Will's POV
The first thing I notice is a soft beeping sound. It seemed to be echoing in the darkness and it was becoming annoying.
The second thing I notice was soft hissing and dripping sounds.
Hiss…hiss…hiss...
Beep-beep…beep-beep…beep-beep…
Drip…drip…drip…
Am I lying down?
It feels like I'm lying down.
Where am I?
Was something sticking up my nose?
Think.
What is your full name?
William John Traynor.
What do you do for a living.
I am a financial advisor and a corporate raider.
How old are you?
I am thirty-three.
What are your mother and father's names?
Camilla and Steven Traynor.
What do they do?
Mother is a High Court Judge and a JP and Father is the curator for Stortfold Castle.
Do you have any siblings?
I have a sister.
What is your sister's name?
Georgina Traynor.
What does she do?
She is a personal assistant for the head of a computer company in Sydney, Australia.
How old is she?
She's twenty-eight.
Where did you grow up?
Stortfold.
Where did you live?
Granta House.
Where do you live now?
In Mid-town London.
What is the last thing you remember?
It was raining.
Where were you?
In the underground carpark of my apartment building. Mick said he wanted to call me a cab to get to work instead of me riding my motorcycle.
Why didn't you let him call you a cab?
I couldn't wait.
What did you do instead?
I went to find a cab.
Did something happen?
Yes. I was walking down the pavement when my Blackberry rang.
What did you do?
I answered the call.
Who was on the phone and what did they want?
Rupert. He was having a fit over the deal with Jeff.
What was wrong with the deal?
They wanted to renegotiate some things and some pages of the contracts weren't signed.
Then what happened?
We were talking when I got to the corner.
Then what happened?
I looked both ways, headed for the junction, almost got hit by a car, and saw the cab near the curb.
Then what happened?
I rushed for the cab and I was about to open the cab door when I heard a noise.
What did you hear?
It sounded like a motorcycle and I turned to see what the noise was.
What did you see?
It was a motorcycle. The driver was waving for me to move, but there was no time.
Then what happened?
Someone screamed.
Who screamed?
I screamed.
Then what happened?
I barely remember being hit and dropping my Blackberry.
Damn. I should have let Mick get me a cab.
I should have let Rupert deal with Jeff.
I should have stayed in bed with Louisa.
Lou?!
Does she know?!
Did they tell her what happened?!
Wait. Calm down. Calm down.
Think. Think about her.
Her name isn't Lou. What is her name?
Louisa.
Louisa what?
Clark-Traynor.
Do you call her by a nickname?
Yes. Clark.
Think about the day you two met.
Where did you meet her?
It was at Stortfold Castle.
What were you doing?
I was doing some late-night financial work for Father and the office window was open.
Why was she there?
During the summer, the castle is home to a lot of parties. Mostly during tourist season. But the party that evening was so loud that I swore they could hear it in London.
What did you do?
Having enough, I called security and we went to put a halt to the festivities.
What happened next?
When we arrived at the hedge maze, I saw this stunning young lady. She was wearing black heels, a short, dark skirt, a white sweater over a red shirt and her hair was draped over her shoulders. She looked amazing.
What happened next?
Something about the young men with her sent out red flags and I told the security guards to follow me. Having grown up playing in the castle, I knew the hedge maze inside out and could find my way through the maze blindfolded. Never tried it, but I did know how to get to the center in a matter of minutes.
What happened next?
We went into the hedge maze and I could hear the laughing, hoots and talking coming from somewhere in the maze. Then I heard her screaming. I ran with the security guards behind me and we arrived at the center of the maze.
What happened next?
I saw red at the sight of those monsters pinning her to the ground and how scared she looked. The security guards moved those monsters off of her and I gently lifted her off the ground after asking her if she was alright.
"Hello," I said with a smile and could just see she was a little drunk and stoned.
"Hi," she said and I couldn't help, but laugh.
"I bet you are," I teased then we left the maze.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Will. Who are you?"
"Louisa. My friends call me "Lou"."
