Once you return...

Chapter 1

Tick-tock-tick-tock...

The clock on the wall was ticking tirelessly, counting every second. Adelaide was sitting in an old armchair, waiting for the clock hands to meet at noon precisely. At that exact time, the well-known Duke of Caistor was supposed to visit her dad to discuss business. Still, she was told to look her best, be approachable and not talk too much, men don't like when a woman has too much too say.

>>Why would that matter, he isn't coming because of me.<<, she thought to herself. But, she never said anything.

Her dad, Duke of Norwall, one of the most important dukes in the country, wasn't someone you would want to get in an argument with. Although known for being very kind and generous, that's not something memebers of his family would always agree on. Yes, sometimes he was really pleasant to be around, usually when around Adelaide, but most of the time once out of sight of others, he was a completely different person. Whether reading in the office or bossing around the house, one thing was clear: the friendly smile he had in front of others would quickly disappear, and all that's left would be an angry, frustrated frown.

It was only fifteen minutes left till the huge wooden clock says it's noon and her father wasn't anywhere near being ready. She had already prepared for his shouting at everyone - that's something he'd do when things wouldn't go his way, whether it was his fault or somebody else's. The poor servants got yelled at for no apparent reason. Instead of running around the house making sure everything is in place, Adelaide remained still in a comfortable armchair. She could hear some voices quietly talking in the background and then some hurried steps, probably from the staff, but she wasn't paying attention.

She was staring blankly at the clock. It was definitely too big for the room. Her mother wasn't keen on getting such a big clock, but it was another command ordered by her father. He had had very bad sight for quite a long time so no clock was considered too big. However, despite his patriarchal nature, the clock was the only piece of furniture in the living room which he chose. The rest was chosen by her mother and Adelaide herself, since she was the oldest daughter. Adelaide and her mother's tastes, despite their quite similar characters, couldn't be more different.

Her mother, Arabella, liked keeping it simple - plain colors and patterns, very little accessories - almost as she wanted to be invisible to others. Adelaide suspected her mother never actually liked their lifestyle - she would often say all she wanted was just a small house in the nature, far from people, but that would usually start an argument between her and her husband so she stopped saying it. Still, Adelaide never forgot tears on her mother's face once they sold their farm - it was her safe place, the only thing she had left that reminded her of a normal, peaceful life, life before being married to a duke and having to be constantly surrounded by starngers, who she was told to impress. She was only five, but she never erased that memory from her head - how helpless she felt watching her cry her eyes out.

Unlike her mother, Adelaide wasn't really modest - well, only when it came to fashion and interior. While Arabella's motto was "Less is more", her daughter was the exact opposite. She had always loved lavish dresses, luxurious jewelry, the most opulent shoes and accessories. She loved their lifestyle - her favorite event in the world was the annual ball organised for those of her kind. Their family was invited to every single event hosted by the most notable people in the country. She always wore rare materials, that only the wealthiest could afford, but lucky for her, her father was willing to give extra money for his daughter, because at the end of the day, she was the highlight of his day.

The two different personalities had to make a lot of compromises while settling on the interior design, but also a lot of sacrifices, to preserve peace in the household. They opted for a light blue, almost aqua color for the walls, a few big pieces of furniture: a floral print sofa, two matching armchairs, a big wooden cabinet and a small coffee table for the guests. The sofa and the armchairs had some wooden details that matched the cabinet. The cabinet was full of old books, once read by her father, now uselessly laying on the shelves collecting dust. There were two pictures on the wall - both abstract, without that much meaning to them. The rest of the living room had a lot , but still not too much, rare, expensive decorations, mostly bought and brought by Adelaide's father from long business trips that he had from time to time.