Gabrielle could see the conflicting emotions racing through her. There was happiness at seeing him, but fright at the apparent anger that she had aroused in him. “I apologize, sir. I was simply trying to correct the girl, she has no idea what she is doing here, I—“
“Are you trying to say that my decision was incorrect?” he asked, narrowing his eyes on her. Gabrielle wasn’t even on the receiving end of his hardened glare and yet she found herself frightened. She couldn’t imagine how terrifying it must be for Ms. Blankenship.
“No, sir,” Ms. Blankenship said, shaking her head. “I just…I don’t…I think perhaps—“
“Would you like to know what I think?” Sebastian said, taking a slow step closer to her, intimidating her with his stature.
“Sir…I,” Ms. Blankenship cleared her throat, trying to form an excuse fast enough. “I always want to know what—“
“I think you’ve been doing this job for a little too long,” he said. His voice was low and he spoke deliberately. Gabrielle could have sworn she heard Ms. Blankenship’s heart fall to the ground and shatter into little pieces. She knew she heard the small gasp of Kaia and Nettie as the other women watched the drama play out in front of them.
“Sir, no, I—“
“You are relieved of your duties, Sarah,” Sebastian said. Gabrielle could have sworn that she heard a hint of sadistic pleasure in his voice as he said the words. She could see Ms. Blankenship begin to shake.
“Please, sir,” she pleaded with him, reaching out for him but stopping before she actually touched him. “Please, I have been with you for nearly a century—“
“Then it is definitely time for a change,” he said as he took another step toward her. “I don’t want to see your face around this office again. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, sir,” Ms. Blankenship said, the words barely making it past her ghost white lips. She swallowed heavily and dropped her eyes to the floor as Sebastian stepped past her and came face to face with Gabrielle.
“Today must have been a bit overwhelming for you,” he said, his voice softening considerably. “You need some rest. Go home. Rest. You may return the following morning.”
“I…thank you, sir,” Gabrielle said, unable to think of anything else to say. His presence clogged her mind and made her knees weak. She could feel her cheeks heating up as he continued to look at her with a strange gleam in his eyes. Just before it became unbearably uncomfortable, he looked away to the other women that worked for him.
“I expect you ladies to get her up to speed,” he said, his voice turning harsh again. “And I better not find my orders disobeyed, or you will find I can do far worse than relieve you of your responsibilities in my office.”
The women had mirrored shocked expressions on their faces as they both voiced their understanding of his orders. Gabrielle began to walk towards the doorway, ready to get out of this office and go to her new home and her new bath and her new bed. But a thought crossed her mind and she just couldn’t leave yet.
“Sir,” she said, whirling around before her nerves could stop her. She could feel the heat of nervousness engulfing her. She didn’t know how inappropriate it was for her to question him, but she didn’t care. “I was wondering…is…is Aracella alright?”
Sebastian was silent, watching her out of the corner of his eyes from over his shoulder. For a moment she feared that he would turn around, his kindness towards her all gone, and give her an equal tongue-lashing as he had given to Ms. Blankenship.
“She will be fine,” he said finally, his voice hiding any trace of emotion. “I was able to find her in time.”
Gabrielle was relieved, and she almost, for just a moment, thought she saw something in his face that told her he was happy she asked. It was his sister after all, so it would make sense. Though he just seemed so emotionless it was difficult
“Are you trying to say that my decision was incorrect?” he asked, narrowing his eyes on her. Gabrielle wasn’t even on the receiving end of his hardened glare and yet she found herself frightened. She couldn’t imagine how terrifying it must be for Ms. Blankenship.
“No, sir,” Ms. Blankenship said, shaking her head. “I just…I don’t…I think perhaps—“
“Would you like to know what I think?” Sebastian said, taking a slow step closer to her, intimidating her with his stature.
“Sir…I,” Ms. Blankenship cleared her throat, trying to form an excuse fast enough. “I always want to know what—“
“I think you’ve been doing this job for a little too long,” he said. His voice was low and he spoke deliberately. Gabrielle could have sworn she heard Ms. Blankenship’s heart fall to the ground and shatter into little pieces. She knew she heard the small gasp of Kaia and Nettie as the other women watched the drama play out in front of them.
“Sir, no, I—“
“You are relieved of your duties, Sarah,” Sebastian said. Gabrielle could have sworn that she heard a hint of sadistic pleasure in his voice as he said the words. She could see Ms. Blankenship begin to shake.
“Please, sir,” she pleaded with him, reaching out for him but stopping before she actually touched him. “Please, I have been with you for nearly a century—“
“Then it is definitely time for a change,” he said as he took another step toward her. “I don’t want to see your face around this office again. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, sir,” Ms. Blankenship said, the words barely making it past her ghost white lips. She swallowed heavily and dropped her eyes to the floor as Sebastian stepped past her and came face to face with Gabrielle.
“Today must have been a bit overwhelming for you,” he said, his voice softening considerably. “You need some rest. Go home. Rest. You may return the following morning.”
“I…thank you, sir,” Gabrielle said, unable to think of anything else to say. His presence clogged her mind and made her knees weak. She could feel her cheeks heating up as he continued to look at her with a strange gleam in his eyes. Just before it became unbearably uncomfortable, he looked away to the other women that worked for him.
“I expect you ladies to get her up to speed,” he said, his voice turning harsh again. “And I better not find my orders disobeyed, or you will find I can do far worse than relieve you of your responsibilities in my office.”
The women had mirrored shocked expressions on their faces as they both voiced their understanding of his orders. Gabrielle began to walk towards the doorway, ready to get out of this office and go to her new home and her new bath and her new bed. But a thought crossed her mind and she just couldn’t leave yet.
“Sir,” she said, whirling around before her nerves could stop her. She could feel the heat of nervousness engulfing her. She didn’t know how inappropriate it was for her to question him, but she didn’t care. “I was wondering…is…is Aracella alright?”
Sebastian was silent, watching her out of the corner of his eyes from over his shoulder. For a moment she feared that he would turn around, his kindness towards her all gone, and give her an equal tongue-lashing as he had given to Ms. Blankenship.
“She will be fine,” he said finally, his voice hiding any trace of emotion. “I was able to find her in time.”
Gabrielle was relieved, and she almost, for just a moment, thought she saw something in his face that told her he was happy she asked. It was his sister after all, so it would make sense. Though he just seemed so emotionless it was difficult
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