"Nice to meet you, Louisa."
"Am I in trouble?"
"No."
What happened next?
I stayed with her and her sister, Katrina, as Louisa talked about what happened then her mother arrived. Her mother thanked me for taking care of her daughter then she took them home.
What happened after that?
Father and I returned to Granta House sometime later and Mother asked us why we were late. Father and I took turns explaining what happened and I still remember the rage in her eyes.
"This is why I detest you allowing them to have gatherings like that at the castle!" Mother said.
"It brings in money," Father said.
"At the cost of a young woman's life?!"
"She's still alive."
"That is not the point! She was being sexually assaulted! If William and the guards hadn't arrived when they did….!"
"Camilla…"
"No! This stops now!"
"Are you saying we cannot allow the tourists to have parties at the castle?"
"That is exactly what I am saying!" she said then she turned to look at me. "As for you…!"
"I didn't do anything," I said with my hands up in surrender.
"I need you to keep an eye on this Louisa Clark. We need to make sure neither she nor her family…."
"Wait. You are now concerned about getting sued over the fact she almost got sexually assaulted?!"
"Of course, I am concerned. In fact, I am going to make an example of her attackers," she said then she left the room.
What happened next?
I remember how scared Louisa was during the trial. But she kept herself in control and her attackers were sent to jail until they were in their forties. That didn't stop the press from hounding her and her family and most of the town started to turn against her.
Then what happened?
I went to see her and it took some talking to get her to go back to university.
Then what happened?
I gave her my address in London and told her to write me once a week. She did write me letters about what she was doing at university and I told her what I was doing. I still have her letters. And she still has mine.
Does anyone know about the letters?
Just my sister.
"What are you reading?" Georgina asked. She had come for a visit to my flat in London and I quickly put the letter behind my back. "Come on, Will. You know that's not going to work."
"Fine…. It's a letter from a woman," I told her and she walked behind me to take the letter.
"You have a new girlfriend?!" she asked while looking at the letter.
"No. She is just a friend."
"Louisa Clark? Where have I…? Oh! She is that little whore you rescued."
"She is not a whore!"
"Come now, Will. Women like her? They all use flirting to get what they want."
"Women like her?!"
"You know. Desperate. She is tired of living her boring, low-class life and decided to hook up with someone with money."
"You have no idea what you are talking about. She is… She isn't like that."
"You sound like… You don't have feelings for her, do you?!"
"What if I do?"
"Mother and Father would never allow…"
"I don't give a fuck what they will or will not allow. Louisa is something special. She isn't like any of the women I've been involved with in the past. She has this fire inside her. She might not know what she wants to do with her life, but she is working her ass off to find out what it is."
"What about you? Are you really interested in her or is she the latest in your long line of affairs?"
I didn't answer.
It is true that I am a philanderer. But I have been lucky to never have been exposed to any STDs. I normally got tested and Louisa's mother demanded I get tested again before I dated her daughter.
Louisa only had one other man in her life before me.
Patrick.
Marathon Man.
They broke up shortly before I asked her to marry me, but their break up didn't end well.
"I bet Mother told you to keep an eye on her in case she or her family decide to sue us or demand money to keep silent."
"She might have suggested that."
"Ah! I knew it!"
"You know nothing!"
"Do me a favor and forget this Louisa person. She's not worth it."
I carefully removed the letter from her hand then told her to pack her things and leave. She just laughed and left a short time later.
I never told Louisa about that conversation, but I did ask her to come visit me at Granta House after she had graduated from university and she had started her job at Grace Wellington's agency.
"Hello," I said after opening the door and I remember her wearing a white sundress with a black belt, nude hose and black low heel shoes. Her hair was up in a bun and she barely had on any makeup. She looked stunning.
"Hello," she said and I stood back to allow her to come in. We headed for the dining room as the butler opened the doors and I looked at Mother, Father and Georgina sitting at the dining table.
"Good evening, Miss Clark," Father said with a nod.
"Good evening," she said with a small curtsy.
