《The Improper Companion》Chapter 18
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It was a day before the house party was ending when Fiona burst into the dowager duchess's chamber.
"Lord Winston proposed to me!" she shouted as she pushed open the door.
Gaping at her from within was the Duke himself.
The duchess looked nervously between her son and her companion. And then an awkward silence ensued.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were in here," Fiona stammered, cursing herself for being so repulsive.
"It's alright," he murmured. "I was bound to find out. Or were you planning on keeping it a secret all along?" he added harshly.
"Nathaniel!" his mother bellowed. "You may leave."
"I may, but I won't. Miss Butterworth is my responsibility and I will have certain answers."
The duchess tried to protest but Fiona stopped her. "It's alright, your grace. Now I will have your counsel as well as the Duke's."
"I take it you jumped with joy and said yes?" Nate growled.
"I did not. Do I look joyful to you?" Fiona gaped.
No, she looked anything but, Nate thought with some measure of relief. But that didn't mean she wouldn't say yes in the future.
If she was asking for their counsel, she was probably considering it.
Nate wanted to strangle Fiona. And that damned Winston. And his mother for looking so damned satisfied with herself.
"Well what did you tell him, my dear?" his mother asked her.
"I...um—ran off," she cringed even as she said it. His mother rolled her eyes heavenwards as if asking for divine help.
"What do I tell him?!" she asked, her face crumpling.
"You tell him no," Nate said firmly the same time his mother said, "that you'll think about it."
"She can't think about this, mother! He's not the right man for her, everyone knows that," he said.
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"I think he's exactly the right man for her," his mother replied pertly. "He's handsome, titled and generous. Not to mention, good natured," she added with a smirk in Nate's direction, no doubt to make sure the barb struck.
It had and Nate stiffened. Yes, he could be a tad overbearing at times but his responsibilities had made him so. And he knew how to be good natured, he really did!
"But he began this as a bet," he said.
"He did confess everything to me. And he'd intended to marry me from the start," Fiona said thoughtfully, biting her lip.
"He's honest too," his mother announced, spreading her arms with a theatrical flourish.
Nate saw red.
"He's just not right for you, Fiona," he repeated, not bothering to address her formally. He'd touched her and kissed her for god's sakes and he was tired of pretending otherwise.
"I might never get the chance to marry again, your grace. It's nothing short of a miracle that the Earl wants to marry someone like me."
"What do you mean someone like you?"
"Mousy, without any bloodlines to recommend me..."
"You're perfectly beautiful and any man would be lucky to have you," he growled.
Fiona's mouth opened and closed like a fish and his mother was watching him intently.
Good God, what the hell was wrong with him?!
"You think I'm beautiful?" she squeaked.
"Of course," he said gruffly, annoyed that she had to ask. And she was. Her beauty wasn't overtly apparent as Sophia's.
Her beauty was more understated. It lay in the simplicity of her features. He'd thought her plain in the beginning, but then he'd started to notice her more closely.
Her eyes were so dark, he often found himself getting lost in their depths—he knew without a shadow of doubt that he could spend hours just looking into her eyes. Her nose was tiny, giving her a pixie like appearance. But her mouth was plump and pink—and it tasted as good as strawberries. He knew, he'd tasted them.
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She was such a petit little thing but she fit well with him. Her hair was perfect—dark like her eyes and soft as silk.
She suited him perfectly. And it had felt like she'd been made for him when he'd been kissing her yesterday.
But Nate had discovered that feelings had no place in this real world.
No matter how much he fantasised about her in his dreams at night and no matter how much he enjoyed her company during the day, what he wanted could never be.
He supposed he could make her his mistress—he wanted her that badly. But he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he did such a thing to his wife. And he knew that Fiona would feel the same way.
"If I were a man, Fiona, I would snatch you right up before anyone else could," his mother said, eyeing him meaningfully.
Was his mother trying to tell him something? It didn't make any sense.
"You're biased," Fiona laughed, joining his mother by the bed.
They made such a pretty picture, his mother and Fiona so comfortable and happy to spend time with each other. His heart clenched with longing...longing to join them.
He could never imagine Sophia wanting to spend time with his mother willingly. Hell she hardly spoke two words whenever they met. He'd always thought that his mother was a difficult woman, that she wouldn't allow anyone close to her. But he'd been wrong.
He'd heeded to Fiona's advise and had begun to pay more attention to his mother. He'd been surprised to see the change in her—and himself. He enjoyed talking with her. His mother, it seemed had a deadly sense of humour. It was as if he was rediscovering her.
He felt like an arse for ignoring her all this while.
Fiona had given him the greatest gift, he realised. And he loved her for it.
He loved her.
The realisation came to him like a splash of cold water. He had to leave.
