Lady Victoria's arrival to Wakefield

The Knight's family matriarch walked through the corridor with a worried heart as she feared that her son might have already found a way to run away from the hous in order to avoid his engagement. She hurried her steps until she arrived in front of the study to open the door but she found out that it was locked. She knocked on the door lightly at first but after receiving no response for a while, she began to pound the door more harshly as she raised her voice to call her son. "Aidan? Aidan! Aidan, are you there? Aidan!"

After a few frantic knocks, the door finally opened and the butler's face was the first things she saw. She scrunched her eyebrows in a slightly confused state and asked him. "Victor, what are you doing here?Where is my son?"

"Pardon my sudden appearance, my lady but the young master summoned me to the study to take care of him." The old Butler bent his head while moving away from the door so she could enter the room. Once she had entered with her back facing him, he lifted his eyes darting to the wall behind the bookshelves and his fist clenched in silent panic.

"What do you mean you came to take care of him? What is wrong with my son?" The old woman immediately rushed into the room to spot her son lying down on one of the couches with a visible pale appearance shaking under a green blanket. She rushed to sit by his side and placed her hand on his head to feel his temperature. "Aidan my dear, are you sick?"

The butler exchanged a brief look with the man lying on the couch and spoke up instead. "Young Master has not feeling well ever since he came back without an umbrella during that rainy night, Madame." He pointed to the cup of tea on the table beside them and continued to explain. "At first, he only requested for tea to get warm after taking a hot bath but we didn't expect the symptoms to worsen. I found him like this a few minutes ago when I wanted to check up on him."

Aidan's mother took a quick glance at the tea beside her before she pulled up the blanket to cover up her son properly and instructed the butler immediately. She resisted the urge to curse since things were not going her way at the moment. Although she was annoyed by the current state her son was in, she figured it might not be a bad thing and it might even help bring both him and Lady Victoria together. "Go and get our family doctor right away. Tell him to come here as soon as possible without any delay!"

"Yes, Madame." The butler immediately bowed his head with his shoulders sagging in relief and turned around to leave the room as per her instructions.

"Wait!" The old woman heard her butler halt his movements and then pointed at a handkerchief on the table next to the extra set of teacup that was on the opposite side of the table. "What is that? Who does that handkerchief belong to?"

The butler immediately shared a panicked look with his boss but was able to immediately conceal his true emotions from the old lady's inquisitive eyes. He picked up the handkerchief and stuffed it into his inner pocket of his suit as he explained. "This belongs to Master Finley, he was here yesterday night to talk with the Young Master and must have left it here. I will return this to him."

The old woman narrowed her eyes when she saw the handkerchief. This definitely belonged to a woman, she thought to herself. She cast a look at her sick son and wondered if he had been involved in any affair without her knowledge. If that were true, it would surely explain his refusal to marry his fiancee and that was something she could never allow. The very thought sent a streak of pain to her temples so she quickly stood up and told the butler. "Let's go together. I remember I have some herbs in my room that can help him feel better."

The butler waited for the old woman to take a lead before he followed her out of the room. Immediately the door closed, Aidan Knight stood up and went to pull out a book from the bookshelf in his study, watching the door to the secret room open so he went inside. He saw Antoniette leaning forward against the door to listen but she quickly straightened up when she saw him and asked him innocently. "Is she gone already?"

"Yes, she is." He pulled her closer to him to feel her warmth since he had been feeling so cold for so long and took a deep breath while inhaling her scent. He whispered against her hair. "I still don't understand why you made me pretend to be sick just to avoid my mother. She still won't give up on this engagement unless I tell her directly about it."

Antoniette shook her head as she raised her head from his embrace and looked into his eyes to explain. "It's best you don't quarrel with your mother anymore. She only has your best interests at heart. I am sure one day she will come to accept me when she finds out the truth."

Aidan didn't want to disappoint her high hopes about their love so he said nothing while mentally making plans for their future. He didn't need a priest to tell him that his mother would rather go to meet his late father in the afterlife than to allow him marry a girl from a humble background. He hadn't been planning on leaving the house but it seemed like it was time for him to make preparations for his lover's sake.

Once he had the chance, he would announce to his family his intentions to move our from the family residence and live his one life in his own space. He was sure he would meet some objections from his controlling mother but there was nothing she could do about it this time. If it were in the past, he would have surely been considerate and filial about her needs but everything had changed now. He no longer felt obligated to seek her approval neither did he feel the desire to sacrifice his dreams and desires for the family when the only one he had was now gone.

The old butler and his mistress returned to the living room where he saw the two ladies of the house laughing together as they talked about a dress they saw on a fashion magazine, walking out of the house. He almost deflated out of relief until he heard Finley's voice stop him in his tracks from afar. "Victor, have you found my cousin?"

The old man felt a cold sweat trickle down his nape when he heard his words. In order to stop him from saying any words that may expose his lie, he quickly took out the handkerchief from his pocket and gave it to him. "Master Aidan is still with a fever but we have already called for the doctor to treat him, Master Finley. I found your handkerchief in the study, you must have left it there last night when you came to visit."

Finley looked at the worn-out handkerchief in his hand and gave a slightly confused look at the butler. His eyes then strayed to the old woman standing at a corner watching them silently so his lips curled up in a small smile as he tucked the handkerchief in his hands. "Thank you, Victor. I have been looking for this everywhere. Please make sure to update me on my cousin's health."

The old butler bent his head in slight acknowledgement before he left the room with the old lady, leaving Finley alone. The young master took the handkerchief out and scrutinized it for a while before he shook in head in amusement. He said to himself. "So I was right, he really is hiding that woman in this house. What a cunning bloke....."

He then turned to leave the house but was stopped by the two ladies who seemed a little breathless and panicked from running into the house. Elena grabbed his arm and said. "Where is Mother? We need to talk to her right now!"

"She has gone to get some medicine for your brother who is sick.What is wrong? Has something bad happened?" Finley looked at the two ladies with a concerned expression but Eloise's gaze lingered on his grip on her sister's arms. She quickly turned her face and walked away, climbing the stairs to go search for her mother.

Elena replied with half excitement and worry, not sensing her sister's concealed annoyance as she grabbed Finley's arms even tighter. "Nothing bad, dear cousin. Our servants waiting at the town gate have come back with news. Lady Victoria has finally arrived in Wakefield!"