If she was not sure he had seen the dance movements she may have or may have not shown the previous night, tonight it was certain... he did see.
'Hello!' She said slowly, still faking ignorance.
'Hello!' He replied, not showing any hint of any particular emotion.
At this point, her heart was already racing because of the awkwardness. Should she fake a belly ache, and quickly go upstairs to her room? No, no, if it was one thing that Aria had believed for most of her previous life, that was karma.
She believed that if one would do something to hurt another intentionally or deceive him or her, then in the future it would come back to hurt them as well. The same principle she applied to lying, if she would say that her belly ached, then in the future it really would. Best avoid it from the start.
Alright, if she thought about it... it was not like she was doing something bad. He was not even around most of the times, she should act and do what she wanted, right? And she should do so with confidence.
'Hmm...' She coughed a little, to clear her voice.
'Do you need anything from me?' She asked with renewed determination the man, who was still standing in the doorway.
Seeing her face, go from fright, to confusion and then to determination, he really did wonder what she could have possibly thought about in such a short time.
'No!' He replied simply and, not looking at her any longer, turned around and climbed the stairs.
Only then did she sigh relieved, and plopped down on the couch along with the girls.
'Well, it looks like we should call it a night.' She affirmed, her mood turning sour. He had already seen her, but she did not want to continue singing with him in the house.
The girls agreed, and immediately cleaned the living room, putting everything back in their places.
'Were you not aware that the master was coming back?' She asked the butler who was currently accompanying her to her room. It was likely that man came unannounced, but she still wanted to know if the butler knew beforehand.
'I was aware. The guards called from the gate.' Replied frankly the old man, not thinking even for a second to evade the question.
'Then why did you not tell us?' She said, stopping in her tracks and looking towards the old man aggrieved, like he had betrayed her.
'My lady you were only having some fun with the girls. There is nothing that needs to be hidden. Besides, Master Zane is your husband, shouldn't he know how his wife is now? And if I can overstep myself and say, your singing voice is wonderful. I should reckon the master would have also thought so.'
The butler did indeed think like he had told her. He really wanted Zane to know the new Aria. He truly hoped that the sham of a marriage that had gone on for three years would turn into a real one.
Looking with squinted eyes to the butler who was not on her side, she pouted and hmphed, as she closed her bedroom door without saying anything more.
Seeing the closed door, the butler gently smiled, turning around to walk downstairs again.
By this time, Zane had changed in comfortable home clothes and exited his own bedroom.
'Aria?' He frowned, seeing the butler near her room, that was opposite to his own.
'Ahh... the lady had already eaten before you arrived. She has asked me to let you know that she will retire for tonight.' Immediately informed the butler. Although Aria had not said anything about informing Zane, and only ran away from him, he still wanted to do something so as to not increase the already long distance between them.
Zane nodded and did not ask of her again.
Eating his dinner unaccompanied was something usual for him. In fact, unless he was at business meals with other people, he would always eat alone.
But who knew, that it would take only two meals with Aria, for him to feel strange about exactly this, having his meal without her lively presence. Sitting in the huge dining room, even with countless delicious dishes in front of him, it felt a little bit like something was missing, like it was much too quiet, but he did not ponder long on this, focusing his attention on eating.
Taking several more bites of food, he stopped eating altogether lacking appetite, even though he knew that his ulcer would act up again if he did not eat properly, and climbed up the stairs to go to his own bedroom.
Stopping a bit in front of the bedroom he looked towards her door stealing a glance, before he went to his own room and went to sleep.
Early in the morning, Aria worried she would have to eat breakfast again with Zane so, thinking in advance, she woke up an hour earlier to make sure she wouldn't run into him again. But as soon as she opened the dining room door she was in for a disappointment, as Zane was already sitting at the table, quietly reading a newspaper.
Having no other choice, she approached the table resigned of her situation.
'Good morning!' She said slowly, as she sat down. Well it was only breakfast, then he would leave for work she thought. She could take it until then.
'Good morning!' He replied and closed the newspaper, before starting to eat.
They had their breakfast in silence, he ate with quite a good appetite, compensating for last night's dinner, contrasting to Aria who ate with quite a poor one, as though she was also compensating but for overeating the previous night.
Finishing their breakfast, she excused herself to her room hoping he would leave in some time and she could resume her usual routine, but she did not take in to account that it was a Sunday, and unfortunately he would be home the entire day.
That's right, after suffering through breakfast even lunch was no better. She only ate a bit, but he had his full, accompanied by her. Unfortunately, considering that her full would be about two three portions of his food, Zane had not realized she ate less than she normally would, and thought this was the norm.
After lunch she once again fled, but bored to be in her room and not able to go outside as it was raining, she wandered a bit around the house in places she had thought he will not be. A mechanical cold man like him surely would not have any reason to go near the second's floor music room.
One of Aria's most fervent dreams since childhood had been to know how to play the piano, but raised in an orphanage she only managed to learn how to play one simple song on it from a teacher who had worked part time one summer.
