It wasn't until Charlotte's stomach began to growl with hunger that she finally acknowledged the fact that she had not told anyone of her decision to eat in the dining room again. She was just about to get up from her chair and look for Niffty when an empty glass was placed in front of her. She looked to see that it was Husk who had put it there and he quickly proceeded to fill the glass with wine.
"Hello." She greeted him. "I don't believe we've had a proper introduction. My name is Charlotte."
"I know who you are." He replied. "And I'm pretty sure Niffty has told you who I am but because I'm supposed to be polite I'll introduce myself. Hello my name is Husk and I am Alastor's butler. Also your dinner shall be brought to you momentarily."
"Thank you." She said.
He turned to leave but then Charlotte stopped him by asking,
"Wait, could you tell Alastor that I would like for him to dine with me this evening?"
"I will do as you request but I can't promise you that he will."
"Thank you anyway."
Husk left the dining hall and about five minutes later Niffty arrived with two candles, silver wear, and a plate set with a delicious supper. She lit one of the candles, asked Charlotte if she needed anything else, and left the young woman to eat in peace when she answered that there was nothing more she needed. She started to eat but stopped midway when her nose caught hold of that familiar scent.
"Good evening Charlotte." She heard the gentleman like voice of the beast say.
"Good evening Alastor." She responded.
"Husk has informed me that you have requested that I dine with you tonight. That you wish for to sit at the table with you and face you."
"Yes. That is correct." She said. "So my good sir will you please allow me the pleasure of your company while I dine?"
He did not answer but he slowly approached her from behind and for the first time ever he sat across from her at the other side of the table. However he did not lit the second candle Niffty had left at his end and he kept his face hidden by the hood of his cloak. No meal or drink was brought to him so he did not eat. All he did was sit there silently in the dark and watch Charlotte partake of her dinner.
"Are you not hungry Alastor?" She asked him.
"I do not wish to eat in front of you my dear." He said. "As you already know I do not eat as a human does. I am certain that you would lose your appetite if I were to eat right now."
"Is it not hard for you to see over there? Why don't you light the candle?"
"No my dear. If I light the candle then it will be easier for you to see my face and I do not wish to horrify and repulse you again."
"Oh..." She said recalling her reaction to the first time she saw his face. "I...I...I-"
"I think perhaps we should change the subject. Would you like to engage in a conversation like we did before?"
"Yes. I would like that very much. What shall we converse about?"
"Well I am a little curious about your life before you came here. What was it like? What was your family like?"
So Charlotte told Alastor of how when her family was rich they would attend grand parties and festivities. How she would spend her days singing and reading to children, watching birds, admiring art, and gathering up flowers which she so adored. She spoke of how once her father lost his fortune and they moved to the country, she found joy in befriending her neighbors and playing with the goats they tended to. However she also talked about how when they were rich she would often plead with her father and sister to spend time with her and how they were always too busy for her. She talked about how when they were poor she would do all the household chores and cater to the needs of her family.
"My sister Helsa always hate any kind of housework so I did all of it. The cleaning, the cooking, the sewing, taking care of Razzle and Dazzle. I didn't mind. I only wish that she wouldn't insult me so."
"She insults you?" He inquired.
"It's nothing really. I've learned to ignore it and I really shouldn't let it upset me so much. She doesn't mean she says she's just upset about living on a farm."
"Did your father ever object to these insults?"
"He never knew. She never insulted me in front of him and I never complained. I have no right to complain to him about anything. He already has so much burdening him. He doesn't need my petty whining."
"Was he unhappy on the farm too?"
"Just as miserable as my sister. All he wanted was to somehow get his fortune back or obtain a new one. That's why he was so insisted on marrying me off."
"You were to be married?" He inquired.
"No. Not exactly. Although Father did have someone picked out and he had given him permission to court me."
"Who may I ask was your suitor to be?"
"My stepbrother Sevithan."
"He wanted you to marry your stepbrother?"
"Well it's better than him wanting me to marry my cousin like some other noble families do."
"I never understood that tradition. In fact I find it to be quite depraved."
"So do I. Nevertheless Sevithan and I aren't blood relatives so technically a union between us wouldn't be incest."
"I suppose. What was he like?"
"According to my father the perfect husband for me. A rich, sophisticated, and handsome young marquis who my father viewed as the son he never had. If we were to wed my father would once again be dreadfully wealthy."
"But what about you?"
"What about me?"
"Well it's obvious your father would be tickled if you married him but how would you feel? Did you want to marry him?"
"I do acknowledge that he's dashing and charming. I can understand any woman's joy at the prospect of becoming his wife."
"Yes handsome men are so easy to love, aren't they?" She could see a smile on his face but she could hear the melancholy in his voice.
"But I didn't love him." She continued. "Also I didn't really like the idea of marrying him."
"Why not? Are good looks and money all that a woman desires in a husband?"
"Not me. He was handsome but also rude and conceited and...And...He just wasn't for me. Even so I still considered accepting."
"Why?"
"Because my father said it was for the best. He was certain that I would be happy with him. That there was no other man better suited to me."
"Isn't that your decision to make?"
"Yes but I...I didn't want to displease him. I didn't want to be ungrateful."
"Ungrateful? For not wanting a husband that you didn't even seek out?"
"You don't understand. Since the moment I was born he's devoted himself completely to me. He's given me everything."
"But has he really my dear?"
"What do you mean?"
"True he gave you a very luxurious life when you had wealth and he seemed to have good intentions when he decided to find you a husband but did he ever really do anything you wanted? You said that you always wanted him to spend time with you but he was too wrapped up in his own work and other desires to comply with your wishes. Then there's the fact that he does not seem to really consider your thoughts on the suitor he's picked for you."
"I will have you know my father loves me very much."
"Now I didn't say that. I'm sure he loves you a great deal. But it is very common for people to ignore the wants and desires of those they love. To forget to think about how their loved one would feel about certain things. For example say a woman ends up married to a man that her family does not approve of. In fact they think the man is a inferior and repulsive sub creature who will only ruin in the life of that woman. So they do something terrible to him. Something that removes him from her life for good. They claim they did for her own good yet not once did it ever occur to them that maybe she was happy with her husband. Maybe she loved him despite them thinking he was inferior. In other words they didn't consider how she felt about the entire situation."
"But that's not the same thing."
"Isn't it?"
"That would be just terrible. Awful. I don't even think you could call that love. My father has good intentions when he makes choices for me."
"That woman's family had good intentions. Their intent was to free her from a miserable marriage. Now that sounds like a good intention to me. However my dear the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Meaning even if your goal was to do the right thing you could still end up doing the wrong thing. Even if you love someone and want only what's best for them you could still end up ruining their life."
Charlotte wanted to argue but she couldn't help but think that he had a point. Her father may have had her best interests at heart but he never really made choices for her based on her own thoughts and feelings. He just always assumed that he knew what was best for her and before now she didn't particularly see it as a bad thing.
"It appears you have finished your meal." Alastor observed while unintentionally interrupting her thoughts. He emerged from his chair. "I shall excuse myself now. Niffty will soon come to take your plate. I bid you a goodnight Charlotte."
"Wait."
"Yes my dear?"
"I really enjoyed talking with you again. Especially this time. Will you please continue to talk with me at dinner?"
"Of course."
"And when you do will you please sit at the table with me?"
By the look in his eyes she feared that he would say no. Luckily he replied with,
"If you wish it my beauty then it shall be."
He said no more after that and slowly left the dining room.