Total pages in book: 207
Estimated words: 196971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 985(@200wpm)___ 788(@250wpm)___ 657(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 196971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 985(@200wpm)___ 788(@250wpm)___ 657(@300wpm)
"Do you still feel a tightness in your chest?" Aurora asked.
Her patient's head bobbed several times.
Aurora added this to her notes. Phantom chest pains, likely caused by emotional stress.
Rhapsody's dark eyes turned to her therapist in appeal. "I can't seem to stop panicking."
"It's alright, Rhapsody," her therapist said soothingly. "Everyone panics—-"
"But I'm not everyone," Rhapsody actually found herself crying out in protest. "I...Am...Not...Normal!" The words bounced against the library walls in mortifyingly shrill volume, and her hands flew up to cover her mouth in stunned dismay. She had never lost control like this. Never!
Her gaze flew to her therapist, words of abject apology on the brink of her lips, but to Rhapsody's surprise she found the baron's daughter looking quite unbothered.
"From where I'm sitting," Aurora said gently, "you sound no different from other young ladies with their first taste of romantic trouble."
Rhapsody's eyes widened.
"So if you ask me," Aurora told her patient, "I think you've never been more normal than this instance." Seeing that some of her words were finally sinking in, Aurora quickly rang a bell, and moments later, a maid came back in to serve them tea and place a tiered tray of pastries on the table.
"I know what you're doing," Rhapsody muttered even as she took a sip and started munching on her second scone.
"Oh?"
"You are trying to lull my senses with lovely-tasting snacks and delicious-smelling tea."
"The aroma of chamomile is said to be very effective in soothing frayed nerves," Aurora acknowledged. "Is it working?"
Rhapsody glanced at her empty cup. "Frighteningly so."
Her therapist laughed. "It's to be hoped that once you're done with refreshments, you've properly calmed down, and you're able to listen more effectively to what I have to say."
After taking a sip of her own tea, Aurora reached for her notebook and flipped a few pages back to reread her notes. In the past, most of her time had been consumed training and fighting alongside her sisters Soleil and Fleur as Trois Belles Lames.
But now that Soleil was in her last trimester of pregnancy, their undercover work had temporarily been placed on hiatus. Thank heavens she still had her consultancy work to rely on, Aurora thought, or boredom - not demons - would have long killed her.
Aurora glanced back at her notes. So much had happened between Rhapsody and the Marquis of Sangre, she marveled, in just a matter of days. It was no wonder her patient had ended up being rather unusually emotional and driven to come calling unexpected at the Baron of Woodmere's townhouse.
Seeing that the girl now appeared much calmer, Aurora put her cup down and raised an inquiring brow. "All better now?"
Rhapsody patted her mouth with a napkin before clasping her hands over her lap. "I'm ready to listen."
The placidness of Rhapsody's tone had Aurora biting back a smile. That voice used to fool her into thinking Rhapsody as meek and docile, but now she knew it only served as the perfect disguise for the girl's stubborn streak.
Aurora cleared her throat. "So..." She opened her notebook and read out her first concern. "You told me all of this was caused by the marquis calling you by your name."
"Yes."
"And this was the first time he had done it?"
"He addresses me as Rhapsody in his letters, but that's different." Rhapsody paused. "Or is it not?"
"It depends," she murmured noncommittally, "but we'll skip that part for now. What's more important is your reaction to hearing the marquis say your name."
"It made me anxious," Rhapsody answered with a frown.
"And that's not the usual, isn't it?"
"Not usual at all," Rhapsody couldn't help but emphasize, remembering how sensibly she had remained even after finding out Bethany had passed away.
"Why do you think this was?"
Rhapsody hesitated. "You'd think it illogical."
"Feelings often are, but there's a way to make sense of them."
"When my Master called me by my name," Rhapsody revealed reluctantly, "it felt strangely...right."
"In what way?" Aurora prodded.
"It reminded me of when I was with...Bethany. She insisted that I call her by her name because she didn't want to be reminded of the fact that she has a daughter. I know it's a small thing—-"
"On the contrary," Aurora countered carefully, "everything a parent says or does has a tremendous impact on his or her child, and you are not an exception."
Rhapsody slowly nodded, seeing her therapist's point. "I guess that's why names hold so much power in my mind. Every time she made me call her Bethany, it made me feel she was pushing me away."
"But when the Master called you by your name..."
"It was the opposite," Rhapsody said haltingly. "When he called me by my name, I was...overcome."
"Because he made feel you wanted."
Rhapsody quickly nodded. Yes!
"And normal?" Aurora guessed.
Rhapsody's nod was even more vehement than before.
"If Bethany had allowed you to call her Mother, would that have made you feel wanted?"