Chapter 2

Chase quickly downed the scotch in one shot, the burn it caused in his throat proved to him that he was indeed awake and not dreaming this. More importantly, he didn't know why he was still sitting there considering this arrangement. He doesn't need the money and he's not hard up to get laid. Yet, he felt a strange pull to the castle.

Abbey had refilled his glass and he raised it off the desk. "So, say I was to consider this arrangement, when do I meet this girl and how long do I have before I have to marry her?" he asked as he raised the glass to his lips.

"You'll meet her in a bit and two weeks." Those last two words caused him to choke on his drink.

Chase finished his coughing fit. "I'm sorry, did you say two weeks?"

"That's correct sir," Abbey replied.

"Wow, shit! That's not a lot of time to figure this out."

"I know sir. You are welcome to have your attorney look over everything to make sure it is in order, but the wedding must occur in two weeks."

"What???"

Chase turned around to see a look of horror on a woman's face-a very beautiful woman's face. Her auburn hair cascaded past her shoulders in waves. He then looked into her eyes, and saw green. It was then that he realized that this beautiful woman standing before him was the ragamuffin that had hurried past him before.

She confidently strode into the room and stood next to Chase at the desk, giving him a great view of her jean ensconced ass. "You can't be serious Mr. Abbey! You cannot expect me to marry this, this... playboy ever let alone in two weeks," gesturing towards Chase. "And you," she began, as she turned to Chase, "Why are you even still here? Don't you have enough money?"

"Well, obviously, I don't need to introduce you both now. Elizabeth, you know that I did not set up the terms of this arrangement. I'm sorry but there is nothing I can do. If you both do not accept the terms, then you both lose the inheritance."

"Then I guess I will end up a pauper on the streets!" Elizabeth turned and slammed the door behind her.

"She's still very upset about Edmund's passing, so excuse her please. Well, here is my card, please let me know what you both decide." Abbey stood up and Chase rose to shake his hand. When he left the room, Chase plopped back down in the chair and poured himself another scotch. He was so confused about the whole situation. He drained the glass and went to go explore the castle some more.

His bags had been taken up to his room when he arrived, so he hadn't seen it yet and had no idea where it was. He slowly inspected the upper hallways, peeking into the closed doors. The castle was gigantic, the hallways were like mazes, and he thought it would probably take him two weeks to find his way out. He approached a door on his left and slowly opened it. Some classical was playing in the background, Bach he thought, so she never heard the door creak open. She sat on the chaise, her laptop positioned on her lap, with her back to him. She had changed again and wore a short red silk robe, exposing her long, pale legs that were extended out. Chase leaned against the doorframe, taking her in for a moment before he proceeded up behind her. The computer screen showed her on one of the gossip websites, a picture of him up, with some girl all over him at a hotel bar in Vegas. He smiled briefly as he reflected back on that night. He remembered her, but not her name, like the myriads before her.

For someone who earlier downstairs had shown a disdain for him, she was taking an interest now. He crouched down behind her, his mouth near her ear and said, "Doing your homework?"

Elizabeth screamed and jumped off the chaise, her laptop landing on the hardwood floor with a thud. She spun around, and when she did the bottom of her robe opened briefly, giving him a view of her pale upper thighs. "What are you doing in here?" she screamed at him.

Chase rose. "I asked you first, why are you checking up on me?"

"Don't flatter yourself, I always go on that site; you just happened to be on it."

"Uh-huh," Chase knew better, he knew that photo had been taken almost three weeks ago. There was no way it was just hitting the gossip sites now.

"Oh please!" Elizabeth bent over to pick up the laptop, giving Chase a view down the front of her robe, unfortunately her charms were covered by a bra, but he did get look at her cleavage. She stood up and he was still taking her in when she yelled, "You behemoth! You broke my laptop, the screen is cracked!"

His trance was broken. "I didn't break it; you threw it off of your lap."

"Because you startled me," she argued back. "You had better replace it!"

"Oh I had, huh?" her anger was amusing him and he crossed his arms over his chest, the muscles in his forearms evident.

Elizabeth glared at him. "Do not mock me. What gives you the right to think you can come into my room, without knocking might I add, break my laptop, and then mock me? Who the hell do you think you are?" she asked as she took a couple steps toward him in confrontation.

Chase placed his right hand over his heart, "Ah, is that how you talk to your future husband? I'm hurt."

"I can think of a couple things you are and hurt is not one of them. And, I am not marrying you! Why in the bloody hell are you still even here and why are you in my room?"

"Well, England, like America, is a free country, and two, I was invited. I was actually looking for my room in this maze of a house, as I had not been shown to it, when I stumbled upon you. Anymore questions?"

She quickly replied, "If I show you your room, will you get out of mine?"

"Surely."

"Fine," Elizabeth said as she walked past him into the hallway. Chase turned and followed her up the hallway, watching her ass sway under the silk. She stopped abruptly two doors down, and Chase almost ran into the back of her. Elizabeth opened the door, and turned and walked away. "The bathroom is the door in between our rooms," she called out over her shoulder before she entered her room and slammed the door shut.

The room was quite large, as Elizabeth's had been as well. The furniture was dark and rich, much like that in the office. It was very ornate and bulky, and Chase guessed, probably centuries old. He settled on the bed, the mattress was very comfy, and took a nap.

He awoke around 6pm. Gerald, the butler, told him earlier in the day that dinner would be served at 7pm. There was a door that went from his bedroom into the bathroom, and he quickly undressed and showered. From all the TV and movies Chase had seen, he figured his ripped jeans would not serve him well for dinner so he dressed in a pair of khaki pants and a navy polo shirt. He somehow found his way downstairs and entered the dining room a few minutes before 7. Gerald seated him at the massive table, and after a few moments of looking around the room, he saw that there was only one place setting-his. When Gerald returned, he questioned him about Elizabeth's whereabouts, and he told him that she had requested to dine in her room. He nodded and then ate his meal-alone and in silence. It had been a long day, and afterwards, he chose to retire for the night, and headed back up to his room.