Categories > Original > Romance > Timepiece: Imari
7. Strange Behavior
When I finally found my room again I was surprised to find a blazing fire in the small fireplace and several lit candles surrounding the room. On the bed were a long white nightgown and a grey robe. I sat cross-legged in front of the fire and attempted to pull the long pins out of my hair but only succeeded in tangling it into awkward clumps. Frustrated, I moved on to the small latched buttons on the back of my dress. They were far too tight for me to undo by myself and I struggled to reach them with both hands while I lay on my stomach.
“What on earth are you doing?” Diana was standing open-mouthed in the doorway.
“Uh,” I laughed. “I was just trying to get ready for bed.” I stood and brushed the wrinkles out of the gown. Diana closed the door behind her and set something on a small chair next to the desk by the window.
“Well, you’ll never get it off that way,” she came behind me and began to undo the buttons. “Oh my—what on earth have you done to your hair?”
“I’m not very good with hair styling stuff. I was taking out the pins and, well—” I shrugged my shoulders. “Sorry.”
Diana sighed and forcefully undid the rest of the buttons. She slipped the dress off my shoulders and I stepped out of it. She undid the laces on the corset and then let me get into the nightgown before starting on my hair.
“Why did you come back so early?” She asked. “Were you not enjoying yourself?”
“It was certainly entertaining, but . . .” I trailed off, thinking back to treatment I received.
“But?”
“I’d much rather be alone than spend any more time with people like that.”
“You think you’re too good for such company?” She yanked a pin out of my hair.
“Ouch! No, it’s more the other way around. The only person who seemed to like me was Anthony. Even Jim . . . he barely said anything to me.”
“You are acquainted with the master’s son?”
“Yeah. He was the friend I was waiting for. I thought he was going to help me find my way back home but . . .” Diana was brushing out the tangled knots in my hair, making my eyelids heavy.
“What will you do if you can’t find it? Your home I mean.” Her tone was somber and she stroked my hair softly. I was silent for a moment.
It was perfectly possible that I would never see Chicago again and the thought made my stomach fall. But not knowing what became of my friends was even worse.
“Honestly, I don’t like thinking in that direction but if . . . if I don’t then I guess I’ll just have to find a job somewhere. I mean it’s not like I’m afraid to work and I’m always happiest when I’m busy, I guess. It keeps my mind off everything.”
Diana stopped brushing and was quiet.
“Diana?” I turned around. She was watching me closely. “What is it?”
“I’ve never met anyone quite like you, Miss Russel. I’m not sure what to make of you . . . but I’m certain it would take me a long time if I did. However, in the mean time the master has instructed me to provide you with everything you may need. I’ve brought a morning gown for you to wear tomorrow.” She pointed to the bundle she had placed on the chair.
“Thank you. Um, you didn’t throw my clothes out, did you?”
“Not . . . yet,” she wrinkled her nose. “You don’t want them back, do you?”
“Yes, I would because if it turns out that I never . . .” I held my breath for a second. “I just don’t want to forget everything if I never . . . just, please. Don’t get rid of them.”
“I understand, dear. I’ll have them brought up once they’re washed. Now get some rest.”
Diana left me sitting silently by the fire. I stared at it blankly. A soft, firm knock reached my ears.
“Come in.” I called out. The door was opened and someone entered. I expected to hear Diana’s voice but the visitor was silent. The silence lifted me out of my daze and I sat up and looked toward the door. Before Diana had gone out of the room she had extinguished all the candles so the only source of light was the fading fire. Its light flickered on the large form in front of the door. The man didn’t move or say anything.
“Yes?” I said loudly. I jumped at how loud it sounded.
“Don’t be alarmed Miss Russel. I only wished to see if you had taken ill.” It was Nicholas Bryant.
I let out my held breath.
“No, I haven’t. I’m just tired.” I waited for him to reply. Nothing. “So what about you? What’s your excuse?”
“Pardon?”
“If you had wanted to know if I was sick you would have just asked Diana, but instead you came yourself so there must be another reason. Right?”
“I have been found out. Yes, that was not the only reason I came. No I have something I wish to ask you.”
“Go ahead.” He took a few steps forward and I stood up.
“How exactly did you meet James?”
“We met on Manheim’s ship.”
“Manheim?!” He hissed. The news surprised him. He was angry—no, he was furious.
“Yes . . . is there a problem with that?”
“Has he asked you anything out of the ordinary? Anything strange?” His voice was intense and almost frantic.
“Well, honestly, everything he says is weird. It’s creepy.”
He seemed to relax a bit.
“So in your opinion, he’s not very likable?”
“I guess not.”
“What do you know about Manheim?”
“Nothing, really—what are you getting at?”
“I’m truly sorry, Miss Russel for disturbing you. You have given me much to think about,” he said with a tight jaw. “Good night.”
