Love your Enemy (Ruby Rose fanfic)

TWENTY-THREE (Iselen POV)

"Did you have a good time, Your Grace?"

"Oh yes, Meredith, it's been a great week. Edinburgh is a beautiful city, we visited the castle and several museums, watched some films at the festival, we went shopping to a craft market, tried delicious food in traditional pubs and even had some free time to work with our lawyers and investors to launch the duchy's brand. The Countess of Dunira has decided to become my business partner to sell some products from her own village and has been a great help counseling me and in addition to this, her mother the Dowager Countess is a great artist and has volunteered to design a hand painted label for us."

"It's been a very productive trip..." My housekeeper smiles happily when noticing my excitement and pours me another cup of tea.

"A lot, since the moment we got rid of that Williamson idiot and we managed to relax. The judge has ratified the sentence and he can't do anything else... I've heard that his company shares have been plummeting in the stock market but don't worry, wealthy people's bankruptcy looks nothing like poor people's bankruptcy, he won't be living under a bridge with beggars in a near future, eating soup cans, and his children will still go to prestigious schools. But he'll sell his summer house in Barbados, the ski cabin in Gstaad and the private helicopter, half of his high-end cars... things like that. The kind of life that's a drama for him would be a dream for lot of people. He probably has most of his money hidden in a tax haven and will have to be discreet for a while, investors will never trust him again and he won't get invitations to certain parties, but will be fine."

"I hope he won't be a problem anymore," Meredith brings me a plate with home baked scones from Mrs. Dunn and some strawberry jam. "By the way, the bishop called while you were in Edinburgh: he'll transfer Pastor Todt to a new position as soon as possible, everything is almost ready although he asks you to be patient for a week while his assistant works out some last details."

"Wonderful news," I lean back on my chair of the breakfast room, enjoying the views of the garden full of flowers trough the bay window. "We should begin preparations for the harvest festival next weekend... Good afternoon, Mrs. Dunn... What's that?"

"Mini almond cakes, Your Grace, a new French recipe I'm trying." The cook puts a sweet pastry on a beautiful porcelain plate decorated with colourful birds and hands it to me, waiting for my approval.

"Delicious, and the lemon icing is to die for... You're a genius, Mrs. Dunn. Which reminds me... what can you tell me about your cranachan?" I ask with curiosity and the cook raises an eyebrow, smiling smugly.

"It's the best you're going to eat in Scotland, Your Grace. The cream comes from your own cows, the honey from Falkland's hives, berries from Alloa's forest and whisky from the distillery that belongs to your great uncle's distant cousin... Everything is high quality, of course."

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear. It's the Countess of Dunira's favourite dessert..." Both women smile when they see me sighing dreamily. "Milady has gone to his village to explain the neighbours and her family what happened with Williamson but she'll be here for dinner, I know it's late to prepare a big feast to celebrate it but we could offer her something special tonight..."

"Of course, Your Grace, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to improvise something delicious and a cranachan with strawberries I bought this morning in the market."

"Thank you very much, I'll be in my office working..."

I leave the breakfast room walking slowly, lost in my thought, wandering around corridors while ignoring the serious looks of my ancestors from their paintings. I wonder what will happen now that Williamson isn't a threat anymore, the time I spent with Ruby in Edinburgh felt like some wonderful holidays but this is the moment of truth: nothing ties her up to Dunira now and the beautiful fairy who has bewitched me can leave and travel all around the world the way she used to do. It's true that she's introduced me as her girlfriend to a group of friends but Murrays have a reputation for changing their minds, they're as free as the wind and nothing can hold them back unless they decide to stay. And if Ruby decides to stay with me, what will people from my village think about it? The war seems to be a thing of the past, young people get on well together and old people have cooperated with Dunira's neighbours on certain occasions but, how long will it take for the hate to come back? Is the resentment accumulated for centuries forgotten really or just buried deep inside them?