After a hell of a day at the office, Anne wanted nothing more than to step into the shower, cuddle up in her favourite blanket and order take out. Unfortunately, she found her mother's text with the address she needed to be at 7 pm that evening so celebrating the start of the weekend Anne-style was out of the question.
It did, however, give her an excuse to wear her new Zara dress that emphasized her waist and came down a little ruffled towards the knee. God it looked good with her hair up in a bun. Putting on her mascara, she tried to remember this guy, George. Isabel said they knew him when they were little and Anne was very young – she couldn't for the life of her picture him, but this was Isabel's boyfriend after all and as long as he respected her big sister, she was fine. Glancing at her phone she realized that the cab was almost there. Spritzing her favourite perfume, she reached for her purse and shouted a "bye" to Michelle who seemed too be too busy chatting on her phone to care.
After an hour's drive or so, the cabbie let her know she had reached her destination. Anne could barely believe her eyes. It was unlikely that Isabel would even consider a guy that didn't come from money but even she couldn't imagine this. A long driveway lead into a wide front garden gracing the front of a Georgian manor with a grand oak door. As soon as her foot hit the gravel, the door opened and a petite lady with long brown hair greeted her.
"Welcome, you must be Anne. Goodness, you grew up into a wonderful young lady!" she gushed, taking her by the arm.
"I'm sorry, I'm a bit late." Said Anne sheepishly, taking in her surroundings "Traffic was a bit of a killer"
The den was covered in white wallpaper with silver patterns, a pillar stood in each corner and a large frame containing the photo of a soldier hung prominently between two wall lamps.
"That's my late husband...we lost him in the Falklands."
"I'm sorry." Said Anne genuinely, the love this woman had for her husband was clearly still there.
"It's quite alright dear, come and join everyone in the dining room."
They walked through a wood panelled hallway before entering a magnificent dining room. It was a cream colour with wood accents and a fireplace! It was big enough to be splendid but small enough to still be cosy.
Sure enough, her parents and Isabel were there sitting at the big table full of different cheeses and wine.
"Ah darling, you made it!" greeted her mother with a kiss on the cheek.
"Annie you look so pretty! Come meet George…" smiled the elder sister. A tall guy with brown hair approached her with a friendly smile. His haircut told her he followed his father in the military.
"You have grown up, Anne. You probably don't remember me much. My brothers and I used to spend a lot of time playing at your house when father was away, and mother was taking care of our grandfather. You were only this high!" he exclaimed lowering his hand to his knee.
"We used to go around getting into trouble and dragging your sister with us." Chuckled the other man at the table before getting up and shaking her hand "My name is Edward and believe it or not I'm actually older than this git." He said, laughing before gesturing to the beautiful lady sitting by his side. "This is my wife Lizzie."
"How do you do?" smiled Anne nervously.
"Fine, thank you. Pleasure to meet you." Said Lizzie, shaking her hand.
A noise from Anne's purse interrupted the introductions, it was her phone. "Sorry everyone, looks like my battery just dropped."
"Oh, that's just fine dear. There's a docking station in the drawing room right behind that door." Cecily pointed out a wooden door as she gathered some empty small plates clearly getting ready to serve the first course.
"Thank you." Smiled Anne heading in the direction of the wooden door. She opened it and found herself into another magnificent room with a large leather couch, a rug that almost covered the whole room and a TV unit that could basically be used as a cinema beneath which was the charging station Cecily had referred to. Making a beeline for it, she failed to notice the person coming from another narrow door holding a glass of wine.
"Christ, will you just watch it!" growled a voice.
Anne could have sworn time stopped as the glass fell and shattered, splashing wine everywhere including on the shirt of the guy who had just scolded her. Looking up, she met those dark blue eyes again. A rush of memories.
Flashback – 24 years ago
Three little boys ran into the house and went up straight to the nursery.
"I told you he would pummel you if you ticked him off!" laughed George, hitting his elder brother upside the head and surpassing him up the stairs.
"How was I supposed to know he was so bloody good with a sword?" barked the tallest boy of the lot.
"This is the third time I made you eat dirt." Smiled seven year old Richard ironically.
"Still funny though!" giggled Isabel Neville "who feels like table soccer?" Edward and George cheered in the affirmative, but Richard grimaced.
"If we're not playing knights and kings than I'd rather read." Said the boy with dark hair, letting all the others run past him through the landing. "I wonder where Annie got to…"
Before he could finish the sentence, a small storm of dirty blonde hair ran towards him.
"Wichaaaaard!"
"Hello little lady Anne." Bowed the boy with smile. Richard didn't have much time for Edwards bravado, George's stupid jokes or Isabel's snobby giggle. He was the youngest of three boys and knew what it was like to be left behind. The little girl looked at him with blue, adoring eyes and reached out with her little arms before he lifted her off the ground and onto the small princess sofa in the nursery.
"Tell me stowies?" she clapped as he put the wooden sword he used to pummel his brother against the wall, lest three year old Anne tripped on it.
"Which one would you like to hear today?" smiled Richard as he dragged a purple bean bag in front of the little sofa and sat on it.
"Pwincess and the knight pwease!" giggled the little girl.
"Right, so there was the pretty blonde princess with eyes that sparkled like blue crystals and a tall brave knight fighting a biiiig dragon…"
Back to present
"I so sorry, I truly didn't mean it. Gosh it's everywhere…" stuttered Anne. She had just spilled wine on the man who'd save her life just that morning, not to mention here sister's potential brother-in-law, her mother was going to murder her.
"What the devil is going on?" exclaimed Cecily, having come to investigate the fracas.
"Oh Lord, it's Annie all right…" Isabel could be heard sighing from the next room.
"Is anyone hurt?" asked Cecily calmly, looking at the both of them, checking for cuts.
"It's entirely my fault, mummy. I was just coming out of the kitchen and startled her, she couldn't get way in time."
'Is he for real?' thought Anne 'A moment ago, he was ready to maul me over.'
