His Unlikely Lady (A Col. Brandon Short Story)

II

Noelle groaned as the sunlight greeted her harshly through the windows, temporarily blinding her vision. She sat up and rubbed the sleep off her eyes until she could vaguely make out the figure of who looked to be her oldest sister, Rose, with her hands on her hips and a sly grin tugging on her lips.

"At last, the maiden emerges from her beauty rest." teased her sister.

Noelle only rolled her eyes and sighed at the feeling of warm sunlight on her body. Sleep had been inconsistent and scarce the night before, even with all the soft pillows she had been provided with. Her new bed, or rather her new life, still needed some getting used to.

She rolled lazily out of bed and made herself look presentable to those who might be waiting downstairs. Noelle could hear voices as she began her descent down the narrow staircase and found her family breaking their fast with the Middletons.

"Good morning, Noelle!" great uncle John greeted cheerfully.

The young woman tried her best not to grimace at his seemingly exaggerated buoyancy and uttered a polite reply as she settled on an empty seat beside her mother.

"So," Sir John began, "what are your plans on this fine day, Lady Clarke?" he inquired.

"I would like to pay the barn a little visit, sir." Noelle replied with a small smile.

Laura gasped and clasped her hands together, "Oh, what a fun little idea! I would love to–"

"Alone," Noelle cut her off, "I'd like to go alone."

Laura's lips curved into the sickeningly sweet smile she always put on, yet her eyes were shooting daggers of venom at her younger sister, "Alright then!" she giggled and Noelle wanted nothing more than to stab her with the butter knife laid right in front of her, "Oh, my little sister. Always the loner!" she teased, which earned a short round of laughter around the table, mainly from the oblivious Middletons.

Breakfast ended not long after and Noelle excused herself to set off on her trip to this barn her mother kept telling her about. She bid her farewells to the guests and began her walk. The property truly was surrounded with a vast scenery of hills, mountains, and all the green expanse the English countryside had to offer. The soft caress of fresh air gave her a sense of peace, and Noelle closed her eyes for a moment to savor the feeling, which she confessed, she was never able to experience back in the city.

After walking for another few minutes, she finally spotted a piece of structure from the distance. The barn sat atop of a small hill, a sturdy stone edifice, faded and grey from having withstood possibly decades of rain and humidity. A fence surrounded the property, and as promised, animals of various shapes and sizes could be seen all around. Noelle's excitement grew the closer she approached, and before she knew it, she was just outside the fence, watching the animals with a keen twinkle in her eyes.

"Hello there."

The sudden voice gave her a slight jolt. She turned around to see where it came from and Noelle felt as though her breath was caught in her throat. A tall, fairly built man stood just a few meters away. The young woman then concluded to herself that this might just be the most handsome specimen of the opposite gender she had ever laid eyes on. The man offered her a kind, radiant smile as he approached her, and Noelle felt like melting on the spot.

"Forgive me, my lady, but I am afraid I have not yet seen you around here before."

Goodness, even his voice made her heart flutter and gave her a funny feeling in her stomach.

Noelle snapped out of her mesmerized trance and composed herself, "No, sir. My family and I had moved here only yesterday." she managed to reply without stuttering with her words.

The man's smile grew even wider, his pearly whites shining in the sunlight, "Ah, you must be the distant relatives Sir John Middleton had so enthusiastically mentioned a few times before. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Clarke. I am Colonel Brandon, Christopher Brandon." he said as he extended a hand to her.

A blush crept its way to Noelle's cheeks, "Nice to meet you, colonel." she replied, accepting his handshake. "But I am not Lady Clarke. I am just Noelle."

"Well then, I am not Colonel Brandon. I am only Christopher."

The two shared a laugh.

"So, what brings you here, Noelle?"

"The weather is perfect, the sun shines bright and the skies, clear. I figured paying the barn a visit would not be the worst idea, col–" Noelle blushed once again, "I mean, Christopher." she corrected.

Colonel Brandon hummed, "Well then, I should be honored to show you around, if you'll have me."

Noelle grinned, "That would be wonderful."

Brandon held the gate and ushered for the young woman to enter first. He began touring the girl around the property, starting with the small sheep herd, then the pigsty where Noelle giggled at the mischievous little piglets running about the mud, into the bustling chicken coop, the small cow pen, and then finally, the stable.

"Do you ride?" Brandon asked as Noelle looked around the enclosure with a slight awe.

"I used to, but not as much as I wished." the girl replied, "Only whenever my father wasn't busy."

The colonel hummed in response, "If you'd like, I can ask Sir John to let me give you horse riding lessons every now and then." Brandon suggested.

Noelle felt the same funny feeling in her stomach from before, "I would love that, Christopher!" she replied excitedly, "Maybe we could discuss it over some tea? Would you be interested in coming by tomorrow?" she then felt her cheeks burn slightly, "Damn it, woman!" said a voice inside her head, "You are acting too desperate! Let him initiate–"

"I would be delighted, my lady." the older man then said with a smile, easing Noelle's doubts.

The eighteen year old came back home with a lingering smile on her lips, a certain twinkle in her eyes, and an extra skip to her steps that afternoon. And when her mother and sisters noticed of the silent yet noticeable change in the youngest Clarke daughter's mood, they looked at her with a certain puzzlement and interest.

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