Chapter 4 - Morning Light on the French Doors
The morning sun poured through the massive glass French doors of the sunroom, bathing the marble floor in warm, golden light. I was busy arranging fresh white lilies in a crystal vase on the mahogany console when the patter of small feet announced Lily’s arrival. She had wandered out of our modest quarters earlier than usual, her yellow dress catching the sunlight as she clutched her blue stuffed wool rabbit under her arm.
"Mommy, look. Big dog outside," Lily whispered excitedly, pointing out through the glass toward the manicured gardens where a massive black Doberman was being walked by the estate groundskeeper.
Before I could turn to pull her back, the heavy oak double doors of the sunroom opened, and Alessandro walked in. He was holding a porcelain cup of black coffee, his black jacket removed, leaving his crisp white shirt open at the collar. He stopped when he saw Lily, his sharp features softening into an expression I had never witnessed before.
Lily didn't run away. Instead, she walked right up to his polished leather shoes, holding up her blue rabbit for him to inspect. "Mr. Man," she announced earnestly. "Bunny says good morning."
I froze, my hands hovering over the vase of flowers, my breath catching in my throat. You don't approach him like that, I wanted to scream, but the words died on my lips.
Alessandro looked down at the frayed, well-loved stuffed toy, then slowly shifted his gaze to Lily's bright, fearless eyes. Without a word of reprimand, he set his coffee cup down on a nearby side table, crouched down on one knee, and gravely reached out a gloved hand to touch the rabbit's soft, worn ear.
"Good morning to you and your rabbit," Alessandro said, his voice carrying a warmth that sent a strange, unfamiliar flutter through my chest. He looked up at me, his dark eyes meeting mine across the sunlit room. "She has your eyes, Mrs. Bennett. Uncompromising and entirely unimpressed by grandeur."
"She is just a child, sir," I murmured, stepping forward to scoop Lily up into my arms, though she protested with a soft giggle. "I apologize. She shouldn't be wandering the formal rooms."
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"Let her be," Alessandro said softly, standing back up and adjusting his cuffs. He took a sip of his coffee, watching us with a gaze that felt entirely too heavy, too intimate for a master and his maid. "The formal rooms could use a little genuine life. Everything in this house is far too polished, far too rehearsed."
From the upper landing of the sweeping staircase just outside the open archway, a sharp intake of breath echoed through the hall. I looked up to see Vivian standing by the wrought-iron railing, her face pale with bitter jealousy as she watched Alessandro interact with my daughter. Her hands gripped the railing so hard her knuckles turned white, her eyes narrowed with a malicious intent that promised immediate retaliation.
