The estate of Lord Sullivan looked as impressive as ever as it loomed in the distance. It was a majestic old estate which required a lot of maintenance from various servants within the household as Cutler had come to learn during his stay there many years ago. Vines of ivy clung to the outside of the house, making its way up the trellis and along the windowsills in the same way it had when he had last seen the house. It appeared as though time had not had the opportunity to change the estate and for that fact Cutler Beckett was glad. Even though he had only been home for a matter of days it appeared that everywhere else he had visited since his return had changed in drastic ways, all of which he found rather unsettling. Relatively speaking it had only been a few years since Cutler Beckett had last stepped foot on good old English soil, but with all of the changes he had come across it felt like a hundred years had passed. He had found that many of the old stores and clubs he used to frequent had changed hands many times during his absence He could no longer ask for his 'usual' and have it made without first explaining what his 'usual' was in great detail and even then it was substandard compared with what he remembered. Due to all of this change elsewhere Cutler was all the more relieved to see that Lord Sullivan's estate had not changed in the slightest, at least from what he could see of the outside.

As his carriage neared the estate he took a moment to check that he had everything in order. His newly acquired white powdered wig sat proudly on his head and his dark clothing was as immaculate as ever. At the last minute Cutler had remember to gather some flowers for Lord Sullivan's only daughter, Lady Anastasia Roxana Sullivan. He held before him a simple bouquet of red and pink tulips tied together with a red bow. Cutler would have liked to have brought a more extravagant bouquet along, but he remembered Anastasia's fondness for tulips and thought the simple bouquet would suffice. When Cutler had left Anastasia had only been thirteen years of age and she had shed many tears at the farewell banquet her Father had thrown for him. He had spent many hours before he left consoling her that he would come home safely. During his time off from studying Cutler had often found himself escorting Anastasia around the estate's magnificent gardens. She had insisted that he help her pick flowers to place on the table for that night with an irresistible smile on her face and Cutler could never bring himself to deny her any request, though he did not make his help widely known amongst those within the household. Cutler had first come to Lord Sullivan's estate at the age of eighteen when the Lord had taken him under his wing and taught him everything he needed to know of the business world. For two years Cutler had lived with the Sullivan family whilst he studied and of course excelled in all areas of business landing himself a prestigious career in the East India Trading Company. He had then left the family's company two years later when an opportunity came up that he could not afford to miss, but now his mission was over and he had returned.

The carriage finally stopped outside of the estate and he was greeted at the door by the same doorman who had first greeted him all those years ago. The old man looked just as wizened with age as he had the last time, and as Cutler was led into the parlour to wait for Lord Sullivan he noticed that nothing had changed on the inside of the estate either. The various pieces of furniture were unmoved and the same elegant paintings held their same places upon the walls. Cutler was relieved to learn that some things never changed in a world that was constantly in motion.

Cutler had many pressing business reasons for visiting Lord Sullivan, but the reason he was standing in the parlour had nothing to do with business and everything to do with missing the company of intelligent conversation. The East India Trading Company was full of finely educated men, but to Cutler they paled in comparison to the man who had taught him everything he knew. Not to mention the fact that Lord Sullivan had the finest stock of brandy Cutler ever had the pleasure partaking in. Lord Sullivan of course knew that Cutler was coming to visit, but that did not mean that he would hurry on down to greet him, no, that had never been the way that Lord Sullivan had worked. Cutler did so detest being kept waiting, but Lord Sullivan was the only man he would ever make an exception for.

As he paced around the parlour he allowed his thoughts to drift back to Lady Anastasia Sullivan, she had always been an intelligent young girl and had the strangest ability to remember and recall everything she saw written upon a page. Lord Sullivan had seen to it that she received the best schooling possible to ensure that her intelligence did not go to waste and there was many a time when Cutler had seen her put her older male cousins to shame with the knowledge she could retain. Cutler knew that Anastasia would no longer be the same small, but loud child she once was. He expected that her Mother had put her foot down and commanded that she become a refined young lady, like all of the others her own age. Cutler sneered at the thought that she would be altogether as interesting as his shoe, also like the other young ladies of her age. That is why he was still unwed at the age of twenty-five, he found all the eligible women to be copies of one another, without an original thought amongst them. He would truly hate to see Anastasia crushed into the form of a respectable young lady who would be forced to leave the room during discussions of things deemed to be over her head, the very same things she had once bested her male cousins in years before.