Of course, the song was not something fancy, as she did not even know the musical notes, but it was a perfect nursery rhyme for the children.
The sound of the piano playing "Twinkle, twinkle little star" did not went unnoticed by Zane who was passing by the door. Slowly curious of who was playing such a song he opened the door, just to see the beautiful fair lady elegantly moving her hand across the large instrument. Sitting in the light, with her hair in loose waves on her back and dressed in a pale pink dress, she seemed more like a fairy rather than a human.
Unknowingly, he approached her slowly, listening to her play, until he was standing by her side.
'I am sorry boys, even though I would like to play something else also, mama does not know another song other than this. Should I play it again?' She asked directing her gaze to her belly as she finished the song.
Remembering from the doctor, who had told him previously that the nurses played music and entertained the twins when their mother could not, Zane realized that Aria was doing the same, that was why she was also humming nursery rhymes and now playing the piano.
"Mama", he never expected to hear this word come from her mouth, even less expected it would suit her, but somehow it did not feel at all strange hearing her say it. The position of mother fitted perfectly with the current Aria.
Without sensing his presence, Aria had wanted to play again, but flinched when Zane sat down next to her on the long bench, without as much as a word beforehand. His unexpected presence causing her to suddenly turn briskly, unbalancing her body.
She closed her eyes tightly, as she was expecting the fall and pain that would follow. But she did not feel it, as a pair of strong big arms wrapped around her, stopping it. Feeling his warmth and touch, she slowly opened her eyes relieved.
But seeing him so close to her, at only an inch away, barely not touching her face, her breathing hitched as her cheeks slowly started to redden. The sharp jaw, perfect lips, tall nose, and a barely smell of cologne, was deadly to her heart. It was the first time in her life she saw a man up so close to her, not to mention a man this beautiful. If it weren't for his solemn and stern look, perhaps, she would have already fallen for him.
Zane held her for a second more, admiring the big green hazel eyes that appeared from behind the big curled eyelashes and her strawberry red cheeks.
'C-could you help me up?' Aria said, when she saw the man had held her from falling, but did not show any intention of steading her on her seat.
Hearing the small words that came from her lips, Zane finally reacted and sat her comfortably.
'Would you like another song?' He asked sitting once again beside her.
'Ehh..' She voiced without actually saying something, she did not understand what he meant, at the same time also moving a bit farther from him.
He did not ask again, raising his hands on the keyboard and elegantly pushed the claps.
Mesmerized of his perfect posture and smooth long fingers that moved along the keyboard, she forgot her previous scare and the fact that she did not feel comfortable in his presence, entranced by the music.
She had thought a mechanical cold man like him, would not have an artistic side, but Paganini's "La Campanella" sounded no different than when she had listened to it on the internet before. Each note was on point, which was not an easy thing at all, as it was one of the songs that required for the player to increase his speed more and more as the song progressed. It was a very difficult song attempted by only experienced players. Even the teacher had not dared to play it, when she had asked him to.
She was so entranced by his playing and the sounds that resembled small bells emitted by the instrument under his skillful movements, that she let go of all the defenses she had put in front of him, each time she saw him before.
'So beautiful!!!' She exclaimed and clapped her hands smiling, when the song reached its end.
Her genuine reaction and bright smile had taken him a bit aback. He had only ever played in front of his teacher, not once in front of other people, even at least in front of his parents he did not touch a clap.
Learning how to play the piano was one of the lessons he had to choose for his schedule growing up, it was only one of numerous other classes he was obligated to take, so it was not a passion for him or a pleasant thing to do. But seeing her truly charmed face... he thought he made a good choice when he picked the piano to study, from all the other instruments.
'Wow, can you play Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the sugar plum fairy", or Mozart's "Rondo alla turca"? Or no, even better Pachelbel's "Canon"?' She asked getting closer to him, with her eyes sparkling in expectation.
Her sudden interest towards him, when she had previously ignored him and even tried to change her breakfast schedule, delighted him.
'I can play all of them, which one would you like to listen to?' He inquired, the songs she listed were popular songs, and had been part of his curriculum, so he could play them without the music sheet.
'All!' She immediately replied with eagerness.
'Alright!'
As he finished playing the songs, his hands were a bit numbed, he had not played in quite a while, and perhaps, wanting to look his best in front of her, he had also been a bit tense, making sure he did not skip any note.
'Wonderful, so truly wonderful!' She replied even happier than before, and he dared think even more than the previous night when he had seen her sing.
'Do you want to learn how to play one of them? Pachelbel's "Canon" should be easier for you to learn, as it is much slower than the others.' He asked, thinking to contact his teacher and ask him to come over.
'Ehhh... could you teach me?' She asked expectantly, getting even closer, forgetting how their previous closeness had made her blush.
'Sure. I could do so in the evenings after work.' He replied immediately, his thoughts of contacting his teacher flowing out the window.