already there had been a couple of cooler days with light showers. Riding through the acres surrounding the Osmington manor on her favored horse after being cooped up in her room for two days in a row was immensely refreshing. It was easy to get used to the stuffy indoor atmosphere, even with routinely cracking a window and letting in a breeze. Golden rays warmed her skin while the cool wind kept her from getting too hot. Garnet pulled back lightly on the reigns, silently instructing the horse to stop at the top of one of the hills west of the Osmington manor. From her vantage point she noticed a riding figure approaching the main pathway that led up to the entrance of the estate. Curious, the duchess urged her horse down to intercept the rider before they got to the doors and find out why they had come here. It wasn’t hard to notice how much more comfortable she was at having the horse go full speed after the polo match. A small smile curled in the corner of her mouth. The sound of the fast approaching hooves made the brown haired postboy turn and face her.
“Lady Collingwood!” he called out in surprise.
Garnet calmly commanded her horse to slow, approach, and then stop.
“Good afternoon, Jaime.”
“M-my Lady, I have a message to deliver, it is for you actually!”
Eyebrows were raised up as the postboy reached into his saddlebag to pull out the mentioned item. Garnet’s heart raced inside of her chest. It could either be a letter from her mothers or Sardonyx. Both of which she was very anxious to hear from.
It could be from Terrance too.
The envelope traded hands.
It wouldn’t be from him, he doesn’t write often.
Slightly shaky hands turned the item around, only for her shoulders to drop. The wax seal meant that it wasn’t from her mothers and the seal pressed into the wax indicated it wasn’t from Sardonyx. However, it wasn’t the Collingwood seal either. Upon further inspection, Garnet realized who the letter was from.
“Let me go inside and grab your payment,” she smiled at Jaime.
“Thank you, Lady Collingwood.”
Garnet guided her horse up to the entrance and tied the reigns around one of the marble posts before running up the stairs and heading inside. It was so much easier to walk about in trousers; she got to her room in no time, retrieved two shillings from her coin purse, and returned.
“Here you are.”
“Thank you my lady, I shall be off, lots more to deliver. Have a nice day!” Jaime quickly finished as he put away the coins and clicked his tongue.
For a few seconds she watched the postboy ride off before she turned her attention to the paper in her hand. The wax seal was easily broken with a slide of her hand under the flap of the envelope. Carefully the inner paper was extracted and unfolded.
Lady Garnet,
I, the glorious Sugilite of dewlish invite you to a
celebration at my ranch that will be held on the
24th of August in the evening. Food, dancing, and
entertainment will be provided. There is no reason
for you not to come, so I expect you will be there.
Sincerely.
Miss Sugilite
Short simple and to the point, Garnet had to chuckle at that. The party was two weeks away; plenty of time for the duchess to plan for it and attend. After slipping the invitation into her jacket, the woman with dreadlocks hopped back onto her horse and guided it back to the stables.
Hands were worried as the duchess paced around in her room. Two weeks since her first letter and she still hadn’t heard anything from Sardonyx, even with the second added to it. Eyes glanced over her shoulder to the third letter she had composed sitting on her vanity. Was there a point to sending it? She didn’t know. With a huff Garnet rushed out of her room to do something other than just stare at the object.
The bright, yellow light shining on the letter through the tall windows slowly changed to orange, to red, and finally into shadows as the sun moved through the sky and disappeared beyond the horizon. Steady, yet occasionally dancing orange light from the oil lamp was cast on the folded paper. It was ignored once again as the duchess got ready for bed and went to sleep without looking at it once.
Garnet looked herself in the eye as she finished buttoning up the front of her riding jacket. All of her duties had been taken care of, and she had already lined up a few jobs for servants who might get done with their chores early. A small smirk appeared in the corner of her mouth. So far, taking over those responsibilities hadn’t been noticed or Holly and Lord Collingwood didn’t care that she had. Regardless she fully intended to keep pushing her boundaries. The duchess took the two steps away from the full-length mirror to her vanity. Gloved hands picked up the letter and tucked it into the breast pocket of the black jacket. Today she was going for a ride to the nearby town, it would be easy to just drop it off at the post office while she was out.
