Heart of Stone

The Garden

As Eloise followed the GPS to the Pearson estate, she found her nerves were eating away at her. Would Alexander still be there? Would he be annoyed because she was so late their first time meeting as husband and wife? Would his mother still seem to like her? Not to mention his reaction to her being his wife.

As she pulled up to the gates, she blew out a breath to calm the anxiety threatening to take over. She rolled down the window and punched in the access code Alexander had provided in the meeting details. As the gates swung inward slowly, she swallowed. This was it, now or never. She eased her SUV forward, gliding up the long winding driveway to the beautiful mansion at the end. She didn't see any other cars, but she noted the large garage situated off to the right.

Parking her car, she turned it off and forced herself out of the vehicle without pausing to think. Her thoughts were thundering like a freight train, and she refused to let them snowball into something ugly that prevented her from doing this, because she had to do this. If he wasn't here, however, she would have to try again. She couldn't keep her identity from him a secret any longer. It felt wrong.

She stepped up the few steps to the front door and rang the doorbell. She waited patiently as she heard footsteps on the other side, admiring the shrubs and small bushes decorating the front of the house. The door opened and she was met with an older gentleman in a suit.

'A butler.' She immediately concluded.

She gave a small nervous smile.

"Hi, I'm Eloise Winter. I was supposed to meet with Alexander and Caroline, but I'm afraid I'm very late." She said.

A look of surprise crossed his face, but he immediately stepped to the side.

"Please, come in." He gestured for her to enter.

Hesitantly, she stepped inside. She was greeted with a crisp white marble entryway with double staircases and a black table that held the now empty crystal vase she had used to craft Caroline's centerpiece. She smiled faintly at it as the door closed behind her.

"I'm sorry to say Mr. Pearson has stepped out. He mentioned he had to get back to the office for a meeting, but I can give him a call if you'd like." He offered.

Before Eloise could answer, another female voice cut in.

"That won't be necessary, Charles. I'll take it from here."

Eloise and the butler both glanced over. There stood a young woman with tan skin, long dark wavy hair, and dark eyes that were strikingly similar to Alexander's, except hers were framed by thick lashes. She had high cheekbones and a delicate small nose. Her lips were full and pink, complimenting her features elegantly. She wore a denim jacket over a plain barbie pink shirt and a pair of form fitting jeans.

"Isabella, are you sure that's wise? Your brother may not approve." He tried to politely decline.

'So, this is Alexander's little sister.' Eloise realized.

"That's alright, I'll deal with him later." She waved off his concerns.

"Well...if you insist." Charles reluctantly agreed. "Can I get you anything?"

"Tea would be nice." Isabella answered.

He nodded and turned on his heel to head to the kitchen.

"Hi, I'm Isabella." The young woman greeted, striding up to Eloise with confidence.

She held out her hand and Eloise took it, shaking firmly.

"Hi, I'm Eloise. It's nice to meet you." She said, giving a small smile.