Forced Marriage: Escaping Her Monster

Rose McCarthy walked through the tiled corridors of the ancestral home of the Erling family. She never thought that she'd be granted permission to meet with the Grandsire this soon. Her shoes made a clicking noise as she walked perfectly rhyming with her pounding heart.

  She looked at the back of the prim-suited man leading her to the private room of the Grandsire. She wondered if welcomed by the aide of the Grandsire himself is a good thing or not.

She sent a letter, handwritten with a fountain pen in cursive writing(It's the rule for your letter to be accepted), addressed to the Grandsire to grant her permission to visit him as she had a bold request. Of course, it is Gordon Faraday, his aide replied with a simple postcard that read "Yes", followed by the date and time of visit.

Rose has met the President of a country before as she worked on an artwork in the Presidential residence. Even their rules were lax compared to the steps she has to go through to meet her dear great-grandpa.

Standing by the resplendent carved door, she checked her attire once more. They are all aware that casual clothing of this era and any fashion from this century and from the second half of the previous century are not allowed in front of the Grandsire.

She once heard that the Grandsire shaved the head of Lady Millicent (one of his granddaughters) because she was not wearing a hat.  Some say it is the truth and some say those are just rumors. Some say it was because he hates blondes and some say he doesn't want to get reminded of his first love who was a blonde.

Well, she thought it must be for the latter reason.

She once sneaked inside the Grandsire's private room. Well, she was tricked to get in there by her mean cousins, but... there she saw a picture; a portrait to be precise.

The portrait of the prettiest woman she has ever seen.

Taking in a deep breath, Rose fixed her 1940's styled afternoon dress and her hat that covered her blonde hair. She wetted her pink lips and sucked in a deep breath.

"Do not talk unless you are talked to. Do not answer as a question. Do not stare at him for more than two seconds. Do not try to reach him unless you are asked to. Do not touch him under any circumstance..."

  Gordon went on explaining the seventy-two rules to be followed while meeting the Grandsire. Rose rolled her tongue inside her mouth as she was bored to listen to them. 

Maybe they should tell me what I am allowed to do rather than what I am not allowed to do. At least that would be helpful.

"You may enter now," Gordan made a bow with his hand on his heart, and Rose with a nod stepped inside the carpeted room. 

The room had dim lighting but she was awed seeing the architecture. The paneling was done in solid gold and is that amber?

Hmm... Amber... Reminds me of her eyes. 

Rose saw valuable artefacts that were used in the decor as if they are simple porcelain. 

Everything looked almost the same as when she sneaked in when she was little, but only now she could estimate the value of them. Any one of these decors will be enough for someone to live a comfortable life for the rest of their lives. 

And why are they lumped here like this? They should be kept in a museum.

Wait... is that a Faberge Egg? Didn't they get lost? And... Are there two of them? It should be fake, right? Right?

And standing in the middle of the room she looked around and her fingers went numb out of shock.

Wait... this room... It should be modeled after the Amber room and not the Amber room, right? Right?

Grandsire is wealthy and he must have commissioned something similar to the Amber room. And this room is too big to be the Amber room.

Yes, that should be it.

Rose gulped and her heart started beating in her throat. 

Should I just turn back and leave?

"Lady Rose," That slightly trembling voice of the old man still couldn't hide his pride, made her turn. 

"Greetings to Grandsire," she gave a perfect curtsy and took a good look at him. He was just ten feet away from her and this is the first time she is seeing him this close.

He's been old as long as she remembered but she didn't think that he is this old. Well, he is ninety-two years old and this is to be expected.

He was sitting in the wheelchair and he had a nasal breathing tube connected to oxygen. The wrinkles on his face made contours on his face and his skin had dark patches thanks to his age. The deep furrow between his eyes showed how he had frowned his whole life rather than smiling.

And behind him was the portrait. It was the only well-lit thing in the room. 

The beautiful woman... well, she cannot be called a woman. The beautiful girl dripping with innocence as she smiled and those glittering eyes that looked to the side had delight and hope for the future.

The brightest amber eyes – the same spirited eyes she only saw on one other person – Jerlina Hopkins.

Her curly blonde hair was made to a bun and wearing a white dress with frills and tulle decorated with pearls, she looked like an angel descended from the sky to bring joy to mankind.

And the facial structure and the lips... Everything looked the same as Jerlina... except maybe the nose. Jerlina had a smaller nose. 

But the resemblance is uncanny.

Rose thought she might be remembering wrong, but no... Jerlina is the carbon copy of Jonathan Erling's first love- the one whose name should not be mentioned in front of him.

Aniko Corvin!

Nothing is known of her except that she is his first love and that he still remembers her fondly.

"We were told that you needed to report something to us?" The old man's voice interrupted her thoughts. His fingers trembled as he tried to place the hand on his lap on the armrest of the wheelchair.

So he uses the royal 'we'. Okay.

"I recently heard aunt Matilda mentioning Her Ladyship by her name," Rose's eyes unconsciously ended up on the portrait.

Aunt Matilda hated this woman who is dead for more than seven decades for some reason.

"Matilda? Who is she?" Jonathan looked at Gordon and he explained his relationship to her. 

Yeah, it would be hard to remember all hundred and seventy-nine of your grandchildren!

Jonatha's eyes ended up on Rose and she continued to speak in a polite tone.

"And I accidentally found her recently..." she opened her phone and gave her phone to Gordon with a cropped picture of Jerlina she took the other day. 

Looking at Jerlina, she saw Gordon's face getting pale and his eyes widened. 

"Her name is Jerlina Aniko Hopkins. A natural blonde and her grandfather changed his name from Hamilton to Hopkins around fifty years back."

She knew saying this much to the Grandsire is enough. He'd investigate to find out the truth. She had a hunch that Aunt Matilda has something to do with the hit on Jerlina.

It is a hunch, but for Mikhail's sake, she decided to give this a try. 

She didn't know much of the family politics and what happened decades ago, but what she overheard was so terrifying. And it seemed like a lot of money was involved. 

Since she had a hunch that Jerlina might be related to the old man's first love, she thought of directly speaking with him. But she didn't want to implicate her family without any proof and that's why she kept it a secret from Mikhail.

He knows she is meeting the Grandsire now though.

"Hamilton?" Jonathan started to cough and Gordon asked Rose to wait outside.

Rose saw Jonathan holding his chest and she got frightened. A couple of guys came out from the dark and led her outside.

Rose just followed them out.

What is going on?