by Dakota Lake
I hurried back downstairs to my floor, Grayson came around the corner carrying a pile of books. “Ah Ruby there you are,” he said. “Classes Ruby, get dressed and come down please.” he kept his head down as he walked passed me.
I ran back to my room but not too quickly, I didn't want to run into anyone else again like last night. Back in my room I pulled my nightdress over my head and ran into my closet looking for something to wear. Narmi had hung up a dress for me, it was a red dress and I had worn it many times before but it always reminded me of the colour of blood. I pulled it off the hanger and spent about five minutes trying to squeeze myself into it. Narmi had been trying to get me to wear a corset. Obviously I said no. I couldn't find my sandals, I wasn't about to run along the corridor in heels and Grayson wouldn't approve of me attending class barefoot so I pulled on my riding boots. I had only worn them once to ride one of the horses and I didn't like it that much. My dress was long enough to cover the boots and trailed along the floor behind me. I quickly brushed my teeth and went over to my nightstand and sat down on the edge of my bed. I picked up a pile of different coloured beaded bracelets that were Kenzie's. I pushed them onto my wrist wondering why my bed felt so hard. I bounced up and down lightly, there was something hard under the covers. I lifted the covers back and found a book hidden under them. It wasn't just any book, it was the book about dreams that I hadn't had time to look at last night.
I knew Kenzie had left it for me but I didn't have time to look through it now. I slid it under my pillow and finished brushing my teeth and hurried back downstairs holding my dress off the floor so I wouldn't trip over it, this dress seemed extra long compared to the others.
I knocked on the door to the study room which was ajar.
“Come in Ruby,” Grayson looked up at me. “I see you found your clothes.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked pulling a chair out at the table.
“It is not proper for a lady of your status to be running around the manor house in her underwear.” “That wasn't underwear, it was my nightdress. I just made a few adjustments to it.” “Hmm, does Cameron know?”
“Does Cameron know what?” I asked wondering where he was going with this conversation. “That you fraternize with the men upstairs in your underwear,”
“I don't know but I'm sure you will tell him. Anyway I saw a girl up there this morning wearing a lot less than me.”
“One of the maids was dressed inappropriately. Who was it, did you get her name?” “What? No.” I laughed. “Definitely not one of the maids. Pretty girl with reddish brown curly hair, tiny frame.”
“Temptress!”
“What?” I asked laughing at his choice of words.
“That's why you shouldn't go up there. It's not right the sordid things that go on upstairs. You would do well to stay away from them.”
He pushed a book towards me, it was calculus this morning. I already wanted to run for the door. “And Ruby, maybe a bath is in order after your studies. You smell like you've been smoking in a brewery all night.”
I casually pulled my hair across my face to smell it, he was right I needed a wash. I brushed my hair over my shoulder and got stuck into my work. But it didn't last long, after twenty minutes I found myself touching my lip with my fingers right where Senka had kissed me. I realised Grayson was watching me and dropped my hand to my lap and tried to remember what I was supposed to be doing.
“Ruby you seem distracted. Is there something worrying you?”
I think I'm falling in love with the tall blue eyed boy from upstairs. Oh and I keep having these weird dreams of this other boy called Mack who gets me just as worked up and all I want to do when I see him in my dreams is crush my lips against his. Not to mention the part where I woke up in his T-shirt covered in dirt and I'm beginning to think they're not just dreams after all. Is what I was thinking but off course I didn't say that. I wouldn't say that, not to Grayson anyway. For a start he was a middle aged man that dressed like a wizard. Not someone I could ever imagine telling my secrets to.
“Not really, I'm a little hungry. I skipped breakfast.” I replied.
“Maybe I can find you something,” he said standing up. “Finish section three and we will move onto something else.”
He left the room and I scribbled a few answers down on the paper. I was about seventy percent sure they were right. I sat on the window ledge looking out over the gardens. Emmett stood by a tree eating a sandwich trying to push one of the dogs away. He didn't like Cam's dogs. There was a knock on the door and Kenzie leaned against the door frame.