There was something exhilarating about leaving the boundaries of the Osmington estate on her own as she rode towards town with the sun shining between a few fluffy clouds. No carriage, no assistants, no guards, just herself, the horse she was riding, and a small amount of change in her older coin purse. As long as she kept to the busy roads and didn’t stay out past dark she would be safe from any bandits. For a couple of hours Garnet maneuvered around the town’s marketplace, politely greeting those who she was familiar with. Most just stared at her and whispered. However, this time she didn’t care about what they said or how they looked at her; she was having a wonderful time. After buying a small loaf of fresh bread for lunch and some apples to share with the horse, the dark woman began to travel past the town. More clouds began to gather, stealthily blotting out the sun as the afternoon hours drifted to a close. Hooves marched down the familiar stretch of land and roads Garnet knew by heart. Brown eyes picked out landmarks that informed her she was only a kilometer away from the border of the Dorchester estate. A gentle tug of the reins instructed her horse to stop. For a long moment she sat there in the empty road. She didn’t intend to come this direction, or even to travel this far. Garnet felt her jacket pocket; the letter was still there. In her excitement of traveling alone in the marketplace, she had forgotten to drop it off at the post office. Cold liquid made contact with her warm cheek. Garnet touched the droplet and examined it, eyebrows pulled together in confusion. Several more landed on her jacket, face, and hair. The horse shifted its feet and snorted while shaking its mane. She tipped her head back to look up at the dark grey clouds that had filled the sky.
It’s raining.
It was such a nice day in the beginning, the possibility of the weather turning for the worse hadn’t even crossed her mind. Garnet didn’t know what to do. On one hand, she could travel the last km to Sardonyx’s manor and seek shelter there, or turn back now and hope she could make the 12km journey without getting terribly chilled or worse. Doubt clouded her mind on whether or not Sardonyx would welcome her unannounced visit, especially due to her lack of foresight and getting caught in the storm.
I’ll be coming to her for help, yet again…she won’t like that. She might get upset like last time.
Rain began to fall steadily from the darkening clouds. Panic slowly began to rise inside of the duchess. If she lost visibility, that could spell all sorts of trouble for her. Brown eyes darted to and fro from her two options, not really liking either of them, meanwhile her clothes were dampening with the cold water. The horse danced around again, anxious to get out of the rain. With a snap of the reins, Garnet made her decision.
Perhaps I can just slip into the stables and wait out the storm before returning.
She kept a wide berth from the front of the manor and circled about to the side, trying to stay in the cover of as many trees as possible, not only to get some relief from the now steady downpour, but to hide her visit as well. A brief pause was taken under one of the large oaks. Through the gray mist covering the land, Garnet was able to make out the stables in the distance. 200 meters at best and she and her horse would have shelter. Dread settled into the pit of her stomach, much like her soaked clothing had settled against her trembling frame.
I’ll only be there until the storm is over, I won’t impose on her and will pay her back for any hay my horse eats.
With her jaw firmly set and leaning close to the animal’s neck, Garnet commanded her horse to make one last dash across the open grazing field to the stables.
A teacup filled with steaming herbal liquid was raised up to full lips. Bismuth casually blew across it before taking a sip. The cook stood by one of the windows watching the rain fall while she took a short break.
“It was such a sunny day this morning, now look at it,” she offhandedly mentioned to Rhodonite who happened to be passing by.
“Oh yes indeed, I just hope it doesn’t start making thunder and lightning, those are absolutely terrifying!”
Bismuth chuckled, gently shaking her head. Out of the corner of her eye she watched the tall woman continue down the hall with the stack of towels. Another sip of tea was taken. The cook didn’t mind thunder and lightning, she enjoyed getting to watch those types of storms. From the safely and warmth of her house or Lady Sardonyx’s manor of course. Bismuth quickly drained the last of her tea.”
“Ahhhhh,” she breathed out. “Time to get started on supper. Gumbo would be perfect for this type of weather. Gumbo and some hot, freshly made, French-style bread.”