“Hey, wait!” He was already gone. “What was that all about?”
When I finally found my room again I was surprised to find a blazing fire in the small fireplace and several lit candles surrounding the room. On the bed were a long white nightgown and a grey robe. I sat cross-legged in front of the fire and attempted to pull the long pins out of my hair but only succeeded in tangling it into awkward clumps. Frustrated, I moved on to the small latched buttons on the back of my dress. They were far too tight for me to undo by myself and I struggled to reach them with both hands while I lay on my stomach.
“What on earth are you doing?” Diana was standing open-mouthed in the doorway.
“Uh,” I laughed. “I was just trying to get ready for bed.” I stood and brushed the wrinkles out of the gown. Diana closed the door behind her and set something on a small chair next to the desk by the window.
“Well, you’ll never get it off that way,” she came behind me and began to undo the buttons. “Oh my—what on earth have you done to your hair?”
“I’m not very good with hair styling stuff. I was taking out the pins and, well—” I shrugged my shoulders. “Sorry.”
Diana sighed and forcefully undid the rest of the buttons. She slipped the dress off my shoulders and I stepped out of it. She undid the laces on the corset and then let me get into the nightgown before starting on my hair.
“Why did you come back so early?” She asked. “Were you not enjoying yourself?”
“It was certainly entertaining, but . . .” I trailed off, thinking back to treatment I received.
“But?”
“I’d much rather be alone than spend any more time with people like that.”
“You think you’re too good for such company?” She yanked a pin out of my hair.
“Ouch! No, it’s more the other way around. The only person who seemed to like me was Anthony. Even Jim . . . he barely said anything to me.”
“You are acquainted with the master’s son?”
“Yeah. He was the friend I was waiting for. I thought he was going to help me find my way back home but . . .” Diana was brushing out the tangled knots in my hair, making my eyelids heavy.
“What will you do if you can’t find it? Your home I mean.” Her tone was somber and she stroked my hair softly. I was silent for a moment.
It was perfectly possible that I would never see Chicago again and the thought made my stomach fall. But not knowing what became of my friends was even worse.
“Honestly, I don’t like thinking in that direction but if . . . if I don’t then I guess I’ll just have to find a job somewhere. I mean it’s not like I’m afraid to work and I’m always happiest when I’m busy, I guess. It keeps my mind off everything.”
Diana stopped brushing and was quiet.
“Diana?” I turned around. She was watching me closely. “What is it?”
“I’ve never met anyone quite like you, Miss Russel. I’m not sure what to make of you . . . but I’m certain it would take me a long time if I did. However, in the mean time the master has instructed me to provide you with everything you may need. I’ve brought a morning gown for you to wear tomorrow.” She pointed to the bundle she had placed on the chair.
“Thank you. Um, you didn’t throw my clothes out, did you?”
“Not . . . yet,” she wrinkled her nose. “You don’t want them back, do you?”
“Yes, I would because if it turns out that I never . . .” I held my breath for a second. “I just don’t want to forget everything if I never . . . just, please. Don’t get rid of them.”
“I understand, dear. I’ll have them brought up once they’re washed. Now get some rest.”
Diana left me sitting silently by the fire. I stared at it blankly. A soft, firm knock reached my ears.
“Come in.” I called out. The door was opened and someone entered. I expected to hear Diana’s voice but the visitor was silent. The silence lifted me out of my daze and I sat up and looked toward the door. Before Diana had gone out of the room she had extinguished all the candles so the only source of light was the fading fire. Its light flickered on the large form in front of the door. The man didn’t move or say anything.
“Yes?” I said loudly. I jumped at how loud it sounded.
“Don’t be alarmed Miss Russel. I only wished to see if you had taken ill.” It was Nicholas Bryant.
I let out my held breath.
“No, I haven’t. I’m just tired.” I waited for him to reply. Nothing. “So what about you? What’s your excuse?”
“Pardon?”
“If you had wanted to know if I was sick you would have just asked Diana, but instead you came yourself so there must be another reason. Right?”
“I have been found out. Yes, that was not the only reason I came. No I have something I wish to ask you.”
“Go ahead.” He took a few steps forward and I stood up.
“How exactly did you meet James?”
“We met on Manheim’s ship.”
“Manheim?!” He hissed. The news surprised him. He was angry—no, he was furious.
“Yes . . . is there a problem with that?”
“Has he asked you anything out of the ordinary? Anything strange?” His voice was intense and almost frantic.
“Well, honestly, everything he says is weird. It’s creepy.”
He seemed to relax a bit.
“So in your opinion, he’s not very likable?”
“I guess not.”
“What do you know about Manheim?”
“Nothing, really—what are you getting at?”
“I’m truly sorry, Miss Russel for disturbing you. You have given me much to think about,” he said with a tight jaw. “Good night.”
“Hey, wait!” He was already gone. “What was that all about?”
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