Chapter 9 #2
“Thank goodness for Riley, then, although I am going to miss Norma Jean bringing everyone around since that was really the only time I got to see her in any given week.”
“You know where she lives.”
“And also know that sometimes it seems as if the very air I breathe irritates her.”
Rhenick’s eyes began twinkling again. “Breathing can be irritating to girls at times.”
“I’m certainly not going to stop doing that simply to appease her, just as I’m not going to question her about that strategizing again because that’ll just turn her surlier than ever.
” Seth winced. “A surly Norma Jean isn’t exactly pleasant to be around, which means I’ll need to figure out the strategizing dilemma on my own unless .
. .” He stopped talking when a thought sprang to mind.
“Now that I think about it, your sister was at the fair, and I bet Coraline would tell you, since you are known to share a more-than-friendly relationship with your sisters, what all that strategizing is about.”
Rhenick folded his hands over his stomach. “I’m not going to ask Coraline about the matter because, if I’m right about what I think they might be doing, that would be breaking a lady code on Coraline’s part if she were to disclose any details.”
“They really have lady codes?”
“An entire slew of them. But since I’m not a lady, I feel no hesitation in explaining to you what I think the strategizing is about—and that would be matchmaking.”
Of anything Seth had been thinking, that hadn’t been close. “Surely you’re mistaken.”
“I’d say there’s a ninety-nine percent chance I’m not, since you mentioned that Annaliese seems to be aware of what this strategizing was about.
That suggests she’s aware of what the girls are up to.
And, because you also mentioned that Norma Jean said your mother might know, the only logical conclusion is that you and Annaliese are now the object of some adolescent and motherly scheming. ”
“What an utterly terrifying thought.”
“Indeed, although I wouldn’t fret that you’ll need to be terrified for long. Adolescent girls, as you already mentioned, are notorious for not lingering on a cause, unless, of course, you’ve given any of them an indication that you’d like to form a romantic alliance with Annaliese.”
“The thought of a romantic alliance hasn’t crossed my mind in years.”
“And I don’t believe that’s true because you’ve remarked to me on more than one occasion how fascinating you find Annaliese’s symmetrical face,” Rhenick countered.
“Who wouldn’t find a symmetrical face fascinating? They’re very rare.”
“Drusilla’s face isn’t symmetrical, but I find her to be the most fascinating, and need I add, beautiful lady in the world.
” Rhenick smiled. “And Seraphina’s face isn’t symmetrical either, and even though she’s currently not looking her best, Drusilla swears that Seraphina would have been deemed a Diamond of the First Water if she’d been given the chance to make her debut in New York high society. ”
“It’s difficult to look your best when you’re attaching moles to your face.”
“You know that Seraphina’s adding moles?”
“Would have been difficult not to notice when one of them was all but flapping in the breeze the other day but was then miraculously reattached after she gave it a push. Moles don’t usually have the ability to reattach themselves.”
“Did you mention it to her?”
“That would have been a bit rude.” Seth folded his hand over his stomach.
“And while I realize that everyone believes I’m rather obtuse, that’s not always the case.
Clearly, Seraphina’s disguised herself for a reason, just as, clearly, she doesn’t want to talk about it.
With that said, though, I do have an adhesive I’ve mixed up that would keep her moles firmly stuck, and probably for a good month or so.
I’m just not sure I should offer it to her since, again, she’s never broached the matter of why she’s masquerading as a less-than-attractive lady. ”
“She might appreciate the adhesive because I doubt that Seraphina wants any students to see her moles go flapping away again. That would definitely have speculation running rampant regarding the why behind Seraphina’s disguise.”
Seth frowned. “And the why is what exactly?”
“Not really sure,” Rhenick admitted. “All I know is that Seraphina is currently experiencing some type of family drama back in New York and that she told Drusilla she needs to lay low for a while.”
“Is she in danger?”
“Perhaps, which is why Drusilla took the liberty of hiring more security to watch over the academy and castle while we’re away.”
“I’ll make a point to visit the academy often while you’re gone as well,” Seth said. “I was already intending on stopping by to make sure Norma Jean is behaving herself, as well as to deliver a vivarium I’m making for Annaliese.”
