PredatorX
Really Really Experienced
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2005
- Posts
- 456
(Closed for one female, pm me if interrested)
England - Burford Hall 1791
The inhabitants of Burford Hall had not expected the return of Lord Henry Faringdon. Savoring the silence, the sillness and closed windows he smoothly jumped down from the rented coach and went to the door to pull the clock string. With his back to the house he eyed the well known surroundings that hadn't changed in the past two years. Modern gardens with stony passages. A rose garden where the flowers soon should be in full bloom in the sun. Everything bloomed in a way that told of extreme wealth.
He did not have to turn to the house to see every part of the elegant, loved childhood home in his mind. Burford Hall was a beautiful home. Open and welcoming with the warm glow as the memories from a happy childhood bring.
Two years ago he had chosen to turn his back to it all. Including the garanties of riches and a certain place in the society. Two years ago he had dreamt of creating another lifestyle for himself. He never got a reason to regret for regrets, but by a twisted turn of events his life had turned upside down.
Lord Henry assumed that everything belonged to him now. The house, the land, title and everything that came with it. His brothers all to early death had over night made Lord Henry to the Marquess of Burford.
The thought brought him no joy. I don't wan't the title, he thought. I never wanted it. To all appearance he was easy at mind when he turned and walked up the stair to his childhood home, but inside he was devastated that he finally had to accept his birthright.
The door was opened by a young servant that Lord Henry didnt't recognise. He bowed to the lord with no recognition in his eyes and seemed to accept his right to visit with no warning.
"Can i take your coat sir, and i will inform Lord Nicholas of your arrival."
Lord Henry took of his coat and handed it to the young servant with a friendly smile. "Of course." He simply said.
"How shall i announce you sir?" The servant asked.
Before Lord Henry had time to respond he heard foot steps on the marble floor and saw an older man approach. The man hesitated before he increaced the pace.
"Milord, milord. Thank the heavens you are here! We didn't expect you." The older man looked at Lord Henry with feeling in his eyes. "We didn't know if you had reveived the letters about the tragic events here."
Lord Henry nodded. "I got the letters two months ago but i had some difficulties travelling. Mostly because of the weather so it took longer than i had calculated."
"We are so relieved seing you again milord. If i can say it you haven't changed at all during your time away."
"It have only been two years Marcle. It's not very long." Lord Henry said with a smile.
"Long enough milord. You are missed here."
"How are you Marcle? You look healthy. I see that you still are holding the reins despite that you threatened to retire and move to your sister." Lord Henry chuckled softly.
"Not bad at all sir." Marccle replied as he stopped outside the armoury. "Your brother is inside." He said with a low bow and with a smile he turned and left.
Lord Henry opened the door to the armoury and was welcomed by an familiar sight. A young man stood with his back towards the door with a spaniel at his feet. Lord Nicholas Faringdon was leaning over a bench and cleaned the guns that lay on the bench. He quickly and skillfully removed the firing mechanism on a nice but unreliable duck rifle.
"So this is how you spend your days. I should have understood it! Planning for pleasure hunts when you should be out, taking care of the property."
The young man turned around slowly. After a moment of stunned silence he left the bench and straightened up with a wide smile on his lips.
"Hal! What a surprise!" He came over and gave his older brother a bear hug.
"That was long time ago i saw you. When did you return to England? How long you plan to stay?"
Henry - Hal for those who knew him well hugged Nicholas back with enthusiasm. Then he backed so the brothers could look at eachother from arms length. The family resemblance was great and both where true Faringdons. They had thick and dark, almost black hair that hardly reflected light. Both had a straight nose, marked chin and skinny cheeks. They where a handsome couple. Hal's eyes was more grey than the blue of Nick's. The three year younger Nick had not the cynism of the 27 year old Hal. Their smiles also had some similarities, but Nicholas mouth did not have the lines of experience and ambition of Henry's.
"You look well rested in despite of the sea voyage. Are you rich yet?" Nicholas smiled teasingly.
"Not really." Henry smiled back before he got serious. "How could Thomas die like that? He was an expert horse rider."
Nicholas looked down. "It is a mystery. He fell of the horse and broke his neck. It wasn't even raining."
Nicholas met Henry's eyes. "I am glad you are here."
Henry sighed. Of course Nicholas was glad. Henry was heir to the title.
"Have you spoken with Lady Faringdon yet?" Nicholas suddenly asked.
Henry looked up with a puzzled expression. "Who?" He asked.