He turned to tell the ladies that he was leaving but they appeared to be lost in whatever conversation they were having so he slipped out quietly.
He'd really bungled it this time.
Lusting after his mother's companion had been bad enough.
But now he was in love with the most troublesome woman in England.
Nate didn't know if he wanted to laugh or cry. Never had he imagined that he would find love. He'd always assumed that he'd find a woman he could be comfortable with—one who'd make a good duchess. Just his luck that the one woman he did fall in love with couldn't be his duchess.
He wanted to rail at the unfairness of it all.
But his fate had been sealed when he'd been born to this dukedom.
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Year 3065, after billions of years , the planet earth of milky way galaxy finally dried out of its life . Several human made their new way to another planetary system for another life. Despite of the great voyage, not all of the earths people are granted of a pass. Only scientists, patriots, nobles, government officials, high ranking officials of both military, doctors and educators were prioritized and granted of a pass. Some of the people from lower society have to find their way to obtain pass from the world organization.Riots and Fights arises due to the crisis. In the end, quarter of the lower society were able to get a pass and those quarter were composed of selected couples from different races.Sad reality of life came up.Wailing and grieving resounded when the great voyage started, for not all of the earths people were given a new chance to live their new life.One of those unfortunate is jacob spinger. A teen ager who comes from the lower society. His family were only one of the numbers of casualties that the world government recorded when the global catastrophy happen. Jacob lived all by himself, supporting his daily needs working as call center agent on one of the online shopping companies of the world, Zalada. Despite of his earnings,he didnt have the chance to get a ticket to the new planet.Brought down by his miserable fate, Jacob speak out to his hearts content.jacob: I guess this is it, even the gods of heavens have forsaken me.Claimed by jacob as he made his way out from the crowd. He slowly raises his head as he watched the dark grey clouds from the sky, giving out a weary smile as tears flows on both sides of his eyes.Jacob looks very miserable, as he walks away from the sideline crying in silence. He gripped his hands tightly until his fingers dugged deeply on his palms leaking out traces of blood.An unbearable pain of dying man with out any other choices hits jacobs awareness.Not far from him were hundreds and hundreds of earth people who were crying out for help just like him.Thunder came up and lightning strike the ground near them.Even the Heavens above them cannot help it but be angry with those uncanny officials of the world, saving themselves from the great tragedy. Yet whose to blame for it, that's the reality of life.Jacob walked and walk until he reached the nearby fissure. A gigantic crack because of the dying planet. Underneath were composition of melting lava and boiling magma ready to devour the land of earth. Jacob unable to see his future on the current world, jumped out ,letting himself be free from his miserable fate. As he falls down to the great fire of the earths core, he closed his eyes and wished for a new beginning.Jacob: If heavens would grant me a second life, ill promise to make it even better, ill promise that i will live it to the fullest that everyone will acknowledge the importance of worlds nature. However, i guess its not possible, if not, i wished i live in a new world. Jacob tears floated mid air as his body falls directly down to the fire blazing inferno of the earths core.sfx: Crisp!!!Like a burned paper, jacobs body fell down.Jacob could feel the heat flowing from his body, from his skin, to his flesh, to his bones and finally down to his soul. It was a surge of unbearable pain and heat, that as much as jacob wants to shout he wasnt able to , that even if he wants to move away he wasnt able to. It was a never ending torture for jacob, a literal hell of torture.Darkness covered him up. Jacob Springer died.It is said that once a person is dead, time flows in an imaginary long period. A soul is said to be affected by it, so as once consciousness, and ofcourse memory.Jacobs memory of his past rush out to his consciousness, like he is watching a preview of his past life. He wants to correct it but he can't. He can't even talk nor move. A paralized audience watching a cinematic movie, that's what Jacob is like. For a long period of time Jacob watch the movie of his life. Until darkness once again covered him up. The second death.This time, like a paralityc person, Jacob was covered in darkness. He wants to shout but he can't. He wants to move but he cannot. Time passed, and he finally lost his consciousness in the dark.The last death.It is said that in the world of darkness there is light. In death, there is life.After a very long time of being dead in the dark, a surge of distressing call of nature, rose up on the sleeping Jacob.He wants to pee, and because of it he was able to open his eyes. Light welcomed him up, a vast universe filled with light appears right in his naked eyes.Then a strong force tapped his back and his consciousness was sent flying to the vast universe.This time, a new world appear right before his naked eyes. A world different from the dead earth that Jacob knows.Then once again Jacob felt something that had bumped into him and he felt dizzy and went asleep.Time passed by and finally Jacob Springer woke up. Unable to understand what happened Jacob springer asked.Jacob: Where am i? What happened to me? Arent I dead already.Asked by jacob. Never did he know that his wish before his death was granted by the heavens. 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