As she was turning away from the large window, grey eyes noticed movement outside. The cook turned back and watched as a horse with a rider dashed across the distant field and disappeared into the stables.
“Looks like someone’s seeking shelter.”
Lips were pressed into a firm line. Either it was just some lost traveler, or someone who might stir up trouble. Regardless, she was going to find out. With one last tip of the cup to get any remaining drops, the cook headed into the kitchen. Bismuth was quickly washing her teacup when she heard the kitchen door open and someone step in. Broad shoulders dropped as the dark woman sighed. She really didn’t want to get distracted from checking out the stables.
“I’ll be getting started on super soon, don’t worry,” she called out, not bothering to glance and see who it was.
“Oh, sorry, I wasn’t coming in to ask about that,” Pearl began, “I was actually checking in to see if you wanted any help.”
A sideways grin formed on Bismuth’s face. “Well I’m not going to turn down such a generous offer.” Once the teacup was carefully put away, she faced the pale woman. “How about you get started on heating up a big pot partially filled with water and cutting up two onions, two bell peppers, four celery stalks, and…” grey eyes darted about as her mind went through a mental checklist of vegetables used in her gumbo. A frown settled on her lips when she remembered that they were already out of okra due to their small harvest that year. “…that’s it,” the stocky woman finished instructing as she walked over to the kitchen knives, discretely grabbed one, and stowed it in her hand behind her apron. “I’m going to go check on the meat options, and will be back shortly.”
“Alright,” Pearl nodded her head. “I’ll get to work right away.”
“Much appreciated.”
Heavy footfalls made their way down the halls and to the servants’ quarters. Once she had grabbed her umbrella, Bismuth headed out the back of the manor and braced herself against the harsh wind and rain. One hand kept a good grip on her portable shelter, while the other still hid the knife. By the time she made it to the stables, the bottom half meter of her uniform was soaked, yet thankfully her sturdy boots kept her feet dry. The cook slipped into the stables from one of the side doors and began to stealthily inspect each stall; collapsing the umbrella and holding it like a sword. Grey eyes scrutinized the area. So far nothing was out of place and the only horses in the stalls were ones that belonged to Lady Sardonyx or one of her employees. Bismuth was almost to the last stall when her sharp ears picked up a sound. For a moment she paused, waiting to hear it again. A sniffle. Step by step the cook moved forward, taking care to make as little noise as possible on the dirt and hay covered ground. Bismuth cautiously peered around the wooden wall. One wet horse with a saddle still on had been tethered, and sitting in the mess of hay on the ground was a hunched over figure hugging their legs to their chest. Eyes went back to the saddle, taking note of the crest embroidered into the fabric part.
The Collingwood crest.
Another sniffle, this time accompanied by the shuddering breaths and faint clatter of teeth. Bismuth hadn’t examined the person on the hay enough, but after taking a second look, she knew right away who it was. From the unmistakable dreadlocks and appearance, to the riding suit she knew Lady Sardonyx had made for a dear friend.
“Lady Garnet?”
The woman’s head jerked up, wide, deep brown eyes staring right into hers.
“I’m so sorry, I’ll leave once the rain stops!”
Just the way it was said seemed to break the stocky woman’s heart. Why did Lady Garnet feel like she needed to hide in the stables instead of being welcomed as a guest? A frown settled onto full lips. There had been whisperings amongst the servants soon after Lady Garnet’s sudden disappearance and Lady Sardonyx’s more despondent mood since then. Whisperings about fragments of a loud conversation held between the two women. Bismuth shook her head, both dispelling the thoughts and rejecting Lady Garnet’s promise of just staying in the stables.
“You’re trembling and are sure to catch a cold if you stay in those soaked clothes. Come with me, let’s get you warmed up.”
“But-”
A hand was held up. Both sets of eyes widened at the knife in the cook’s hand.
“Ah, I’m so sorry,” Bismuth quickly tucked it into her apron in a safe position, “Brought it with me when I noticed someone riding into the stables, couldn’t tell if they were trouble or not.”