"It is nice to finally meet you," Georgina said with a cold look in her eyes and I gave her a warning glance.
"This is my sister, Georgina," I said to Louisa and Louisa barely smiled. I had told her everything about my family and Louisa arched one of her eyebrows.
"Is she the gopher for that guy you told me about?" Louisa asked and Georgina nearly choked on the scotch she was drinking.
"I am his personal assistant!" Georgina said with a curt tone then looked at me. "You called me a gopher?!"
"Well… You do go for his coffee," I teased.
"Among other things," I barely heard Mother whisper and I saw her smile behind her wine glass.
What happened next?
I led Louisa to the dining table then I moved the chair back so she could sit down. She smiled sweetly when I moved the chair in then I sat on the chair next to her.
Then what happened?
Dinner went well as we talked and Mother with impressed with how well Louisa was doing working for Grace Wellington.
"She is an amazing designer!" Georgina said with a pleased look. "I simply adore this white pleated skirt with different colored polka dots I bought last month!"
"Does it have a rainbow waistband?" Louisa asked.
"Yes. Why?"
"That is one of my designs."
I didn't know Georgina's eyes could go that wide and I lightly nudged Louisa's side. Mother even gave Louisa a pleased look and Father barely saluted Louisa with his wine glass.
"Do you have to work with Alicia Dewar?" Georgina asked a few seconds later.
"Yes. I do," Louisa said and Georgina sighed.
"That woman is nothing, but trouble," Georgina said then looked at me. "Still don't know what you saw in her."
"I do," Father barely whispered and I looked down at my plate.
"Shall we not talk about her? This evening is about getting to know Louisa," Mother said with a nod and Georgina and Louisa spent the rest of the meal talking about the latest fashions.
What else do you remember?
I remember every date and holiday we shared. Even the one which landed Louisa in the hospital after Alicia threatened to tell Grace Louisa was a whore.
"I swear I'll sue you if you say anything to Grace Wellington."
"Sue me?! For what?!"
"I will sue you for aggravated assault and I will make sure you never work again!"
"Are you serious?!"
"Try me and find out!"
Did she say anything?
No. She never said a word and the love between Louisa and I grew stronger each day. Until I nearly killed myself showing off on a ski slope.
How did Louisa react to that?
She was so angry with me and I was ready when she came to see me in the hospital. Louisa doesn't have a hot temper, but she can get pissed off. And she looks adorable when she's angry.
How so?
You see… My beautiful wife's most expressive facial feature is her eyebrows. They move in such a way that you fully understand how she is feeling. Happy. Sad. Angry. Anywhere in between. I love those dancing caterpillars. Not that I would call them that to her face.
What is your favorite memory of your stay in the hospital?
While I was in the hospital, I found out how much I trusted her. You see, the nurse had to instruct her in how to shave me and Louisa was so scared
"Are you sure about this? I think you'd look amazing in a full beard," Louisa said.
"I trust you," I told her with a small smile. I stayed stone still while Louisa shaved me and she didn't nick me once.
"Well done," I had whispered after we went forehead to forehead then I lightly kissed her lips.
What happened next?
When I was able to return home, I had decided to ask Louisa to marry me. What I wasn't sure about was how my parents or Georgina would react.
"You are alright with this?" I asked.
"Of course," Mother said.
"She is a very nice, young lady. Much better than the other women you've dated," Father said.
"She isn't Alicia," Georgina said.
What happened next?
I remember the night I asked Louisa to marry me. It was also the night I nearly lost her.
What happened?
I had gone to Grace's agency to ask Louisa in person to come to my flat for dinner. She agreed to come shortly after work, but she didn't show. I texted her and left voicemails and I admit I was getting worried when she failed to call back. When she finally showed up at my flat, she had a look of pure anger on her face and I saw she had been crying.
"Are you alright?" I asked, but she just glared at me.
"I wasn't going to come. But you wouldn't leave me alone," she said with a small growl.
"Please. Tell me what's wrong."
What did you do?