He began to grow restless waiting for Lord Sullivan and was about to take a seat in the chair nearest to the empty fireplace when he heard a door slam shut accompanied by the light clicking of heels against the hardwood floor.

"Cutler? Cutler Beckett is that you?" the voice of a young woman called form behind him.

Cutler turned around to come face to face with a beautiful young woman who could not have been anyone other than Lady Anastasia Sullivan. She still had the same long honey blonde hair, the same wide emerald green eyes and the same large welcoming smile. That was however where the similarities of years passed ended. Anastasia had certainly developed into a fine woman by his high standards. She held herself in a straight backed manner but was just shorter than Cutler. She was wearing an elegantly crafted green dress with a neckline that scooped in such a way that afforded Cutler an excellent view of her breasts, which had been pushed upwards thanks to the corset she wore. As his eyes travelled up and down her body Cutler felt an unmistakeable jolt of pleasure surge through his body, well, he certainly had something to think about tonight, he thought to himself. Her smiling lips were plump and painted a tantalising bright red, what he would give to feel those soft lips against his flesh Cutler thought as he allowed his eyes to continue subtly roaming her body. He found himself suddenly glad that some things had changed during his absence, though this was by far the best change he was likely to see. Cutler bowed to the young lady before him and said, "Yes Lady Sullivan. It is a pleasure to see you once again."

"Please Cutler, you know you are to call me Anna, you need not waste your time with pleasantries," she said smiling at him before stepping further into the parlour room.

"You told me that many years ago Anna, I just wanted to be sure that I still held that privilege."
"Of course you do my dear Cutler!"

"I brought these for you in the hopes that you still held your fondness for tulips," he said presenting her with the bouquet.

"Oh Cutler, they are most exquisite! Thank you," Anna said taking the bouquet from his hands and bringing it closer to her face in order to smell the flowers. Anna looked around the parlour quickly, checking for any signs of life apart from Cutler in the room, before stepping up to him and throwing her arms around his neck. His arms reflexively found their way to encircle her waist and soon they were sharing and embrace so close that he could feel every curve of the body he had just been admiring pressed tightly against him. He inhaled the scent of roses clinging to her long hair and felt his eyes drift closed in pleasure. Her lips were placed close to his neck and he had to suppress a shudder as he felt her breath brush against his skin. Before he could further indulge in the feeling of her body, she let go and left his arms.

"You mustn't tell Mother that I did that," Anna said, backing slightly away, "she would definitely not approve of such behaviour."

"As you wish," Cutler replied, he certainly had no intention of mentioning her more than friendly welcome home to anyone, let alone her parents.

"If only everyone agreed with me as easily as you did Cutler! I shall go and find a glass of water for these and then I will take you down to see Father in the paddocks," she said leaving the room in search of a suitable glass. When she re-entered the parlour room she said, "you know Father told me he had a surprise for me today, but I never would have expected it to be your return. You know I am truly glad you came home in one piece Cutler."
"I did not encounter any danger on my voyage, but your concern is heart warming nonetheless."

"Oh I know that, Father allowed me to read all of your correspondence letters, but that did not stop me from worrying about you," she said, being as straightforward as she ever was. Cutler offered her his arm and the exited the estate, slowly making their way through the garden.

"You read every single letter of mine then?"

"Of course I did, I did not trust Father to tell me everything of your wellbeing, so he let me read it for myself."

"Should you not have been learning to sew instead of reading confidential documents?" Cutler asked teasingly with a raised eyebrow.

Anna scowled at Cutler before catching his eye and returning his raised eyebrow gesture, "my Governess attempted to teach me sewing, but she lost her temper with me and flung it across the room. I have never had another sewing lesson since thank goodness, sewing is a terrible bore."

Cutler let out a low chuckle at her response and subtly pulled her closer to his side, "You know, you could have written your own letters to me Anna, I would have been glad to read them."