The duchess didn’t reply, but continued to just tensely sit in her spot.
“Let’s go, Lady Garnet, you are always welcomed in Lady Sardonyx’s manor whether or not the sun is shining.”
Reluctantly the duchess stood up. Before heading out the two women with dreadlocks quickly worked together to care for the horse by removing the saddle, brushing its coat, putting a blanket on it, and cleaning the hooves. Once they were done, Lady Garnet was less apprehensive about the idea of going into the manor. With a little more encouragement and reassurance, the younger woman walked with Bismuth back to the manor. Bismuth tried to keep the umbrella mostly over the duchess, but Lady Garnet pushed the umbrella more towards the cook, stating that she was already soaked and that Bismuth was the one who needed the cover more than she. In the end both women had one dry shoulder, or drier in the duchess’s case, and one soaked shoulder.
“Wait here, I’ll get some towels to help dry you off so we don’t track water everywhere.”
A silent nod came from the taller woman as they stood at the back entrance. Bismuth kicked off her boots, swiftly walked to the linen closet, and gathered a number of towels and a large, thick quilt. After drying herself off so she didn’t leave another trail of rain droplets, she made her way back to the duchess, using one of the towels to wipe up her splatters of water on the floor. By the time she had gotten back to Lady Garnet, the taller, shivering woman had already removed her shoes and socks.
“Don’t worry about those, I’ll make sure they are taken care of,” Bismuth gently spoke.
One towel traded hands and Lady Garnet wiped off as much water as possible. The stocky woman then led her to the small meal room for the servants where a strong fire was burning. It would have been more ideal to take her to a guest room, but currently those were the coldest parts of the manor and it would take time to get a fire going in a room that did have a fireplace. The sooner Lady Garnet could get warm and stop her chattering teeth, the better. Each door to the room was locked, making sure no one would accidentally walk in on them.
“It’s best you get out of those, otherwise you’ll never warm up. I’ll step out while you undress. Here is a blanket to wrap yourself in until I can find something for you to wear.”
The quilt was set on the clean table. Brown eyes just stared distantly into the roaring fire contained on the left side of the room.
“Thank you Bismuth for showing such kindness to me.”
“Of course, Lady Garnet,” the cook headed for the door. “Lock it behind me. I’ll be back shortly with some tea.”
As she made her way to the door and was about to shut it behind her, the duchess spoke up again.
“Please don’t tell Sardonyx that I’m here,” came the soft plea.
Heavy silence filled the air as the two women stared at each other. Bismuth’s heart broke even more for her friend.
“I won’t, Lady Garnet,” was the sorrowful promise.
“Thank you.”
Orange firelight was reduced to the small line escaping under the door as it was shut. Once she heard the click of the lock, Bismuth hurried off towards the kitchens through the hallways lit with the occasional flickering candle. Pleasant humming drifted through the air when she opened the door and spotted Pearl chopping up the last of the vegetables.
“Thank you for your help Pearl,” the dark woman began as she made her way to the neat groupings of sliced food. “Would you mind heating up a teapot? And get a platter ready for a surprise guest while I get started on my gumbo?”
“A surprise guest? Who?”
“Don’t worry about it,” a pause as an idea popped into her mind, “actually I could use your help with takin’ care of them, but…no what I need right now is for you to grab two sausage links, one kilo of crabmeat, and three kilos of shrimp from the larder, then you can help me with the guest.”
“Alright,” Pearl raised an eyebrow at her as she set the full teapot on the wood stove. “What kind of sausage do you want me to get?”
“Make sure to get the spicy sausages, otherwise the gumbo won’t be complete. Gotta have that kick to help keep our sinuses clear with all this cold weather,” she ordered as she began to whisk flour and bacon drippings together in a pot on the stove.
The pale woman made a slight face at the idea of the spicier sausage being used.
“Not a complaint from you, you can handle it, or you can use the bread I’m making to temper it.”
