The Bodyguard

Rules

Emilia didn't want to go up those steps, she didn't want to see Mr. Delmont, she didn't want to live there, but she did want to make her mother happy.

Putting on a very tired smile she reached the top step and gave her mother a sincere hug which she returned full heartedly, her gracious face years younger with her beautiful smile.

"So, what do you think? More than we're used to isn't it?" She giggled lightly, looking around the beautiful archway before the double door entry. How could Emilia begrudge her mother this? Happiness, a home bigger than for just the two of them, a husband, everything. Mentally, she shoved her own reservations to the back of her mind as for the first time in the past several days she gave a  genuine smile. 

"It's beautiful mom, why don't you show me my room? So I can put my things there." She asked, completely ignoring the tall man behind her as she was led inside the overly ornate doors and into a beautiful entrance hall decorated so lightly that it seemed no one lived there. Yes, there was a statue or two and an antique table in the middle, but there was nothing on the walls, no photographs or paintings, not even a vase on the table with some dried flowers for decoration. 

It was beautiful despite a lack of personality, the ceiling so high that you could see it encompassed the second floor as well, a simple wooden balcony  at the level of a crystal chandelier that sparkled from a recent cleaning. Emilia couldn't help but notice how broad her mother's smile grew at the vision of her new home, her shoulders pushing back ever so slightly and her chin lifting with pride that she had such finery. But Emilia only felt diminished, small and feeble in comparison to the mansion. Yes, it was beautiful, but it was too much, much, much, too much. 

"So, this is the foyer, through there is the seating room" Her mother pointed to the left, gesturing at another ornate room with an enormous couch and large windows on one side, barely visible through the door as they kept walking, "And there is the dining area". Gesturing to the right this time at a table so long that it could have seated over 20 people and with enough chairs to fit before they had reached the large, marble staircase and carved railing as they began their ascent up the stairs towards the second floor. "You know, this house has been in his family for the past 3 generations? His great-grandfather built this, he was from Italy where they had family money, and. . ."

Emilia wasn't really paying attention as her mother described Delmont family history, her voice full of excitement at being included in such a well-known and influential family. Instead, she was taking in the house, noticing the beautiful spaces that she could just glimpse through open doors, a library looked to be just beside the living room, an office down the hall. Changing her focus to the second floor, she noticed the interspaced doors, most of the doors closed tightly. She couldn't help but let her focus wander to a door that was opened just a crack, just wide enough to see a large desk with papers spread across half-hazardly and just managed to glimpse the edge of a gun mounted behind the chair. Emilia had nothing against guns, truly, but the sight of one mounted on the wall like a trophy gave her unnecessary goosebumps along the back of her arms. 

She didn't notice her unmoving feet until her mother gave a small tug on her arm to get her moving again. "Come on Emi, the sooner we find your room, the sooner we can have some brunch!", nodding slowly she turned her focus back to her mother and followed in the opposite direction around the circling balcony to the third door on the left. Pushing it open, her mother stood aside to let her into her new room.

The room was plain, just like the rest of the house, but so elegant that it hardly mattered. The bed, a queen, was decorated with a beautiful comforter of an eggshell color, far too many pillows of various blue and golds, a very soft looking tan blanket laying across the foot. Setting down her bag on the bed she turned to look at the rest of the room, the beautiful wardrobe and antique bedside table, and a door that led to a full bathroom, bathtub and all.