It was barely dawn, but Noah was already fully awake. Staring at the celling of her room.
Her mother had brought the news of getting married again. "Like it would change anything", she'd remembered saying in anger.
Now's to a rich merchant in Winchester,England. Leaving her career, her friends, her job, felt too much but she would have to. Her mother had implied "you wouldn't even need to work anymore, think of this as a big opportunity for yourself."
It's all about the money.
It really is.
Buh what could she do. She had no other choice but to start packing her bags.
She finished packing, and took some of the bags downstairs and found her mother and their maid,Anna, smiling brightly as always. "How's it going,Ann?." She asked immediately she dropped her luggage downstairs.
"I am doing well m'lady."
Anna has been working for Noah's father,Sterling since when she was a child before Noah's mother Celine brought up the divorce and Anna decided she wouldn't stay with Sterling and she'd go along with Celine and Noah.
An hour later, the carriage took them to the English borders where they'd get on the cargo and head for Winchester. Noah didn't pack much, she barely said goodbye to her boyfriend. Who insisted he'd come along. Noah had refused and they finally agreed they'd make sure they send letters every weekend to keep in touch.
Noah's best friend Beatrice heard the news of the moving but barely said goodbye to Noah.
They arrived in Winchester after three long days at sea. Celine was more excited than a child who was bribed with ice cream. On the other hand, Noah was tired and just wanted to finally get some sleep. She barely had some on the ship.
They boarded another carried to the Lancaster mansion. At the mansion, Blackwood Lancaster was already expecting their arrival and was at the gate of the mansion.
They alighted from the carriage and Celine ran to give Blackwood a hug. Noah was too tired to care. "Come here Noah"
Noah rolled her eyes but still obeyed.
"Hello, Lord Blackwood Lancaster." She said breathing like she ran a marathon.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Noah. And you can call me father." He said with a bright smile on his face.
Too much. Noah thought.
Noah took their bags into the Mansion
It was a beautiful sight. They were fliers planted beautifully and carefully by the side and waterfall like any other Noah had seen, in the middle of the walkways. They stepped into the mansion. Maids and guards of the mansion were already standing waiting for them to come in.
Noah wasn't much of a talker towards strangers, she just wanted to be left alone but that wouldn't be possible with the kind of mother she had.
Blackwood ordered the maids to take Noah to her room and take their bags with them. Noah simply followed, she needed to rest her head. "Oh, Noah, I need to introduce you to my son."
Oh shit. She thought.
Old rugger has a son? What is he? 65?!
"Stop with your sluggishness Noah." "Get yourself together." Celine blurted out.
"Seems like his not home, maybe when he gets home I'll introduce you two."
She didn't even want to hear anymore. She just wanted to see her room and lay on her bed for once.
The mansion was more than a mansion. She thought. As she took a walk around the house after getting lost when called for dinner by one of the maids. Walking and admiring every artwork and architecture in the hallways. She loves reading books and comes across a book that piqued her interest. She stumbled on a small ladder by the side of the hall and drags it closer to where she could reach the book. She slowly and steadily climbs to reach for the book on the shelf. Excitedly grabs the book and starts to flip the pages forgetting she wasn't balanced on the ladder. She tries to come down from the ladder buh misses her step and falls down buh is caught by a muscular figure behind her.
He places her gently on her feet. "You should have been more careful!." He simply let out. "Why thank you and who might you be?" "Coming from someone who should be in the west wing and not here" he blurted out.
"Excuse me mister, do I look like a maid to you?" She asked. He didn't even look at her and just walked away.
"What an arrogant fellow."
She eventually finds her way to the dinner hall and gets sited on the chair ready to eat. When a young and tall man walks in and drags out another chair opposite her, barely looks up to see her but she recognizes that he was the one she met at the hallway. Their eyes met. Sending shiver down Noah's spine. She has never felt this nervous in her life. She was always the cheerful and loving one. Noah quickly averted her eyes. "I see you've met your brother, Micheal." Blackwood said whilst dragging a chair to sit at the table.
"My brother?." Noah asked surprisingly.
This arrogant looking motherfucker cannot be the son of Blackwood Lancaster.
She thought.
"She looks malnourished."
Micheal implied.
Excuse me?? Asshole. She took a deep breath before saying anything to avoid offending her mother.
"I beg your pardon."
Noah has already had it with his arrogance and disrespect.
He didn't even say hello to Celine or even acknowledge his father. "I apologize on his behalf Noah, Micheal can be a little harsh sometimes." Blackwood simply said to try to ease the tension in the room.
Celine was already digging into the dinner that was served not minding what was going on on the table.
"Please. Enjoy your dinner."
Blackwood added.
After dinner, Noah went back to her new room. It was bigger than what she had back in Canterbury. The bed had framed edges and natural flowers planted at every corner of the room. She took a closer look at the window and stared down at the exquisite view of the mansion.
Could be a castle. Who knows.
She chuckled.
Not long before she left the window, her eyes caught the stable boy holding a horse and assisting Micheal to get on it.
Apart from his arrogant attitude and rude way of talking, his very good looking.
She thought to herself.