BLOODY LOVE'S
Chapter 4's
It was the first time Jose had met Sir William.
The man was tall slender, with golden blonde hair as thick and dazzling as he looked.
His good looks make Sir William like out of a maestro painting. Many women are captivated in one glance.
Jose feels awkward. He gave his family pin as a sign of acceptance towards the new guy—Bjork had a habit of giving a family pin as big as a cuff as a symbol of recognition—and when staring at a smile as wide as eighty-five percent of his mouth was, he said, Jose lost all sympathy.
“You see his smile?” jose whispered to Dave who was also sipping brandy. Dave, Lord Dominic, lives some distance away from Bjork. But the man had always come to this city to argue in the Discussion Building.
“Why with his smile?” Dave whispered back from the lips of the glass. The curly end of her hair fell to the shoulder, making her look more like an artist than a landlord. “You don't like it when other people's teeth look white?”
“His smile looks fake.”
“That's right, Jose. Who is not fake here?” Dave moved the handle of his glass to form a curve that circled the room. The luxury of the party and its frenzy reflected there. The empty glass stopped in front of Jose's nose. “You, buddy, also fake.”
“Enak only, this is original.” Jose smoothes the collar of the suit in style. “A hundred percent without synthetic material.”
“Hey, there is nothing wrong with synthetic materials. Without it we can run out of natural resources.” Dave placed his empty glass on the tray of a passing servant, his right hand grabbing another still filled glass. “There is nothing wrong also with a fake smile, at least showing good faith.”
“Unfortunately, my friend, a fake smile is the beginning of all the bad things. Manipulator signs. Guess what the manipulator wants. Champagne?” Jose gave a sharp flick. He waved politely as some people he knew saluted from afar. “No, they want to manipulate others. What's good about a manipulation?”
"Naif,” scorn Dave. “Do you really like to pretend to be naive like this, Jose?”
Jose frowned at Mary who could now dance with Sir William in a waltz. “Uncle Marco said I should stay away from this guy, and I think the warning is true. My feelings are not good.”
“Which Marco's uncle? Which middleman is it?”
“Uncle, kunyuk. He said this guy is dangerous.”
Dave lowered his head, staring fixedly at Jose until the man pushed his forehead away.
“I know now,” Dave laughed softly. He tapped the end of the shoe to the rhythm of the dance. “I know what bothers you.”
“What?”
“You feel Sir William is a fake, you are distracted by it.”
“Yes, I just told you, Jenius.”
“But... ” Dave twisting the body, flicking a finger in front of Jose's nose. “... Not because of your uncle's warning.”
“Then?” Jose still has not let go of his gaze from Maria who moves smoothly to the rhythm of music.
Dave crossed his arms in front of his chest, nodding at his friend when he said short, “You're jealous.”
The music stopped, the couples stopped dancing and started chatting sweetly. Jose turned his legs, looking at Dave's black eyes with a frown.
“I can't smile as wide as that person,” he said slowly, “but jealousy because teeth is the dumbest thing I've ever heard.”
Jose was just about to move in search of Maria, but Dave pulled her up and grabbed her to the right. “You're usually as light as the wind, pal. No matter what other people do or force on others anymore, you don't care. So all these emotions of yours are incomprehensible, unless of course, you can progress with romance.”
”Omong empty.” Jose nudged Dave's ribs, then walked away looking for Maria.
He finds the girl talking to Sir William, discussing something Jose knows as the title of a romance novel. He rubbed his nose, trying to draw Mary's attention from the opposite direction. The girl glanced at him, raised an eyebrow, then looked back at Sir William's face. Jose sighed, deciding to interrupt the friendly talk.
“Goodnight,” her reply as it approaches. He stood by Mary's side, intending to show her the place. “If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to you for a minute. There's a personal affair.”
William immediately invited, saying that he also happened to have to greet the other guests, then walked away after giving each other a brief pat on the shoulder with Jose.
The smell of rust, Jose thought astonished as the man passed by. The combination of the aroma is strange, like a rose mixed with rust. He felt like he had kissed her somewhere, but nowhere.
