Lady Adrianna and her predicaments

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Welcome home, Lord Wentworth. My apologies, my Lord, we were not expecting you until another week. Nonetheless, your room has been aired and prepared." The butler justified. Once he noticed his lordship's carriage approaching the premises, he swiftly informed the other staffs and promptly made his way to the front porch.

"Thank you, Monty, I decided to return earlier. Where is grandmother and my sister?" Ian Wentworth looked around the house, taking in the familiar ambience of his home since he last stepped in this place two years ago.

"The Dowager Lady Wentworth is taking her afternoon nap and Lady Elise left this morning to visit Lady Nancy. Though, Lady Wentworth is currently in the drawing room. Shall I inform her lady of your early arrival, my Lord?"

"That won't be necessary. After such a lengthy drive, I believe a long stroll might help with my aching legs. Perhaps I shall walk for an hour or two. It is good to see you again, Monty." Ian patted the old man's shoulder giving him a warm smile.

Ian Wentworth strolled through the lush garden and plucked a white lily before making his way to the burial ground area within the Claremont land. Walked towards the gravestone by the left side of the area and placed the flower, which was his mother's favourite. Tenderly brushed his fingers across the engraved name fondly. He smiled reminiscing on how his mother would sprint around the house chasing him gaily despite the disapproving cast by some of the footmen. Nonetheless, anything is ought to be allowed when you are the lady of the house, especially when one so entitled as The Marchioness of Claremont. The last time he came to visit her grave was two years ago, which felt only recently that he had left. Despite being away from home for so many years prior, he always managed to return to Claremont each year in commemoration of her late passing. Though his father laid beside his mother, Ian merely cast a simple glance acknowledging his gravestone. The words 'loving husband' earned a scoff of disgust which made him turned quickly and went on his way. He spent most of his new adulthood travelling, searching for new discoveries, anything to keep him a great distance away from the old man. When he received the news of his father passing two years ago, neither did he shed a tear at his funeral, nor does he feel any remorse from the loss. He was no father, no husband and definitely played insignificant role in raising Ian, since he was rarely present. Or perhaps he was the main reason why Ian is the way he is.

"Come here, George." Anna called to the small pug as she chased him down the rose garden and scampered into the dense thicket.

"You can forget about that biscuit after what you've done, or that lovely cake that you adored so much." Emphasizing on the word biscuit and cake just slightly louder when she saw his tiny curly tail wagging behind a tree.

"George! Get back here this instant or I'll leave you and let you starve or better yet, be eaten by a monstrous, malicious, famished beast! There might be wolf! Wolves!" She exclaimed, dragging her aching feet, searching for the little devil that just ran off again.

"After what you did this morning with your..." Anna shook at the memory then sighed disapprovingly.

"And poor Mindy has to clean up the whole mess..." Anna shivered at the recollection.

"I swear to God, my dearest beast of Satan, if you- my, I've managed to compile both praises of God and Satan in the same sentence. That does not sound quite right either. And it's all you!"

"And after that chaos you've created, you still had the gall to-" Anna swirled to the soft chuckle she heard behind her.

"Oh, pay me no heed. Do continue on, please." Ian commented, unable to stop himself from listening to the amusing mishap she kept on blabbering for the past half hour, just as he was walking, catching some air.