Chapter 18: Willimina Pt 2

Molly’s POV

It was difficult to actually care about the party that my mother went to. However, not only was the question something she would have expected me to ask. But it was the only question rolling around in my head that I COULD ask. The real question that I wanted to have the courage to ask and hear the answer to was when Scott would be home.
But I knew I shouldn’t ask that question just as much as I knew I shouldn’t want to see him. Yet, I really did want to see him. Not that I had any idea what I would say if he was here right now. After blatantly turning him down last night, I had a feeling that any conversation with him would be incredibly awkward from now on.
But none of that stopped the longing I had to talk to him once more.
Trying to push my internal monologue down, I forced myself to pay attention to my mother’s detailed retelling of the party. Apparently, there was a rumor that the hostess was having a torrid affair with her butler. Everyone was there to try to catch a glimpse or be a cog in the scandal wheel.
The rumor took a whole new turn when the host disappeared for an hour, and neither the butler nor the hostess could be found either. There was speculation that they were either fighting or maybe… something more lascivious. My hope was the latter. It would be nice to see someone enjoying their passions instead of fighting over them.
That wasn’t the only drama that had happened, but it was all I caught before my mind wandered again.
As I ate my breakfast, I pretended to listen to my mother, trying to remember to make appropriate remarks and sounds throughout her story. All the while, my mind was a million miles away. Or rather... it was thrown back to a single moment, hours before.
Over and over again, my mind began to replay the kiss from the night before. Scott’s lips had been soft, firm, and absolutely delicious. The feel of his hands on my body had driven me crazy with the need for more. God, it was both exciting and horrifying how badly I wanted him. I couldn’t act on it no matter how badly I desired to. But in my mind, where I could have a sliver of privacy, I was free to indulge my imagination. A place where I could actually give myself completely to him without fear of judgment or outright insults.
For a while, as I played with my food, I allowed myself to build an extremely detailed scene between him and me. As it played out, I shifted uncomfortably in my chair and felt my body flush as if I had stepped in front of a roaring fire.
“Molly?” Mother called to me.
I looked up and realized that I had been caught daydreaming. With what had been playing in my head, I was immeasurably grateful my mother couldn't read my mind. A flush raced up my cheek, and I opened my mouth to apologize and offer some silly excuse to cover up the truth.
The chime of the doorbell echoed through the house and interrupted my fumbling, incoherent apology. I breathed out a sigh of relief as my mother perked up.
“Who could that be?” Willimina asked, looking towards the doorway. “Funny, I don’t remember hearing that anyone was coming over today.”
I didn’t know who it was, but I wanted to kiss them. I was so grateful that the guest's arrival got me out from underneath my mother’s scrutiny. She may be easy to distract, but she would eventually catch on to my odd mood, and if she asked me outright, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to lie to her.
Out of all the people in the world, my mother was one of the only two people that would accept my attraction to Scott. However, I didn’t want to put my mother in the position to choose between me and the life she had worked so hard to have.
“Excusez-Moi, Madame,” the housekeeper popped in. “Is Madame receiving?”
“Oh, dear me, Hannah! I’m not dressed to receive anyone just yet. Can you ask the person to come back later? It would be best if Mr. Monroe was here to speak with them as well,” Willimina told the housekeeper with a look of chagrin.
“Je suis tellement désolé, Madame,” Hannah replied.
At my mother's blank look, Hannah gasped audibly. She had forgotten that Willimina couldn't speak French.
“I am so sorry, Madame Monroe. I forgot," Hannah said hurriedly.
My mother waved her apologies off. "Goodness, Hannah. Please relax, it's okay. Please let the guest know that they'll have to come back later."
"I am afraid that the visitor is very insistent,” Hannah explained with a wince.
Sometimes I worried that Hannah thought we were still in the 1800s, where she would be beaten if she didn't give her employer good news or messed up. Every time she looked hesitant or afraid, I just wanted to hurry to her and hug her! My mother must have felt the same way because she gave Hannah a giant, bright smile that did wonders to make the young girl relax.
“Very well, Hannah. Show them in and bring more coffee and food. Might as well make him comfortable while we wait for Mr. Monroe to come down,” Mother relented.
My mother looked flustered for a moment, then primped her hair and smoothed down her dress. As always, Willimina looked beautiful and seemed fully ready to visit with anyone. However, she fussed over herself as if she was caught in her jammies. Which I would be if I didn’t race out of there, I realized. Even though I had a robe on, I was definitely NOT ready to see any guests.
“I need to go get dressed,” I said quietly to my mother. “Then I’ll be back to help you entertain.”
“Good, good!” Mother replied with relief. “I am definitely not ready to see anyone.”
I pressed a kiss on her cheek and then hurried towards the door, trying to get out of it before Hannah brought the guest back. I was almost out the door when I ran headlong into a hard chest and heard the rumble of a salacious chuckle I hoped to never hear again.
“Ahhh, ma belle! I had hoped to see you again! I will confess, though, that I had not expected it so soon.”
Fuck.