“What's personal business?” Maria crossed her arms in front of her chest, staring with a demanding look.
Jose pointed at the wall clock with his chin, already at ten. “Time for Miss to go home,” she said with a smirk. “Your mother told me I should drive you home before half eleven.”
“Don't start like my dad, deh!” whispered Mary could not believe it.
“No, of course not.” Jose lowered his head, whispering briefly in the girl's ear, “I'm your nanny.”
Maria glared in anxiety, but was willing to retreat from the party. Not only are they leaving. Thanks to repeated warnings from the patrol police, some couples have gone home first.
After driving Mary home, Jose recalled the rust she had smelled from Sir William. He remembers where he once smelled the same rust.
The Higgins cottage.
***
A day has passed since Maria and Jose went to a party at Sir William's house, but the two have not seen each other again. Maria had walked to and fro around Lake Brich, half a kilometer from her home, looking for Jose. Unfortunately, the man was nowhere. Even on top of an ordinary tree there was nothing. Maria had already checked it by pushing her mouth and shouting out Jose's name.
Where the hell are you going, Jose? Maria thought upset. He kicked the pebbles hard, not paying attention to the direction.
He took a breath, pondering for a moment before finally walking into his car and telling the driver to go to Argent's residence.
...----------------...
“Maria!” Renata Argent, kissing on Maria's left and right cheeks, rubbed her shoulders fondly. His brown hair was tied back, clamped with an ancient black net. The woman gave a warm gaze of judgment. “You're a little ... skinny, huh? How you doing, honey? How's family? Winona?”
“Good, Nyonya—“
“Mother.” Renata blinked one eye full of conspiracy. A smile does not come off her thin lips. “I always wanted to have a daughter. Will you call me mom?”
Maria was worried for a moment. Calling someone else's mother as “Mother,” feels less true for her. He did not want to do it, but also could not refuse. So Maria just nodded and gave a polite nod. Fortunately, that was enough for Renata.
“Why, Honey? You want to meet Jose? She's upstairs, in her room.”
Mary followed the hostess, letting herself be led to sit in the living room. Even so, the uncomfortable feeling that had plagued him since yesterday still followed.
Is it because of the case of the dead man? Mary tried to find an excuse.
As soon as they sat down, Renata immediately turned her head and called her butler. A neatly sided old man with a silvery mustache appeared immediately.
“George, please call Jose,” pinta Renata. After the man left, he turned back to Maria. “So, did you dance yesterday with the popular Sir William?”
Maria buy. “You know?”
“Yes, everyone talked about it at the meeting,” Renata said lightly, not meant to flirt. “You danced with agility. He's a polite man, isn't he?”
“Ya, and .. very mysterious.”
“Misterius?”
“Ya.” Maria turned her eyes quickly. “I mean, his name is also a new person, right? Have you met him?” Maria's question made a strange stir on Renata's face. The woman averted her eyes, staring towards the entrance with a frown.
Maria watched him diligently, waiting for an answer. When the woman had just opened her lips to answer, George came to their center.
“Young Master is not feeling well. Young Master asked me to send an apology to Miss Garnet,” the man said politely.
Renata raised his eyebrows high, looking displeased, but he said nothing.
Maria spoke up. “What pain? Cough?”
George gave a faint smile before shaking slowly. “Young Master said, a short sleep must be healed.”
“Sorry Honey, but he did not talk much at breakfast earlier,” Renata said. He rubbed Maria's shoulders, asking in a soft tone, “Do you see our bees behind? The madam is soon ready to harvest.”
Maria shook her head slowly, “I'll just go home then.”
“You came by car or train? Need bodyguards? There's a Jack here—“
“No, no need, thank you.” Maria shook her head quickly, cutting off the woman's sentence. The upper class people who inhabited Bjork used to carry one or two bodyguards even though it was still daytime. But Mary does not like such things. He left the Argent residence with a rather upset heart.
If he's just a headache, he can come down and say it himself! Maria said in her heart as she got into the car.
***