THE NOBLE NOBODY

The manor

Once upon a time, in a quaint little Victorian town, a mysterious young woman moved into a grand manor. She was well-known for her exceptional beauty, but she kept to herself and rarely ventured beyond her estate. She had one companion, a faithful dog who stuck by her side at all times.

One day, a local nobleman arrived at the manor, curious to learn more about the mysterious woman who just moved to live within its walls. To his surprise, a handsome black dog greeted him, wagging its tail and panting excitedly. But As the nobleman walked up to the grand manor, the dog began to bark and growl, clearly unhappy with the uninvited guest. The nobleman was starting to feel uneasy, but he tried to stay calm and knock on the door.

After a few minutes of silence, the door began to slowly creep open. A young, pale-skinned woman appeared in the doorway, her dark eyes flicking to the visitor before she spoke in a calm, soft voice. "Good afternoon Mister. How may I help you?"
The nobleman was taken off guard by the young woman's exceptional beauty, calmness and demeanor. The dog continued to growl and bark at him, but she made no attempts to quiet him down. After a moment of hesitation, the nobleman finally spoke. "Good afternoon, Miss.. I'm afraid I've never seen anyone around these parts before, so I was just curious about you and your new residency here."

The man felt increasingly uneasy as the dog's barking grew more intense, but the woman still seemed unbothered by the situation. "Please forgive my dog," she said, her tone still gentle and soothing. "He's not used to strangers, especially not men. But please come in, I would be happy to answer any questions you may have about me or my residence."
As the nobleman stepped inside, he felt a sense of relief after escaping the dog's relentless barking outside. However, his feeling of comfort soon vanished as he saw the dog come inside and follow the woman. "Sorry about that," She said, apologetically. "My dog is usually very friendly with people, this is very unusual.. But please, let's go sit in the parlor.. I'm sure I can answer all your questions there." The dog remained calmly beside the woman, its dark eyes watching the nobleman as he anxiously looked at it.
The woman noticed his discomfort and let out a small chuckle. "Don't worry, he won't bite or anything. He's just being protective."

The two of them entered the parlor and took seats on opposite sides of a large, opulent sofa.
After the woman had settled in, the dog also took a place beside her, placing itself between their two chairs but still keeping a watchful eye on the stranger.
"So you live here all by yourself?" The woman smiled at his question. "Yes, I do. I've recently moved here and am currently living alone.. I have my dog Winston here for company, but otherwise, it's just me."
The wealthy man couldn't help but be drawn in by the woman's beautiful, brown eyes. Her gentle, tranquil demeanor was so soothing, and she seemed to exude a sort of serenity that was calming and peaceful. He couldn't decide if she was more attractive or intimidating, but there was something irresistible about her that he couldn't look away from. "So you're unmarried?" The nobleman spoke again.
"Uhm.. Yeah.. that's.. right.. I've been single for quite a while now." The woman's tone was calm and soft, but she was surprised by how direct the question was. On the other hand the man was waiting if she was going to ask him the same thing as well about his marital status yet she didn't. But rather than feel embarrassed by his inquiry, he was even more intrigued by her. He wanted to know more and more about this mysterious woman.

"Forgive me for my ill-mannered intrusion," the nobleman chuckled awkwardly, "but I must admit, I find it rather peculiar for a woman of your refinement and beauty to be residing here unaccompanied by a man."
The woman was unamused by his insinuations. She was weary of men who insisted that women could not be self-sufficient and independent without the company of a man. Despite the fact that Britain's monarchy was currently being controlled by a Queen in the Victorian era, many men continued to hold into their traditional beliefs about the roles and status of women.
"I'm not looking for a man to share my bed," she replied, trying to maintain her calm demeanor yet struggling to hide how annoyed she was. "And I can take care of myself just fine.. I don't need anyone to provide for me." She wanted to say something else in reply, but she knew it wouldn't be worth the trouble.