I let her into my flat and she stood in the center of the living room. She was glancing around the room with her eyes and her arms were crossed under her breasts.
"Are you looking for something?" I asked as I cautiously walked closer and she glared at me.
"I am looking for Alicia," she said with a growl.
"Alicia!? Alicia Dewar!? Why would she be here?!"
"No! I will not allow you to play this game with me!" she said then she stormed to the door.
"Louisa! Wait!"
What did she do?
She stopped at the door and I wasn't sure if I should go any closer.
"Talk to me," I pleaded. She slowly turned around and I felt my heart cracking at the tears rolling down her face. I slowly walked closer when I gently placed my hands on her shoulders and she looked down at our feet. "Please look at me."
She looked at me and I removed a handkerchief from my trousers pocket, handing the handkerchief to her. Louisa wiped her eyes and nose and I moved a little closer.
"Tell me what happened with Alicia," I said in a soft voice and waited for her to talk.
"After you… After you left the agency? I saw Alicia following you. I went to see what she wanted and I saw you two out in the carpark," she said with a sigh.
"I remember her following me. I asked her what she wanted. She told me she saw me leaving the jeweler's the other day…."
Fury appeared in Louisa's eyes at that point and I held on a little tighter to her shoulders.
"Damn. Hold on."
What did you do?
I let go of her shoulders and I quickly headed into the bedroom. I listened to hear if she would leave as I grabbed the small box off the dresser then hurried back into the living room. She was still there.
"Now…," I said as I walked back to her and I held the small box behind my back. "This isn't how I wanted to do this, but…"
"Will you please get on with it?" Louisa asked with a hard look.
"All business then? Alright. When I told Alicia why I was at the jeweler's, I thought she was going to pitch a fit. What I didn't expect was for her to kiss me."
"Yes. I saw that. She looked so happy after you left. When she came back inside, she… She…"
"She what?"
"She told me you asked her to marry you," she said with a loud crack to her voice and she started crying again.
"And you believed her?!"
"She explained the only reason you were with me in the first place was because it was a part of your game. That you like to make her jealous by dating other women. Just like Sam, Marcy and Tamara told me. That you never loved me. She also said your family knew. That's why they were being so nice to me."
"Again. You believed her?!"
What did she do?
She just looked down at our feet and she bunched the handkerchief in her hands.
"I don't believe this! Do you really think I would do something like that?!"
What did she say?
"No. But she…," she said then she lowered her head.
"She blindsided you! She knew how uncomfortable you were around her and my friends! Hell! She's the reason you ended up in the hospital! Remember?! She also saw how nervous you were at that New Years Eve party my parents threw shortly after we got together! And she hates the fact that I broke up with her to be with the most loving, caring, sweetest woman I ever met! As for the kiss!? I think I know what happened! She saw you! That is why she kissed me! Do you want to know what I told her afterwards?! I told her to never do that again!"
What happened next?
I dropped the small box on the floor before I pulled Louisa into me and I held her while she was shaking. I let her cry and even lightly pound her fists into my back then she moved back. I used the handkerchief to wipe her eyes and nose again and she made a staggered sigh.
"I am such a knob head," she whispered.
"No. What you are is my silly pixie," I teased and she softly laughed. "You hungry?"
"I could eat something."
Then what happened?
I proposed shortly after dinner and I invited Louisa to spend the night. She was nervous about sleeping in the same bed with me, but she didn't mind me holding her all night long.
"Will?"
"Yes?"
"Just so you know. I don't normally jump straight into bed with the guy I'm going out with."
"The only guy I know you are involved with is Marathon Man? You're saying you didn't get into bed with him on the first date?"
"Nope."
"Thank you for telling me."
What happened next?
Both of our families were overjoyed when we told them we were engaged and we were married two days after her birthday.
Do you remember your wedding?
I remember how beautiful Louisa looked in her wedding gown. Grace had designed the gown and there were silk rose buds in a variety of colors scattered on the skirt. We were worried the gown had been destroyed in a mysterious fire at Grace's agency and I am sure Alicia had something to do with the fire.
