Rejected

Chapter 7

"Mister Jeeves, already working so early in the morning?" Delilah greeted the gardener bent over another plant of his.

"Aye, Tis, best to start early when teh sun is young."

Delilah smiled. She flattened the grass next to the man and plopped down in the space with her grey dress circling around her.

"I'm a man of great fortune to be grace' by yer presence, Miss," Jeeves beamed a toothy grin at her as he snipped rotted ends of the leaves of the plant he was huddling over.

"Thank you for your kindness, Mister Jeeves."

"What brings yeh over teh my little domain?" Jeeves asked curiously, "I can't 'magine a young lady like yerself havin' any free time wit these parties an' all."

"I wanted the fresh air; I am beginning to grow weary of..." Delilah trailed off, gesturing to nothing in particular.

"This castle, teh over teh top parties, badgerin' nobles with fiendish eyebrows," Jeeves speculated. Delilah laughed at how accurate his description of one particular overweight noble's eyebrows was.

"Yes, maybe, I enjoy the ambience, sometimes, but I despise making contact with certain people who..." Delilah hesitated, "I can't understand why people want to socialize with someone so-"

Delilah shook her head, accidentally letting loose some of her hair, unable to find words that represented the way she felt.

"Look 'ere at teh Belladonna plant. What do yeh see?" Jeeves asked abruptly cutting her line of thought.

"A leafy plant with purple bell shaped flowers," Delilah gently stroked the plant in question.

"But did yeh know the berries that grow' on it are filled wit poison," Jeeves informed a startled Delilah who pulled her hand back immediately.

"But- But why do you cultivate it if it dangerous."

"Because it helps with teh medicine. I can't tell you 'ow they make it, but it helps a sick un get better," Jeeves smiled widely.

"So it's both a bane and a cure," Delilah spoke softly.

"Aye, remember that when yeh meet that person of yours. Sometimes what yeh think is a bane could be the cure to all yer miseries."

"I doubt it," Delilah muttered softly under her breath, "He is all poison."

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Delilah was accosted by her cousin as soon as she entered their room, precariously carrying a hand full of books from the library.

"Which little nature's gift to us human's did you give company to this afternoon; the cattle? You missed Lady Boffount's lunch and her cook's speciality; bite sized pieces of steamed venison. A tragic tale for your four legged friends but very, very delicious for me."

"I wasn't wandering with the cows if must know, I decided it finally time to have a look around the library. It's astounding how eerily quiet it was; a shame if you ask me for a palace bursting to the seams with people."

"But you don't read," Cecilia voice was confused as she stuffed a few crumpled gowns in her chest of drawers.

"No, you don't read, 'miss I'd like to extract severe revenge to all those who dare to assign me lines'. I like to crack a book every now and then," Delilah replied decisively as she placed the books on her bed finding her side table full of Cecilia's beauty products.

"True, true," Cecilia shrugged as she emptied a drawer looking for something.

Delilah took off her soiled slippers and lay down on her bed looking forward to a relaxing evening.