Secret Marriage

Condition #6

“What are you doing here?” Harvey asked, his voice filled with disgust and annoyance. Enrico watch as Brittany looked at Harvey with horror and hurt. “This is an invitation only.”

“I invited her.” Marybeth cut in and Enrico feared the worst for his son. “Come, sit down.” She offered the seat beside her which Brittany took happily as she smiled to her. “We were just talking about picking Ivory’s dress tomorrow. You should come.”

The moment Harvey’s grandmother offer Brittany to come to pick up Ivory’s dress, Lydia knew instantly what the woman was planning. She was a cunning woman just like what the other had said. She had heard of her many times and plenty about the arrange marriages.

At first Lydia didn’t believe it until she saw a picture of Finn and his wife on their wedding day. Finn looked uncomfortable while the woman – she couldn’t remember the name – look as uncomfortable as he was but now they looked madly in love with each other in the magazines she or her sister bought or when both of them visit the company.

However, the first arrange marriage Marybeth had done didn’t went as good as Finn’s marriage. Mr Enrico and Claudette Thompson looked in love in public but away from other people’s eyes, it is obvious that Claudette is in love with someone else while Enrico is in love with Claudette but want her to be happy and nothing more.

Lydia didn’t know about it until recently. There was nothing that can be missed from her good observation of her surrounding. It didn’t take long for her to know that Marybeth had planned something the night before when she showed herself during breakfast looking satisfied for her self.

Marybeth and Brittany chatted away about the wedding and the preparation. Ignoring the rest of the Thompson family and Lydia. Not bothered by their rudeness, Lydia spotted a gazebo on top of a stream and under a massive willow tree.

Harvey noticed that Lydia’s attention was nowhere near the two women on her left as she looked far away. Following her gaze, Harvey got up and offered Lydia his hand. “Do you want to check it out?” Lydia smiled at him gratefully and took his hand.

It felt strange for her to walk side by side with Harvey while holding hands but it was one of those things that she have to put up with for three years. She then thinks about Mrs Thompson.

She doesn’t know her story but she knew there was a good reason why Mrs Thompson didn’t leave Mr Thompson. She knew it wasn’t about the fame or money because she knew Mrs Thompson’s background before she got married. She had done her research while everyone was asleep last night.

“Do you like it?”

Harvey’s voice brought her out of her thought as she looked at the gazebo. It wasn’t big but not too small either. Lydia realised that it was on top of a stream but actually on top of a lake that connect to the stream that runs down the Thompson’s land.

“It’s beautiful!” She admires the beautiful lake that was filled with lotus. Some where still in bloom while some aren’t. “It’s like, it’s came out of a fairy tale book.”

Harvey chuckled and Lydia frowns at him. “I guess so but my grandfather actually built this gazebo by him self before he proposed.”

Lydia watched Harvey lean on the rails and looked at the lake with a soft smile. Lydia leans back to watch Harvey. There was something about the way he looked that made Lydia reached up and stroke his cheeks or may be it was the sadness in his eyes that attract Lydia’s attention. “Will you tell me their story?” She didn’t realise what she said until Harvey looked at her in shock before nodding his head.