Chapter 52: Lake of bones- Part 2

Heidi who was standing in midst of the apple orchard, looked up at the nearest tree to see fruits everywhere around the branches. Touching one of the apple, she sighed before letting it go. She had been feeling anxious and her chest feeling tight since a few days. The weather was cold and gloomy but she felt hot. Pressing the back of her hand over her forehead.

“Doesn’t seem like I have a cold,” she said to herself.

Stanley who was in the mansion getting a window cleaned by the maid had seen someone standing in the orchard. In a hurry he ran down to see if his precious apples were getting kidnapped to only find Ms. Curtis standing there.

Hearing the rustle of dried leaves on the ground behind her, Heidi turned to find the butler standing and looking at her.

“Good afternoon, Lady Curtis,” the butler greeted her.

“Good afternoon, Stanley,” she greeted back, “These apples are beautiful. I haven’t seen one to be so red in color. You must have taken really good care of it,” she smiled at him.

“Thank you. They were very difficult to grow in the beginning because they kept dying due to the weather conditions of the Bonelake. I was finally able to see them grow after years of growing them over and over again,” the butler confessed looking at the trees longingly.

Hearing him speak about it, she asked him, “How long have you been working for the Lord?” she asked to see him count in his mind before answering her,

“Four decades.”

“I see,” she responded at his answer. In a human’s gaze, Stanley would be considered to be in his late twenties but in actuality it would be greater than that. According to what she had studied, half vampires aged the fastest compared to the other vampires but slower when it came to humans.

Thinking the lady must be bored by herself, he asked, “Would you like to go to the town?” she shook her head.

“I don’t feel like going out today but I think I might ask for a letter to be sent to the Meyer’s mansion.”

“Of course, milady,” the butler bowed compliantly.

On one cloudy afternoon, Heidi had accompanied both Nicholas and Warren to one of the human town to greet and donate money to an orphanage for children. It wasn’t a full fledged home but it was enough to give sufficient amount of food and a roof to live under for the ones who had no one to look after. It was a surprise to see the little children hover over the lord excitedly though the same couldn’t be told about the lord. Nonetheless he spoke and acknowledged them, like the polite lord he was meant to behave. Heidi herself took time when she saw a shy girl stand behind the large wooden pillar to go talk to her. The little girl stuttered out words to reply to Heidi but the woman was patient with her.

The main in charge of the orphanage was a woman who had a strict appearance and it seemed like the children were all scared of her. The scene reminded her of something of her past which she immediately pushed it behind her mind. Secretly Heidi looks at the children for any suspected injury but apart from few scrapes and wounds on the knees and elbows she finds nothing to be out of place.

As a getaway for the children from the orphanage. They were taken to a popular river away from the lake of bones.

Heidi helped the headmistress of the orphanage in cutting the fruits while the young boys helped in spreading the sheets they had brought along with them to spread on the grass. Unlike the previous days the weather was fairly good, with the sun peeking out behind the clouds once in a while which was rare in the empire of Bonelake. It was a Lord’s duty to see his empire’s subjects were in peace and he understood what was going on in the towns.

“Sister Heidi,” she felt the dress of her skirt being pulled softly by the shy girl.

“Yes, Anne? Oh! I see you have set the bowls just right as asked,” patting the little girl’s head Heidi gave her heartfilled smile gently.

“Yes,” came the small voice of reply who then ran away with her other sisters of the orphanage.

“You seem to be a master when it comes to handling little children,” Startled Heidi turned to see it was Warren who was carrying a tank of water in his hands. Placing it down he dusted both his hands, “You will turn out to be a wonderful mother,” he complimented her making her blush at his words.

“Thank you for your kind words,” Heidi bowed her head, “The children are very polite.”

“That I can see,” he murmured turning to look at one of the boys getting to talk to Nicholas. The Lord flicking the boy’s forehead who had been hanging around his leg, annoying him since they had arrived at the bank of the river. Heidi laughed behind her hand at the scene. It was very rare to see him getting annoyed and this was a rare sight.

“By the way Heidi, I needed to tell you something,” said Warren, “My mother has planned to throw a party at our mansion tomorrow. Truth is that many of my relatives will be visiting us along with some higher society members and she wishes to introduce you as my future wife.”

“Oh..” Heidi responded.

“I hope you wouldn’t mind,” he said looking at her and even though she wasn’t keen on it, she nodded with a smile.

“Is there anything else that we need?” he then asked to receive a response from the headmistress who had just arrived back from the picnic scene.

“Mr. Lawson, if it weren’t too much trouble could you go back to the orphanage to fetch the two boxes we forgot to bring with us. Here’s the key,” she said handing it to him.

Once Warren was off in the carriage, she exhaled quietly. For a woman who had belittled her, wasn’t it a little off for the woman to show her off to her vampire family? thought Heidi in her mind.She couldn’t avoid the woman forever, after all they were going to be a family after she would be married to Warren.

“Ms. Jones! Ms. Jones!” one of the little girls came running towards where they stood, “Mark and Guss are at it again,” the girl informed making the headmistress sigh with irritation. Unfortunately for Ms. Jones, her hands were covered in making of the jams along with the other children there to get up quickly.

“Let me help,” Heidi informed who had her hands free. On their way to where the boys were Heidi tried looking for Nicholas who seemed to be not in sight. She hoped that he didn’t do anything to the boy who had been hanging around him.

“There,” the girl pointed out her finger, letting Heidi see the direction where two little boys where having their arms around each other while screaming at one another.