"Lady Faringdon, the Marchioness."
"You mean Thomas was married?" The stunned Henry asked. "I had no idea."
"He sure did. And he have a son, Tom. A good kid, about a year old."
"That is great." Henry closes his eyes in relief. "So the child will be the next Marquess."
"Of course." Nicholas say. "Wait, you thought it would be you." He smile. "You didn't know. The letters about the marriage never reached you. You thought both the title and inheritance was yours."
"Yes." Henry closed his eyes in gratitude that he avoided something that felt like a penalty for life.
"And now you are glad that you are of the hook." Nicholas laughed good humourly.
"More than glad. I will more than gladly help the new Marquess. But being one myself are not for me. In America they call me Mister Faringdon and i like it."
Henry smiled. "Why didn't Thomas say he was getting married. If he married so soon after i left he must have known the lady allready."
Nicholas smiled. "I don't think so. It must have been love at first sight. Or at least a strong attraction. homas got engaged and married rapidly after that."
"That must have been a strong experience for him to be that much in love." Henry could not imagine Thomas that way. It did not fit with the picture he had with his older brother.
"I know. It doesn't sound like the Thomas we knew." nicholas read his brothers thoughts. "But follow me and i will introduce you to the widow. She took Thomas death hard, but she are strong and will will recover. At this time she probably are in the blue room with her mother and the baby."
"How are she?" Henry asked Nick as they walked up the stairs. "Are she pretty?"
Nicholas smiled. "No, she are a beauty. A first grade diamant! Thomas had better taste than i thought. You will see with your own eyes." Nicholas said as he opened the door and walked into the blue room with Henry behind him.
The sight that greeted them was charming enought to melt the hardest hearts. A young woman sat on the carpet in front of the fireplace. A baby was crawling around trying to put a red ball in his mouth while a grey kitten was following everywhere the babe crawled. The young woman laughed at her son and lifted him to her lap and pressed her lips against his dark curls.
The baby laughed and grabbed her hair with his small but ruthless fingers. The woman turned her head.
"Eleanor. I thought i would find you here. Let me introduce you to my brother Henry." Nicholas said.
The air in the room suddenly became thick with tension. The womans face paled and her eyes became large with chock as she stared at the man still in the doorway. Her delighted smile faded and Lord Henry Faringdon felt the chill in his blood.
England - Burford Hall 1791
The inhabitants of Burford Hall had not expected the return of Lord Henry Faringdon. Savoring the silence, the sillness and closed windows he smoothly jumped down from the rented coach and went to the door to pull the clock string. With his back to the house he eyed the well known surroundings that hadn't changed in the past two years. Modern gardens with stony passages. A rose garden where the flowers soon should be in full bloom in the sun. Everything bloomed in a way that told of extreme wealth.
He did not have to turn to the house to see every part of the elegant, loved childhood home in his mind. Burford Hall was a beautiful home. Open and welcoming with the warm glow as the memories from a happy childhood bring.
Two years ago he had chosen to turn his back to it all. Including the garanties of riches and a certain place in the society. Two years ago he had dreamt of creating another lifestyle for himself. He never got a reason to regret for regrets, but by a twisted turn of events his life had turned upside down.
Lord Henry assumed that everything belonged to him now. The house, the land, title and everything that came with it. His brothers all to early death had over night made Lord Henry to the Marquess of Burford.
The thought brought him no joy. I don't wan't the title, he thought. I never wanted it. To all appearance he was easy at mind when he turned and walked up the stair to his childhood home, but inside he was devastated that he finally had to accept his birthright.
The door was opened by a young servant that Lord Henry didnt't recognise. He bowed to the lord with no recognition in his eyes and seemed to accept his right to visit with no warning.
"Can i take your coat sir, and i will inform Lord Nicholas of your arrival."
Lord Henry took of his coat and handed it to the young servant with a friendly smile. "Of course." He simply said.
"How shall i announce you sir?" The servant asked.
Before Lord Henry had time to respond he heard foot steps on the marble floor and saw an older man approach. The man hesitated before he increaced the pace.
"Milord, milord. Thank the heavens you are here! We didn't expect you." The older man looked at Lord Henry with feeling in his eyes. "We didn't know if you had reveived the letters about the tragic events here."
Lord Henry nodded. "I got the letters two months ago but i had some difficulties travelling. Mostly because of the weather so it took longer than i had calculated."
"We are so relieved seing you again milord. If i can say it you haven't changed at all during your time away."
