MAD WOMAN | THE BUCCANEERS

RIGHT WHERE YOU LEFT ME

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ORANGE HUES and browning leaves covered Halibur estate, much to the dismay of the many groundskeepers who aimed to keep the grass cut and dead leaves out of sight.

Violet couldn't really care less about the state of the gardens.

She also didn't really care about the state of her room, or the way she looked.

In fact, she was finding it hard to care about anything currently.

Ever since running out of the end of season ball Violet had found her reputation getting worse, though she wasn't sure how that was even possible.

Did everyone on earth think she was mad?

The American girls had all gone back across the ocean to visit their parents, Theo accompanying them. And so Violet was left to her own devices.

The only person left in England she wanted to see would be Guy Thwarte.

She stared at her ceiling; a celestial mural of the stars painted when she had been born. Truly a beautiful sight, it was one of her favourite parts of the whole estate. The girl was quite content to stay there all day, starring at the ceiling, but when one of the staff announced that Guy had arrived unannounced, she practically sprung out of the bed, excited to see her friend.

"Miss Bennet, How nice to see you." Guy joked, seeing the girl for the first time in almost a week.

"Okay it's only been a few days you can drop the formal title." She rolled her eyes sitting down on the sofa opposite the man.

"You missed Jean Hopeleigh's party, I thought you would be there?" He frowned.

"I don't wish to go anywhere. The season's over, I've had enough of parties, and I think I'd quite like to just stay here for a while."

At the realisation that Violet was uninterested in going out, Guy decided to switch his tune, desperate to spend at least a little time with the girl.

"Okay. Will you give me the tour then?" He smiled

Violet let out an exaggerated sigh as she stood up from her chair in a rather unladylike manner.

"Fine. But you better keep up!" She spoke before practically jogging out of the room causing Guy to follow her like a lost puppy.

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The grand tour of Halibur Estate was an enchanting journey that seemed to twist and turn with every corner. As violet guided the tour she told tales of the houses history and the memories she had in each room. The house was well decorated with intricate ceilings and brickwork as the building blocks. Tasteful paintings and hand crafted furniture filled every room.

As they wandered through the meticulously manicured gardens, Violet's laughter filled the air, mingling with the fragrant scent of flowers and the gentle rustle of leaves. The garden held secrets of her childhood, flower beds she planted with her mother, the creek she would jump over and the trees she climbed and cried when she got scared of how high up it was.

In the hallways, where time seemed to stand still amidst the decor. Violet told Guy anecdotes of her near misses when trying to avoid priceless vases, recounting the times she had come perilously close to shattering the delicate porcelain or toppling an heirloom.

Violet told Guy every story she had made up for the priceless paintings that lined the hallways of the house, and every story of when her mother had tried to paint the girl but failed due to her inability to sit still.

But it wasn't just the physical artefacts that held memories; it was the very essence of the house itself. Every creak of the floorboards, every ray of sunlight filtering through stained glass windows, seemed to show how much love had filled the home.

And then, as they ascended the grand staircase that seemed to spiral endlessly , they reached the end of the tour, concluding at the girls bedroom.

"And here we have my room."

Guy stopped at the door, causing Violet to roll her eyes at his chivalry

"You can come in you know; you won't burst into flames"

He nodded, eyes almost immediately landing on her ceiling that captivated the eye.

"It's exquisite isn't it" She spoke leaping backwards onto her canopy style bed to view the artwork in the best way possible. She patted the empty spot next to her on the bed to Guy to encourage him over.

"This Is the best place to see it. If you lie here and open your mind a little, it's like you're in the centre of a swirling galaxy. It's like the stars are right there and you could reach out and touch them."

Violet spoke with such passion she convinced Guy to sit down, the pair lying next to each other, the stars surrounding.

There was a moment of silence as they both felt themselves being absorbed into the picture they viewed.

"You sound like you've spent a lot of time starring at the ceiling." He joked

Violet smiled, turning her head to the side to speak to him. They were so close she could see each freckle and eyelash he held. She could see the dark curls of his hair which rivalled Violets own and the perfectly formed eyebrows that rested on his face.

"Well, when society thinks you mad, you have to come up with new hobbies." She spoke after a second.

Guy shared her smile, looking into her eyes for a second as their faces were just inches apart. To him, her eyes shined just as bright as the stars on her ceiling.

"So, you're hiding." He spoke, referencing Violet's recent solitude and forcing his eyes away and moving his head back to stare at the roof. "If you hide, you let him win. You let him force the shame onto you, but it belongs to him."

Violet was silent for a while.

"You're right, hiding out only makes it worse. It only makes people stare harder when I finally do go out. But when I'm standing there, at a ball or a party, alone. When those eyes stare at me from all angles and whisper. When they say my name with such hatred and cruelty. When they criticize my hair, my clothes, or the face I have that looks so much like my mothers. I feel like I'm burning alive, and nobody can see the fire. I get so angry I want to scream but when I open my mouth I'm stuck with silence."

"You won't be alone anymore." Guy shook his head.

Violet softly smiled the same way an adult does when a child tries to solve a complex problem with a hug.

"And when you marry? When Nan and Theo are no longer forced to attend balls, When the girls go back to america for good? It'll just be me alone again, a crazy spinster in the making, who drinks too much champagne."

"Who says I'm going to marry?"

"Guy." She starred at him deadpan.

He sighed.

"I promise, Violet, If I am to marry, I will not leave you alone at a ball or party."

"And if you end up with someone allergic to social gatherings?"

Guy chuckled softly.

"Well, I will just be sure to marry a woman who knows how to have fun."

He smirked as the pair stared back at the ceiling getting lost in the stars.