Do you remember the reception?
"You look amazing," I said while we danced at the reception and she started blushing.
"Thank you," she said, softly, and she did a little curtsy.
"Do you want to know something? As much as I like you in this dress, I can't wait to get you out of it."
"Well… If we're going down that path. As much as I like you in this tux, I can't wait to get you out of it."
"I still think Alicia had something to do with the fire."
"I do, too. I saw the look on her face as I was walking down the aisle."
"The problem is we have no proof."
"True. Are you upset about her and Rupert?"
"No. I'm not."
"I feel sorry for Tamara. She was so broken up."
"She didn't seem that broken up."
I remember looking over at Tamara and her new boyfriend, Anton. She was laughing and Rupert even seemed happy for her.
"Will?" Louisa asked and I saw the worry in her eyes.
"I'm fine. The way I see it? Alicia is his problem. The only thing I can do is be there to pick up the pieces when she grinds his heart into the ground."
"That is…."
"Oh! Isn't this charming!" Alicia said as she staggered toward us and I could smell the whiskey on her breath.
"What do you want, Alicia?" I asked with a cold glare.
"Can't I just come over and wish the happy couple good luck?" she asked then she glanced at Louisa. "You are going to need it."
"What does that mean?"
"Come now, Will. You know how it is with your family. Sooner or later, you're going to find someone who has, say, more class that poor Louanne here. I feel so sorry for her. She will have to deal with the shame of a scandalous affair."
"My name is Louisa and I don't think he'll do that," Louisa said.
"Then you will be one who has the affair. It'll prove me right. You're nothing, but a whore and you'll move on once you find a man who has more power and larger bank account than he does."
"You're wrong. But I have the satisfaction of being able to do something you will never be able to do."
"And what is that?"
"I got married in a white wedding dress."
I loved the smug look on Louisa's face and the shocked look on Alicia's face as I started laughing and Alicia stormed off.
"Well done, Darling," I said while spinning my bride in a small circle then I lightly kissed her lips.
What else do you remember?
Um… Oh! I have a daughter!
What is her name?
Lily.
How old is she?
She's thirteen.
What is her mother's name?
Tanya.
Why didn't you marry her after finding out she was pregnant with Lily?
I didn't want to.
Does Lily know about Louisa or Louisa know about Lily?
Yes.
Does Lily like Louisa?
Yes. And Louisa likes her.
What else do you remember?
I remember I drove Louisa crazy while she was pregnant, but I just wanted to make sure everything went well. I can still hear the sound of my son's heartbeat and how scared Louisa was when I drove her to the hospital when she went into labor.
Anything else?
I remember cutting the umbilical cord. Thought I was going to cut my fingers off with those damn scissors because my hands were shaking so bad.
What is your son's name?
Steven….
Stevie?!
What is Louisa going to do if….?!
No. Hold on. If you're doing this then you are not dying or dead.
Then why can't I wake up?
Why…?
Hold on. What is happening with my nose? Whatever is stuck up there seems to be moving.
Well, Will, there is only one way to find out. Open your damn eyes.
The beeping, clicking and dripping sounds grew louder while I opened my eyes and looked up at the blurry ceiling. And I felt like I was floating. I blinked my eyes a few times as I noticed something covering my nose and mouth and my throat felt a little raw.
"Hello," made me move my eyes to the right and I looked at the nurse. She sweetly smiled at me as she leaned a little closer and I tried to speak, but my voice didn't seem to work. "No. Don't try talking just yet."
I watch another nurse and a doctor rush into the room and they start examining me. The doctor asks me questions and I hear the gravely sound to my voice as I answer them. I am surprised to find out I have been asleep for two and a half months and the thing up my nose was a feeding tube. They removed the feeding tube when I showed signs of waking up, but no one would tell me how badly I was hurt.
"Louisa," I said, softly.
"We called your wife. She and your family will be here shortly," the doctor said.
I watch them leave the room while the nurse smiled down at me, but I don't feel like smiling back.