10: The Left Wing Tower

...

"How's the young lady doing?"

"She's at her chamber, milady. The young lady appeared quite tired; she must be sleeping now."

Madame Jo answered without lifting her head, her eyes locked on her shoes and her hands clasped in the middle of her stomach.

The directress can only see the other woman's back as she remained unmoved sitting on her rocking chair while watching the dramatic gradual setting of the sun that afternoon outside her tall bay window.

"Good. Let her rest all night. We will get busier in the coming days."

Madame Jo made one step forward. Her voice tensed and hesitant.

"The young lady seems different from the lady we used to know, milady."

The woman on the rocking chair broke into a tight-lipped smirk.

"She's been peculiar even before, Jo."

"But milady, the woman Lord Matthew brought home today seems not the old Lady Ruth." Madame Jo's voice trailed off a bit.

"You want to say?"

"With all due respect, milady. What if she's not the real Lady Hughes? What if---"

"An impostor, you mean?"

"My apology, milady. She died with 'that' guy in the car. We all knew what happened three months ago. I'm sure you'll understand my worries for Lord Marcus."

The lady on the rocking chair simply nodded. Some of her stray salt and pepper hair lightly touched her temple as a strong gust of wind entered the room from the open window.

"And she was brought back from the dead."

Madame Jo's eyes widened in shock.

"Milady, she's not Lady Ruth."

"Matthew affirmed. She is, no doubt, his twin brother's missing wife."

"I have no second thoughts with Lord Matthew's intention but I have my reservation with the young woman he brought in. The girl cannot even remember Lord Marcus."

"That's why we brought her back. She needs to remember us. She needs to remember her life here in the manor. She needs to remember everything about her and Marcus. Everything about their love for each other, Jo."

The directress hesitantly nodded.

"I want you to help me help Ruth, Jo. Help her claim her old post. Help her become the true young lady of the Wilson House. Will you do that for me, Joanne?"

"Yes, milady."

She adjusted her gait and stood with a mug face.

"Shall I arrange for your meeting tomorrow, then?"

The woman smiled.

"Later. I will meet my dearest granddaughter in law on a later day. Let's give her enough time to feel the soul of this old manor first."

"If you say so, milady."

...

Marcus ruminated on his twin brother's words.

"Only if she remembered you..."

He drew a deep sigh before he rested the back of his head against the flawless finished wall of the left-wing tower.

Ruth loved to stay there during sunset. She used to drag him there because she thinks the sun illuminates the best on that direction and that she believed that every sunset is unique. They might look the same but they were not totally the same.

His memories so vivid, he can even hear her light giggles whenever he dodged every touch of her fingertips on his side waist.

He used to hate her tricks but...

He closed his eyes. Those memories were his happiest a few months ago yet the same set of memories brought him so much pain now...

...

"Faster, darling! It's almost time!"

"Do you know how dangerous this place is, woman?" Marcus dragged his feet along the corridor as they made their way to the end of the left wing.

Ruth opened the last door beside the massive impressionist painting.

She giggled. Her face was glowing with excitement.

"I bet you'll love today's show." Ruth pulled him closer and while holding his hand, they climbed up the steep wooden ladder together.

"Breathtaking!"

She stepped forward and leaned against the railing. They were atop the manor's left tower and had the best view of watching one of nature's spectacular and enchanting day-end present.

Marcus watched Ruth gazed over the beautiful landscape before them. The pinkish sun was slightly hidden behind the scattered yellow and orange cirrus clouds that brought him the warmth of the day which made him feel calmer and more relaxed.

The overlapping hues of pink, orange, and yellow painted across the blue sky created some of the most beautiful contrasts of nature they've seldom seen which only amplified its already captivating and lavish beauty.

Ruth turned to him with a wide smile on her face and gestured her arm to reach him.

He grabbed her hand and drew himself closer to her, giving her an instant back hug.

They stood there for a few moments, appreciating the majestic view of the sun setting against the wide expanse of greenery surrounding Wilson House.

"You know why I love sunsets?"

"Why?"

"Because sunsets remind me to always be grateful."

"A-huh."

"Won't you ask me why?"

"Why?"

Ruth turned around and faced him. Her eyes were sparkling with genuine happiness.

"I feel grateful that another day has passed and that I had another chance to be with you like this, to hold you like this, to love you like this."

He nodded urging her to continue.

"I feel so much joy and peace and hope inside me that a day may have finished but another day will soon be starting and I can't wait to spend another day, another morning with the one I definitely love." She winked at him.

"Quick trivia! I read somewhere that couples who watched the sun go down together was voted the most romantic way of spending the evening. Don't you think we are somewhat romantic, darling?" Her fingertips playing around his slightly bare chest.

He toyed with some of her stray hairs on her face before he tucked them at the back of her ears.

"Cheesy!" He teased pinching her nose.

She pouted.

"Aren't you grateful for me too? You wouldn't see this great romantic show today if not because of me."

He rolled his eyes.

"I hate you!" She started pinching the side of his abdomen. Her newly discovered weakness of him.

"Stop it! Stop it, Ruth. Stop it. I say!" He tried to avoid her attacks but she was too determined.

"I won't stop! I won't!" She kept on poking her fingertips on his sides. Her giggles echoed in every hollows of the left-wing tower.

"Really, huh?"

"Not until you say we're romantic."

In a swift motion, Marcus grabbed her two wrists in one hand and kidnapped them behind him. Her arms were now wrapped around his tapered waist. Her face was almost kissing his chest.

"Now, what?"

"Let. Me. Go." Ruth's voice was deep.

"What if I won't?"

Then it was his turn. He slowly lifted his free hand while his eyes were locked at her side waist.

Target secured!

Ruth knew his plan.

"No, Marcus! You dare touch me; I swear to Nana Beryl you'll be disowned."

He smirked.

"Is that even a threat, sweetie?"

Her breathing was faster and steep.

"Marcus! Darling! Love!" She screamed as his fingertips attacked her ticklish sides. Her little curses aired in between her funny giggles.

"Stop it! Nooooooo!!! Marcussss!!!Stop!!!"

"Okay." He put away his hand and instead drew her body closer to her. This time her breath was in sync with his. They were panting, their breathings were fast and hard.

"You're a cheater. You kidnapped my arms. I can't fight back." She weepily said fighting off her tears from falling.

He gave her one of his rare devilish smiles.

"You want to fight back?"

"Of course. You let m---"

In a split second, his lips were aggressively making its way in her lips and a few more seconds passed, the real battle of the early night ensued as the sun finally hid beneath the colorful horizon.