“Hey!” I said turning to look at him. He strolled across the room and sat opposite me pulling his legs up onto the window ledge.
“What is he doing?” Kenzie asked laughing at Emmett, who was now trying to push three of the dogs away without much success. “Here, I got this for you while I was out this morning.” He handed me a bracelet with small wooden beads that had tiny black animals painted onto them, it looked very unique.
“Wow, where'd you get it?”
“Just...err....from the market.” he said fiddling with his watch strap, he wore a different watch nearly everyday.
“Thanks, it's really nice and thanks for the book.”
He looked over at me and spun his cap round to the front repositioning it.
“Any reason you were looking at that book?” he asked.
“I've been having these weird dreams,” he looked at me waiting for me to go on. I looked over at the open door making sure Grayson wasn't there. “Do you think dreams mean anything?” “Depends on the dream. Are we talking about your average dream here? You know eating dinner, running from a monster, a walk on the beach, falling from up high or is it something a little darker?” I wasn't sure how to explain what had happened. “Not dark,” I let out a breath. “It was more realistic than your average dream.”
“Okay wait a minute are you talking about getting hot and heavy with some stranger. A naked and horizontal type of dream?”
“No,” I laughed playfully smacking his knee. “I mean I think the dream followed me back home.” Kenzie dropped his legs down and scooted closer.
“Explain,”
“I've been having these dreams. Always the same person, always the same place. In the last dream I borrowed his T-shirt and then when I woke up I was still wearing it, I mean that's crazy right?” I looked at Kenzie waiting for him to burst out laughing and tell me I was crazy but instead he stayed quiet fiddling with a hole in his jeans.
“This person in your dream, are they from here?” he asked.
I wasn't sure what he meant by from here, I assumed he was talking about the manor. “No I've never seen him here....Kenzie are dreams real?”
“Depends on the dream and it depends on the person. Dreams are different for everyone and depending on how your mind works some are stronger than others,” his eyes flickered towards me then back out the window. “Maybe you connected with someone else while you were asleep.” “You're saying I found my way into someone else's dream or he found his way into mine?” I said trying to figure it out. “How is that even possible?”
“Things aren't always black and white down here Cups.” The way he said 'down here' didn't sit well, he used the term down here a lot. I wasn't sure what he meant by it anymore. “I think Cam is hiding things from me.” I said quietly.
“I think you're a smart girl and you'll figure it out. Just make sure you put that book back when he's not around.”
A loud cough in the corridor interrupted us. Grayson walked in with a tray of tea, biscuits and cakes. He set the tray on the table and pointed at my chair.
“Mr. Sanchez I don't appreciate you interrupting my lessons.” Grayson said sitting down. “Sorry Gray.” Kenzie walked passed and stuck his tongue out at me, ruffling my hair as he went. I retaliated and stuck out mine. I looked back at Grayson, who was shaking his head. “A young lady does not stick her tongue out in childish behaviour.”
&nb
sp; “Well whoever told you I was a lady misinformed you terribly,” I joked pulling the plate of biscuits towards my side of the table. “Grayson, what's my surname?”
He stopped dead still and his tea cup hovered just below his bottom lip, he looked at me and put his cup back down.
“You can't remember your surname?” he asked.
“No, I don't think Cam ever told me what it was after I woke up. I don't think I've ever asked before?”
“What made you ask now?”
“You just called Kenzie, Mr. Sanchez. I'm assuming that's his surname. Which made me wonder what mine was.”
Grayson rearranged his tea cup on the saucer and fiddled with his spoon, he was avoiding my question that or he wasn't sure if he was allowed to answer it.
“I believe your surname is Summers.” I nodded and quickly realised there was a flaw to me having a surname.
“I thought the guards found me as a baby, how did anyone know my name? Was there a note attached to my blanket or something?” I laughed.
