A Beast Sees No Beauty

Chapter Four

His curtains were open just a crack. That little crack was located to have the sun land perfectly over his closed eyes. He knew he should have taken a room on the western side of the house, but he was too stubborn. He preferred the darkness in the evening to wallow alone. If he was honest, he also wanted to have a reason to complain some mornings.

He tore the sheets off of him and rose to shut the curtains completely. His hand gripped the fabric when another movement caught his eye. The garden resided just outside his second-floor window. Rosie wasn't supposed to be out there until the afternoon due to her constant need to hum as she worked.

It wasn't Rosie, and he knew only one woman who would willingly walk around in such a God awful color. 

"LULU!" Vincent knew the woman heard him. If she didn't, then someone would inform her of his rage. Instead of waiting, he quickly set about getting dressed. The faster he got down there and put that stupid chit in her place, the faster she would learn the rules and do what was expected of her.

"You called?" The woman leaned against his doorway, still holding the brass knob in her hand.

"What is that wretched woman doing in my garden at this time of day?" His face burned red as he seethed, angrily tugging on the laces of his left shoe. He didn't bother looking at the older woman before he continued.  "In fact, what is she doing there at all?"

LuLu could hardly contain her amusement at the man's frazzled state. His hair was flying in every direction, his tie was undone, and his vest had yet to be buttoned. She could understand why the man was upset, truly she did, but she couldn't imagine him actually yelling at the poor innocent girl.

"How should I know? My job isn't to watch after her-"

"Well, now it is!" Vincent popped his collar up as he passed LuLu and entered the hallway, lifting his chin to knot his tie. "It is purely logical that she shouldn't be allowed there! It was my-"

He paused slightly, taking a deep breath as he buttoned the dark vest. He closed his eyes, but the image of her ruining anything out there clouded his vision. It was hard enough to let Rosie work out there, but letting Juliet run about and do anything harmful - that was truly unacceptable.

"Vincent, perhaps it's best to-" His glare snapped over to the wrinkled woman, stopping her from saying anything more. LuLu knew of such sensitive topics and knew that when he gave her that look, then it was time to stop.

Wordlessly, Vincent continued to stomp down the stairs. The six women didn't lift their gaze and instead focused on working faster in order to vacate the space if needed. Rosie shivered when she realized what a mistake she made in letting Juliet go into the garden.

By the time he came to the french doors, Juliet had been almost all the way around the large space. Now she simply stared at the peonies, softly caressing their petals with a faraway look. She was completely oblivious to Vincent, but he was anything but oblivious to her.

He didn't understand how someone could look so beautiful, so perfect, without even trying. It was completely unnatural, and natural, all at once.

Instead of storming out and raising his voice, he simply observed her. He observed how her pink lips moved as she mumbled under her breath, how her lips would twerk upwards if she said or thought of something funny, how her hands were outstretched at the perfect length to let her fingertips just barely brush against the petals of the rows of flowers, even how she seemed to be floating when he couldn't see her feet.

Yet again, she had completely disarmed him of all rational thought without even trying. 

When he knew LuLu had caught up and was standing behind him, he let out a growl and threw the lace back over the glass.

"I can't do it!" The woman only chuckled, rubbing his shoulder and guiding him away from Juliet before she came back inside.

"I believe now is the time I say 'I told you s-"

"No!" Vincent ripped his arm out of her grip before running his fingers through his disheveled hair. He was by no means in love with the girl after just a single day. "You do not get to say it. You said that I'd-"

"And you have."

"I have not!" The way he scoffed and rolled his eyes reminded her of a child. LuLu held back the chuckle at her intrusive thoughts. "You said 'fall in love,' and I haven't. That damn woman is attractive, nothing more."

LuLu couldn't hold back her laughter any longer. "You keep on telling yourself that, boy! Maybe you'll convince someone other than yourself!"

He simply stomped off with another growl. He would not dignify her comment with a response.