CHAPTER TWO 2

'ATTORNEY Smith?'.

Emily was beyond surprised upon seeing the attorney issued to her by the aristocracy concerning the contract marriage in Mr Young's office. Smith was a middle aged English man with pale blonde hair which made it hard to differ the starting of his hair lines from his skin. Standing beside him was another tall, broad shouldered, ivory skinned man with dark copper hair. Both in suits, they stood firm.

'Miss Lloyd', Smith offered a handshake, 'Nice meeting you today'.

Offering a faint smile, Emily said, 'Smith, it's nice meeting you today as well but I wasn't expecting you', she continued, 'Did the—',

'Mr Young, here called that we start the processing of the marriage certificate as soon as possible so that is what we are doing right now', Smith informed easily.

Emily veered her gaze towards Lewis who was now speaking to his attorney.

'I wasn't informed that we would be signing the contract tonight, I wasn't informed about anything at all Mr Young', Emily quired, 'It was due next month. That were the arrangements, why the sudden change?'.

Lewis had a laxed look lurking in his eyes as he said, 'I decided we'd do things faster, I'll be out on business during the supposed date so I called the court and made few arrangements with the aristocracy so that this would be possible. I do hope you understand'.

'I do', Emily curtly derived, 'But I would have appreciated it if I were told earlier, in the mail I was given?'.

' I do remember including "negotiating terms". Our terms are derived from the contract', he dismissed, 'You were told—',

'Ingeniously?', She defended.

Emily could see the tightening muscle of his jaw line radiate, evidence of his impatience and annoyance. And as her eyes locked into his, she could see that he didn't want the conversation to head any longer. The room became silent. Emily's words had died in her lips.

'Please have your seat Miss Lloyd', Lewis finally dismissed before returning to the conversation with his attorney. Smith in aid, pulled the chair out for Emily to have her seat.

'Thank you', she offered in a slight whisper. After a few while, Lewis joined her and so did the attorneys.

'Shall we begin?', Attorney Kent, Lewis's attorney asked.

'We shall', Lewis firmly reported.

'Okay then', Kent finalized.

***

"The following marriage agreements shall proceed in any senarial during the influence of the Contracted and arranged marriage.

1. Prenuptial Agreement: This is a contact that the consort and spouse enter into before the marriage (Attorney Kent handed the prenuptial contract towards Lewis as Smith did the same to Emily). This contract describes what property

and financial assets, such as stocks and bonds etcetera, the consort and spouse brings into the marriage known as pre marital assets and how those premarital assets will be handled during the marriage and in the event of a divorce. The prenuptial Agreement will also include how properties and assets acquired should be divided in the event of a divorce.

(Lewis signs and Emily does so immediately)

2. Postnuptial Agreement: This is the contract the consort and spouse enter into after they are legally married (Attorneys declare the contact will be signed by them after they are legally married). The contract also describes how assets would be divided in events of death and a divorce.

3. Separation Agreement: This is a contact which the consort and spouse agree to live separately and apart from one another without a divorce. The separation agreement addresses how the consort and spouse handle child support, child custody and visitation, spousal maintainance and dividing of properties and assets. (Attorneys inform this was discretional. But Lewis informs it is unnecessary leaving Emily to gaze upon him in pure curiosity)

4. Marital Settlement Agreement: This is an agreement in which the consort and spouse agree to end the marriage and you may be able to agree on the details without getting the court involved. The marital settlement agreement also called a stipulation of settlement, addresses how the consort and the spouse handle the property and assets, spousal and child support obligations, and visitation and custody arrangements without the court being involved. (Attorneys affirm that this agreement would be enforced in the future when the consort and spouse decide to enter the event of a divorce without involving the court)

This agreements are enforced by the consort and spouse before signing the marriage contract and establishing the wedding certificate".

***

Attorney Kent and Attorney Smith organized and sorted out the only contract signed, which was the prenuptial Agreement, Whilst Lewis and Emily stared at each other. Sable eyes locked in

cobalt's. Lips sworn never to reveal words. Tension building, the silence was stunned.

'Okay then', Smith verified taking Emily out of her trans.

'It's time to get the contract signed, then we send it to the court to legalize the marriage', Smith explained but all this while, Emily's gaze was fixated on the icily captivating blue of his. It was incredible, she had never been so mezmerized or dazed by eyes or its holder. Those eyes, they were dark, dingy and enigmatic. She wondered, was this decision worth the risk? Was Lewis what she had been waiting for all her life? Was there a hidden pearl in that hard clamp shell of his....

'Okay then', Smith said placing before her the contract, 'Fill this in and we'll take care of the rest'.

***

It was done. She was married. Married to Young. She had not expected this in any sort of way. But here she was, now exiting Fermstones after signing the contract.

'Bridgeman will see you home', Lewis informed as he led her into the elevator.

'Okay', she curtly derived. The sound of the elevator ceasing her attention, caused her to turn around.

Stepping in, she turned her back to the walls only to make direct eye contact with Lewis, his lips parted as he derived

'Mrs Young'.

Not given the time to respond, she watched as the elevator doors automatically close on him. Mrs Young, she replayed and she could almost feel instincts telling her it sounded right. And to think, she came to Fermstones as a bachelorette and was leaving as consort. It was both unexpected and uncalled for.

Stepping under the torrential downpour, Emily spotted Bridgeman as he begun exiting out of the car with an umbrella.