“I don't know. You'll have to ask Cameron. I think I was away the day you arrived.” “You think. How can you not remember if you were here or not that day? It's not everyday the guards find a baby outside the gates.”
He placed his teacup down a little harder than necessary on the saucer.
“I don't remember, it was a long time ago.” He stood up and pushed his chair in. “Now you'll have to excuse me, I've just remembered there's something I have to take care of.”
He walked out and closed the door, I shut my book wondering what had just happened. I thought it was strange Grayson couldn't remember the day I was bought into the manor, it made me think maybe it was because I wasn't bought here when I was baby. I was starting to think there was more to the story than Cam was telling me. What was Cam hiding? I picked up my books. Luckily for me, Grayson was in such a hurry he'd forgotten to set me any homework.
I dropped my books off in my room, I wanted to look through the book Kenzie had left for me but I wanted to spend time with Kenzie as it was his day off.
I walked downstairs and two guards by the front door were chatting to one another. They stopped when they saw me and nodded their heads at me. Everyone including the servants seemed to relax when Cam wasn't around it was a totally different atmosphere in the manor. Maids would be busy at work chatting and laughing, the kitchens would be full of busy workers nattering but when Cam was around a silence would fall over the manor. I think everyone was afraid of doing anything wrong.
I followed the garden path and spotted Narmi hanging bed sheets on one of the washing lines. “Hey,” I said moving a sheet out of the way to see her.
Narmi had a dark complexion with straight black hair which she kept in a braid to one side. She was skinny and I'd never seen her out of her black knee length dress and white pinafore. She had beautiful big brown eyes and full lips.
“You didn't sleep in your room last night?” she said not looking at me as she pegged the sheet up. “No I was somewhere else last night.”
She nodded but didn't ask me where I was.
“I left fresh towels for you.”
“Yes, I saw. Thank you.”
She didn't say anything else and moved along the line pegging another sheet up. I looked around the garden at nothing in particular and quickly spotted Alex on a bench outside the manor wall. He had his boot up on the bench fiddling with it. He kept looking over in this direction. Narmi picked up the laundry basket and ducked under the sheets.
“Have a good afternoon Miss Ruby.”
I walked back over to the path and looked back at Alex. After a moment of watching him I realised he wasn't actually doing anything to his boot it was a distraction. He was watching the back of Narmi as she walked back into the manor. Hmm....interesting. I started to make my way to Kenzie's cottage and had just stepped onto the gravelled drive when Emmett appeared next to me out of nowhere. He had a really bad habit of sneaking up on me like that.
“Hey,” he said walking beside me.
“Hi.” I replied not to enthusiastic, annoyed he had found me, I didn't want him following me or trying to spend the day with me. I wanted to spend today with Kenzie alone, not with Cam's little shadow watching me.
“Where you going?” he asked.
“Kenzie's.”
I looked sideways at him trying to think of a good excuse to get rid of him but nothing sprang to mind. We walked passed the cottages and I saw Kenzie in the distance with his feet up on the patio table outside his cottage. Emmett speeded up in front of me and opened the small white gate. All the cottage looked the same and weren't numbered, I only knew which one Kenzie lived in from the patio set and the wind chime hanging on the wall outside. I walked passed Emmett and along the small footpath towards the cottage, Kenzie smiled at me then shot an annoyed look in Emmett's direction. I sat down at the table and Emmett pulled a chair back next to me. I was still trying to formulate a plan to get rid of him.
“Hey Kenzie. Do you mind?” Emmett asked, already helping himself to a cigarette from the packet on the table.
“Sure.” Kenzie said leaning over tapping his cigarette in the ash tray.
“So what have you two got planned for today?” Emmett asked.
Kenzie shrugged, so Emmett looked at me and I shrugged. Emmett took a drag on his cigarette watching me. This was awkward and I think Emmett knew I wanted him to leave. Which only made him sit there longer.
Emmett held the cigarette out to me. “What?” I asked looking at the cigarette then back at him. It really annoyed me when he did this. He was used to smoking and offering it to whoever was close by and he'd always offer it to me as a joke. But it was starting to grow old.
