Louise

Chapter 17

"Of course, Lady Cordelia. How may I be of service?" Louise inquired, genuine worry etching her face.

"There is an item I urgently need from the storage room in the kitchen. I fear it might be misplaced, and I cannot locate anyone to help me," Lady Cordelia explained, her gaze flickering nervously. "Would you mind fetching it for me, dear?"

Louise nodded, understanding the delicacy of the situation. "Of course, Lady Cordelia. I'll be happy to help you." She glanced at the door, making sure they were alone before continuing, "Do you wish for me to fetch the item now?"

Lady Cordelia visibly relaxed at Louise's willingness to assist her. "Yes, dear. That would be most appreciated. It is a small wooden box, about the size of your palm. I believe it is on the top shelf in the far corner of the room. You'll need to climb up onto one of the kitchen stools to reach it. Please be careful, as it contains some personal items that I'd rather not have anyone else see."

As Louise made her way to the kitchen, silence hung in the air. Louise wondered where the staff was, for the hallways were usually bustling with activity this time of day. Upon reaching the storage room, she turned the knob and pushed the door open cautiously. The room was dimly lit, shelves stacked with jars and boxes. Louise furrowed her brow, wondering why Lady Cordelia had chosen such an inaccessible location for her personal belongings. She scanned the shelves, searching for the wooden box among the various other items.

As she searched for the requested item, footsteps echoed behind her. Louise tensed, turning around to find Mr Warrington walking into the room. They locked eyes, the air thickening with unspoken tension. For a moment, they simply stared at each other, neither seeming to breathe. Then, Mr Warrington broke the silence "Miss Louise, what are you doing here?" His voice was gentle and low yet commanding.

"Mr. Warrington," Louise stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I... Lady Cordelia asked me to fetch something from here. It's a wooden box, about the size of my palm. She said it's on the top shelf in the far corner."

Sebastian nodded, his gaze lingering on her. "I see, my mother asked me to retrieve the exact same thing earlier. It seems she's forgotten where she put it. I apologize for the misunderstanding, Miss Louise." He stepped forward, his movement fluid and graceful as he climbed onto the stool next to her and reached up to the shelf. His hand brushed against hers as he moved past her to retrieve the box.

Then the door swung shut behind them with a click. Louise's eyes widened in realization, and she rushed to the door, attempting to open it. But it was locked from the outside. She turned to face Mr Warrington, panic rising in her chest.

"It's locked," she gasped, her eyes meeting Sebastian's. Sebastian approached, trying the handle himself, his attempts futile. He turned back to her, his expression grim. "Someone must have locked us in. Hello? Is anyone out there?"

Their calls went unanswered. Louise and Sebastian stood in the confined space, the close quarters intensifying the magnetic pull between them. Her heart pounded, and she could feel the heat radiating off his body. They exchanged uneasy glances, the air thick with the tension that had been building since Mr Warrington's arrival.

The small storage room seemed to shrink even further; the silence broken only by the muffled sounds from the kitchen outside the door. The proximity between Louise and Sebastian became smaller and more intense an unspoken tension hanging in the air.

Louise cleared her throat, attempting to ease her beating heart. "We should try to find a way to open the door. Perhaps there's a key somewhere."

Sebastian nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. "Agreed." He stepped closer, and their bodies were nearly touching. The air between them crackled with anticipation as they searched the room. They began by examining the shelves, carefully looking for anything out of the ordinary. As they moved around each other, their hands brushed against one another, sending shockwaves of awareness through them.

As they crouched down to check the lower shelves, Sebastian's hand inadvertently found Louise's. Their fingers intertwined, and an electrical current seemed to pass between them. They froze, their gazes locked, as they savoured the feel of their hands entwined. Time seemed to stand still, and the world around them faded into the background.

Just then the door creaked open, revealing a startled Mr. Davenport. "Oh goodness, I didn't realize anyone was in here. Lady Cordelia was just telling me that she can't seem to find her wooden box. Have the two of you found it?"

As if snapped out of a trance, Sebastian and Louise quickly released each other's hands and scrambled to their feet. "Ah, yes, Mr. Davenport. We were just about to find it," Sebastian replied, his voice sounding slightly hoarse. "It was actually buried under some papers on the top shelf." He motioned for the butler to step inside and take the box.

As the butler left the room, Louise bowed at Mr. Warrington and quickly exited as well, a blush creeping up her neck. Mr. Warrington watched her go, unable to shake the feeling that there was something more to their brief interaction. He turned back to the butler, who was already studying the wooden box intently.