Dangerous Attraction

Isabelle Baudelaires point of view

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I WENT TO BED AROUND 7PM, but I woke up past midnight after dreaming that my mother was still here. Not being able to sleep anymore after that, I decided to get one of my books and go re-read it in the indoor garden, where Jade is, which used to be my moms favorite place in our manor here in Desmoulins. Nevertheless, I had totally forgot that the retired Duchess Delacroix and her son, the current Duke Delacroix would come here to spend a week with us.

So, when I got out of my chambers and met them there, I froze and suddenly anxiety began to creep inside of me. And when that happens, I usually began to annoyingly describe the persons entire physical features the same way writers do. Thankfully, Adrien snapped me out of it.

My memory of them had totally disappeared, after all, last time we met I was 10 years old, and my memories from my first 13 years are very faint, and usually sum up towards my mom, dad and my brothers. They were both taller than me, which was kind of intimidating but I managed to hid it.

”Daughter, don be disrespectful, ” dad muttered and I felt suddenly guilty for the way I greeted them in a rush. After all, he asked her to come to help me out.

Sighing, I took my book from Adriens hands, and then Mathis opened his chambers abruptly and stared at the book in my hands. ”Give me that! ” He asked like an animal.

I turned to the Duke, ”Please, hold this book as higher as you can, and do not let him get it. ”

He stared at me in pure confusion. ”Why? ”

”Because hes taller than me, but shorter than you. If I do it, hell get it. Please, ” rolling his eyes, beautifully annoyed, he did as I asked. I turned to my brother. ”I let you borrow the first 6 volumes. You don usually read books, so I doubt you have already finished them! ”

Mathis turned to Duke Dimitri and tried to get the book, but he did as I asked and didn let him get it. ”Oh, come on! I need that! ” He turned to me. ”Please, Belle, my dear, darling, amazing, outstanding, extraordinary, gorgeous, clever sister. I swear to you Ive finished reading all the six volumes, and now I need the seventh. Can you just read another? ”

I glared at him, ”You won win me over just by complimenting, asshole. And no, I cannot. Ask Adrien for his. ”

”Addy said he wouldn let me touch any of his books, because he doesn trust me with them. Please, let me have it, Belle. Please. Do you want me to kneel to you? ” Is he really this desperate?

”What an appealing offer, ” I pondered and he growled. But before he could humiliate himself in from of the members of House Delacroix, I held him by his arm. ”You should thank the Gods that Im such a good sister. ” Sighing, I turned to the Duke, ”Thank you, for helping me, Your Grace. But you can give it to him now. ”

He did as I said, still dumbfounded by the whole situation, and Mathis took it overjoyed. ”I love you! ” He exclaimed kissing my forehead. ”Can I go over to your chambers and get the 8th and the 9th volume as well? ”

I glared at him for an entire minute. ”If you damage any of my books, Mathis Delannoy Baudelaire, Im going to kick your ass and badmouth you to the girl you are in love with! ”

Anxiously, he nodded. ”They will be returned spotless! ”

Before he could head to my chambers, I held his arm again. ”Don be an ass. Greet our guesses! ” My demanding tone made him shiver.

Gulping he straighten his back and bowed to them. ”Duchess Genevieve Delacroix, ” he turned to her son. ”Your Grace, Duke Dimitri Carpentier Delacroix! Im Mathis Delannoy Baudelaire. Im sorry for the circumstances of our meeting, but Im genuinely honored to meet you both! ”

Grinning proudly, I released his arm. ”For a second you even looked like the Marquis you are supposed to be, ” I mocked and he rolled his eyes.

”Look whos talking. The Countess who greeted them in her nightclothes! ” I glared at him and he backed away.

”If you keep running your mouth like that, dear brother, Ill make sure you will never be able to read any volumes of The Lovers of June again! Better, Ill make sure to castrate you, so you will never be able to procreate, ” I looked down at his hip and back to his face. ”Don forget that Im only allowing you to read mine because you didn have yours, and because you begged me too, when you learned that the Lady you fancy is in love with the story. ” I teased him.

