The Bodyguard

Caught Unarmed

"Emilia! There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere!" Out of no where, Catherine Delmont, her very own 'loving' mother, appears in the mouth of the balcony. Smiling wide and glancing back as if looking at someone behind her, turning back for her grin to fade to one of exceptional confusion. "Uh, Emilia what are you and him doing?"

She suddenly questions and slowly, Alexander backs off, leaving Emilia extremely frustrated and brain fighting the fuzziness that seemed to have taken over with what the hell just happened between them. She leaned back heavily, bracing herself on the useful concrete structure that had ended up behind her.

"I-I uhm. .  we were. .  uh. . " She honestly had no idea what to say, her face an extreme blush from the heat of the moment. Embarrassment at getting caught by none other than her own mother certainly didn't help an excuse come forth from the heavy fog that had taken hold.

"She said she was feeling faint so I brought her out for fresh air and to check if she were ill Madam Delmont." Mr. Knyte claimed in the most sincere, monotone voice Emilia had ever heard someone lie in. She swore in that moment he could have taken any lie detector test in the world, and passed. 

A wash of concern replaced the confusion that came over her mother's face as Emilia studies her shoes to cover up the ruddy color surfacing on her cheeks. "You do look a little pale sweetheart, are you feeling alright?" She asks, coming a little closer and completely oblivious to the terrified hammer of her frantic heart in its silk draped cage that her mother would realize the truth and worse, tell Mr. Delmont about it. 

"I-I'm fine, just needed some air."  She murmurs quickly, fingertips numb from their frantic adrenaline rush causing her freeze moment instead of a desperate dash over the balcony railing. Gripping tightly in attempts to hold her down, hoping her soul wouldn't fly from her body as she knew it was trying to do with every passing moment.

"If you're quite certain?. . " The question, though kind, irked Emilia as she wished her mother would just get to the point of interrupting such a moment. 

"Well, Anthony is looking for you, he has a couple concerns and I think he wants your help with something so please play nice. He really wants to get to know you honey. If you could just make the same effort that would be wonderful." She practically grimaces, giving a gracious smile and awaiting her lovely dolled-up daughter to follow her back into the vulturous crowd.

Trying to collect herself took quite a bit of effort as Emilia shoves herself from the wall and wobbles slightly on the pinpoint heels. One firm hand on her elbow and the other holding tightly to her own caused a jolt of electricity that had her pulling away, too afraid her mother might see something in it. Or worse, that she believe it meant something.

Standing straight quickly and unceremoniously tugging her arm from his hold with a hint of guilt clenching at her heart for no discerning reason. But he showed little reaction, merely a tiny tick in his jaw that could mean anything given the circumstances. One heavy breath free of his smell cleared the last remnants of fog from her brain as she brushed out her dress carefully and folded her hands before her.

"Of course, mother." She returned that endearing smile, trying to keep a soft tremble out of her step and smile. Minimizing her light headedness to keep from actually fainting in the moment as that would most definitely give her away. Drawing attention to herself, and causing harm to Mr. Delmont's reputation would certainly lead to unwanted consequences.

But what really hurt her heart was not the pleasurable smile on her mother's face, the beautiful clothes that covered her scarred heart or makeup that masked her tears, no, it was that instead of telling her daughter to go home and get rest she was telling her to be the social butterfly that her daughter wasn't.