Chapter 1

Lady Naomi Rowen walked through the gardens of the Codwell estate, the echo of her heels clicking and clacking on the stone pathway, her mind was only filled with the hollow sound of the wind. It was beautiful, peaceful– watching the dark green leaves dancing to the tune of the wind. She had let her hair out of the spherical prison called a bun, and so her hair, too, had become an instrument for mother nature to play with. Another set of footsteps joined her own in a melody of clicks and clacks, although hers were much lighter. Bewildered by the sudden interruption of her inner peace, she whipped her head around, turning on her heel, and faced an unpleasant but familiar stature.

This has got to be a prank. A silly joke played by my eyes, perhaps because of my constant fatigue, she thought as she gritted her teeth. She raised her eyes from the chest in front of her face to the eyes that towered over her; piercing, cunning, but also soft. He had a smug plastered on his face, his silver hair basking in the moonlight, as if absorbing it. His eyes were practically the same as that of a cloudless morning sky, pastel and soft. He was the one she had admired, loved, and envied most. And yet, he was also the one she couldn't force herself to look at, to hug, to talk to – he filled her with many emotions at once.

"Duke, please see yourself out," she smiled, her moon-like eyes almost forming into the shape of a crescent. "Immediately." She had made a slight click with her tongue, glaring at him. He was an unpleasant memory, something she wished she could bury deep enough so he wouldn't resurface again. And yet she saw it again, a slight image of her brother aligning with his face.

"Naomi, what a pleasant surprise," he smiled even wider, gently taking her hand in his and pulling it up to his face, caressing his cheek with it. "I did not expect to see you here." The sound of his voice, his touch, his gestures – they all made Naomi's stomach feel as if it had done a flip, butterflies flapping through her stomach. How dare he, after all this time, appear in front of her and call her by her first name? She whipped her hand out of his grasp, and took a step back, placing her hands right below the corset that was tightly wrapped around her upper body.

"Your grace, I do not wish to repeat myself. What is it that you seek in the gardens of the Codwell's this late at night? Rumors may spread if we are to be discovered together, at such a late hour. Or have you come to admire the flowers?" She sneered, and turned on her heel once again as she began walking in the opposite direction. His set of footsteps joined hers, which darkened her expression further. He is purposely ignoring her provocations, and she couldn't do much about it. Just looking at him made her want to break down in tears, wrap her hands around his neck, and kill him all at once.

"I'd like to say that I came to see you, however, you wouldn't like that," he muttered, just loud enough for Naomi to hear. Was he taking her earlier comment into consideration? He walked a bit faster now, and slowed down as soon as he was walking by Naomi's side. He walked in a straight line, as if afraid that there wouldn't be enough space for them both if he took wider steps – relaxed a little. And yet, he also matched her pace perfectly. "So, instead, I have come to see my future wife."

Naomi giggled in amusement, curious if he knew what he had just said. "I see, so how did the visit go? Did she accept your proposal despite being a widow?" She said, mockingly smiling, but not looking in his direction. Her maternal grandmother – countess had long passed the age of fifty, and her husband died four years ago. Was he really trying to joke around with her, or did he want to marry her grandmother?

Out of the corner of her eye, Naomi caught a glimpse of Noah tilting his head while looking her directly in the eyes. He was like a cub – a wolf cub. He may be adorable on the surface, but you would never be aware as to just when he would attack you. "I don't remember my very pretty wife being a widow," he smiled again, his expression as if a lightning strike with ideas had hit him just now.

"Yes, well I see you have no prejudice against the age of that very-pretty wife of yours either," she said, as she realized how engulfed in this conversation she had become. She had forgotten about how tired she was, where she was, and who she was speaking with. Speaking to him engulfed everything around her – and she slowly realized they were in the same place as where they started. She had unconsciously led them in circles, and bit her lip in embarrassment, stealing small glances at Noah's smiling expression. He noticed. He had noticed she noticed, too. Was she that obvious? It's as if she turned into a kid around him.

"That is quite true, I hold no prejudice against my gorgeous wife. I don't see why I'd have to worry about her age, when she will continue to be beautiful no matter what," he smirked, and caught her glance. She turned her gaze away, composed herself, and stopped. "Hm?"

"Then, I'm sure your very precious wife wouldn't want you to be with another woman right now," She sighed, and wished she could find it in her to tell him to leave directly. Why was she always so weak towards him? She could give him one push, but one smile from him shook her up inside. Why would he joke about this, of all things? Sure, it may have gotten her talking, but it was an absurd topic. Her maternal grandmother was an old woman who was and is still hopelessly in-love with her deceased husband.

"Yes, you are right. Which is why I am with my very pretty wife right now. You see, she might be a very jealous wife, and I wouldn't want to fuel it."

"Pardon me?"

In that moment, Naomi prayed. She prayed she heard him wrong, prayed she was imagining it all, prayed she was going insane. She had never prayed so hard before. She gripped the hem of her pink frilled dress and found it in her to look him in the eyes. "Surely, you don't mean…"

"Don't mean what, very pretty wife of mine?"

"No," Naomi said, bewildered. She couldn't be marrying him of all people. How did she not even know of this? Why did she have to find out through Noah, of all people? Had her father agreed to this, as well? She didn't want this to happen. Sure, he may have attracted her ever so slightly– but he also caused her to feel a hurricane of emotions; not all necessarily pleasant. She hated him, but she also found him attractive – that was all. "No no no. You must be mistaken."

He smiled, genuinely this time – that she knew. She knew because she had seen that smile so many times in the past. She knew because she was still hung over the past in which they were happy. And yet, she couldn't help but think he was mocking her. She turned away and ran past him, back to the gates of the codwell estate. This time, though, he did not follow her. Perhaps he knew she had been filled with enough anger that it could explode on him – that is what she wished she could believe but at the same time wished she could prove wrong. If she could shatter her dreams, her positive thoughts of him, she would. Despite the fact that he reminded her of her own brother so much, she couldn't help but see him as Noah at the same time.