An Inevitable Past

Chapter 7: The Meeting

October 07, 1800

"Charles, what are you doing?! You should get ready and tidy yourself up. The party is tonight, dear, and I have some tasks you need to accomplish for me." Chuck tries to sit up when Lily opens his windows, the sun greeting him a good morning.

"What party?" He asks, half awake, half asleep.

"Seriously, Charles, should we give the doctor a visit? It seems as if your memory has been going in and out of you lately." The blonde says in a concerned voice.

Actually, Lily, it's not that I don't remember, it's because I'm from the future. "There's been a lot of things in my mind recently, Lily. How about you tell me more about the party instead? Help me remember the important details."

Chuck offers his arm to his stepmother, in which she takes with a sweet smile. "Your engagement party, Charles. It is to be held in here tonight. Surely, you've discussed some matters with your fiancé?"

He stopped in his tracks at her words. Engagement? Fiancé?

"Y-Yes. Yes, we have." He says, not himself at this point. "In fact, there are more matters I'd like to talk about with her so if you'll excuse me, Lily, I need to go find my bride-to-be." The blonde nods and sends him off.

He runs to his room for a quick shower and a change of clothes. He had no idea where he would be able to find this girl his family has been talking about. He was engaged?!

Here he was, thinking he was also the same Chuck from the future. The fuck up Chuck. Apparently, not.

"Where to, Sir?" Arthur, who was his chariot's driver for today, asked him.

"To my fiancé's, Arthur." He looked at him through the mirror, hoping he wouldn't look back at him to ask for the address. He breaths a sigh of relief when Arthur doesn't ask anymore, instead he gets the ride running.

He was a bit nervous. He'd heard his family say he was the one who chose his bride. He can only hope it wasn't some plane, unattractive woman.

A brunette, hopefully. He was used to seeing blondes. He'd have enough of them whenever he'd get home anyway. Plus, his hair was brown too. A dark shade. It defined him. Chuck was dark and different. Unlike Nate, he never wanted to be a woman's pet.

"We're here, Sir." His heart skips a beat when he hears Arthur's voice as the little window separating them opens.

"Thank you, Arthur. I'll meet you in the park in two hours." He steps out of the chariot and looks up where a gigantic mansion stood before him. Painted in gray, brown and a little bit of burgundy colors. It had the same size as his father's home.

He spotted a few gardeners here and there, cutting bushes in a particular shape or form. Some were watering plants, some planting.

He started to take little steps, still in awe. Was this really the house of his so called fiancé?

"Charles? What are you doing here? The party isn't until later tonight. And didn't you say you were just going to come by at 5:30 PM?" He hears a woman's voice call him. Her voice had a deep tone to it, but it was welcoming.

He didn't recognize her at all. And all he could do was smile and nod. "Good morning. I was hoping to take my fiancé to the park before the party. If that's okay with you, Mrs. . . " He hoped to the heavens she wouldn't notice his awkwardness.

"Oh, I'm sure she'd be delighted. I'll inform her of your presence." The woman smiled and offered him a seat in the living room. He waited impatiently, looking around the fancy room.

It was warm, but he found himself sweating. He could feel her. He could hear her steps approaching. He was about to see her. The woman he is supposed to be tied to for the rest of his life. He was nervous because. . . Lily and Serena were here in this previous life of his. There was a big, great chance this fiancé the whole village had been talking about was the woman he's going to fall for in the future once he gets back, too.

"Bass." The voice was familiar, sending chills down his spine. Goosebumps? The term was barely known to him.

He stood up, slowly turned around and then there she was.

Standing in a long sleeve dress in the color of purple- his prayers had been answered. She was a brunette. A pretty one, at that. And she wore his favorite color on her body.

He suddenly remembered yesterday.

"I. . . I'm sorry, I. . do I know you?" He had asked her that yesterday.

"Seriously? I knew you were a jokester but that joke isn't even funny." She replied, said some more words before walking off with an old man.

"You." Chuck points at her, and she frowns. She was annoyed. He could tell but he had no idea what her name was. And not knowing meant more frowning faces from her.

"Yes, me. Blair Waldorf? Did Mrs. Bass send a doctor to check you yet?" She rolls her eyes.

Blair. His heart did it again. He felt it crack again.

"Of course not, Miss Waldorf. I'm sorry. For my actions yesterday and. . . just now. I was hoping to make it up to you with a walk in the park." Chuck says, stepping closer where he immediately smelled her perfume.

She scoffed, and was about to smack him with her fan but chose not to when she realized her mother was probably eyeing her somewhere.

Blair smiled sweetly. "Sure, Mr. Bass. Shall we?" She raised her eyebrows at him and waited for him to nod before taking his arm to hold.

"Do you really forgive me?" Chuck whispered into her ear once they were out from her mother's spying eyes.

"Of course not, you asshole! You pretended like you didn't know me yesterday in front of the villagers! A big embarrassment, thank you very much." She gives him a glare but he couldn't help but smirk.

This woman. . .

"You are one of a kind, Miss Waldorf." He murmurs. She bites her lower lip to hold back a smile. She was mad at him! He didn't deserve her pretty smile. For now.

"Just take me to the park, Bass."

"As you wish. You look beautiful today." He couldn't help but compliment. She really did look gorgeous in her dress. Chuck was so comfortable around her, even though he had only seen her twice. It felt like they had known each other for a very long time.

"Thank you. You look OK." His eyebrows furrowed.

"OK? Isn't that a term for average?" He questions. Now, Blair couldn't hold back the smile. She shook her head and bumped her shoulder with his playfully.

The park was close to her home. A four minute walk, she estimated. The sun wasn't very harsh on their skins, and Blair enjoyed it. The day was too perfect to ruin. And thinking about the engagement party tonight made it seem more perfect because she finally admitted to herself that her mother did a good job of choosing. Or maybe this guy beside her who greeted the villagers around him was just a good actor who was waiting to show his true colors after he slides the ring into her finger.

She can only hope at this point that this Chuck Bass in front of her was still going to be the same Chuck Bass right after their wedding.
——————————————————

Sorry for the slow update on this. Your reviews keep me going and bring the inspo back. Thank you!