Jolting closer to her, the umbrella in aid, he said, 'Mrs Young'. And no matter how hard Emily tried, she could not fight back the smile that graced her lips.

'Right this way please', he conferred as he led Emily into the car.

Emily could not anticipate anything before it had happened. Falling asleep during brief or lengthy journeys were flaws of hers. So she was completely obscure to the fact that she was not in Pine street. Infact she had no idea where she was. But as the car continued to propel pass the shimmering street lights and formidable buildings, then did she realize that she was in a place of high standard precedence.

'Mr Bridgeman, where are we headed?', she queried as she observed her GPS visualized that she was no where near her apartment.

'To The Apartment'. He vocalized

'The Apartment? But we are far away from my apartment. And I'm not familiar with this area, this isn't Pine street'. She asserted.

'Not your apartment Mrs Young', he corrected. 'Mr Young affirmed that I take you to The Apartment up ahead', Bridgeman stated, 'In Capitol Hill?'.

Emily's expression was sour, 'I wasn't told that'.

***

Emily was unsure which was more captivating and admirable Fermstones or The Apartment. With the height of a giant, the building radiated it's brobdingnagiance and affluence with such precedence and prominence that it left Emily gawking hysterically. It was a building structured as one of those New York five star hotel but bigger. She had seen many colossal buildings, but this was on another level of mammoth.

'This is an apartment?', Emily asked Bridgeman as he opened the door to the car.

'Not an apartment, The Apartment', He corrected.

'So The Apartment's a penthouse?', she quired.

'You can say that. But Mr Young owns the entire building', He denoted

'Oh', Emily derived as she pursued a method of hiding her awe. But what Emily had not known was that the inside of this massive building would leave her exceedingly awe stricken.

The Apartment was cold and calculating, but the hammered metal door of the private elevator gave it a more icily captivating thrill. The dramatically and unrelatable veined marble floor and the lighting to the entry, in copper and rose gold, added just a touch of warmth to complement The Apartment's stark architecture.

The entry also offered some strong midcentry notes. The trellis like room divider's geometric pattern lended what could easily have been a lifeless space. A little sense of design history. The Frank Sinatra worthy table did not hurt either.

The soaring living space was furnished with little more than a grand piano. All better for twirling prospective conquest, Emily supposed.

As Emily stepped further in, she viewed the teal carpet read a little Gymboree for her taste. But the sophisticated furnishing did more than compensate.

For a place so sparsely furnished, The Apartment had a ton of spot on light fixtures. Including the Brutalist beauty, one of a pair that framed the passage from dinning room to kitchen.

The Apartment was truly a place that displayed a hand full of affluence. Emily was dazed.

'Mrs Young', Emily leaped, dumbfounded by her unexpected appearance.

Emily whimpered, 'Oh my God', as she pressed a hand to her chest.

The elderly woman, with greyish blonde hair and dark blue eyes was standing before Emily. Keeping a bright smile on her face she offered to take her coat.

'Good Evening ma'am, I'm Amy Patager. The house hold keeper'. She said, 'Sorry if I startled you'.

'No—er—No it's okay, you're just', Emily cleared her throat, 'Really quiet'.

'One of my best features, I promise you wouldn't even notice I'm here', She simpered sintillatingly.

Emily reciprocated to her warmth with a vivid

leer.

'I'll take you to your room'.

***

'Right in here, Mrs Young'.

Emily was left in bewilderment as she stepped into the cozy and fragrant swam themed room. The white room offered a view over the landscaped garden out back. It had an office area, With a portable seat and desk. The bed side lamp was brightly lit, and the bed looked smaller rather than austere. A little too small for two.

'Wow, it's—er—really white', was all Emily could otter as she looked around, 'Does Lewis sleep in here?'.

'Mr Young sleeps in the second floor, he instructed I'd prepare a room for you down here because he sleeps with no one', Amy Partager affirmed.

'I see', she derived, not hiding her rather strange disappointment. What was she expecting from the same man she had met earlier. He was coldly arrogant, but somehow Emily knew he offered no threat to her. That does dingy eyes could never deepen with the emotion it would take to physical nudge her. That his power was all of the will rather than the body.

'Do you need anything Mrs Young?', Amy went on.

'I'd like some fruits and a glass of water pleae', Emily replied being vastly.

'Yes Mrs Young'.

'Oh, and Amy', Emily called out.

'Yes, Mrs Young?', she denoted

'Call me Emily', she leered flamboyantly as Amy reciprocated.

Emily was worried that Angelica had not picked up the phone. She had called before and after freshening up in the private bathroom provided for her. Now in bath robes, her hair damp and dripping, she dialed again. But this time to avail.

'Where are you?', Angelica derived clearly worried.

'Capitol Hill', she declared as she giggled.

'Capitol hill? what are you doing there?'.

'Well, for a marriage to work I need to be in the same house with my husband'.

'What? you already signed the contract?'.

'Yeah', she sighed flourished, 'I hadn't expect it but it happened'.

'Are you fine with this. You only just met him Emily', Angelica quired.

'I know Angy, but it's already been done. I didn't think it would have happened today but, here I am'.

For a while, Angelica went mute.

'Hello?',

'I'm sorry, I'm just dazed', she responded with a mild laughter.

'I don't—I'll have to go, I'll call you back', she said quickly as a loud knock sounded on the door of her room. Ringing off, she strunted towards the door and opened it, expecting Amy Partager. but she was mistaken. Her face glowing with an unexpected sense of pleasure when she opened the door to find Lewis standing there.

'Emily'.