Her Sister's Fiancé - Book #1

Chapter 5

Ominous rumbles of thunder infiltrated the cozy library. Ethan moved from behind his desk and looked out the window. The clouds were thick and dark, it was about to rain. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. A figure moved through the garden, and for a moment, his mind told him it was Lavinia, but no, it was a gardener going about his business.

    Ethan heaved a sigh. Since her visit, he had had trouble not imagining Lavinia in his home, walking with him, talking to him, and simply sitting quietly in peace with no need to speak. She had constantly infiltrated his thoughts, slipping into his mind unnoticed. He found himself looking for her when he was out and about, hoping to see her.

    Last night he had dined at the Antrucha house, and he hadn't enjoyed himself so much in a long time. Lavinia had remained mostly silent, watching her sister and parents converse with him, but he had been unable to keep his eyes off her for more than a few moments. She had captivated him in a way no other woman had. Her simplicity and her large eyes that seemed to absorb every detail around her.

    It had been nearly a week since she had come to visit him, but the memory was still burned into his mind with utter clarity. He found himself missing her hand on his arm when he walked through the gardens even though she had only walked with him once. He snorted softly, what a fool he was! Even so, he could still vividly remember the struggle he'd had not to flex his muscles when she'd touched him.

    "The afternoon post, sir," he turned and took the letter from the footman with a nod.

    Absently, he opened the envelope, trying in vain to keep his thoughts from straying to Lavinia. The dark scrawl on the page refused to focus for a moment, and when it did, he returned to his desk with a frown.

    Brodi,

        I don't expect you will be too pleased to hear I'm returning to London, I hear you're there to get married. Strange how positions can change, isn't it? Anyway, I hope I get invited to your wedding as I would like to return the favor you showed me all those years ago. Perhaps your bride won't be so skittish as my Penny, but who can know, right?

    You can try to stay out of my way, but your wedding will be anything but tiny so I hear, so there's really no point in trying to hide. Who is the lucky young lady, by the way? Never mind, I'm sure I can figure it out, that's the delicious thing about London, no one can keep a secret for long. See you soon, you can count on it!

                                    D. Manuel

    Ethan frowned at the note before crumpling it savagely and tossing it into the fire. As he leaned against the desk, his eyes fell on the small, brown, leather-bound book. Taking it in his hand, he studied it quietly. Taking a deep breath, he rose, throwing on his coat as he did so. He trudged out to the yard to get his horse. Lavinia would enjoy this book of poetry, and he needed to clear his mind with a ride. He had to think, and he needed fresh air to do so.

    The rain began to fall as he rode down the lane, his eyes narrowed, his thoughts far away. The drops of rain pelted him steadily, pressing through the material of his thin coat. He didn't notice the water, nor did his brain register that the wind was picking up and the drops increasing in quantity. By the time he turned into the Antrucha drive, it had turned to a violent downpour, and he was soaked to the skin. A streak of lightning lit the dark clouds, and his mount's eyes rolled back with fright. Leaping from the poor creature's back, he made a dash for the stables with the animal in tow. He threw the door open and looked directly into Lavinia Antrucha's eyes.

    "Ethan!" She gasped, stepping away from the door. "What are you doing out in this storm?" Ignoring her for a moment, he pulled his horse inside and shut the door against the relentless wind.

    "I brought something for you," He heard himself say softly, turning to look at her and attempting to wipe some of the water from his face. She had opened her mouth to speak, but as his words registered, she snapped her mouth shut and took a step back as though shocked by the words.

    "For me?" She was dumbfounded at the thought it would seem. "Why?"

    "Yes." He removed the small book from the safety of his saddle bag and held it out to her. She looked at it for a long moment before reaching out and taking it. Her eyes grew wide with delight, and she turned the book over in her hands. "And there's no reason. I just thought you might enjoy it."

    "Thank you," she breathed not looking up at him for a moment. "No one has ever given me a gift for no reason." She looked up at him, a smile lighting her face. "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." He smiled back at her.

    "I used to enjoy Donne's work, have you ever read them?" He moved closer, wanting to take in every tiny feature of her face when she smiled.

    "No," Her smile widened. "Which means I am extra grateful. I haven't had a new book in. . ." She frowned. "You know, I can't remember when the last time was that I received a book. Mother thinks I read entirely too much, and she's the one in charge of finding gifts for Cassandra and I on our birthdays or Christmas."

    "I hope you'll like it." Ethan grinned, enclosing the book and her hands in his own.

    "I'm sure I will." She looked up at him and smiled. "I believe it is the most beautiful present I have received to date."

    "I don't believe I can relate to the sentiment," He said slowly, raising a hand and tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. He stood completely still, his hand resting at the side of her face. It felt like an eternity as he stood there looking down at her, it was as though time stopped, and he was frozen looking at her forever. At the same time, however, it felt like only a second, as though his skin was on hers for the smallest amount of time humanly possible. He felt the urge to take her in his arms and discover how she felt there.

    "Ethan," her voice startled him.

    "Yes?" he whispered hoarsely.

    "The storm has let up, you should get home before it changes its mind." He cleared his throat and stepped away from her.

    "Yes, of course." He frowned. "You're wrong though, Lavinia, the storm isn't over, it's only beginning." He wasn't sure what made him say it, but before she could question him, he turned and left. The words, he knew, were all too true, and he had a feeling he was going to know it before too long.

More than 10,000 words already! I'm really excited about where this story is going as I've never written anything like it before. I'm sure it'll be full of issues and problems when I'm done, but I'm doing something different for a change, and I think I quite like it. This chapter was a bit of an adventure because I had no plan for the letter or the potential villain. I was planning for there not to be any sort of actual, real-life bad guy, but all the sudden, D. M. popped in and pooped on my party! Ok. . .I'm gonna go now. . .bye! Thanks for reading! Please comment/vote if you like it!