Chapter 52 - - 52 : It’s over now
It was late afternoon when Riette von Lindman arrived at Herhardt's mansion, his carriage loaded with luggage for his short stay at Arvis.
"Welcome, Riette." Elysee von Herhardt greeted him cheerfully, "I wish my sister had come with you."
"My mother is going on a trip soon."
"She must be planning a trip to the south for winter."
"Yes, she detests the cold." Riette smiled as he conveyed his mother's regards with a gentle voice. "Where's Madam Norma?"
"She's taking a nap at the moment. You may say hello to her later."
Elysee von Herhardt led Riette to the living room.
As a cousin and a close friend of Matthias, he had wandered in and out of Arvis growing up, and was already considered a part of the family.
The two had tea in the living room, after which Riette went for a stroll in the woodlands of the Herhardt estate. Matthias wouldn't return until nightfall, and it would take some time for the servants to organise Riette's belongings. Thus, curiosity got the better of him. Riette decided to set out for a special occasion: to meet the elusive child who lived in the woods, Leyla. In other words, the woman who was wreaking havoc in Matthias and Claudine's once orderly life.
Riette knew the child, but he had never spared her a single glance. To him, she was just one of many in the bevy of servants who took up residence in Arvis. He sympathised with her plight and thought of her as quite a pretty girl, but that was all. So imagine Riette's surprise when he discovered that the woman Matthias had taken an interest in was Leyla Lewellin.
Scandalous affairs between aristocrats and their servants were nothing new, but if the aristocrat were to be Duke Herhardt, the story would take on a life of its own. Even if it was just a passing fancy.