Chapter 10 Tenth Chapter.

As days went by and a week passed, then another, Laura did all she could to make the most comfortable adjustment into her new lifestyle. She did go on to run records of her music today in a state-of-the-art studio that Carson had put up for her in one wing of the mansion. That was a little comfort in the otherwise tensed atmosphere, a place she could lose herself in her art and forget, at any rate, the awkwardness of her situation.

Carson, on his part, had been very much involved in his work lately. There were days he needed to spend long hours at the office or rush to out-of-town meetings. When he was at the mansion, however, he tried to squeeze time for Laura, even if it was over a quiet dinner or the two of them watching a movie at the mansion's private theatre.

There had been moments where Laura had actually caught herself staring into his with this look in his eyes. An expression, as though he were trying to figure her out, and all the time she thought, What does he see when he looks at me? Is it all the same confusion and uncertainty that she felt, or is he playing his part just like her?

The day had been especially gruelling, and as Laura came into the room, she noticed a note slipped under the door. Carson's neat and elegant handwriting had left something written on it:

"Meet me in the garden. 8 p.m."

In Laura's heart, curiosity and anxiety began to make it drum. She could only imagine what Carson wanted, and there was only one way to find out. At eight o'clock sharp, she made her way to the garden. The sun was gone, and the park was bathed in the glittering softness of moonlight. She saw Carson standing by a small fountain, his hands in his pockets, with a reflective look on his face.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked, trying to hold her voice steady.

Carson nodded. "I thought we could talk. Away from prying eyes."

Laura raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

Carson hesitated for a moment, then folded his arms. He took a deep breath. "...about us. About this... arrangement."

Laura's heart took a leap; she had been dreading the conversation, but she knew this was coming. "What about it?

Carson looked at her, his gaze intense. "This isn't easy for you. And well, I know my family hasn't been... welcoming. But I want you to know I'm here for you, Laura. I know this is just a contract and all-but I would want us to make a go of it. To at least try and understand each other. Laura was silent for a moment, frowning while her mind digested his speech. "And what if I don't want to understand you, Carson? What if I just want to get through this year and be done with it?" Carson's face relaxed. "Then that is your decision. But actually, I truly feel there was more to you than that. Deep in my heart, I think you know it, too. Laura shifted her eyes away; her heart sputtered a hostile beat in a struggle all too familiar. She didn't know what to say. Carson was right; part of her had wanted to understand him, to see past the walls of cold indifference he put up around himself. But another part of her had been afraid-afraid of what she might find, afraid of getting too close. Maybe, she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. But I'm not sure I'm ready for that. Not yet. Carson nodded; his face showed comprehension. "That's fair. We shall do one step at a time." They stood there in silence for a while, the soft gurgle of the fountain the only heard sound. Laura felt a strange sense of calm, a moment of peace in the middle of the storm. Maybe just maybe there was a chance that both could find some common ground and make this strange twisted arrangement work. Standing together under the moonlit sky, Laura couldn't help but wonder where life was going to take her from here. It wasn't going to go down without a fight, and yet she knew she wasn't ready to give up. Not yet. There was still so much unsaid, so much unexplored. And just maybe there had been more to this contract than either of them had bargained for.