"I was going to, but Mother scolded me. She said it was a terribly inappropriate thing for me to do, she forbade me to read any more of your letters, but Father secretly let me read them when she was not in the room."

"That is unfortunate," Cutler replied, unsure of how to respond to such a telling statement, but still able to employ his usual diplomacy in situations where it is needed.

"Yes," Anna said with a sigh, "I am sorry Cutler, I did not mean to make things awkward, it is just that I missed you so much. You know no one else would pick flowers with me the way you used to."

"So all you missed was my apparent skills for flower picking?"

Anna turned to face Cutler and said, "You are correct," with a serious look upon her face.

A flicker of emotion passed over Cutler's face ranging from annoyance to anger, but it was quickly replaced with the cold stare Cutler Beckett would become known for. His grip on Anna's arm loosened slightly and for some reason he had yet to place, he felt disappointed with her statement.

Anna saw the brief flicker of emotion pass across Cutler's face and instantly regretted her little joke. Cutler had never been too good at taking humour in his stride and it seemed that this had not improved any during his absence. "I am sorry Cutler, I was only joking, I did not mean to offend you," she said, her green eyes boring into his blue ones. "Please do not be mad with me!" she begged tightening her grip on his arm.

Cutler held her stare for a moment longer, if only to make her squirm under his intense gaze, before allowing his lips to curve into a smile, "only because you look so beautiful when you beg. But you will have to promise to make it up to me later."

Anna froze, she had been hoping that Cutler would notice the changes she had undergone since he had left, even hoping that he would show some sort of interest, but she was not prepared for such a blatant compliment coming from a man who was always so guarded with his opinions. She blushed and thanked him for his compliment and they continued on through the expansive gardens in a companionable silence.

When Cutler had left all those years ago she had been devastated, thinking that he would never come back, or worse, that he would come back already married to some foreign beauty. For as long as Anna could remember she had been in love with Cutler Beckett and the distance between them had only served to strengthen those feelings. In her eyes he was the most handsome man she had ever come across, with his rounded face and his intensely blue eyes. It never mattered to her that he was shorter than the average man because she had always been shorter than her female peers as well.

For such a small man, he certainly captured the attention of all in the room whenever he entered and he had captured her attention with ease and never let it go ever since. She adored the sound of his voice, whether it was malicious and dripping with venom or silky and full of praise for things she had done when she was a child. He had always been kind to her, unlike the other young men that had been mentored by her Father. He had paid attention to her and treated her like a person in her own right, rather than simply the daughter of someone important.

Even though she had only been a child when he had been with them, it did not make her any less sure of her opinion about him. Anna had always known that there was something special about Cutler Beckett, something that would one day make him into a great man. She was not sure what that something was, but she could see it in her Father and she could see it in Cutler as well. It was a gut instinct that she had always trusted, the moment she met a person she could tell if she would get along with them or not, or if a person had malicious intentions towards her family. At first even her Father had dismissed these gut feelings as whimsy, but after a particularly nasty incident with a shady character by the name of Mr. Saller he had never dismissed them again. Yes, she was sure that Cutler Beckett would go forth to do great things and she could only wish that she would be around to observe such things.

The sound of Cutler's voice broke Anna from her thoughts, but she did not hear the words he spoke for her mind had been a million miles away, "I am sorry Cutler, my thoughts drifting away from me, could you please repeat that?" she asked him.

"I am to be made a Lord towards the end of the month," Cutler stated.

"Oh Cutler that is fantastic! I recall that is what you always wanted for yourself and now you will have it," Anna exclaimed smiling sweetly up at Cutler, "you know I always knew you could do it."

"I remember you and your Father being the only members of a select group of people who believed in me," Cutler said with a far off look in his brilliant blue eyes.

"Everyone else is clearly foolish and they shall see the error of their ways during your ceremony," Anna declared trying to cheer Cutler up. Anna stopped abruptly, causing Cutler to jerk back to her side, the pair were standing in the middle of an open field, just out of sight of the house and halfway to the paddock where Anna knew he Father was. Cutler raised an eyebrow at Anna as he watched her head swivel around him as if she was looking for something. She boldly took a step forward, her body pressing against Cutler's in the same forbidden way as before, "I want to give you a present of congratulations for becoming a Lord, but I am afraid of what you might think of my actions Cutler," she said in a nervous whisper next to his ear.

