Tainted Innocence

Chapter XI

Have fun reading chapter XI. :)

Chapter XI

Ecco took her blindfold off the moment she stepped over the threshold of what supposedly was his front door.

"Follow me.", the woman said distantly.

Lynn did as told and soon entered a spacious dining room which she hadn't set eyes on during her last visit.

Jeremiah was standing with his back to her at the far end of the room, seemingly looking at a huge, old- fashioned oil painting of the Russian Winter Palace in St. Petersburg.

"Pardon my sudden demand of your presence. I hope I didn't cause you any inconvenience.", he said without turning around.

"I was in dire need of some company."

Lynn threw a glance at Ecco who eyed her bosse's back with an indifferent expression on her face.

There was no way of telling whether the woman had taken offence to his words. After all he'd just unapologetically stated that he didn't see his proxy as company.

"I hope you haven't already had dinner. Consider this a surprise and my way of offering an apology for my behaviour at the hospital. It seemed to me that words just weren't enough.", he went on, turned around and gestured smugly at the huge dining table that stood in the middle of the room.

It was only now that Lynn saw the dished up food that was bathed in the warm light of multiple candles.

Confused she stared at the table. The sight reminded her of those awful historical movies where the young noble woman sits down to dine with a stranger she now has to call husband.

She cleared her throat nervously.

"Uhm... No, I didn't have dinner..."

Jeremiah clapped his hands.

"Excellent. I thought we should start the evening with something dignified like a dinner. Please, take a seat."

He flashed his white teeth at her in a bright smile that was gone in an instant when he turned his attention to Ecco who had been silently waiting for instructions the entire conversation.

"You can leave."

His proxy bowed her head and exited the room.

Lynn watched her retreating form disappear around the corner, feeling a bit sorry for her. Yes, she was some kind of servant, but that didn't mean he had to treat her with such condescendence.

Still nervous she sat on the chair at the end of the table while Jeremiah was taking up position at its head.

It felt strange. He seemed to sit miles away from her.

"Uhm...", she started.

"Who... uhm cooked all this?" She gestured at the food.

"Ecco took care of that. She ordered the food at the most expensive restaurant in Gotham."

Lynn's eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to tell him that he shouldn't spend so much money on dinner with a friend, but he interrupted her.

"Please, just enjoy it, Lynn. Enjoy the food, the evening, and, hopefully, my company.", he said, blushing slightly at the last three words.

She smiled lopsidedly. Eight years of friendship and he was still afraid of losing her favour or getting on her nerves.

"I'll always enjoy your company, Jeremiah. You mean so much to me. You are my only best friend.", she reassured him. Then she helped herself to the food, wanting to show her goodwill and compliance.