THE LOST SMILE
She was sitting near the windows of her chambers looking as people got in their carriages while others walked in the bright shining sun. She wondered if she too could take a walk maybe she would achieve a smile even if it's just once since quite a long time. In that moment, she remembered why she hadn't smiled or laughed in a while. Tears welled up in her eyes and she blinked several times to keep them away. She couldn't go back to the state she once was. As she repeatedly told herself those words in her head, she heard a knock on her door and it didn't take long for her maid to come in, " Shall we prepare your bath lady Hunnam?"? "Lady Hunnam" she thought, the name her father lovingly passed on to her. She was the only one left to bear that name. Her 5 elder sisters were all married and had to abandon their family name. Her parents who had just passed on six months prior caused her immense pain just thinking about it. There were no other heirs and the will her father left was pretty clear, she was to be the heir of her father's or family's estate and money that were known to be a great amount among most nobles in the kingdom.
"M' lady shall we prepare a bath?" Linda's voice echoed in the room pulling her out of her thoughts.
"Yes Linda prepare the bath." She finally spoke. Those were among the few words she was able to gather in a day since coming back to the city after burying her parents in up country.
Her sisters were no longer with her, nor her parents. She only had the maids and few guards whom she never had to befriend since her sisters were around. Though she has Linda who has a special place in her heart, she couldn't help much with the pain of losing her parents but at least she didn't eel alone with her there.
" M' lady" another maiden called out as she knocked on the door, " You have visitors, two males, one of the name Lord Richard with another man whom I have not asked for his details." She paused, took a breath and continued, "He says he wants to talk to you about your inheritance."
Rose had not shown much expression nor said much since the funeral but when hearing this she had a subtle but noticeable surprised look on her face. She thought for what seemed a minute, and with a very low and shaky voice she was able to say, "Serve them tea and some snacks and tell them I will be there in a while."
The maid nodded and left. She oon the other hand stood up and headed for a bath and asked Linda to prepare a respectable dress.
................................
As she got into the room her eyes first fell to the untouched tea and snacks on the coffee table. She then saw an older man standing beside the long sofa near the coffee table. He had neatly cut, grey hair and beard. He was not a tall man and neither was he short. He was wearing a neatly fitted suit with what seemed as an expensive stopwatch in his hand as he looked at the time. The other man was actually the complete opposite in age with his companion. He was younger seemingly of the age near thirty but not exactly. He was taller, actually he was quite tall for a man. The man had outstanding posture and his suit was neatly fitting him as well. One would say he was quite a handsome man. Unlike his companion, he had no beard and was clean shaven but their eyes were both blue, his hair was blonde in colour and neatly cut.
As Rose looked at them and analysed them, she could most certainly tell that they were nobles, men of title indeed. She got into the room in her dark coloured brown that had no corset whatsoever. And a simple updo of her hair that would be easy for her to detangle. Before she could go any further, they both greeted her.
"M' lady," Then the older man continued, " I don't know if you recognise me m'lady, I am Lord Richard and this is my son Mr Richard, my heir."
She looked at him as he slightly bowed his head and said, " M'lady, it is nice to be in your presence, please receive my ... , sorry, our condolences for your parents and..." Before he could continue, his father rudely interrupts and says," We have very important issues to discuss M'lady and it is urgent."
They were waiting for a reply as she stood there seeming to have forgotten where she was. Then she heard a kind voice calling to her, "M'lady, m'lady..." It was Mr Richard calling her while looking at her with a worried expression on his face.
"Yes," She replied. Rose cleared her throat, shook her head and politely urged them, "Please have a sit."
They both sat on the sofa beside them as she sat on the armchair across from them.
"As I was saying m'lady, you already know, everyone already knows that you are the heir to the Hunnam estate so many men will come asking for your hand in marriage, that is, nobles would want to marry you to inherit the Hunnam estate..." Before he could finish, Rose kindly interrupted, I'm sorry to interrupt Lord Richard but have you come to aske for my hand in marriage?"
"No m'lady!" He quickly answered putting his hand forward, shaking it as well as his head. "Do not get me wrong m'lady but that is not my intention." He paused and took a deep breath before continuing. "M' lady, your estate has produced the best wines and dairy products in the whole kingdom but in the past ten years it is known that there has been a decline not only in quality but also in type being produced, and yet I had an agreement with your father on shipping his products to other kingdoms. Now that he is no more, many Lords are to petition to overthrow you as the heir at the court through his majesty, the king or through marriage proposal."
"Wouldn't it benefit you if I am to be overthrown from my inheritance Lord Richard?" She asked.
"On the contrary m'lady, if you are to be overthrown, the agreement is to be dissolved since I should only work with the Hunnam bloodline and no one else." He replied.
"What is there to be done if the court and the king himself have decided to take away my inheritance?" She asked.
"Well I spoke with some Lord's and together we were able to convince the king himself to give you six months in order to see your capabilities in handling the Hunnam estate and if you're successful, it will be yours and to keep it in your lineage you cannot marry a noble man." He hastily replied.
Shook Rose asked,"Am I to marry a commoner?"
Hesitantly Lord Richard replied, "Not necessarily a commoner but also a man with no noble title, you can marry a doctor or a commoner as well." He paused a while then continued, "M'lady, it is now up to you to if you want to do your best and prove your worth and keep maintaining your father's legacy or not, but just know that I will help you so do write to me when you have made your decision."
"I will Lord Richard." She simply replied.
"We will then take our leave m'lady." Lord Richard added on.
Lord Richard stood up and put out his hand for a handshake, she stood up as well to reciprocate the handshake and he left. Now they were only her and Mr Richard who was only standing and starring at her while both his hands are folded at his back. She was curious as to why he was still standing there so she asked, "Are you not leaving Mr Richard?"
He walked closer to her and in that moment she actually realised how tall he was compared to her. She wanted to pull away but it was as if her body had grown numb. She looked up at him waiting for his reply, instead he asked, "What if we came for a marriage proposal, what would be your answer m'lady?"
If he would have asked Rose that question the moment she got in the room, the moment they were seated, her answer would have surely been a "no" but now when he was standing so close, looking deep into her eyes and her the same, she simply did not know. Yet she could not let him know that, she had to say something. When she was about to reply, Linda stood at the door saying, "M'lady, Mr Richard, the carriage is waiting."
Mr Richard looked back at Rose and said, " I guess that is my leave." He reached out for a handshake that Rose reciprocated, Goodbye m'lady."
He then walked heading out of the living room. As Rose turned to watch him leave, he suddenly stopped and looked back to say, "The next time we meet m'lady I would like to know your answer to that question."
Rose instinctively replied, "How do you know we will meet again Mr Richard?" With what sees as a blush and a small almost unnoticeable smirk on her face.
Mr Richard on the other hand clearly chuckles as he clearly notices the smirk on her face and adds, "Now that is one thing I am sure of m'lady. We will surely meet again." He then walked out the door Linda following behind him.
Rose quietly stood there fumbling her fingers against each other, she walked hastily out the door towards the small window near the main door of the house. She stood there as she slightly draws the see through curtain to have a clear view of Mr Richard as he gets on the carriage and in that moment, a smile appeared on her face for the first time in six months.