”Gods… ” he swallowed a curse. ”Sorry, dear sister. Now if you all excuse me, I need to get back to reading those books! ” Then he left to my chambers and we all stared at where he went, until he left with the remaining books. ”I owe you more three favors, Belle! ” He exclaimed entering his chambers and locking his door.

Smiling amused, I turned to the guests, who were staring at me with their jaw on the ground. ”I… Hm… ”

”Im sorry for this, ” dad exclaimed making me feel bad. ”I think my children to be very peculiar with each other, so, don bother about it. Right, Isabelle Delannoy Baudelaire? ” Hes tone had a warning in it.

I gulped. ”Yes, dad. ” When I was about to leave them, I turned my eyes to the guests again, ”Don bother about me. You must have heard the rumors, like everyone else. Im a freak. Weird and introverted. Strange and extremely awkward. With the horrible habit of cursing and threatening others, ” I giggled. ”Seeing me now must make you realize the rumors were all true, right? So, before anything, you shouldn expect anything from me, or you will get disappointed. ” I turned to my dad. ”Like my dad… While the rumors about Mathis aren all true, all of mine are correct, that is something you should be aware of. ”

Then I turned around and went down the stairs, annoyed with myself. Dad must be so embarrassed, darn it. I shouldn have let them see me dealing with Mathis like that. But it was stronger than me.

When I arrived at the indoor garden, Jade came to me. She probably sensed how emotionally shaken I must be. I sat under the green apple tree mother planted with me when I was 5, and she laid on my lap.

Jade is a black panther that dad presented me with five years ago, in my 18th birthday. She was the cub of my mothers panther that lived for 18 years, and died on the night Jade was born. So, its like having a part of mom with me.

I named her Jade after the female lead of my book, not to mention that in the 6th book of The Lovers of June I gave the fictional Jade a panther of present in her 23rd birthday. Well, in the book, Roman, the male lead, gave it to her, but Im the writer, so its the same thing. Although in the book, Jade name her new pet Eve.

”Mommy is alright, babe, ” I petted her head and she made a low sound. ”Alright, you got me. Im not that fine. I malfunctioned in front of my mothers best friend and her son. Dad must be so ashamed of me. It took me seven years to stop doing this when I was a child, and control it. But since mom died, it always happens when I get anxious. ”

Taking one of the green apples that was around me, I gave it to her and she ate it in one go. Jade loves green apples. And I guess she also loves the indoor garden as much as I do.

”Brother must also be embarrassed… ” I sighed. ”But let me tell you the news. Genevieve Delacroix is really beautiful, she looks like a Queen, and shes tall. As tall as my mom was. And her son is also dazzling to look at, although he looks like a giant. ”

Her gaze went for the other apples on the ground and I took three of them and began to feed her again.

”Although, by how he looked at me, he probably thinks Im a freak. A charmless Countess. As the others nobles also have called me in the past… ” I scoffed at myself. ”The ugly duckling of House Baudelaire. Its not my fault if, opposite to my siblings, I inherited my dads looks and not my moms. And that I may not look as feminine as the other Ladies in court. ”

Its probably one of the only insecurities I have. I grew up with people saying that if I had inherited my mothers charms, I would be pleasant to look at. But as I resemble my dad, I don look that feminine. Mom used to tell me otherwise, though, and that she loved the fact that I was like dad, and he also says the same.

But its hard for a child to grow up hearing people talk about how weird her appearance was. And the fact that I prefer reading than interacting with their superficial asses, made it all worse. Those male chauvinists are all against clever women who reads, because that threaten their fragile masculinity.

Although I would be lying if I said I don think Im gorgeous, because I know I am. They may talk shit about me, but that won make it come through. I do have charm, and a very sensual body, I should say, and Im not overestimating myself.

