"Neil."
The voice calling his name was laced with affection but Neil couldn't stomach turning back, already dreading the conversation which was about to take place.
He can't have a moment of peace in this damn house.
"You could at least look at me." Emma's low voice was like nails on board for his ears but to obvious ears, it was like a lover's call.
Neil rubbed his head in annoyance.
"I did look at you. You have aged." Neil answered, staring at the newly dug flower beds in concentration, imagining burying her so he didn't have to listen to her speak.
"Can you for once be civil with me? For the sake of Charlie at least or do I deserve eternal ignorance for being your fiance once upon a time?"
Neil took in a deep breath of smoke and rubbed his eyes, he didn't wish to further talk with this irksome woman. Every damn time it was the same old discussion like he was her ex lover who had been separated from her due to circumstances.
Seeing as she was discarded still she stated her real business, "I know why Mr. Crestwood called you back."
Neil turned around, leaned on the marble railing and raised an eyebrow. His wild hair was moving slightly with the wind and his eyes were shadowed but his tongue was as sharp as it was cruel, akin to his looks.
"Do you think you deserve an applause for your knowledge or should I bow down in grace? No, what you want me to say is that I would rather prefer you than the woman my father selected. Seems like your delusion still roams freely in your mind."
"Neil!" Shame covered Emma's face in bright redness. Her fist clenched on her sides, breathless as she tried to not scream and raise her hand at him.
Neil laughed and then stopped suddenly. His voice almost murky as he continued, "You are once again mistaken to believe that you were any different to me as this woman will be. I had no wish to marry you and I have no wish to marry this woman."
He noticed the rush of tears filling her eyes but his eyes moved behind her, lapsing for a few seconds before he turned again to finish his cigarette, his movement hurried.
"Who is she?"
He heard a bare whisper behind him and just turned his head to look in Emma's brown eyes.
"I know you didn't just leav—refuse me because you have no wish to have your life arranged by your father. I know you loved someone. I know you love her, still."
Neil took his final breath of smoke in and dropped the cigarette, putting it off from his feet.
Without answering Emma's burning eyes, he grabbed his cane and started to walk past her and from the corner of his eye, saw her moving to grab him. He suddenly turned and moved back to avoid her touch, his eyes covered in contempt.
Emma hated those eyes.
These same eyes which have degraded her pride, her shame and her honor. These eyes once just looked at her as if passing through them and she hated them more then. So she herself bit her tongue and offered him her pride for the sake of him showing her a moment of grace but instead she forever became the victim of his disdain.
Her foolish love for him disgusted him as if it was a disease he would catch.
As if she wasn't even deserving of loving him in silence.
"Will my answer finally end it? Will it end those stares you give me across the room while being in the presence of your future husband, my brother! Will it end your foolish infatuation?" Neil demanded, his hand unconsciously grabbed the arm Emma was about to touch.
Emma noticed how he guarded the skin she almost touched and felt her heart break once again. Her eyes widened in shock and she almost grabbed her chest. Her drumming heart against her chest almost knocked her breaths.
"It should have been enough when I refused you politely. It should have been more than enough when I refused you impolitely. Whether I have a woman I love is irrelevant. My answer to you would remain the same. My refusal to you was based solely on my dislike for you." Neil continued and didn't wait for her answer before walking past her.
Emma didn't have the heart to notice the haste in his pace as instead of going inside, Neil walked towards the back of the manor.
In the already lush and blooming back garden, there were no gardeners in sight. Unlike the front of the manor, the backside was done during his grandmother's time and was since unchanged except for the seasonal change in flowers and trims here and there. The structure and maze-like garden was very like his grandmother's aesthetic so it took him a while to find Alice and his son's roaming figures.
Under a large oak tree, their figures in sight slowed his steps. His eyes like a hungry wolf, taking in the sight. The anger and irritation he felt before, drained out of him slowly as he started to walk closer to this endearing sight.
Theo was sitting in the pram, his tiny fist squeezing the life out of the flower stem Alice had handed him. His mouth aggressively made loud noises while his bottom moved around, trying to get out from the pram.
Hearing his steps, Alice turned and met his eyes. Those heavy eyes she saw a while ago when he was conversing with Emma were replaced with pure joy now.
Neil leaned his cane against the pram and leaned down to pick up his son in his arms, grinning widely.
"It's early for you to be running around. Stay little for just a while longer." Neil said while kissing his cheeks.
Theo rubbed his saliva covered hands on his face in retaliation.
Alice laughed and cleaned his face with her handkerchief, her laugh ringing in the empty garden. Seeing her laughing, Theo also gave a loud cackle. His single upper front teeth peeked from his open mouth.
Neil suddenly felt much lax as compared to the cigarette he smoked a while back, his eyebrows easing up as he strolled together with Alice and Theo in his arms.
It was about 2 o'clock when they came back inside. As it was time for lunch, they directly made their way towards the dining halls. Before Neil could open the hall's door, a piping scream came from upstairs.
In just a few seconds, rushing footsteps were heard.
The whole manor was suddenly in chaos.
Neil felt Alice grab his arm tightly and met her worried eyes. He held Theo tighter and slightly covered Alice behind himself.
The dining room door opened and Jane, alongside Emma and Daisy, came out. Their widen eyes started at Neil's in question. Before they could ask anything, Ruby, one of the parlor maids, came rushing from the southern staircase. Her messy hair was flying out of her hairband and her face was pale as paper.
"Master Neil! Mistress Daisy! Master! Oh, master is gone! Master is dead!"