Heart's Content

Part Fifty

{'Stanway Interior' by Walter launt Palmer from Wikimedia Commons}

There was the faint sound of slight motion in other parts of the manor but for the most part the room Lisette sat in was silent for a time before the sound of footsteps echoed from the hall outside of the parlor. Lisette rose from her seat as the steps drew near and were shortly followed by the appearance of Lenora. She wore a powder blue gown made of light and airy fabric that swept loosely about her legs as she moved but with a bodice that clung tightly to her slender frame and bore a low décolletage that exposed her shoulders. Her sleeves were little more than strips of fabric that flowed about her pale arms just as the skirt did around her legs and she carried herself in a regal and relatively snobbish manner that was not unfamiliar to Lisette. Her attitude was confirmed when she placed her gaze on Lisette, her crystalline blue eyes set in a face with sharp features narrowing slightly above high cheekbones. The haughty expression was brief and she soon replaced it with an adoring smile as she turned slightly towards the door, tossing shimmering black waves of hair that lay just over her breasts back behind her shoulder before grasping the hand of the Master of the house.

Julien arrived in the parlor immediately behind Lenora, his skin deeply bronzed, the color highlighted against the loose cream colored tunic he wore that lay open at the neck, tastefully exposing a muscular chest enhanced by a moderate amount of golden chest hair the same color as the generous stubble that framed his jaw and mouth. He continued to hold Lenora's hand as they strode towards the sofa where Amelia had previously sat, his form athletic and his height exceeding Lenora's by a few inches though both of their forms were statuesque. Lenora sat with an elegant air while Julien fell playfully upon the cushions, his brown hair streaked with a golden tint, bouncing in a feathery way across his forehead that reminded Lisette of Sabien and she smiled faintly as she retook her seat.

He focused his green eyes on Lisette and Lenora's free hand curved over his bare forearm just below where his blouse was rolled up at his elbow, her own eyes placed steadily on Lisette as though she were assessing her. Lisette's confidence didn't wane and she shifted her eyes equally between the two of them, giving them each a pleasant smile and remaining silent as Amelia took a seat to the left of Julien, "Mister Abeleur, Miss Kuznekov – this is the young woman applying for the position of Miss Adelaide's governess, Lisette Olevine."

"Well met, Miss Olevine," Julien said with a bright smile that made Lisette understand at least in part the scrutiny she was under from Lenora. She was an undeniably attractive woman with a certain air of regality about her, but with that regal air came a quality which Lisette often found in the upper class and that was arrogance. She couldn't really fault Lenora for it, she knew that she had quite often been culpable for displaying personality traits that were less than appealing in any circumstance, but along with Lenora's strong sense of self, Lisette also recognized that the reason she was being visually dissected was because of jealousy and she did her best not to acknowledge that it had occurred to her. In a way Lenora's unfounded feeling was understandable, if Lisette had to make a comparison she would definitely say that Julien was as attractive as Nathaniel though he was likely several years older. The obvious difference to her was that there seemed to be something more sincere about him than she found in the former and in her mind making such a comparison was a bit distasteful considering how things had gone with Nathaniel when she was last alone with him.

Lenora shifted her gaze from Lisette and turned it towards Julien as though she were following his cue. Her expression suddenly softened up slightly as she offered a greeting as well, though the smile she donned seemed forced and didn't last long. She seemed very much like Amelia and Lisette found it a bit unnerving in a way that she couldn't pinpoint. "'Tis a pleasure to meet you, Miss Olevine."