Aidan Knight awakens...

Aidan Knight opened his eyes the next morning and groaned. Although the curtains were closed, he was still disturbed by that single ray of light that escaped through the cracks Landing across his face. He scrunched his face stubbornly but eventually opened his eyes to look at the ceiling where all his memories came flooding into his head. He stood up immediately and was greeted by a sight that made him very annoyed at that moment. "What are you doing here?"

"Good morning, Aidan." Victoria's eyes stayed glued to the novel she was reading as she flipped page and sipped her tea. She stayed at the far end of the curtain where she could see under the light ray passing into the room.

"I asked you a question." Aidan's tone made her raise her head up and she closed the book and came closer to sit on his bed beside him but she halted midway when she saw him create more distance between them.

"Your mother asked me to take care of you for the night since you had a fever. Poor woman need to sleep so I agreed." She saw him ponder on her words and took advantage of the opportunity to check his temperature, laying her hand on his cool forehead. "You seem better now. I-"

"You can go now. Leave this room immediately." Aidan's voice had weakened during the time he pretended to be sick as the medicine he drank did nothing but to nauseate him even further. He pushed away his blanket and tried to stand up but his legs refused to obey his command and his head kept spinning. He resisted the urge to curse as he sat back on the side of the bed.

Victoria wanted to touch him but his stern aura make him look so unapproachable that she had no choice to back down and take the safer route. She stood up from the bed and told him. "I know we have a lot of things to talk about but now is not the time. I will go and tell your mother that you have woken up and then send for the doctor. You should get changed first."

He allowed her to take a last glance before she left his room before he stood up. The first thing he did was to head to the study after he was sure the woman was gone and he found out that the door was locked. He knocked a couple of times in their own private signal but he received no response so he began to worry. He wanted to look for the head butler whom he had assigned his lover's security to but he feared that he might draw unnecessary attention so he waited patiently for some minutes before he knocked again.

This time, he could hear the peephole secretly open which meant that someone had to be at the other side. Before he could say anything in a small whisper, the door opened and he felt his hand being pulled in a tight grip and he entered the room. He turned around to see his Antoniette scanning his whole figure in a quiet yet mournful glance so he spoke first. "Antoniette, are you alright?"

"Where have you been, Aidan?" Antoniette's eyes were filled with tears immediately she saw him and the whole scene made him panic if she had been maltreated in any way. She allowed him to approach her in a hug while she quietly sobbed for a long time as she said. "I was so worried about you."

She had been so afraid that something bad had happened to him. At first she figured that he would still be watched under the gazes of his family but after her conversation with the butler, she began to feel anxious about him changing his heart about her but she couldn't do anything to stop it.

Aidan released her and explained to her. "I am so sorry, my love. My mother and the doctor stayed with him until I slept off and I don't know what happened until this morning."

"Your fiancee is here." Antoniette told him, looking into his eyes searchingly. "Do you know she came to visit you yesterday?"

"No, but I know she is here." He grimaced slightly at the memory. "I saw her this morning in my room."

Antoniette untangled herself from his embrace, trying to curb the jealousy in her heart. She could now confirm that his family was bent on getting the both of them married and there would be no place for her soon. She looked at him and decided to seek reassurance from him. As long as he told her that he would still keep fighting for their love, she would not give up either. "Aidan, do you love her?"

"What nonsense are you talking about, Antoniette? Where did you get that preposterous idea?" Aidan scrunched his eyebrows in confusion at her words. He wondered just how much things had changed in his absence and the very thought irked him. "Did my mother talk to you? Did she-"

"No one has said anything to me, Aidan." Antoniette felt very cold after leaving his embrace so she wrapped her arms around herself as she spoke. "I only say this because of the situation we are now facing. I do not want you to go against your family just because of me...."

"I will not satisfy my family's desires just to lose my only love." He noticed that she would not face him so he made her face him by turning her around. "I will not marry Victoria. I promise you that, Antoniette as long as you do not leave me, I will it betray you."

"And so will I." Antoniette rushed into his arms with her emotions of happiness flooding into her heart. She did not care what others said about her live for this man, she was determined to fight for the possibility of having a future with him.

And she would do her very best.

"I will handle everything soon." He smiled once he saw how reassured she felt and wrapped his arms around her even tighter. "Just trust me. I will never let you go."

Meanwhile, Lady Victoria had already informed Madame Silvanna and her two daughters about Aidan's condition and even sent for the doctor to come. She went to join the twins after the old woman convinced her to take a rest now that her son was awake.

She sat quietly beside the twins who were discussing amongst themselves while being immersed in her own thoughts. Eloise noticed her melancholic behavior and sent a signal to her sister before she asked her friend. "Victoria, are you alright?"

The young lady lowered her eyes for a moment and then showed a small shaky smile. "It is nothing serious. I am just worried about Aidan's health."

"He is just sick, not dying." Elena muttered under her breath but her words made her receive a glare from her twin so she added. "I am sure he will be fine. Do not be worried, all will go well with your upcoming wedding."

Victoria immediately took advantage of her words to complain about what had been in her mind all these while and said. "But he is so cold and distant to me. I fear he had still not forgiven me for going to Africa and instead chose to listen to those malicious rumours about me abandoning him...."

"Don't worry about it, my friend." Eloise took her hands into her own and patted it comfortingly. She had already talked with her mother with the intention to make this marriage work at all cost. This was their only way to save themselves from their demise so she smiled again while reassuring her. "My brother has always abstained from women since he was young so I fear he might not know how to react about these things. You would have to be very patient, my dear friend."

Victoria lifted up her downcast eyes from the floor to the two girls who were smiling gently at her. Although she knew that their words may be filled with ulterior motives, it didn't it fro. boosting her morale.*Are you sure?"

"Stop talking and go rest, Victoria." Eloise already knew she had managed to convince her so she quickly sent her back to her room before she went to check on her brother like the rest family members had done. As soon as she passed the study room on her way to his room she suddenly remembered something and said to the head maid who was following her. "Those rumours about the study is something that must not be mentioned. I hope you have educated the servants on what to say and what not to say while Lady Victoria is in this house."

"Yes, my lady." The head maid bowed her head as soon as they halted in front of the door. "I have already reminded them of the consequences they shall face if they disobeyed the rules."

"Good." Eloise stretched out her hand to open the door but she halted again for a brief moment before she turned around to face her and scrutinize her. "Have you heard any news from your niece? The one who spilled tea on one of my friends the other day?"

The head maid Lucinda almost swallowed loudly when she heard her question but she willed her emotions in check in order not to get caught. She had sent numerous letters to her sister asking for her niece's whereabouts but she had received no response and it made her worried all the time. "She has gone back to her hometown already. I am sure she has found some other work to do back there."

Lady Eloise seemed to.be pondering on her words for a moment before she nodded her head and said. "Is that so? Good then."