Free Web NovelChapter 172: Gone (1)
Ryan snuck glances at the pair as they walked to a quiet corner of the greenhouse. Normally, he wasn’t interested in other affairs but he couldn’t help being curious about the man around Scarlet.
"Alana, what do you know about him?" Ryan asked.
"Must you say him? You know that his name is Ian," Alana replied, shaking her head at Ryan. He often acted like Scarlet’s older brother even though he was younger than Scarlet. "I only know that he is Lord Kingsley’s son, he has a business in town, makes tea that Scarlet likes, and he likes her. Do not ruin this for me."
Ryan’s left brow was raised by her request. "For you? I thought it was only those two in the relationship. I didn’t know you and Scarlet were into that kind of thing."
"Of course not! I meant do not ruin me getting to watch her fall in love again. We both know Scarlet well. You know that it comes as a surprise that she has let someone into her life so fast so do not ruin this," Alana said, poking Ryan on his arm.
Scarlet seemed a bit more relaxed around Ian and didn’t hide that something was happening with Ian. No one needed to get involved to ruin this right now. They should only be involved if it looked like Ian had hurt Scarlet.
"Shouldn’t you pay less attention to Scarlet and more to finding a husband?"
Alana’s mood changed after hearing about a husband of her own. "I am going to deal with that soon. Just allow me to enjoy seeing someone else in love. When are you going to get married? See, it is a bore."
Alana didn’t have a list of who might suit her. Who might not turn against her should Luke try to get close to the man she chose? It was a hard decision to make so as of right now Alana was focused on working for Scarlet.
"Now that I look at them, it is making me kind of sick how happy they look. Do you mind getting a drink with me, Ryan? After the long ride here, you must need one," said Alana.
"I do not drink but I would join in sitting beside you with a glass in front of me," Ryan offered.
"I shall take it. Let us go," Alana said, pointing in the direction of where the drinks were.
Scarlet heard the noise and found Alana leaving with Ryan to get into some kind of trouble. "I hope she is not going to have a drink."
"It is a day for having fun," Ian said, not seeing the problem.
"You say that because you have not witnessed her drunk. She has a weird need to climb things when she is drunk and Alana’s fingers are quite slippery so she falls a lot. At least she is with Ryan for him to catch her or pick her up to take her away," said Scarlet.
"And what are you like when you are drunk?" Ian questioned, wanting to see that side of Scarlet.
"I wouldn’t know since I do not get that drunk. Did you see the red flowers over here?" Scarlet questioned, trying to change the topic.
Ian smiled as he picked up on Scarlet not being honest. "Scarlet now is not the time for us to be lying to each other. Let me go first. I get irritated much faster when I am drunk. And you?"
Scarlet sighed. "Fine. I am told that I get affectionate from the rare chance that I drink too much. Do not look so excited because I do not often indulge in drinks to the point of getting drunk. You have seen what I drink. It is either tea, juice, or one glass of wine."
"Don’t misunderstand my reaction. I am curious about who told you that you became affectionate. I don’t want you drinking around anyone other than me, Scarlet. I fear I might witness something that upsets me if you do," said Ian.
"You can relax since it was Alana who told me this. I am careful about who I drink with. Do not smile now," Scarlet said and then looked away from Ian. "You are annoying."
"I know you don’t mean that so my feelings won’t be hurt. What would it take for this day to go faster?" Ian questioned, willing to do anything for the evening to be upon them. "I am looking forward to what gift you can come up with."
Scarlet felt the pressure once more now that Ian mentioned a gift. Would a gun truly be enough? What could she send someone for while Ian was here distracted?
"Scarlet, slow down!" Ian called after Scarlet as she walked away like she had somewhere else to be without him.
The party in the estate continued for hours and eventually, the group came back together to sit once more to talk, then Scarlet had her things packed along with the gun she would give Ian.
"I am only going there for dinner and I have not decided if I would spend the night so why does it look like you are taking more of my things than needed?" Scarlet questioned from the sidelines as a maid carried out the bag Ian had packed.
"The weather might be too bad for you to return to the estate so it makes perfect sense for you to spend the night. Besides, we don’t know what will happen on other days so it would be good for you to already have some of your things there. I’ll give you as many of my things as you want," Ian proposed.
Scarlet found this to be odd because it was like they were some kind of married couple living in two homes with some of their things in each. They shouldn’t get too comfortable with this odd arrangement. freёwebnovel.com
Sooner or later, someone was going to notice her going to Ian’s home when they weren’t engaged or married and Scarlet was not in the mood to deal with new gossip. Gossip that might reach her other relatives and let them know she was seeing someone.
"Let us go before I change my mind. Florence, please take good care of Sunny and Alana. Do not let those knights destroy my estate with their training," Scarlet said as she walked out the door.
Florence was prepared to take care of the estate in Scarlet’s absence. "Of course, Milady."
Ian moved quickly to get Scarlet inside his automobile before she had second thoughts. Commotion at the front gates caught his attention but he ignored it for now since they would be informed of it when they reached the gates.
Scarlet stopped abruptly as Ian went ahead of her to open the door. He couldn’t hide his excitement over her joining him. Did he really like being around her that much? Her life didn’t seem so exciting for someone to be this eager.
Scarlet sat down on her seat and waited for Ian to go to his after he closed the door. His excitement was starting to rub off on her as she looked forward to what the night would bring. So far, there wasn’t a time when they were alone that she did not enjoy.
Scarlet’s growing excitement was short-lived as they neared the gates and Scarlet spotted a carriage that should never be there again.
"He is bold," Ian said, watching as Jack tried to talk his way through the gates. If Scarlet’s guards were out of the way, Ian would have taken it upon himself to drive straight toward Jack and end this once and for all.
A guard approached the left side to speak to Scarlet. "Milady, he wishes-"
"I have nothing to say to him so get him off my land. I don’t care how much force you have to use or death is what he shall face to leave, remove him right now," Scarlet ordered the guards.
She had said plenty to Jack during the time that they were getting divorced. There was nothing to be said between them for Jack to come to her estate especially after it was believed that he caused the fire.
Jack had some nerve.
Jack was standing on her land so she was free to do as she wanted without facing the town guards at her doors.
Scarlet’s eyes met with Jack’s and in that moment she saw the sheer anger as he noticed she was leaving with Ian. How could one person be so stupid to think that she was going to sit around and wait for him? That she could not move on as well.
"Scarlet!" Jack yelled, going toward the gates that were now opening for her to leave. He had much to say to her and she could not leave with that man right now. "We must speak. I am owed a conversation."
He was ready to come back home and make everything as it once was. Jack could be the man that she once loved again.
Scarlet kept her gaze on Jack and said, "I would not stop you if you were to drive straight and do not stop."
