Beastly Desires

Chapter Eighteen

Colette was snatched from sleep at the sound of soft rapping on her bed chamber door. She blindly felt around her for the iron poker she had plucked from beside the hearth. She felt its slender frame and wrapped her fingers around it.

Light spilled in from a window from across the room and she wildly blinked away the glaring brightness.

"Y-yes?" She stuttered. What time of day was it? Had she slept  past sunrise?

There was another knock and a soft rattle of her door handle.

"C- coming. Just... a moment." Colette shimmed out from beneath the thick blanket and partially crawled off the bed. It was so big that five people could have slept side by side in it comfortably.

She padded softly across the cold floor and unlocked the door, pulling it slightly ajar. She peeked around into the breath of space.

Beatrice stood on the other side with a raised eyebrow that insinuated impatience. She carried a pitcher of water and sponge in her hands.

Colette reluctantly stepped aside to let the maid in. Beatrice eyed the iron poker in her hand before sashaying towards the hearth. She started on a pot of water to warm, before dragging out a large metal basin from beside the wardrobe.

Colette didn't feel dirty but she certainly felt cold. A warm wash seemed appropriate but she didn't want to waste any precious time. She needed to see her father right away.

"I'm going to see my father first," She stated, her hands on her hips.

Beatrice paused and an unreadable emotion flashed across her face. She coughed a little before returning to preparing a bath for her. Colette knitted her eyebrows in frustration. If the incessant maid wasn't going to bring her to her father then she would go to him herself and started towards the door.

Colette heard the metal basin scrape across the floor as Beatrice stumbled towards her hurriedly. Colette quickened her pace and started down the long hall. She saw light pour in over the banister ahead and fill the hall in a bright, dusty-yellow hue. Had she really slept that long? Damn those blankets. Her body had slumped into a numbing drowsiness at the soft plushness that encased her.

She looked over her shoulder and saw Beatrice right on her heels with an arm stretched towards her. Colette dodged her hand, dipping low enough to send Beatrice tumbling partly over her.

"I'm seeing my father," Colette gritted out, pushing herself off the floor where she came down with Beatrice.

What was with this mad woman? Who was to keep her from seeing her father? As soon as she reached him, she would gather their things, what little each of them brought and be off. She didn't want to stay here any longer than she had too. Not with that beast of a man meandering somewhere about in this gigantic castle. 

Beatrice grabbed for her ankle, grunting as  Colette tried to shake her hand off. "Let. Go. Of. Me."

Her nightgown wasn't helping. She couldn't find her footing as the silky material slid beneath her wobbly knees like moving water. The gown's tie front  became unraveled at the neck from the pulling and tugging of the material and her sleeve slipped past her shoulder, exposing a good amount of skin and collarbone.

"If you do not let me go I will resort to thrashing." Colette bit out, scrambling towards the banister to hoist herself up. Beatrice grunted once more then dropped her ankle.

"Ah!" Colette hissed, as her nakle hit the stone floor with a loud thud. She glared at Beatrice who had suddenly gone pale. Her eyes were wide and her mouth slightly parted. Even her breathing had quieted. Colette whipped her head around to see what she was gawking at.