The Knight's Mysterious Maid-Chapter 38: Returning gifts (3)

Delilah was glad to see the butler who would answer her question and scold the maid for not being compliant. She deserved to be fired. "Who does the dress in her hands belong to? Is Lady Beatrice still here?" She asked.

Edwin looked at the white dress Annalise was holding. He didn’t see why Delilah had any interest in it unless she wished to know where it came from to buy one for herself. "That dress belongs to Annalise-"

"Do not try to fool me. A maid could not possibly afford that dress. The quality of it looks like it would cost a month’s worth of her pay," Delilah said, reaching out to touch the dress with her fingers. She knew dresses well and this one could never belong to a maid. Annalise would have to be foolish to waste her money on a dress which did not suit her.

"The dress was a gift from the young master-"

"What?" Delilah exclaimed, looking at Edwin as if he had grown a second head. "Why would Rafael do such a thing for her?" She looked at Annalise who continued to be a problem. Since when did Rafael buy dresses for a woman and for a maid of all people? Her mother’s words were starting to happen that men would look to spoil the maids they were either sleeping with or wanted to.

"There was an incident last night so these are her gifts to her. Carry on with what you were doing Annalise," Edwin said so he could get her away from Delilah’s growing anger. "I’m afraid Beatrice is not here so I can call upon your carriage."

"I am here to see Rafael," Delilah said, following Annalise up the stairs. She wanted to get a closer look at the dress in Annalise’s hands.

"He doesn’t need this headache today," Edwin muttered. Instead of following Delilah, he went to close the front doors. He hoped that whoever Rafael picked to be his wife, was not Delilah. She was wary of the smallest things and made life hard for the servants sometimes. Mostly the maids.

Meanwhile, as Annalise walked to Rafael’s study, she listened closely to Delilah’s footsteps not far behind her. Why was one single dress causing all of this? Annalise would happily give it to Delilah if she asked nicely.

Annalise ignored the young woman storming behind her and looked for any signs of what caused the noise last night. Nothing seemed to be out of place. ’Maybe it was a drunk guest who wandered too far,’ she concluded.

Annalise stopped in front of the door, and before she could knock on the door, she felt the dress being yanked out of her hands. She was almost tempted to yank it back and watch Delilah fall. She had plenty of lessons to teach those who were rude.

Delilah’s jealousy was starting to become unbearable. Annalise wondered if Delilah was like this with someone who had no interest in Rafael, what was she like with other women who didn’t hide their interest? The only thing Annalise would like to do with Rafael was kill him if he were to be sent out to fight against her people.

If not for the fact that she was using Rafael’s home as a way to gather information from the palace and other men in the king’s army, she would have already made an attempt to end his life.

"Let me see the dress," Delilah said, trying to pull it out of Annalise’s strong grip.

"You are like a child," Annalise spoke, but then bit her lip. So much for her biting her tongue and being a good maid. It wasn’t her fault this time since there was someone tugging on what belonged to her.

Delilah reminded her of a small dog pulling a piece of rope to play with. Desperately trying to get it out of her hands.

"A child?" Delilah stared at Annalise in disbelief.

Annalise held onto the dress with one hand and knocked on the door with the other. She hoped Rafael was here so his presence could make Delilah change her act and leave her alone. She would stick Delilah on Rafael and then run away. She almost felt bad that he had to deal with Delilah like a fly in his ear.

"Enter." Annalise heard his voice from the inside.

Rafael looked up from his letter to the door, expecting it to be Edwin coming inside with something for him to drink or eat. Annalise standing before him was a surprise. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it when he saw Delilah right behind her. Had he known she was coming again, he would have locked the door or gone out to the training grounds.

What were Delilah’s parents thinking when they let her come to the house of a man without an escort? Then there was the fact that there were many knights present. Were they hoping she would have her reputation ruined and he would marry her to save her? Their plans would go to waste since he would do no such thing.

After the many times he rejected Delilah and then at the party, he thought she would finally move on.

Annalise wasn’t surprised that Delilah let go of the dress now that they were standing before Rafael. Annalise wondered if she said Rafael’s name around Delilah like he was walking toward them if she could watch the two personalities Delilah has switch.

Rafael leaned back in his chair, preparing for the trouble that would come from the two of them being together in his study. "What do you two need?"

"I came to return the dress," Annalise said, holding out the dress.

Delilah turned to Annalise, who must have lost her mind. Rafael bought her a dress and she was giving it back? That dress should be treasured. Still, she would rather something Rafael had given to another woman is given back or destroyed.

"Why? Is it not to your liking?" Rafael asked. He didn’t know much about dresses, nor did he have the time to pick one himself, so he left the task to Edwin. From what he saw in the dress Annalise was holding up, it wasn’t a bad one. "I don’t know what kind of dresses women like. Go with Edwin next time to pick one you like."

"What am I to do with this?" Annalise asked since she had no use for the dress. Cara did not want to take it. "Can it be returned?"

"There is no need for that. Give it to the maid of your choice. I will inform Edwin to take you next time," said Rafael.

"There is no need for you to give me a new dress. You are not the one who ruined it. I have a few more that I can wear. Thank you for the concern, but you can stop now. You’ve already done more than enough. I have no one to give it to, so I shall leave it here," Annalise said, walking toward a chair to place the dress.

"What am I, as a man to do with a dress? I don’t care to return it. Simply pick a maid and let them have it or sell it to make money. What is so difficult about that?" Rafael asked. Why couldn’t she just accept that he was trying to make up for what Connor had put her through? Many would jump at the chance for a new dress.

"Perhaps it would be better for her to go with a lady. I can take her," Delilah offered. frёewebnoѵēl.com