The bluebells that I held looked beautiful in the November evening. The words I had been reciting earlier where still crisp in my mind, like snow. My friends had made me practice them over and over before they sent me here. The Trancy estate. I jogged a little faster. Finally, this would be the day I meet him. Earl Alois Trancy. It is November 1st. Every moment counts. I reached the door.

DONG!

"Yes?" A familiar gruff voice came out of the open door. Claude Faustus. His small yellow eyes and very dark purple unkept hair said what I already knew. Enemy. "Who are you, Malady?"

The words rolled off my tongue as I had practiced them earlier. "I'm Nichole Simons, daughter of the Earl of the Simons family of Noble blood. I heard that there was a handsome young Earl here my age, that hadn't been betrothed, so my parents wanted me to see him."

Just as I expected, a young blonde haired-blue eyed boy jumped out from behind Claude. He had a purple plum jacket on, complete with a green vest, black booty shorts, black stockings, and long brown commander boots with purple bows at the top. He was cuter in person. And taller.

"Hello!" he said in a happy high pitched voice that shouldn't belong to a 14 year old boy. He caught sight of the bluebells and stared at me. "You brought flowers! And you-" he leaned in very close to me and sniffed my jacket. "-smell like expensive perfume."

Claude gave me an icy stare that made me have the chills. He suspected me. I was thankful Alois spoke up at the time he did.

"Claude, please prepare a dinner for two. Lady Nichole will be staying with us for dinner." Alois then turned back to me and began twirling a strand of my hair with his fingers and smiled. "You will stay, won't you?"

The way he said it made it sound more like he'd kill me if I said no. "Of course, Mister Trancy."

Claude bowed deeply, not taking his ugly eyes off of me. "Yes, your highness." He then scurried off like the spider he is.

"Alois," I started, "I would like to inform you that I'm not the best lady. I'm bad at etiquette and things like that."

Alois let go of my hair and rolled his eyes. "So?" he stated, "Anyway, the hallway isn't the place to get to know a nice lady like you." He motioned me to follow him. "Oh, and one more thing," He turned to face me, his smile gone. Instead of the calm blue eyes that had been there before, his eyes where icy and cold looking. His bipolar must be kicking in. "You can stop with the fake British accent now. It's rather bad."

Oh no.

Alois then decides he was to get in my personal space, and stare me straight in the eye. "There is also no Simons family of Noble blood, correct?" He stuck his smallish tongue out at me, showing the yellow tattoo of Claude's star that branded it.

"No." I said, in my regular American voice. Caitlin's plan had failed. Plan B was now in order…whatever that was.

"Did you lie about being the daughter of an Earl just to see me? Little Miss Lair?" Alois put his branded tongue back into his mouth and said "I should show you to the door right now, but I already ordered Claude to make you dinner. You can stay I guess."

He finally got his face away from mine, and I could breathe again. Everyone's breath smells like old tea leaves around here. "Shall we go to the Living Room then, Miss Lying Lady?"

I nodded. He knows I'm not a Noble. This would be harder than I anticipated. "Thank You, Mister Trancy."

"Call me Alois…"