The Fourth Mistress

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Sweat trickled down from Louise's forehead as she dreamt behind her closed eyelids. It was the time when she had been standing next to her father, who was sick, who breathed in great difficulty and coughed blood because of the damage the consumption had done to his lungs. She sat next to her father's bed, holding his hand that had turned cold as his body trembled before his breathing stopped and his little hold on her small hand loosened.

She felt something wet and warm in her hand. Bringing her hand in front of her face, she saw her palm covered with blood.

When a loud thunderstruck in the sky, it broke Louise's dream as well as her sleep, and a flash of lighting tried to pass through the curtains of her windows. It was soon followed by a rumble of thunder, the sound causing vibrations on the windows and the objects in the house while waking her up from her sleep.

Louise sat upright on her bed, her breathing shallow as she tried to pull her thoughts away from her dream.

She wiped the sweat that had formed on her forehead. Pushing the cover away from her body, she stepped out of her bed, placing her feet on the ground to get a glass of water for herself. But when she got near the jug of water, she noticed it to be empty.

A sigh escaped from Louise' lips.

Lazy to light the candle and go to the kitchen to drink water, she went back and sat on the edge of the bed, holding her face in both of her hands.

It had been a while since she had last dreamt of her parents dying. When she was small, the dreams had recurred enough to have her uncle and aunt worry. And even though she missed her parents, this was not how she wanted to see them.

The next three days, Louise didn't go to Mr. Winkle's office to work as he had closed the office temporarily because of the rain. It wasn't because it had rained too heavily, but because news had reached her through his letter that he had slipped on the slippery staircase and had hurt his back and leg. With no files to work on, it gave her time to study for the exam.

In the afternoon, Louise was studying when she heard someone knock on her room's door.

"I thought you could use some break," said Uncle Hugo, carrying two mugs of coffee in his hands as he entered the room. "What are you reading?" he handed one of the mugs to her.

"It is about one of the cases that took place in Peryvall. A person who was wrongly accused and was put behind the bars, at least that is what it looks like but there's no other suspect," explained Louise.

"One can never be too sure, can one?" hummed her uncle before taking a peek outside the window, where the atmosphere had turned gloomy. "Sometimes people wrongly get labelled for no reason."

"Like Graham?" questioned Louise.

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"Maybe like Graham," replied Uncle Hugo, and he let his back lean against the table. "Us people, we sometimes don't know the truth and we jump into conclusions too quickly. We thrive on stories and the wild imagination. I would have questioned his character if he didn't go to find you three days ago. But he cared enough to search and safely bring you back home, and that means he has a good character."

It seemed that Graham had won her uncle's approval, thought Louise to herself.

"How do you find him?" asked her uncle, surprising her with his question.

"He, uh, he's good," nodded Louise while clutching the warm coffee mug. "He is polite and was nice with me. Maybe a little too serious. He doesn't smile that much." But considering what happened to his last three marriages, she didn't blame his cold behaviour.

Her uncle laughed at her words, "I am sure you will liven him up. Have you thought about his family? Mrs. Reed said they all live together and I heard what your aunt Merlin had to say about the soiree you attended. Will you be alright with the woman?"

That was a whole different equation to work on, thought Louise in her mind.

When you married someone, you married their family too, and Louise wondered how hard it would be to live under the same roof where Mrs. Reed lived. This would be something she would be able to understand once she would be married.

The next morning, the sky had cleared, and Louise placed Graham's coat in a bag. She picked her brown dress with white dots on them, braiding her hair before letting it rest on one side of her shoulder.

She finally left home to meet Graham Reed, to give her answer.

Reaching the building that belonged to Reed's family, Louise knocked on the front door for one of the workers to attend to her.

"I am here to speak to Mr. Reed," she let the worker know, who nodded his head as he had seen the woman a few evenings ago.

"Please come in," said the worker, leading Louise to the front of the office door. "Mr. Reed, Ms. Evardon is here."

Louise thanked the worker before stepping inside the room to see Graham sitting behind the desk with papers in front of him. He wore a pale blue shirt with a coat above it. On seeing her, he stood up to greet her, "I wasn't expecting to see you this soon, Ms. Evardon." It was because she had asked for a week from his mother to decide on her answer.

Louise raised her hand to show the bag, "What can I say, I have been told I have the habit of surprising people," she smiled.

"I am sure I have already noticed that surprising element. Please take a seat," Graham pointed his hand towards the seat in front of the desk.

Louise wondered if he was talking about the time she had surprised his mother, and thinking about it, she cleared her throat. Remembering the bag in her hand, she placed it on the table, "I brought your coat. It has been washed and ironed."

"You didn't have to trouble yourself with it," Graham's words were polite while he picked up the bag to place it down near him.

When his eyes met hers, Louise wet her lips before saying the words she had come here to say, "I came here to answer the question that was asked before," taking a deep breath, she then said, "Mr. Reed, I would like to go ahead with the marriage."