The man's first response to her statement was a chuckle, assuming that she was merely being humorous. However, as he quickly realised that she was not joking, he immediately wiped the smile from his face.
The situation quickly became more uncomfortable and awkward for him as he realised that he had overstepped his bounds, and potentially offended her with his thoughtless approach.

The dog's sudden bark snapped the two of them from their stare. The man forced a smile, trying to hide his discomfort and awkwardness as he looked away breaking eye contact.
This was not at all how he had expected the conversation to go.
The woman noticed the man rising to his feet and immediately became aware that he wanted to leave. "Well it's time for me to head out. I have plenty of matters to take care of. Men business that certainly a woman cannot handle." He laughed at his own feeble effort to make a joke. The sudden realization that no one else found it funny made his cheeks quickly turn scarlet.
The situation is even more awkward now. "Yeah, Anyways! I forgot to introduce myself! I am Theodore!" He tried to sound as energetic and friendly as possible trying to mask his feelings of discomfort and nervousness.
The woman simply responded with her name, "My name is Amberlynn."

She he was just about to politely bid him farewell and thank him for his visit when the dog gave another loud bark, breaking up the tense silence between them.
The man let out a feminine shout as he jumped at the sudden bark. Amberlynn looked away trying to hold her laughter at the man's hilarious reaction not wanting to prolong this awkward situation any further.
Theodore wished he could disappear and avoid further embarrassment. "Oh, Right.. Right.. Well, it's been nice meeting you, Amberlynn."

He couldn't hide his disappointment as he turned to leave. He felt his ego was bruised.
The young woman said nothing to him, just nodding politely as he left the parlor. She felt relieved as she watched the man walk away. Theodore came to a momentary halt, turning back in his tracks. He was surprised by his own action, as he was not one to take such risks usually. However, he found himself compelled to attempt to save the situation, as the conversation had ended abruptly and awkwardly.
He attempted to utilize a wittier and more charming joke this time in order to turn things around and impress the girl.

"Just keep in mind that I live close by in case you occasionally require a charming wealthy nobleman to share your bed! I am presently available as I am unmarried at the moment..." he glanced at his watch. "But only temporarily." He winked as he put on a charming smile.
Amberlynn was admittedly surprised that he still had the audacity to make such a daring comment after their awkward and uncomfortable interaction. She raised an eyebrow and returned his smile, albeit half-heartedly.

"Oh, But I am certain it takes a lot of courage to sleep in a chamber that has a dog in it through? She intended to give off the impression of being amused and playful, yet still holding an air of aloof disinterest.
The nobleman was caught off guard by her bluntness as she mockingly pointed out his apparent weakness. He was not used to women not being polite to him. What's worse, she was even making fun of him and his fear of dogs. His ego was taking a beating, and he didn't like it one bit.

Theodore began to walk towards the woman fast and with a confrontational manner, raising his voiceto a louder tone. The anger and arrogance clearly showed on his expression.
Amberlynn, on the other hand, remained surprisingly calm and relaxed, despite his aggressive display. She was already used to men getting aggressive with her, but she didn't let it faze her in the slightest.
Her calm demeanor further infuriated him as he approached her, his voice raising with every step he took. "I AM A MAN! I AM NOT AFRAID OF DOGS! YOU JUST HAPPEN TO HAVE A STUPID MAD DOG THAT NEEDS TO BE KEPT UNDER CONTROL!"

The dog's presence played with Theodore's nerves, causing him to abruptly cease speaking as the black Lab started growling at the aggressive tone being used towards his owner. The man's anger and arrogance were still evident on his expression as he stared at the dog, with teeth gritted. He tried to chase the creature away "SHOO! GO AWAY STUPID DOG!"

Theodore widened his eyes by the dog's sudden aggressive move. He let out a shout of pain as Winston bit his hand, sinking its sharp teeth into the man's flesh. The pain was excruciating, forcing him to drop to the ground and clutching his injured hand. He shouted and cursed at the dog in anger and pain, and his mood turned even more aggressive.