Free Web NovelChapter 174: Gone (3)
"You weren’t joking about how close you are to my estate. Or was it how fast you went that we got here faster? It looks like you lost him," Scarlet said after looking around for the carriage which was behind them earlier.
They were lucky to have come across other carriages so it wasn’t easy for Jack to keep up with them.
Ian held Scarlet’s hand to lead her inside. "Don’t think about him when I am near. Let me give you a tour."
"But my bag," Scarlet said, wanting to take it out first before they could forget about it.
"Someone will take care of that for us. You’ll get the same princess treatment here as you would at your estate. Would you like to see our room first?" Ian questioned as he led her inside.
There was still a chance that the delusional man looking for her might pass by here and Scarlet did not need to know about it. The first chance Ian got to sneak away from her, he would inform the guards to take Jack if he showed up there.
"Our room? I wouldn’t go as far as to call it that. Wait," Scarlet stopped walking as she was surprised by what caught her attention as soon as they reached the door.
She couldn’t forget the portrait she allowed Ian to keep. He went ahead and hung it up on his wall. It was the only portrait he had to show to his guests as soon as they walked in.
"I thought there would be a good spot for it. It was either here or in my bedroom but then I decided the latter might seem weird to you. I can put it in my study if you do not like it here. I don’t have guests other than you for someone to see it. Scarlet?" Ian called, snapping his fingers to get her attention.
He wasn’t expecting much of a reaction since she didn’t want to give him this at first, but he would like to see something more out of her.
Scarlet looked away from the portrait to Ian who eagerly awaited some kind of response from her. "You need more portraits to fill that wall. It is too empty. You can do like me and display some old weapons there."
"Or you can sit with me to do more portraits. We’ve been through this already that I wouldn’t sit for any more unless you are there beside me. Your beauty captured in the portrait helped to make my home look better," said Ian.
"I look grumpy in the portrait," Scarlet said, failing to see what Ian did. She had a plan to get Ian to have portraits of himself done. "I want one of you alone. I will put it in my estate."
"You can’t fool me, Scarlet. Our relationship can get as serious as can be but you wouldn’t have my portraits on your walls. Tell you what, if you use your knowledge to help decorate this place, I will sit for as many portraits as you want me to. Deal?" Ian asked, offering his left hand for her to shake.
Scarlet wasn’t the one to decorate her estate but if this would get Ian to capture how he was now so he could one day look back on it, then she would try her best. She shook his hand for the deal to be made.
Now that they spoke of portraits, Scarlet thought that it would be a good gift if Ian could get his hands on the one portrait he said he remembered doing in his youth. The only way she could get it was by meeting with Victor.
The only problem was that Victor was easily controlled by his mother and the sight of it annoyed Scarlet. She would have to bear with it to do something special for Ian. She could also find out what happened to Noelle but that seemed like something she should leave for Ian to do.
"Ian!" Scarlet screamed after he lifted her without warning. "I can walk."
’You looked to be daydreaming so I had to help you. It would go faster this way," Ian said, refusing to put her down.
As Ian carried her away from the door, Scarlet noticed that a maid had been there all along and another was already taking out her bag. They were so quiet that she didn’t notice their presence. Scarlet thought of them being ghosts.
Ian left his other home but the mention of ghosts followed him. Scarlet poked his cheek to once again test that he was a real person.
Ian slowed his pace to gaze at her in his arms. "What was that for?"
"To check that you are real. Your servants were quiet like ghosts," Scarlet answered.
If Harry were present, he might tell her that maybe Ian had moments of being a real person and being a ghost.
"Didn’t you feel how real I was last night? I need to remind you-"
"I want to eat first. You said you were going to cook for me," Scarlet quickly spoke, not realising her mistake.
Ian focused on the fact she said first which meant he could feed her and then take her to their bedroom. She was the one who gave him this idea so she couldn’t act confused later.
Ian changed direction to take Scarlet to the kitchen so he could get started on cooking. "Dinner first and then entertaining ourselves later. Let me know when you are ready to wash up and get changed for bed."
"I could do that right now while you cook. I can only use a knife to cut something with you but other than that, I am useless when it comes to cooking. I’m certain I can do a good job with cutting. It can’t be any different than-"
"Cutting someone?" Ian finished for her. "It is much different. You can be my little helper. I should get a kiss for each time you fail and set us back from starting dinner." fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
Scarlet glared at Ian for thinking she was that bad. She could not make flavours come together but at the very least, she knew how to cut vegetables or meat. "And what if I cut vegetables the best you have ever seen?" frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
Ian held back his laughter since Scarlet was taking this seriously. They weren’t cooks in a restaurant so there wasn’t a wrong or right way for her to cut. "Then you will get a kiss from me. It’s a win for both of us. No losers."
