Page 6 of Code of Heart
“Well, Eleanor was never one to shy away from dramatics,” Selene eventually said with a dry chuckle.
Aurelia studied her friend closely. She hadn’t been her usual self these last few weeks, but Aurelia attributed it to the stress of Eleanor’s failing health. She hadn’t been as attentive to her friend as she should have been.
That old familiar feeling of guilt ripped through her for being so selfishly lost in her feelings.
“It’s been a rough few weeks, Selene. We’re long overdue for a girl’s night out,” Aurelia suggested compassionately.
Selene smiled brightly and agreed. “I don’t remember the last time we had one of those. Text me later, and we can figure out the details.” They both glanced over and saw that Charles was heading toward them, manila folder in hand.
A small, satisfied smile crept onto Selene’s face, her hands smoothing out imaginary wrinkles in her blazer as she whispered, “I bet Charles wants to meet with me after hearingwhat Eleanor said in her video,” her eyes tracking his every move as he approached.
Aurelia didn’t have time to respond before Charles reached them. “That was quite a bit for the staff to process. How are you two doing?”
Despite his role as Eleanor's attorney, she always liked him. Charles gave off the same warm and comforting vibe that Eleanor did—what she imagined having a grandfather would be like. She managed to give a small smile. “Thanks, we—”
“I am humbled by Eleanor's generosity,” Selene interrupted. “Of course, my focus is still on upholding my duties as Chief of Staff. I must remain steadfast to keep a strong level of continuity with our employees during this transition.”
Face impassive, he carefully assessed Selene, and Charles slowly nodded. “Good…I’m glad to hear that. I’d like to begin scheduling employment agreement meetings today. Selene, if I give you a list of names, can you share the work schedules with Aurelia?”
“Absolutely! I can start on that now if you have it,” she enthusiastically replied.
“Excellent,” Charles said as he pulled a sheet of paper from his manila folder and handed it to Selene. Then he turned to face Aurelia. “If now’s a good time, I’d like to discuss a few things with you in Eleanor’s study.”
Aurelia could have sworn Selene’s smile faltered briefly before quickly regaining composure. She shrugged it off and said, “I’ll catch up with you later, I promise.”
Selene simply nodded, arms crossed, as Aurelia followed Charles out.
Charles led Aurelia into Eleanor’s private study. He was dressed down in jeans and a lightweight button-down shirt, a stark contrast to the suits he normally wore. After closing the doors for privacy, he gestured for her to sit.
As Charles organized his papers, Aurelia silently took in the ivory room she used to love. It felt dimmer without Eleanor in it.
It was a majestic, sun-drenched room with walls adorned with highly collectible artwork. A large floor-to-ceiling window with a glass door framed the background of the stately hardwood desk. Charles sat in the plush, caramel leather executive chair behind the desk, while Aurelia chose one of the two cream-colored armchairs opposite the desk.
The complimentary towering shelves were filled with both antique leather-bound tomes and more contemporary literature, with a few carefully placed but no less exquisite vases and accessories interspersed amongst them. The gilded moldings framed the textured ivory brocade wallpaper, allowing it to absorb and reflect the natural light across the space.
“How have youreallybeen doing these past few days? Especially since the farewell party turned out to be a bigger event than we all predicted.” His somber eyes searched her face.
Aurelia snorted. “Understatement of the year,” she said. “I now know way more about Bertrand’s kinks than anyone should. I can't unhear what was said.”
Relieved, Charles shared in her amusement. The corners of his eyes crinkled as he sat back in the chair and laughed. Then he instantly sobered and said, “Well, it’s about to get more interesting…for you at least. Hopefully, the good kind.”
“I’m so nervous right now, there’s averygood chance I’ll throw up everywhere…you’ve always been so great to me, so I’m just letting you know so you can get out of the way.”
With a small smile, he turned his laptop screen toward her. “Let’s see how you feel after you watch this message that Eleanor recorded for your eyes only.”
That got Aurelia’s attention. She straightened. “She left me a personalized message? Why didn’t you lead with that?”
Charles chuckled and pressed play. For the third time in less than twenty-four hours, Eleanor was sitting on that chaise. She couldn’t help but feel haunted by a ghost, a notion that would have delighted Eleanor.
This version of her was relaxed and far less cantankerous, which helped calm some of Aurelia’s nerves.
That relief was short-lived, however, as she took in the impish glint in Eleanor's eyes and her wide grin. As much as she loved Eleanor, the woman was also as predictable as a squirrel after an espresso—erratic, unexpected, and very likely to cause a major traffic accident.
“Well, my darling Aurelia, if you’re watching this, then let’s pray I’m in heaven…but who knows with some of the crap I've pulled. I hope you’ve spent the last few days woefully crying over me—enough to be flattering—but not too much. Wallowing isn’t a good look on your beautiful face.” Aurelia let out an exasperated sigh.
“I’m finally free of my cancer, the constant pain I felt throughout my body, that dirty slug Bertrand and old hag Gladys, and those dreadful kale smoothies you insisted were ‘good for me.’ So, dry your tears and crack a smile. I’m, finally, utterly pain-free, and frankly, still looking fabulous in the afterlife.”
She paused, her expression softening and growing more subdued. Aurelia's instincts were on high alert now, only having seen this version of Eleanor only a handful of times.