After locking the door, the duchess glanced around the lengthy, yet narrow room. It was suited for hosting a number of people at once, but not much else as most of the room was occupied by the large maple table and the two long benches set on each side with only a few feet around it to walk. She moved closer to the fire, rubbing her arms and letting the flame’s warmth wash over her. The black coat was removed, but then Garnet hesitated, opting to check the doors one more time before getting out of her soaked attire. Wet clothes were removed with some difficulty. They then were folded up and set off to the side on the table. Garnet quickly dried herself off; then wrapped her bare body in the massive quilt and sat on the wooden bench in front of the fire. Shivers still made her frame quake, but at least her teeth had stopped chattering by now. The flames dancing in front of her continued to warm her frozen body. Brown eyes looked down at the stone floor. It didn’t feel right for her to be in the house and treated with such kindness. Not after how she had left Sardonyx last time and surely not after her multiple failings as a friend. Hands gripped the quilt tighter, pulling it close around her.
I don’t deserve this…
A drop of cold water rolled off a dreadlock and ran underneath the blanket and across her warming skin. Garnet jumped and shook from the surprise. She hated it whenever that happened, no matter how well she had dried her hair. Eyelids closed for a moment as she breathed out heavily. There was nothing she could do about it now. Bismuth by some miniscule chance had seen her and wasn’t going to let her head home until the storm had passed and she was warm and dry. All she could do was to be grateful for the woman’s kindness. Knocking on the door to her left pulled Garnet’s attention away from the fire. The same door she had passed through with Bismuth.
“It’s me, may we come in?” Bismuth’s voice called through the wood.
We?
“Come on in.”
Sounds of a key being inserted and rotated preceded the opening of the door.
Right, it was locked…it makes sense though that Bismuth would have a key.
The duchess turned to stare into the warm fire, but her eyes shot back to the now open door once she realized that the cook hadn’t arrived alone. Standing there all properly, holding a tea tray, and looking right at her was the woman that made Garnet’s heart jump painfully in her chest.
Pearl...
Fingers gripped the silver platter harder when light blue eyes made brief contact with deep browns. Pearl couldn’t decide in that movement whether to thank or hate Bismuth for throwing her into this situation completely unprepared. The pale woman straightened her spine and walked in despite how hard her heart was hammering in her chest and how difficult it had become to breathe.
“How would you like your tea, Lady Garnet?” she asked as she set the tray on the table next to the duchess wrapped in a huge quilt.
Pearl noticed the wet clothes on the table laying just past the beautiful woman. The realization of Lady Garnet’s state of dress hit her, causing her face to burn and her eyes to focus on the tea tray. No response came until after a noticeable few seconds.
“No sugar, a little cream.”
Hands moved automatically to fill the request. As she prepared the tea, she caught Bismuth heading for the exit in her peripherals.
“I’m going to go find clothes for you, Lady Garnet and work on supper. Some of my gumbo will help keep you warm and melt the remaining frost in your bones.”
Stirring the cream into the tea was finished just in time for Pearl to chase after the cook. The idea of being alone in the room with Lady Garnet made the thin servant panic even more.
“Wait Bismuth!” came the soft hiss when she caught up with the stocky woman just outside of the dining room. “Don’t leave me in there!”
An eyebrow was raised up; arms folded across the woman’s round chest.
“I’m giving you a chance to discuss things and you want to give that up so quickly?”
Pearl pulled back.
“Watch over her until we can move her into another room and not risk her body temperature dropping.”
With that, Bismuth strode away. The pale woman swallowed, took a deep breath and headed back into the room, shutting and locking the door behind her. Neither woman had noticed the tall, dark figure standing at the corner of the hallway not too far from the entrance to the servants’ dining room. The figure pivoted and walked back the way they had come from.