She had given enough thoughts while weighing the possible pros and cons. His wives were all dead, and it was in the past, but there was something she wanted to ask him.

"Though I have already given you my answer, there is something I would like to ask you before we finalize my answer," said Louise, capturing his attention. It was something she had wanted to ask the night she had been caught in the rain, but she had ended up asking something else.

"Please go ahead," said Graham. His eyes were curious but also patient.

She pursed her lips before parting them to say, "You said, you said that you were heartbroken from your last wife's death. I understand that you love her and she will be someone I won't be able to take place of, but will her absence or her memories ever be something that-" she paused for a moment, not knowing how exactly to frame the words before she continued, "Will I be valued the same way or lesser?" she came directly to the point.

Humans were creatures who led their lives by getting attached to something, and the memory of a person either increased too much where people found it hard to let go or forgot about the person.

Louise didn't mind being the fourth mistress or wife, but she wouldn't allow herself to end up in a marriage where she would not be valued or loved equally or more.

Graham nodded his head as if in agreement to her question, and his eyes unblinkingly looked at her. He said, "In the last five years, I didn't agree to marry any of the young women whom my mother suggested because I never took a liking to any of them. But with you, it is different. I like you."

Hearing his direct words, Louise clutched her bag that she had placed on her lap. His words seemed sincere, and her blood rushed up to her neck.

"I wouldn't marry someone I do not like. To answer your question, once you become my wife, you will be treated with love and respect," explained Graham. Louise was glad that the man didn't beat around the bush and was rather straightforward in answering her question. "My past marriages are an unavoidable part of my life, but you don't have to worry about it."

Louise nodded her head understandingly. She said, "I will let my uncle and aunt know about my decision, Mr. Reed."

"I will relay your decision to my family. I am sure they have been as eager as me to hear your decision. You can call me, Graham...Louise," he tested as her name rolled out of his tongue.

She was open-minded compared to the other women when it came to her thoughts and words, but she had been unprepared for Graham's words, which was why she was slightly tongue-tied.

"Thank you, Graham," and she stood up from her seat as they had finished talking.

"How did you come here?" questioned Graham, his olive-green eyes watching her and her hand that rose to tuck the piece of hair behind her ear before it dropped to her side.

"I used the local carriage," answered Louise. "It was hotter today compared to other days," she let him know. If it weren't for the weather, Louise would have come by walk. "I should get going now," she said, ready to leave.

"I am heading home now. Let me drop you at your place," offered Graham, putting the papers inside the drawer and locking it.

Louise was more than happy to get a drop as she didn't have to wait for the local carriage as she had planned not to walk back home. "Okay," she agreed. She followed him outside the building where the carriage had already been parked in front of the building's entrance.

When Graham and Louise reached her house, he said, "I will let you know what my family has decided."

To let him know, Louise said, "I won't be at work for a few days. Mr. Winkle closed the office for two weeks as the doctor advised him to rest."

"I know. I meant I will come to visit you here," responded Graham.

"You do?" asked Louise, not knowing Graham knew Mr. Winkle closely.

He replied, "Habsburg is a small town. Words pass from one mouth to another. I heard it from one of my acquaintances. You know how news spreads." Louise nodded her head.

"Right," agreed Louise, and she offered him a small bow. "Thank you for the ride again."

"It is my pleasure. I will see you soon," said Graham.

"Take care...Graham," she said, not used to dropping honorifics, but this would be something she would need to get used to. After all, she had agreed to marry him.

"Louise," he gave her a nod before getting inside the carriage and departing from there.

On reaching Reed's manor, Graham conveyed Louise's acceptance to marry him, and his sister was the first one to turn excited, and she clapped both her hands together.

"I am so happy that she's agreed," Alison hugged her brother. "I knew she was different from most of them. I cannot wait for her to join our family."

His father offered him a nod from where he was seated. "It is indeed good news. I am sure your mother is the happiest one in the room," said his father, turning to look at his wife, who was looking at her son with a slight smile on her lips.

Graham said, "She took less than a week's time." He said this because his mother had been passively furious after she had come back from Louise' home because Louise had decided to take a week before deciding if she wanted to marry him or not.

His mother's gaze didn't deter away from him, and she gave him a nod. She said, "Good for her. Looks like the next coming days we'll be busy as we need to prepare for your wedding."

Senior Mr. Reed began to plan, "Let me book the venue at St. Cathedral's-" but he was interrupted by his wife.

"This time let us hold a small wedding and it will be right here at the manor with only some of the guests. We don't want people talking and chattering unnecessary things," said Viola in a firm tone.

"Shouldn't we discuss this with Ms. Evardon's family?" asked Senior Mr. Reed. "We don't know how they want to hold the wedding."

"I am sure they will understand where we come from. Isn't that right, Graham?" asked Viola while turning to look at her son, knowing he never went against her wishes, at least most of it.

Contemplating the matter for a few seconds, Graham replied, "I will talk to her."

"Then it is settled," said Viola, looking at her husband, and she stepped out of the hall where everyone was present.