This came to me without warning, butI hope you will enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed writing it! Have fun and leave me a note! Hug my beta for making this better than it probably is!

The future Lady Merton

Chapter 1

"I don't quite see your point, father," Larry Grey said enraged and threw his napkin on his still filled plate.

"I think it's fairly easy," Dickie Merton replied calmly. "I won't host a dinner so that you can impress one of your lady friends." He knew it wasn't exactly kind, but Dickie felt rather satisfied to deny his son the favour he had asked for. No father should feel glad to rain in on his son's parade, but Dickie did and he even enjoyed it. Larry took too much in life for granted and cared too little for others and too much for himself. His mother had never denied him anything and she had never realized what kind of selfishness she had encouraged with her attitude. Larry had often angered and disappointed Dickie and he had often forgiven him. Until last year, when Larry had gone so far as to destroy his relationship with Isobel Crawley. Their relationship had been pretty much non-existent ever since. Dickie endured the annoying Sunday luncheons to make sure people wouldn't gossip about them, but that was it.

Dickie knew the motive for his son's behaviour was entirely based on fear: Larry had simply been afraid that Isobel with her big heart and her good natured attitude could easily outshine his late mother – which was a likely possibility. It had broken Dickie's heart to let her go and he would never not feel bitter about it.

At least he was given the chance to give his son a taste of his own medicine. Larry didn't accept his father's choice, so why should Dickie support him in anything regarding his personal life?

"This woman is likely to become your daughter-in-law, the future Lady Merton. We have to introduce her to the county," Larry insisted again.

"So, you've already proposed?" his father asked, convinced Larry had not. If Larry had proposed he wouldn't have hesitated to bring her along.

"I'm going to," Larry said avoiding his father's piercing eyes. "But I would rather wait until she has met you and Tim."

"You mean, you want to her to see the estate, so that she sees what kind of kingdom she'll get once she says yes."

Again Larry hesitated to give an answer and Merton didn't allow him to phrase one. "Let me tell you something, if you need to convince her with the premise of your future inheritance, a marriage with her is unlikely to be a successful one."

Larry laughed bitterly, "You can talk."

"If you are referring to Mrs Crawley, I can assure you, she wasn't interested in the estate. On the contrary."

"If that's what you believe," Larry scoffed. "If that were true, you could have offered her the less public position as your mistress. Isn't that the position women of her class are usually more entitled to?"

Merton narrowed his eyes and calmly rose from his chair. "This luncheon is over. Cabot will see you out. I would advise you to refresh your manners. Otherwise you'll have a hard time to find any woman to succeed your mother."

Isobel had just finished her cup of tea when her maid came in and announced a visitor.

"Lord Merton, Ma'am."

Isobel almost choked on her tea. It was late, already after ten o'clock and she certainly didn't expect anyone at this late hour. Before she could object or agree the Lord marched into her drawing room. A little irritated by his firm demeanour Isobel put her cup down and rose.

"I hope you don't mind me intruding like this, but it's important," he said firmly, his arms crossed behind his back.

"Thank you," Isobel nodded to her maid and waited until she had closed the door. "Well, that's a surprise," Isobel said, a little uneasy. They hadn't met since he had left her house after the night she had broken off their engagement. She vividly remembered his rage and the sadness on his face when he had left and she hadn't expected to see him again in these walls.

"I wanted to see how you're doing," he said. "It's been some time."

"It is, yes... I'm... well, I guess," she answered with growing confusion. "How are you?"

"Miserable, to be honest."

Isobel became pale and swallowed. His brisk honesty shocked her. He seemed to be just as hurt and furious as all these months ago and she didn't quite know how to react to it. He wasn't going to make this easy for her and deep down she feared she probably couldn't hold up her defences.

"Please, don't..."

"Why not? It's true. You know what happened today? Today my son asked me for a favour and I denied him my help. And you know how I felt? I felt happy, because I finally could do something to him that truly bothered him." He sighed. "The truth is, in the last couple of months I've turned into a bitter, old man who can't even enjoy the most simple things in life. I've become a man who enjoys hurting his own son, because he dared to hurt you – and me in the process."

Isobel was lost for words and she felt a painful sting in her chest. She hated seeing him like this. After all she had left him to spare them both an eternal atmosphere of bitterness, but now that he stood right in front of her, she wondered if she hadn't created something much worse.

"Without you," he continued, "My life is empty. It was empty before I knew you, but I was less aware of it, which was a blessing. You're the only woman I ever loved and losing you... not having you around is too much for me to bear."

He motioned towards her and against her better judgement Isobel didn't withdraw. She was too perplexed to know what to do. Dickie Merton had caught her completely off guard with his drastic confession.

"Look," she started. "I don't know what to tell you... I'm sorry..." She was entirely out of her element. She used to be quite eloquent when it came to playful banter or discussions about politics, but his passionate speech combined with this nearness was too much for her. She felt his hands on her upper arms and didn't object as he pulled her closer.

"Please, Isobel," he said in a raw voice. "I've tried to accept your decision, but I can't. Not as long as I know that you love me back."

He looked straight into her eyes and she knew, she wouldn't succeed in phrasing a convincing lie. "We discussed the reasons for my decision ad nauseam," Isobel said flatly.

"Yes, I remember that. But what if I think, being together should be worth the fight?"

He was so close now that their bodies were just inches apart. She smelled his cologne, a scent she had grown accustomed to in the months of their engagement.

"Isobel..." he lifted her chin and without any forewarning he placed a kiss on the tip of her nose. Defeated, she closed her eyes, as his lips travelled down tenderly and found her mouth. His arms wandered around her body and pulled her against him. Her reaction to his kiss was beyond logic or what she had promised herself to do. She couldn't allow herself to fall for his tenderness, but she was already lost. Her lips parted for him, as his tongue gently demanded entrance, and she returned his kiss. She leaned against him, as her hands took hold of the collar of his suit, afraid she might lose her balance. He hadn't kissed her like this before. Not even when she had told him, she would accept his proposal. He had always been so careful with her, so gentle, as if she was the most fragile thing he had ever touched. But tonight he was different. His kiss grew fierce and demanding and when she finally pulled away from him, her cheeks were aflame and she had to catch her breath. Neither of them spoke when she leaned against him, her forehead against his chin, trying to recover.

"That was quite an ardent declaration," she managed to say after a couple of minutes. Her heart was still racing in her chest and she was far from the ability to think straight.

"But was it enough?" he asked and cupped her face with his hands. "Will you marry me, Isobel Crawley, despite everything?"

~tbc~

"Desperation can make a person do surprising things." ―Veronica Roth, Allegiant