Light blue eyes watched the duchess finish off her tea and set it back on the tray with a tiny clink before they fell down to trace the odd patterns in the stone that made up the floor of the room. Pearl was rooted in her spot right in front of the door, unsure on what to do next. After her drunken confession to Bismuth and hers and Lady Garnet’s silent parting the following morning, Pearl had taken some time to reflect on their actions following the festivities at the ranch in Dewlish. While they both had a shared attraction and desire to kiss each other, the pale woman realized that she didn’t know the duchess. At least not well enough. Granted they had talked while she assisted the duchess, or whenever they had a random moment together, but it was all basic getting to know one another. Pearl had no idea if this was just some casual flirting game or if Lady Garnet was legitimately interested in her. To add to it, there was also the fear that plagued Pearl. If word got out, if Lady Garnet got tired of her game, the thin servant could easily end up dead, or worse. And to top it all off, Pearl didn’t know why she was so interested in the duchess aside from her captivating looks and her kind demeanor. If she was ever to try and start a relationship with Lady Garnet that would put them both in danger, there had to be more reasons than those two.
Pearl dared to look up at the duchess. Orange and yellow firelight danced across the woman’s skin and hair creating golden highlights that went perfectly with her rich, dark tone and black locks. Flames reflected in brown irises. There were no words the thin woman could find at the moment to describe how Lady Garnet made her feel. She was paralyzed and drawn to the beautiful woman at the same time. She wanted to respect the distance, but also wanted to rush forward and kiss her breathless. She felt like she should speak, but that she should also remain silent. Pearl tore her eyes away and bowed her head. What she needed to do was to do what she should have done a month ago when the duchess was last in the Dorchester manor. And that was talk.
“I wish to explain my actions the last time we saw each other, Lady Garnet.”
The dark woman ever so slightly rotated her head toward Pearl. Leather shoes moved forward, taking measured steps.
“I initially ran away because I was scared. I was scared that our…personal moment… was a fluke and that you were just making sport of my attraction towards you.” A heavy sigh followed by a long pause. “It’s happened to me before and I narrowly escaped the severe consequences by losing my job.” Pearl swallowed, “I don’t know you well enough to justify engaging in a relationship that would put my life and yours in danger.”
The pale woman wanted to add on the bit about her fearing the duchess rejecting her or intentionally outing her, but it was best to start here and work to that. Part of her really felt like scum for even thinking that Lady Garnet would do such a thing, while the other stated it was a legitimate possibility. She had never acted like those other women who just wanted to try things out. Light blue eyes were forced upwards to meet the brown ones staring right at her. Pearl had the duchess’s full attention now, she couldn’t go back.
“I apologize Lady Garnet for my rudeness in avoiding speaking with you.”
Seconds ticked by with the crackling of burning wood in the fireplace being the only noise between them.
“Running away made me think that our personal moment was just a fluke and that you regretted it,” came the eventual solemn response.
“No! I didn’t regret it at all!” Pearl swiftly countered. “I meant what I said that night. I wanted to kiss you and I still do. It’s just, if we kept doing so we would be putting both of our lives in danger. I don’t know you well enough to risk that and you don’t know me well enough to risk it either.”
Black eyebrows were pulled together, deep brown eyes searching hers.
“Was it then just a carnal urge we wanted to satisfy with each other? Something we both just wanted to get a taste of, but never to have again? Was that it, or was there more? Do we want something more?”
The pale woman sat down on the wooden bench a few inches away from the duchess, their bodies angled so they were facing each other. It took a moment to gather her thoughts as Pearl let the valid question sink in; eyes wandering down to the quilt decorated with embroidered flowers, before snapping back up to look Lady Garnet in the eyes.
“While our personal moment was very enjoyable and something I would want to do again if the circumstances allowed and with your willingness, I am not sure yet if there is something more. My heart races whenever I see you, every moment I spend with you is always the best part of my day, but aside from our limited interactions, I have no idea what you are like. To try and start a relationship without that, even one that is designed to just satisfy those carnal urges, would be an unwise decision.”
“What you say is true,” came the soft admittance. “I was so caught up in fancying you that I hadn’t even thought of the social repercussions of having a relationship with you. There is so little I can do to improve how society already looks at me that I didn’t seriously consider the consequences if someone found out.” The duchess paused for a moment. “We rushed in without properly becoming acquainted or even courting.”
“We did,” Pearl let a half smile appear on her lips, “but it’s not like we didn’t try to spend time together whenever we got the chance to. Our positions just don’t really give way to interacting much outside of me assisting you, or getting you a glass of water.”
