January Dusk

Chapter One

The house was deadly silent. Downstairs, the maids and the rest of the staff had retired for the night. Upstairs, Lord Roger Northman and his younger brother Andrew lay fast asleep. Even Lord Northman's English mastiff, Helen, was so still that she did not make a sound. The only person awake to hear the silence was Roger Northman's daughter.

Clara sat on her bed, grinning like a fool. She was too excited to sleep and too nervous to close her eyes. Every few minutes she would tiptoe over to the window and peek her head out. She was waiting for her lover to come, as he did every Thursday night. Nothing thrilled Clara more than the rush she felt when Anthony was with her.

This particular night was going to be a big one for the both of them. Clara had important news for Anthony, and she could hardly bear the wait. Though she wasn't certain about how he would react, she knew that he truly loved her. If he loved her as much as he claimed that he did, this news would only make their love stronger.

Unbeknownst to Clara, Anthony was going to propose to her. He knew that her father loathed him, so much so that Lord Northman had no idea that Anthony had ever stepped foot in his house. This did not stop Anthony from chasing after the woman he loved. During the past year he had spent with her, his love for Clara grew to an overwhelming amount. Anthony knew that he had to be with her forever, for the heartache he felt when they parted was too much for him to bear.

Fifteen minutes had gone by, and Clara still waited impatiently for her soon to be fiancé's arrival. She couldn't fathom why he was so late. Sure, she had thought of the possibilities, but none of them fit in with Anthony's personality. She had no idea that it was the ring that was delaying him.

He thought that he lost the engagement ring, so he spent the next hour and a half looking for it. After he searched the entire house, Anthony reached into his pocket and found that it had never left his side. He had laughed then, and thought that it would make Clara laugh too.

Anthony smiled softly at the memory, playing with the small diamond ring in his hand. He was almost at Clara's home.

*

At around two in the morning, Clara felt a soft knock at her door. She jumped at the sound, frightened out of her mind. The house was still as silent as ever. How hadn't she heard the person ascend the stairs, or walk to her door? Perhaps she had been too deep in thought.

Clara opened her creaking door as slowly as she could, ensuring that the sound was barely audible. She looked out and felt relieved to see Diana, one of the maids, standing in the hallway instead of her father. She was holding a small plate with a cup of tea in her hands.

"Your tea," Diana whispered. "I'm afraid that Eliza forgot to bring it up earlier. I'm terribly sorry."

"It's quite alright, Diana," Clara said, taking the tea from her. "Thank you so much."

"My pleasure," the maid said with a small smile, closing the door. "I hope that all is well. I'll see you in the morn."

Clara sat back on her bed and set the teacup on her lap. She gave a lengthy sigh. He will come soon. She took a sip of tea, and made a puzzled face. The tea tasted strange to her. She smacked her lips together, sniffed the teacup, and licked her lower lip.

"There's practically no sugar in this," she whispered. "Unbelievable."

Though she could have called Diana, or gotten the sugar herself, she didn't think the taste was odd enough to waste her time. Besides, she needed to wait for Anthony's arrival. She couldn't afford to be caught awake at this hour, and what if he came while she was away?