Dear, Miss Violet. ✔

Chapter 16

Violet carried the pudding back to her room slowly, as she didn't trust herself to not drop the dish. 

As she slowly and noiselessly(as to surprise Miranda with the amount of chocolate on the pudding) elbowed the ajar door to open fully, her eyes settled on Miranda for a second.

There she was.

Rummaging through Violet's cupboard as if she was looking for something.

Violet frowned, and noiselessly entered her room, keeping the pudding on the table beside, and looking at Miranda with suspicion. 

What the hell was she up to?  Violet thought.

"What can she practically have more?" Miranda muttered, loud enough for Violet to hear.

Violet gasped. Loudly.

Miranda turned around, her eyes wide open with shock and arrested at the surprised frame of Violet "Vi-Violet? Yo-you are pretty q-quick."

Violet exchanged glances with her for thirty seconds.

"What were you doing there, Miranda?" Violet asked quietly, soaking in the shock, still.

"I-I not-nothing!" Miranda answered, wiping the sweat off her upper lips with her left hand.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING?" Violet screamed, her body seething with extreme ire.

"Are you alright, miss?" Violet's maid asked, entering her room hurriedly.

"You" Violet said, pointing at her maid "leave, right now."

The maid was extremely shocked. She had never seen Violet so angry. Violet had never raised her voice at the servants, this was her first ever time.

The maid nodded and left as Miranda's eyes darted back and forth between Violet and her maid.

Violet waited for her maid to leave, and then closed the door.

Miranda stepped back, her hands trying to find a support to hold onto. 

Violet came closer to Miranda, with rage in her eyes.

"What were you doing, I ASKED" Violet said, each and every syllable clipped and short.

Miranda shook her hands in front of her "Nothing! really! Just trying to be like you."

Miranda broke into tears, leaving Violet in an utterly shocked state.

"What do you mean?" Violet asked as Miranda sat on her bed, crying endlessly.

"Sit here, please" Miranda said, tapping the bed.

Violet went and sat beside Miranda, looking at her face and shoulders drenched in tears. Her eyes looked red and dark.

"Violet" Miranda said and took her hand in hers' "I wanted to be like you, really."

Violet took out her hand from Miranda's grasp.

Miranda sniffed and said "this is all because of him."

"Who?"

"Lord Simon."

Violet frowned and widened her eyes. Suddenly the awkwardness between Miranda and Simon started to make a lot of sense.

When Miranda didn't speak further, needling Violet's curiosity, Violet became angry again.

"EXPLAIN, MIRANDA" Violet shouted "how does this relate to that man?"

"THAT MAN BROKE MY HEART, do you get it?" Miranda said, her voice squeaky and annoying.

Violet heaved a heavy sigh, and clutched the sheets beneath. This was a mess.

"Yes Violet, yes" Miranda said looking at her with tiny eyes "when I was little, my marriage was fixed with Simon because our fathers were close friends. It was a commitment. Meant to happen. I remember playing with him when we were children, and then talking to him and joking with him. We as children, were lovely- oh! We would sit under trees, writing poems and looking at the stars, when we were children. Yes, all when we were children! I grew up to love him a lot, and our closeness made my heart fall for him every time I saw him. But, soon after we turned into young adults, our meetings barely happened due to him moving to London from the countryside after he was done with university.

My family too moved to London, to keep contact with Simon and encourage me to meet him more often.

I was 20 then. Yes. Simon was 23.

But that was when he had a change of heart. He had gone from being charming to being dangerous. 

And when my father spoke to him about our marriage, he refused.

How could he do that to me?

My world came crashing down at my feet. 

What could have possibly happened that Simon refused our marriage?

I pleaded and begged Simon to marry me.

Yes! Even after the change of his nature, I loved him! HE WAS MINE!

But Simon ordered his servants to throw me out of his mansion. 

I wrote letters, did everything I could to save my love. But it never worked out.

And here I am after five years, still in love with him. But he hates me."

Violet looked at Miranda. A lot had transpired in the poor girl's life.

But Violet needed to ask now.

"But, why were you trying to be like me?"