A light laugh accompanied Lady Garnet’s cheeks reddening ever so slightly at the pale servant’s last statement. There was not a single sound more beautiful than that in Pearl’s opinion. Pale cheeks became flushed.
“Do you want to try and get to know each other better?” the duchess stated seriously after the laughter had died from her lips.
Pearl breathed out heavily as she considered her response. This was her chance to either let things end here or let them continue. On one hand safety in staying away from the woman that had captivated her and on the other, danger by moving closer. Was being with Lady Garnet worth the risk?
“I want to get to know you better Pearl,” Lady Garnet’s voice broke through the woman’s thoughts. “You are considerate towards me, you treat me with respect, and you go above and beyond your duties just to help me. I feel drawn to you in a way I’ve never felt before. Getting to know you better will help me figure that pull.”
One warm, dark hand reached out and was welcomed by a warm, pale one, palms pressing together.
“I’m not entirely sure what I feel towards you,” Pearl admitted as she stared down at their hands, “but, I know it’s greater than how I feel towards most. I do want to get to know you better too.”
The dark hand gripped hers tightly.
“This is such a foreign thing to me, but I’m glad you want to figure this out together.”
Pearl’s heart skipped in her chest, she really liked the sound of that. Nothing would make her happier than to actually have a chance to be with this wonderful woman. Words failed her at first before her mouth was able to work properly again.
“I do too, Lady Garnet.”
The joined hands were raised up so thin lips could press a soft kiss to the duchess’s knuckles. A soft smile was shared between them. Foreheads were rested against each other and the two continued to sit there simply enjoying the open, tender moment and the comforting silence that followed.
Bismuth approached the door with a set of her own clothes that would hopefully fit the duchess, and leaned her ear against it. She couldn’t hear anything. A frown crossed her lips. That was either a good sign or a bad sign. Hopefully, it was a good sign. Her gumbo still had a few phases to go through before it was ready, but thankfully she had gotten Rhodonite to help her with it. The anxious servant had assisted her a number of times before with the gumbo so there was no concern in leaving for a few minutes. Before long the French bread would need to be placed in the oven as well. Right before Bismuth began to unlock the door and enter, an unmistakable voice spoke up from the shadows across from the door and next to the drawn curtains; causing the stocky woman to jump ever so slightly.
“Bismuth, take our guest to her usual room, and give her these to wear. She is free to stay until the storm passes and is able to safely make her journey back to her home.”
The cook stepped forward and accepted the full outfit laid into her arms. Grey eyes could barely make out the tall woman in black.
“I will, Lady Sardonyx, thank you.”
No further instructions were given. Bismuth turned back to the dining room, opened the door, and stepped in.
Through the shrinking gap between the wooden door and the doorway as Bismuth closed it, Sardonyx could see the two women sitting closely together on the wooden bench in front of the fire. It was clear as day how the two felt towards each other, their body language spoke volumes. Gloved hands were tightly clasped together. Such tender affection reminded her so much of Edward and her. The last segment of vertical orange light escaping from the dining room ran up the archduchess and illuminated her right hazel eye for a second before it was extinguished by the lock clicking back into place. The woman in black stood alone in the dark hallway. In the days following her fight with Garnet, Sardonyx was able to finally realize what had been said that fateful night and what she had unwittingly learned about her friend’s situation. Disgust and anger had filled her frame towards the Collingwoods for what they had done and what they continued to do. Sorrow for the duchess’s situation was also felt, especially for the loss of her family, homeland, and freedom. As the days had become weeks, Sardonyx had received and read both letters sent by her friend. The apologies were accepted, but what stood out the most was hearing how the younger woman was trying to become stronger and more independent. Pride had swelled in Sardonyx’s chest at that. Hazel eyes continued to stare at the closed door. Part of her wanted to reach out and talk with Garnet while she was here seeking shelter from the storm, but it was too soon, the archduchess was still hurting and needed time to properly compose herself. With an almost silent rustle of fabric, the archduchess turned and walked down the halls of her grim manor.