Once you return...

Chapter 4

Adelaide brushed her long, tangled locks, absently looking at her reflection in a small mirror, specifically demanding she does it herself, wanting to be alone. She couldn't stop thinking about Howard ever since she met him. Though they only met once, he had been stuck in her head for days after the encounter. On one hand there was his boyish charm and messy hair, one the other, manly voice and muscular arms. She like the way he talked to her. Instead of treating her the way she's been treated her whole life, like a dumb girl, unable to make her own decisions, unable to speak up for herself, he wanted to argue. He wanted her to stand up to him. Their points of view were completely different, but he didn't lose it when she explained her side of the story. He even apologised when he realized she was right and he was wrong. But what intrigued her the most about him was how he didn't care about what others think, for example when he straight up ignored William, a notable duke, or how he asked her out in front of him, not listening to his insults. What he saw in Adelaide was not just politeness and kindness, but also generosity. She liked the way he was honest, straightforward, he liked the way she was courteous and giving. But, alas, they really were from different worlds and their love - it didn't stand a chance.

Unless...

Unless Adelaide made it work. She knew where to find him so she was the only one who could make the first step and dive into the unknown. She looked at the colour changing stone, painfully reminding her of his stormy eyes, which she could look at for an eternity and still not get bored of. What was it about him that made her think about him for every minute of the day, right before falling asleep and immidiately after waking up? Or better, what was up with her?

Falling in love with men who she had just met? The same thing happened with William, and, though it did seem perfect at the beggining, maybe even too good to be true, all the fantasy crashed down in just one visit to town. He showed his true colours and she immidiately woke up from a dream, a dream where everything fell into place, in which she was with a handsome man, romantic, understanding, a gentleman. At that moment she promised herself she'd be more careful in the future. And, who wouldn've known it, the same day she made a promise to herself, she met another young man, exactly her type, not necessarily by looks, more by character, who made her break that promise the very day it came to life. But, no matter how many times she told herself it was a bad idea, she couldn't stay away. She has decided: that man, Howard, is either going to be the best thing in her life or a bitter lesson about falling in love. Either way, she had to make the first move.

Hiding the stone from daylight, then letting sun rays spread light all over it, colours changed from emerald green to purple for a hundredth time in the past few days. Adelaide decided it's time, time to see if Howard is worth her time, if all the sleepless nights are going to be paid off, if all the daydreaming wasn't for nothing. She was, unfortunately, going to have to break some rules, which she didn't want as lying to her father was her least favourite thing to do, but, since the Duke of Caistor stopped coming around as often and her father, constantly in his office doing some work, waiting for William to come back, knew nothing about the incident when the two men met, it was going to be slightly easier to make up a story on why she needed to go to the town immidiately. She just had to think of something believable enough for her father to let her go alone.

* * *

Walking on the tips of her toes, soft footsteps in the long hallway, trying not to make too much noise, Adelaide slowly approached her father's office, standing behind the great door, feeling so small, so tiny compared to them. She hesitated for a second but then gently knocked on the wood, trying not to disturb her father's peace, hoping he wasn't inside. After a few seconds of silence, she assumed the room was empty, letting out a big breath she was holding in her chest and moved away from that scary, unknown place.