"It have only been two years Marcle. It's not very long." Lord Henry said with a smile.
"Long enough milord. You are missed here."
"How are you Marcle? You look healthy. I see that you still are holding the reins despite that you threatened to retire and move to your sister." Lord Henry chuckled softly.
"Not bad at all sir." Marccle replied as he stopped outside the armoury. "Your brother is inside." He said with a low bow and with a smile he turned and left.
Lord Henry opened the door to the armoury and was welcomed by an familiar sight. A young man stood with his back towards the door with a spaniel at his feet. Lord Nicholas Faringdon was leaning over a bench and cleaned the guns that lay on the bench. He quickly and skillfully removed the firing mechanism on a nice but unreliable duck rifle.
"So this is how you spend your days. I should have understood it! Planning for pleasure hunts when you should be out, taking care of the property."
The young man turned around slowly. After a moment of stunned silence he left the bench and straightened up with a wide smile on his lips.
"Hal! What a surprise!" He came over and gave his older brother a bear hug.
"That was long time ago i saw you. When did you return to England? How long you plan to stay?"
Henry - Hal for those who knew him well hugged Nicholas back with enthusiasm. Then he backed so the brothers could look at eachother from arms length. The family resemblance was great and both where true Faringdons. They had thick and dark, almost black hair that hardly reflected light. Both had a straight nose, marked chin and skinny cheeks. They where a handsome couple. Hal's eyes was more grey than the blue of Nick's. The three year younger Nick had not the cynism of the 27 year old Hal. Their smiles also had some similarities, but Nicholas mouth did not have the lines of experience and ambition of Henry's.
"You look well rested in despite of the sea voyage. Are you rich yet?" Nicholas smiled teasingly.
"Not really." Henry smiled back before he got serious. "How could Thomas die like that? He was an expert horse rider."
Nicholas looked down. "It is a mystery. He fell of the horse and broke his neck. It wasn't even raining."
Nicholas met Henry's eyes. "I am glad you are here."
Henry sighed. Of course Nicholas was glad. Henry was heir to the title.
"Have you spoken with Lady Faringdon yet?" Nicholas suddenly asked.
Henry looked up with a puzzled expression. "Who?" He asked.
"Lady Faringdon, the Marchioness."
"You mean Thomas was married?" The stunned Henry asked. "I had no idea."
"He sure did. And he have a son, Tom. A good kid, about a year old."
"That is great." Henry closes his eyes in relief. "So the child will be the next Marquess."
"Of course." Nicholas say. "Wait, you thought it would be you." He smile. "You didn't know. The letters about the marriage never reached you. You thought both the title and inheritance was yours."
"Yes." Henry closed his eyes in gratitude that he avoided something that felt like a penalty for life.
"And now you are glad that you are of the hook." Nicholas laughed good humourly.
"More than glad. I will more than gladly help the new Marquess. But being one myself are not for me. In America they call me Mister Faringdon and i like it."
Henry smiled. "Why didn't Thomas say he was getting married. If he married so soon after i left he must have known the lady allready."
Nicholas smiled. "I don't think so. It must have been love at first sight. Or at least a strong attraction. homas got engaged and married rapidly after that."
"That must have been a strong experience for him to be that much in love." Henry could not imagine Thomas that way. It did not fit with the picture he had with his older brother.
"I know. It doesn't sound like the Thomas we knew." nicholas read his brothers thoughts. "But follow me and i will introduce you to the widow. She took Thomas death hard, but she are strong and will will recover. At this time she probably are in the blue room with her mother and the baby."
"How are she?" Henry asked Nick as they walked up the stairs. "Are she pretty?"
Nicholas smiled. "No, she are a beauty. A first grade diamant! Thomas had better taste than i thought. You will see with your own eyes." Nicholas said as he opened the door and walked into the blue room with Henry behind him.
The sight that greeted them was charming enought to melt the hardest hearts. A young woman sat on the carpet in front of the fireplace. A baby was crawling around trying to put a red ball in his mouth while a grey kitten was following everywhere the babe crawled. The young woman laughed at her son and lifted him to her lap and pressed her lips against his dark curls.
The baby laughed and grabbed her hair with his small but ruthless fingers. The woman turned her head.
"Eleanor. I thought i would find you here. Let me introduce you to my brother Henry." Nicholas said.
The air in the room suddenly became thick with tension. The womans face paled and her eyes became large with chock as she stared at the man still in the doorway. Her delighted smile faded and Lord Henry Faringdon felt the chill in his blood.
