A/N. IMPORTANT. This is my new story. I'm quite happy about this chapter, worked on it a long time. So the chapters of this story will be longer then my previous one. So it will take longer than usual before the next chapter comes up. Just so you know about the longer wait.
Now, hope you like my new story. 3
Unnoticed Love
Chapter 1
Prologue: The Beauty
1979
Niles Brightmore is 35 years old and had just moved from his home country England to, the city that never sleeps, New York. He and his childhood friend Maxwell Sheffield moved there because of Maxwell's producer career. In England Maxwell wasn't been so successful but he have had a hit here and there. So he decided to move to New York to try produce his shows on Broadway. Niles was forced to come with him as his butler.
The reason was that Maxwell's father promised to pay for Niles education if he later in life took after his father's job. Being a butler and serve the Sheffield's. So when Maxwell and his pregnant wife Sara move to America he came along. He was actually thrilled to move, not being stuck in England forever, meet new people and just adapt to a new lifestyle.
Niles, Maxwell and Sara was now standing in the den of the new house, more like a mansion, and admiring the big empty room.
They walked around the big house, locating the rooms and deciding which room would be for what. Niles got the small room on the second floor next to what would be the child's nursery.
A week later the family was settled in. The furniture was in place and the house began to look like a home. Niles was standing in the kitchen when the doorbell rang. He took of the marine blue apron and walked to open the door.
When he came to the door Sara was already there. She opened the door carefully and then, when she saw who it was, wrapped her arms around the person.
"Chas!" She said loud and surprised while hugging the person, whom seems to be a woman whose nickname was Chas. When Sara let go of her friend she saw Niles standing there. She dragged Chastity down to Niles.
"Niles this is Chastity. Chastity, Niles." They shook hands. Niles thought she was beautiful. She had long brown hair, big square glasses and behind the glasses were two of the most beautiful, sea blue eyes he had ever seen. They were so full of life. She wore a light blue blouse tucked into her black dress pants and a pair of black high heels. In the heels she was a few inches taller than him.
"Niles, me and Chastity went to high school together while I lived here in New York. And now she has a job interview with Maxwell so we got to go." Sara and Chastity walked towards the office and Niles looked after them, not taking his eyes of the beautiful creature. When they disappeared behind closed doors Niles came back from his thought and walked back into the kitchen.
A half-hour later Maxwell joined Niles in the kitchen.
"Niles, we'll have a guest joining us for dinner just so you know." He said.
"May I ask who is joining us?" Niles asked polite.
"My new employee and secretary, Chastity Babcock."
Chastity Babcock, okay. He made a mental note to remember her name.Maxwell took of the swinging door before exiting the turned to Niles and said;
"Oh and bring some tea to the office would you." And then went out.
Niles prepared the tea and walked carefully with the silver tray to the office.
"Here is your tea, sir." He said announcing his arrival.
"Thank you Niles, can you pour me and Miss Babcock a cup?" He said looking down at Chastity's resume.
Then when he prepared the cups with the brown liquid he remember that he hasn't heard her voice before and decided to greet her properly.
While handing her the cup of tea, he said;
"Hi, we didn't get to greet properly." He took out his and to let her shake it. "I'm Niles Brightmore, nice to meet you."
She looked up at him with her blue eyes. "Hi, I'm Chastity Babcock, nice to meet you too." She took his hand and shook it. Niles walked to the desk again to make Maxwell a cup and the only thing he could think about was her voice, her touch she was so soft and her voice was so soothing.
Niles came back from his thought when he heard Maxwell call his name and felt a hot liquid running down his hand. He noticed that it was tea, he'd overfilled Maxwell's cup.
"Oh, I'm sorry, sir." Niles said drying of the desk and his hand from the spilled tea. He heard a small giggle from behind and saw Chastity holding her hand over her mouth and moving her shoulders up and down.
"It's quite alright." Maxwell said and took the cup from Niles, not wanting another accident.
Niles started to walk towards the exit, holding a secret gaze on the brunette sitting in the green loveseat. Out of the office he walked back to the kitchen to make the finale touches on the food. He couldn't concentrate the only thing occupying his mind was the cute brunette. First of all he loved her name. And her voice, her long brown hair, her sea blue eyes, everything. But what he didn't want to admit to himself was that he was falling for her.
Some weeks went by and Chastity had been in the house for 16 day, Niles counted, and every time he saw her she looked even more beautiful. They never had a long conversation, they just talked about what she would like to drink or if she needed anything. But Niles didn't care he was happy to hear her voice and hear her talk to him, even if it was just for a moment.
It was late evening and Chastity was still working in the office. Maxwell had gone out with Sara. Niles was standing in the kitchen daydreaming and completely lost in his thought when the phone rang. He blinked his eyes multiple times in a row to snap out of his thought and went to pick up the phone.
"Sheffield residence… Hi sir… She is? Okay me and Miss Babcock will be right over…" He hung up the phone and ran to fetch Miss Babcock.
He nocked on the office door and entered. "Miss Babcock. You have to come with me fast." He said while panting.
"What? Why? What is it?" She was confused.
"It's Sara. She's in labour at the hospital. Now come quick."
Chastity got of from the green leather armchair behind the desk and made her way to the front door with Niles hot on her heels.