“You’re making Annaliese a vivarium?” Rhenick repeated slowly.
“I couldn’t very well sit back and let her continue studying all those insects and spiders she collects from those old glass containers she’s currently using when I can provide her with something far better.”
“How do you know she keeps her bugs in old glass containers?”
“I saw them two days ago, after I went with Annaliese to hunt for Pippin, who’d gotten her little ferret feelings hurt after Annaliese scolded her about Harriet and was refusing to come when Annaliese called for her.
We ended up down in the dungeons, where Pippin was sulking, and while Annaliese went about the business of coercing her ferret to come out of an old suit of armor, I took a few moments to look around her collection.
It didn’t take me long to realize she could use some better containers, and ones that would allow her insects to be contained in environments that mimicked their natural habitats. ”
“I imagine Annaliese appreciated you offering to build her some of those environments.”
“I never got a chance to tell her what I was planning because Norma Jean came to fetch us since Agent Pearson didn’t want to discuss the plans for tracking down Ottilie until Annaliese was present.
That put a rapid end to my thoughts of vivariums, terrariums, and aquariums, because the very idea of finding an old treasure map that might be a viable lead to, not only Ottilie, but a pirate’s treasure is downright riveting. ”
“It will also make a most excellent adventure for a wedding holiday,” Rhenick added with a grin. “Your mother made a point to tell me how exciting adventures are for wedding trips, as well as told me that there’s nothing quite like a love story set on the high seas.”
“Mother has far too much romance on her mind these days, but to return to what we were originally discussing, which I believe might have been symmetrical faces, I’m beginning to think I may need to revise my theory since symmetry doesn’t seem to be the root cause for why gentlemen find ladies attractive. ”
Rhenick stretched out his legs even as his eyes began twinkling again.
“Your mind is a peculiar thing, Seth, because I’d forgotten all about the symmetry business, probably because I’m more interested in why you’re building Annaliese a vivarium—and a terrarium and aquarium from the sound of things. ”
“As I believe I already mentioned, I don’t want her to make do with subpar equipment, not when it won’t take me more than the rest of the day to get a few more containers put together.”
“And that’s the only reason you’re taking an entire day out of your busy schedule to make bug containers?”
Seth opened his mouth but then swallowed the yes that was on the tip of his tongue because, if he was being honest with himself, that wasn’t exactly true.
What was true was this—Annaliese had proclaimed herself an abject failure more than once when in his company, but she was anything but a failure.
Granted, she had misplaced his sister, but Norma Jean had always had a certain disregard for the rules.
Frankly, she would have been able to slip away from any instructor once she decided she wanted to see Velma get sawed in half, but Annaliese had really taken losing some students at the fair to heart.
That right there is why he’d wanted to do something for her that would distract her from the whole being-a-failure business, and insect containers had seemed like the perfect way to do that distracting, and . . .
“I think there are more qualities that fascinate you about Annaliese other than her symmetrical face,” Rhenick said, yanking Seth from his thoughts.
“Perhaps,” he admitted.
“There’s no perhaps about it, which is why I’m going to encourage you to sort through what those qualities are, but . . .” Rhenick caught Seth’s eye. “Don’t make an actual list about Annaliese’s attributes because those types of lists always get gentlemen in trouble.”
“That only happens if a gentleman is idiotic enough to make a pros and cons list, but there’s nothing I would write as a con for Annaliese because she doesn’t have any.”
Rhenick settled back in the chair. “A telling statement if there ever was one. And, because of that statement, I don’t believe you’re going to need the matchmaking services of Norma Jean’s friends, or your mother for that matter, because, if you ask me, you’re already well on your way toward a courtship with Annaliese. ”
“Except that Annaliese has given me no reason to believe she finds anything about me fascinating.”
Rhenick smiled. “I doubt that’s true, but even if it is, all you need to do to change that is to allow her to see who you really are and not the mad inventor everyone believes you to be.
I bet if you do that, she’s going to discover that you’re an intriguing man indeed, and if I’m right about that, then you and I might very well go from being the best of friends to actually being family. ”