“You keep looking at me, thought you wanted some?” he said smiling.
No what I wanted was for him to leave, but I didn't say that instead I did something completely out of character and took the cigarette from him and took a drag on it.
“Thanks.” I said holding it back out for him to take, blowing smoke out my nose. Emmett hesitantly took the cigarette back the smug smile on his face had quickly vanished.
“The last time I did that I think I was fourteen. Carly and I had stole some of my mom's cigarettes and we smoked them behind the shed.” I said laughing about the memory, when I suddenly realised what I had said. I was so taken back by it, it came out of nowhere and was gone in a second. Who was Carly? Emmett tensed up as though I'd said something wrong. Kenzie on the other hand looked amused by it and had a faint smile on his lips as he pushed his drink towards me. I gulped the lemonade down to wash the taste of smoke away.
“I don't know why I said that. It just came out of nowhere, just like that.”
Emmett leaned in front of me looking at my face. “Do you remember anything else?” “No.” I shook my head.
Emmett sat back and his face showed a sign of relief which quickly changed to a smile. “Ruby's getting her memory back. This is great.” Emmett said, but he didn't sound too pleased about the whole thing. He sounded like he was faking it.
“And you helped her,” Kenzie said clapping his hands. “well done Emmett.” Kenzie was joking but Emmett's face dropped in seconds and he looked as though he wanted to throw up. He stood up and pushed the chair in. “You two have a good afternoon. Let me know if you remember anything else.” He smiled at me but it wasn't a friendly smile it was a worried smile. Kenzie dropped his legs to the floor and watched Emmett until he was out of sight. “Well you certainly got rid of him,” he said smiling. “Do you remember anything else?” “No I only remember the girl. Her name was Carly and I remember what she looked like. Don't suppose you know anyone with the name Carly?”
“Nope.”
“Em didn't look too pleased about my flashback, something tells me he doesn't want me getting my memories back. Which really means Cam doesn't want me getting my memory back. He's hiding something from me,” I said watching Kenzie carefully, he was twisting his cap towards the front. I knew
when he messed around with his cap it was because he felt uncomfortable or didn't want to answer my questions.
“And something tells me you know but you can't tell me.”
He looked up at me from under his cap but didn't say anything, he didn't need to he had given me my answer without even speaking and he knew it as he winked at me before he stood up. “Come on, I'll make you lunch.”
“Hey Cups, ready for the flip?” Kenzie said holding the frying pan out.
“Don't drop it like last time. I prefer them without the gritty floor dirt.”
“Here it goes.” Kenzie flipped the pan up and the pancake went up into the air, I watched as it flew up and came back down landing in the pan.
“That one's mine. Just encase the next one ends up on the floor.”
“One time Cups, one time and that was only because we'd had a little too much to drink.” Kenzie slid the pancake onto the plate and handed it to me. “One pancake for madame.” I hopped up onto the counter and squeezed the lemon juice onto it and added some sugar. “Have you had anymore flashbacks?” he asked.
“No, nothing.” I said rubbing my temples trying to concentrate on the image of the girl in my head but nothing new was surfacing.
“Kenzie can I ask you something?”
“Hmm,” he said pouring his pancake mix into the pan.
“Does Cam like me?”
“Of course he likes you.”
“I don't mean in the adoptive sister type way or friends sort of way. I mean do you think he has feelings for me?”
“Why what happened? Did he do something that's upset you?” Kenzie asked stopping what he was doing to look at me.
“What no. I didn't mean he'd done anything to me. It was the way he was speaking to me yesterday. I get the feeling he likes me more than just friends.”
“Huh, would it be a bad thing if he did have feelings for you?” Kenzie asked.
I popped a piece of pancake into my mouth and didn't answer him straight away. “I haven't thought about it. I mean I don't think about it or Cam in that way.”
“Maybe you think about someone on the third floor instead? Hey Cups!”
