Lost Through Time (On Hold)

IV

June 1st, 1780

Adelaide had to get away from her father's scrutinizing eyes. Her father was planning her whole life in front of her, all of her choices were taken away. She felt like a slave to her future. The news had leached all the joy from her existence, and all she wanted to do was to bring the colour back into her eyes. Barely comprehending what was happening, Adelaide found herself walking along the River Thames. The summer sun set dimly along the valley, coming across a small wooden bench, she sat staring at the water rushing by.

"Twice in a week, this must be fate." Lucien's voice came up from behind her.

Adelaide chuckled dryly, turning her head ever so slightly. Masking any sort of pain she had on her face. "You read too many romance novels."

Lucien chuckling at her response, he couldn't help but notice the sadness radiating off her. "Take a walk with me?"

She simply shrugged and stood up, walking a pace behind him as he spoke. She wasn't listening however, her mind raced back to the previous hour. Why her? Was all she could ask. Lucien noticing her scrunched up face and stopped to face her. "Everything alright?"

She peared up to him lying, "Just homesick that's all."

He nodded picking up a small stone and skipping it across the surface of the water.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

'Please don't tell me you've never skipped rocks before?" His jaw went slack and she looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Oh do I have something to teach you." He grasped her hand and led her to the waters edge.

June 2nd, 1780

Lucien woke as the morning sun streamed into his bedroom, clouded with thoughts from last night, he slipped on his robe and made his way downstairs to make himself breakfast. Jefferson Karstairs, Lucien's father, had relieved the staff of their duties shortly before he died. At this point Lucien was used to being alone, but something or someone had made him miss the company of others. He made a simple breakfast of porridge and eggs then went to sit at the mahogany dining table. His mind was scattered as he kept thinking of Adelaide, her near perfect skin and raven black hair, the way her dark emerald eyes glinted in the sunlight. Lucien was almost jealous that her hair looked so perfect, as his own had started resembling a rats nest at the moment. He continued to eat his breakfast, before being interrupted by a knock at the door.

Slipping by the kitchen to throw his dirty dishes in the sink he couldn't help but wonder who it would be at the door this early in the morning. Pulling open the much too large door and letting his eyes adjust to the light, Lucien had to suck in a gasp of surprise, "Mrs. Dragos, what brings you here?"

She held out a letter to him, "My daughter had been humming and dancing around our home most of the night. You've definitely made an impression on her. That letter is an invitation to a dinner, three days from now." Her accent was hard to distinguish but she made herself very clear.

Lucien proceed to open the letter as Ioana explained. He saw the invitation with the words: Suitor and Wed within the following sentences. "Her father is requesting a Suitor?"

Ioana shared the same fallen expression as Lucien, "It's a tradition within wealthy Romanian families where daughters are to be wed to whomever is fit to become their husbands. It's how Roman and I came to be."

"Adelaide doesn't seem the type to just hand herself over to some 'guy'" Lucien's jealousy in his vocal chords weren't hidden. He looked back to Ioana, "You barely know me. How can you be sure I could provide a happier life than these possible others?" Lucien began to walk back inside his home, leaving the door open for Ioana to come inside, taking in his home.