Letting out a tired sigh, I gave another apple to Jade. ”What would mom think of me if she saw me now, Jade? Would she also be disappointed? Would she be against me writing like dad is? Do you think she would also blackmail me into getting married? ”

I heard steps getting near us, and when it got even closer to where I was, I recognized it to be Adrien. He came to me and sat on my side, petting Jades back. Silent.

”Did they settle in? ” I asked after almost half-an-hour.

”Hm, ” his eyes turned to me, ”Im sorry, sister, I kind of eavesdropped on your conversation with Jade. ”

His politeness made me chuckle softly, ”If people knew you have the habit of eavesdropping everybodys conversations, Addy, they would have a cultural shock. ”

He blushed, ”Im sorry. ”

”Don be. Its not like me and Mat don have the same habit either. Besides, its not the first time you do such a thing, come on. Although people probably expect that from me and him, ” I pondered smiling. ”How much did you hear? ”

”Well, I followed you right when you left, although you didn seem to realize it. I can say I kind of… heard everything, ” by the look on his face, he seemed guilty. ”You didn disappoint me, sis. You never did! And mom would never act like dad does. I was 15 when she passed away, so my memories of her are more vividly than you must remember. Mom would probably fight with dad until he accepted and helped you out with your dreams. ”

I chuckled softly, ”Thats seems very much like how you reacted to it, Addy. I think the fact that you remember mom more vividly than we do may have had a big effect on your personality. While me and Mat are more like dad, you seem to be identical to her. I seem to be dads female version, while you are moms spitting image, and Mat is a mixture of moms appearance and dads personality. How tragic. ”

He giggled. ”You also have some physical traits that resemble mom, Belle. Not to mention that you are as strong as she was. And as a woman, you do have a mind that resembles hers a lot, ” that made me teary.

And I never cry. Im not so good handling my emotions at all. Which is kind of ironic, once Im a writer, and I need to write peoples personas perfectly to catch the writers attention. I petted Jades ears, ”Thank you for saying that, Addy. You are an amazing brother. The best I could ever ask for, ” I turned to him, ”but never say this to Mat, or hell get jealous. ”

He chuckled loudly. ”I wish you could show this outgoing and fun side of you to others as well, sis. ”

”Why would I waste my time with that, Addy? All these people that badmouth me behind my back and shamelessly in front of me, are the ones who, without knowing anything about me, decided to make of me a target for their mean gossip. This isn about me not showing my actual personality in front of them, its about their capability of judging someone without not even being able to write their name properly! ” Addy intertwined my hand with his.

My eyes met his as he was preparing to say something, ”I truly hope you will find someone who will treat you right, sister. Otherwise, Ill have to kill him if he touches a string of your hair, ” he said that coldly calm and a mischievous smirk appeared in my lips.

”I love how your mind works, Addy. This side of you is much more similar to mine than your charming, adorable side, ” he scoffed at that. ”Your duality will make lots of noble girls fall in love. ”

”I know my charms, ” he exclaimed grinning.

”Of course, you do, ” I got up and helped him getting on his feet again, then Jade followed us out of the indoor garden, but I stopped her. ”Hey, baby, you won be able to get inside for now, alright? You might scare our guests. ”

She made a sad sound, and Addy kneeled in front of her. ”Don worry, darling, you will be able to freely stay in the outdoor and indoor garden as much as you want. Just not inside the manor. Its just for seven days, okay? ”

”And well visit you every day! ” Her purple eyes turned to me and I felt sad for her. ”I hate having guests, ” I muttered making Addy chuckle again.

”Its just for a week, Belle. Its all for you. ”

I growled annoyed, ”A lot can happen in a week, brother. And please, don remind me that they are here for me. ”

Giggling, he held my hand and we left the indoor garden, heading to our chambers again. Thankfully, this time, no one was on the hallways.