In the car on the way to the hospital there was an awkward silence between them, 'cause of that they had never been alone together before, until Chastity broke the silence.
"I can't believe Sara is going to be a mother. I've known her for, I don't know how long, and now she has the life she wanted in high school. Married to a rich guy and a child. And my life dreams are never coming true…"
Niles felt she was really opening up to him, an acquaintance she barely spoken to. He felt honoured.
Dare I ask? He asked himself before asking her anyway. "May I ask what you wish in life?" He didn't want to create an even more awkward silence; he just hoped she would answer.
"A successful career…" She paused "You know the usual." Was the only thing she said. She became quiet and looked out the passenger seat window. Niles felt that it became a little to quiet and turned on the radio. When he heard a love song play, he blushed. Stop blushing. He told himself.
Arriving to the hospital the clock was 11:57 p.m. They walked up the reception desk and asked for Sara. A nurse walked them to Sara's room; she held her newborn baby in her arms and looked at it with love in her eyes.
"Hi." Sara said with low voice when she saw Niles and Chastity coming into the room. "Come here and hold her."
"What's her name?" Chastity asked.
"Margaret Sheffield." Maxwell answered.
"She is beautiful, sir." Niles said. "Can I hold her?"
Sara handed over Margaret to Niles and Chastity moved closet to him to look at the newborn baby. Niles could feel her breath on his neck as she stood behind him, looking over his shoulder. He shivered, hoping no one would notice.
"Are you cold Niles?" Chastity asked.
Damn it, she saw it. "Just a little, nothing to worry about." He lied in response. "You want to hold?" He was talking about to Margaret.
She nodded and he handed her the baby. She held her for a few seconds until the baby started to cry. She headed her over to her mother.
"Bet she is hungry." Sara said.
"Niles can you take me home I have a lot of work to do in the morning? I need some sleep." Chastity said.
"Sure I can. Bye sir and congratulations." Niles said and went out the hospital room.
In the car the awkward silence for the previous ride were back. Niles just looked strait forward while Chastity looked out the passenger set window.
"Hey can you turn on the radio?" She asked. He turned on the radio, but this time it was a metal song playing. He recognised the song. Ice Queen with Within Temptation. He remembered the song from back in his England days when he and Maxwell use to play rock concert when they were younger. He silently laughed at the memory. He once again focused on the song; he could hear Chastity singing quiet for herself. Now he had a big grin on his face and without noticing Chastity looked at him.
"And what are you smiling for?" She asked him with a mocking voice.
"I just remembered a thing me and Maxwell used to do when we were younger when I heard this song." That statement was was partly true.
"What did you do?" She was now curious about what her employer used to do with his best friend.
"Ok, this may sound lame but when we were around 6-7 years old me and Maxwell played rock concert and this song was one of our favourites and well that's it." She laughed and he began to laugh with her at the lame memory.
"I also love this song. Reminds me of when I was a kid also around 6-7 years. My dad and I were together every weekend and he listened to this kind of music as I couldn't listen to it at my mom's after the divorce. She hated it 'cause I reminded her of dad" She was now looking at Niles as she spoke and he could feel her eyes on her. When the last part of the song came they were both singing as loud as they could.
"On cold wings, she's coming you better get moving…" They sang out loud.
When the song ended they laughed until they were at Chastity's apartment building.
"You know Niles, you're a fun guy. I didn't expect that. Bye." she began going out of the car.
"And you are fun as well. Bye, see you tomorrow." After hearing the words he had to say she closed the car door and Niles watched her, checking her body from behind. He smirked and started to drive to the empty mansion.
Two days later Margaret was released from the hospital. Niles did all he could to make her relaxed and happy while Sara was at country club and Maxwell was working.
"Hey Niles." Chastity's voice sang when she waltzed into the kitchen. "Could I get some coffee?"
Niles, who was holding a sleeping Margaret, nodded and rose to his feet and walked to Chastity.
"I can make you coffee," He said. "But only if you hold Margaret while I do it." He held the baby for her to take her, and she backed a few steps.
"I…I'm not so good with kids, epically not little babies."
"Go sit." He ordered and made a gesture to a chair at the kitchen table. She did as he said and sat down. He handed her Margaret, she could not back out now. She was tense, didn't move an inch of her body. He could see she was nervous and afraid she would hurt the baby if she moved. He observed her while making the coffee. When he was done he placed the mug on the island and went to take Margaret form Chastity.
"Your coffee is done, Miss Babcock." He took the baby and Chastity went from the chair as fast as she could, took her coffee and walked out.
He decided to put Margaret in her crib; he walked up the back stairs and into the nursery, gently putting the baby down. He went into his room, witch was next to Margaret's, to rest and clear his mind.
He laid down on the bed and closed his eyes. The first picture that came up was a smile, the lips were coloured with rich red lipstick. He smiled at the picture, but who it was or where it came from he had no idea. He laid all his focus on figuring out whom, only to find out it was Chastity. He smiled once again when her whole face appeared. What is she doing in my head?
Now he could see her whole body…
He opened his eyes face and sat up. He had seen her in a very revealing outfit, quite sexy. But why? I mean she has a beautiful body, but why fantasies about her?
Niles was confused. He liked her. A lot. But not love. Well, so he thought…
He watched at the clock, 12:30 pm. That late already? He changes to sleeping clothes and when to bed. Dreaming about her.