Lady Adrianna and her predicaments

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It was a beautiful morning when Lord Archibald came to take Elise, Anna, and Ian for the stroll in the park. Leon Archibald has shown his interest in pursuing Elise ever since her introduction to the public. He was charmed by her beauty and mostly by her sensible humour where many of the other ladies had lacked. Elise had also shown strong appeal towards Leon as she had shared privately with Anna.

"Shall we stroll down to the lake? Have you ever been to this part of the park, lady Elise?" Lord Archibald walked beside Elise along the pathway while Ian and Anna walked not far behind them.

"Have you ever been to London, Anna?" Ian asked breaking the silence between them. For the whole night, he was unable to take his mind off her. Each time he closes his eyes, all he could see were those bewitching blue eyes, tantalizing him. She was well knowledge, witty and kind. The past weeks that he spent with her, made her more and more intriguing. Yet there was a hint of mystery within her, something that she might be hiding. He ought to find that out, he needed to uncover. Not because he's fascinated with her, no. Because it was his obligation to find out who truly has been the person accompanying his dear grandmother. Or so, he told himself.

"No, I haven't had the chance, my Lord." She lied.

"Ian, please just call me Ian."

"But I can't. I shouldn't"

"Can't or shouldn't?"

"It does not matter which, for I won't. So, we should not mention it at all in the near future or ever."

"Can't, shouldn't or wouldn't?"

"Now you're just taunting me with words and my mind's muddled, it can't keep up." She smiled.

"I'm certain that is far from being true, Anna. I know how quick-witted you are." He smirked showing off his handsome face.

"I know that I am intelligent because I know that I know nothing." She jested.

"You and your quotes, Miss Credence. I can't take it." He laughed out loud.

"Oh, you shall for I have tons of them, my Lord." She teased unable to help herself. It was easy to speak to him, it felt as if she could just tell him everything, every secret and every worry that has been clouding her thoughts each night. But she shouldn't. She mustn't.

"Do you like to read much?" Ian asked wanting to know more about her.

"To a certain extend I do. I think my parents has fallen in love over the love of books and knowledge. Their discussion on philosophy and wisdom were endless. And when my mother passed, I suppose he extended that interest towards me." She smiled with much fondness.

"He taught you too well, I daresay."

"Time, as it grows old, teaches all things."

"I'm not familiar with that quote."

"Aeschylus, Prometheus bound." Anna said smugly.

"Well delivered."

"Thank you. And what of you? What are your amusements? What interest you, my Lord?" Anna asked, looking ahead at the ripples of water by the lake.

"As of now, you." Ian said unequivocally making Anna's head to turn abruptly that it might snapped.

"I am a matter of amusement to you? Do I entertain you so, that I am a subject to oblige as any other than someone regarded with the high esteem, my lord?"

"Please, take no offence for I do regard you with the highest admiration that you amused me, intrigued me. There is this sense of obscurity I perceive from you that I am inclined to unearth." He stated looking back at her bemused face.

"Perhaps, it is true for every new encounter where we shall need to ascertain the acquaintances. However, we shouldn't extend it much further than what is deemed in refined acquaintanceship." She responded, hoping that her voice did not quiver as much as she heard from her own mind.

"Are you always this refined, Anna?"

"When one is ought to be."

"I see you rather on a much more sociable footing with my dear sister than what is deemed in refined acquaintanceship."

"Your sister is much amiable and delightful. I believe her debut is much a success looking at the number of callers she receives in a day alone." Anna asserted looking at Elise who was listening attentively at something Leon Archibald had said.

"Yes, I believe so."

"Do you have any siblings?" Ian asked after a moment of silence.

"No, it is just me. Though I envy looking at your sincere exchange of fondness with Elise and wondered what it would feel like to have someone to share your thoughts with."

"I want to know what your thoughts are." He said looking straight at Anna, as if his eyes conveying much more than his words.

"A penny for your thoughts, my lord." Anna blabbered looking away, hiding her blush. He did notice the blush and he smiled knowingly, having the urge to just pull her in his embrace, right then and there.

"You do not want to know." Ian muttered.

They reached the lakeside and enjoyed their picnic overlooking the water. Chatting cordially when Elise sat down across her brother and Anna, she noticed something. She watched her brother and Anna much closely and observed how they both engaged in conversation with much exuberance. She had known her brother to be charming but rarely saw him genuinely smiled or engrossed in the conversation with a lady as he was in right now. Furthermore, for the whole one year she has gotten to know Anna, she knew her to be the reserved, though most kind, person. She could not even recognize the same lady sitting across her grinning from ear to ear listening to her brother's animated conversation. Elise was drawn back to what Leon had said about a ball his uncle was going to held in the following week and that made Elise smiled.

"I do hope to see you there next week. My uncle is known to hold such elegant and fanciful ball or else my aunt would see to it that he does just that." Leon elucidated.

"How wonderful. It is in the following week which be held in your uncle's home, Lord Millington, am I right?" Elise assured.

"Yes, that is correct. He has one of the grandest houses here in London. I would be honoured to take you for a tour, his estate has been in generations for more than a century."

"I would love to. We did receive the invitation a while ago and I think we shall all come to the ball, don't you think that would be a marvellous idea?" Elise said much louder for the whole party to hear.

"Yes, of course that would be wonderful, and I can introduce you to my uncle." Leon explained once again to the other two parties who just joined the conversation and invited them to the ball in the following week, in honour of his uncle.