Heart's Content

Part Thirty-One

{'Interior with a Woman' by Carl Vilhelm Holsøe from Wikimedia Commons}

By the time Genevieve was able to part her lips in an effort to speak, Lisette was already gone. It was likely just as well that she was alone, because even though she had opened her mouth, she had little idea of what she had planned to say. She was frustrated by Lisette's leaving just as she was annoyed with herself for being frustrated. She couldn't justify her feelings over Lisette's departure when she hadn't even collected herself enough to offer a response of any kind. She had no way to describe how she felt and that was partially because she wasn't even certain of her own feelings.

With effort she finally managed to focus on the memories she had built since the Olivays had joined her family in Seldoné. Sabien was at the forefront of those memories since he was her intended, their wedding preparations were already well underway, so he should obviously be the primary contender for her affection. She thought of his appearance, the way his dark hair was soft and feathery and allowed to fall freely about his face any way it chose. She considered for a moment his countenance, certainly she was aware that his was a handsome one, though her opinion on it wasn't so easily determined. The only young man she could readily compare him with was Pioter and that was an unfair comparison given his disadvantage.

Genevieve gave a shake of her head then, why was she even trying to make a comparison to ascertain how she felt about how Sabien looked? His face was a near symmetrical oval with a curved though prominent jaw and a dimpled chin that was always cleanly shaved save for his neatly trimmed sideburns. The bridge of his nose was straight and free of any bumps that would cause it to rise awkwardly from his face and the tip of his nose was pointed without making the scale of his nose unusually narrow when compared with the rest of his face.

Lisette's nose was slimmer than her brother's and curved inward at the bridge rather than continuing in a straight slope, but it bore the same point at the end. She had the same blue eyes as her brother though their eyes were shaped differently with hers being slightly more narrow than his. Her face was smaller since it was a circle rather than an oval and her chin was free of the dimple borne by her father and brother. They had the same olive hued skin, gently sun-kissed as though they found themselves out in the sun in their smallclothes more often than they probably should.

How they had each looked on those sunny days when the sun shone through the canopy of the trees just enough to flash teasing glints on their bare flesh and wet garments, offering the most innocent glimpses of their anatomy beneath the light fabric. Sabien's chiseled torso that could be likened to that of laborers and sailors and would likely have most ladies swoon should they ever be lucky enough to see it; and Lisette's small frame endowed with abundant curves that were firm in appearance and soft to the touch, the sparse fabric of her smallclothes clinging tightly to her skin and genuinely seeming to refuse to release their vivacious mistress. The way stray strands of her long hair clung to her skin like dark rivers; guiding rivulets of crystal clear water on their path over her silken flesh.

Genevieve's cheeks felt warm and she placed one of her hands along her cheek as she abruptly slipped from her reverie. Where in the world had her thoughts turned for them to stray so violently from the intended path? She felt all at once embarrassed and angry with a lingering excitement that brought her guilt. She shook her head and released a frustrated groan as she rushed towards her changing room, sensible of the fact that she likely would not get much rest that night.

She hurried to put on her night clothes, fussing with her gown until her lady's maid arrived to assist her, but even then she was too distressed to allow the girl to stay long and thanked her graciously before sending her on her way, completing the task of undressing and redressing herself once her corset had been removed. Try as she might, once she was in bed she was unable to get to sleep. She tossed and turned beneath her bed clothes, continuously forcing away her thoughts and welcoming the silence of the night only to be caught off guard when she finally thought she had found peace as her thoughts once more bubbled up from the darkness, bringing with them countless other bubbles containing countless other thoughts.