Heart's Content

Part Seventeen

{'The Parc Monceau' by Claude Monet from Wikimedia Commons}

It had been relatively difficult for Genevieve to become accustomed to the presence of the Olivays since for so long she had been used to spending much of her time alone, and if not alone she was with Pioter, or her Aunt and Uncle. The more time she spent with the Olivays, the easier it was to at least be comfortable in their presence, though she still preferred a smaller company and while she had at least gotten to a point where she wasn't completely skittish and on her guard around Nadine and Maurice, she felt the most at ease when the party was only Sabien, Lisette, and herself. She found herself to be growing quite fond of them both; Sabien for his playful nature and generally carefree attitude that was somehow overshadowed by his careful though natural consideration of others. Lisette was quite the opposite in a way, true she was playful and carefree just as her brother and that made it obvious why they got along so well but while Sabien's caring was effortless, Lisette's seemed as though she had to put more effort into it and the fact that she made that effort was touching in its own way. Genevieve also admired how honest she often was, even if her honesty could be termed somewhat blunt and was generally accompanied by undeniable brashness at times. The way Sabien always attempted to smooth over whatever creases Lisette's words caused was often comical as well and Genevieve could only compare the scenes to a cat carelessly knocking over a vase and leaving its owner to begrudgingly clean up the mess.

Lisette and Sabien both kept her days busy and full of activity and conversation, but she couldn't keep her thoughts from turning every now and then to Pioter since her meetings with him had virtually ceased to exist to the point that she hadn't even seen him since the night he told her he had been accepted into the Physician's Academy. She wondered if he had left without her, left without saying goodbye – though she supposed it was for the best if he had because while she appreciated his offer and his willingness to wait for her and give her some time to make a decision, she also knew that she wasn't going to go with him. Whether or not he had already departed didn't change the fact that she missed his presence even if the void of his absence was filled by Lisette and Sabien.

She couldn't help but scan the fields that lay between the manor and the stables whenever she was outside with Sabien and Lisette, eager to see if she wouldn't happen to catch a glimpse of Pioter, either going about his assigned tasks around the property or on his way to see if on the off chance, she were in the pavilion as he used to find her, though she was always disappointed and this disappointment more often than not showed on her delicate features.

"Are you alright, Genny?" Lisette asked curiously as she continued to twine her fingers through one of the many braids she was decorating Genevieve's crown with. She had become quite adept with braiding and decorating Genevieve's golden hair with ribbons and beads but had begun to experiment with more intricate styles. She took the opportunity at that moment while they relaxed beneath the branches of a very old oak tree that stood in the lush green grass of the fields beyond the rear gardens. While Sabien strummed various soft songs on a mandolin, Genevieve had been reading aloud from a book of poems when she was momentarily distracted by the thought that she had seen something move from the corner of her eye and in the hopes that it was Pioter, she had paused in her reading. She turned her gaze towards Sabien who had paused in his strumming to look at her with mild concern and she smiled slightly and gently nodded her head, lightly clearing her throat as she looked back to the book she held before she continued reading the poem.

Sabien returned her smile before he went back to strumming. He hadn't really noticed how she often became distracted by something or other each time they were out and about on the property, but Lisette had. At first she had considered that maybe she just enjoyed being outside more than she let on and wanted to take in the view of all that surrounded them, but after a while she began to notice how whenever they were out, Genevieve's gaze was always focused on a singular direction, to the southeast. Was she watching for something or someone? Lisette didn't feel like she should ask, nor did she feel as though she had the right to do so – she let it be for a time, but each time Genevieve became distracted or gazed off in the direction of the stables her curiosity was piqued more and more, as was her concern for what interested her brother's betrothed so much and as they sat in what had quickly become their favorite spot, she could hold her tongue no longer. She glanced at Genevieve for a moment before her eyes returned to the braid and when Genevieve spoke the final line of the poem she was reading, she casually posed her question, "Genny... what could possibly be of so much interest in the vicinity of the stables?"