"I have always held a high opinion of you Anna, I doubt there is much you could do which would change such an opinion."

"Close your eyes then," she commanded, a hint of nervousness still present in her voice.

Cutler nodded in response and shut his eyes tightly, not knowing what it was that he should be expecting. He felt her large breasts push against his chest in a manner that had Cutler fighting to keep his hands still, her arms wrapped around his neck and all of a sudden he felt a pair of soft, warm lips press themselves against his cheek. As quickly as the lips touched his skin they were removed again, replaced by cold air and a feeling of sudden loss. Cutler wished he had the gall to turn his head and capture her lips with his own, but he knew that motion would startle her and that was the last thing he wanted after being away for so long.

"You may open your eyes now Cutler," Anna whispered.

Cutler's blue eyes opened and instantly locked with Anna's innocent green orbs.

"That may be the only congratulations present I have received thus far, but I am sure it will remain my favourite," he said to the blushing girl standing before him.

"Then you are welcome," she said quietly. It should be a crime to be as charming as Cutler is, Anna thought as she threaded her arm back through his and they continued along to the back paddock where her Father should be by now.

"Anna my little angel, who is it that you have by your side?" Lord Sullivan called out from his position sitting on the back of his favourite horse.

"Hello Father!" she called happily, "I have Cutler Beckett with me."

"Ah yes, I see he went and spoilt your surprise, I suppose it is my fault for sending you back up to the house when I knew he would be arriving soon," Lord Sullivan turned his attention to Cutler, "is there no way you could have avoided my little angel?" he said in a mockingly serious manner.

"I could never ignore Lady Sullivan, especially when she is calling my name from across the hallway, my Lord," Cutler replied bowing in respect to the man who was his superior.

"No I suppose you could not, she has yet to grow out of her loud personality as I am sure you have witnessed," Lord Sullivan commented swinging himself off his horse and coming to stand on the ground, more than a foot taller than Cutler

"I have noticed my Lord, but I would not wish for her to change her personality at all," Cutler said in all sincerity smiling at the young woman in question.

"If you intend to continue talking about me as if I am not here then perhaps I should return inside?" Anna suggested with a hint of irritation evident in her voice.

"As you can see my little angel has not lost her hatred of being ignored either. All the maturity I was promised she would gain with age seems to have never arrived," Lord Sullivan said stretching his hand out towards his daughter and ruffling her long honey blonde hair.

Anna scowled at her Father, "Father you know how long it takes to get my hair sitting properly, now Mother will tell me off fiercely for being unkempt around a guest!" she huffed.

Father and daughter argued back and forth in a playful manner as Cutler watched on giving the odd chuckle at some of their comments. Coming back to the Sullivan residence felt like he was truly coming home to a place where he always felt he belonged.

"Oh all right," Anna agreed with a sigh, "but only because you are my Father and disobeying ones Father is a terrible thing for a daughter to do."

Cutler raised an eyebrow, clearly having missed an important part of the conversation during his musings.

"Have fun talking about business beyond a woman's understanding whilst I am forced to endure a hair rearrangement," Anna said with a pout playing across her lips. The same lips which had innocently pressed themselves to Cutler's skin earlier. "Goodbye for now Cutler, Father," she said curtsying and turning to make her way back to the house.

"I never said it was beyond your understanding my dear one," Lord Sullivan said. He then turned to the stable boy who was perched on the fence out of immediate hearing distance, "you boy!" he shouted, "escort my daughter back to the house and then run straight back here, Mr. Beckett will be needing you to make a horse ready for him," he commanded in his loud booming voice.

"Of course sir," the stable boy replied, jumping to attention and following Anna back up to the house.

Throughout their short horse ride the two men had conversed on subjects ranging from strictly business, to Cutler's upcoming Lording ceremony which Lord Sullivan had agreed to attend with his family, to where Cutler would be staying now that he had arrived home.

"I had my assistant Mr. Mercer leave for England a month before me so that he could purchase the house I decided upon. Almost all of the furnishing have been placed where I want them, there are just a few things left to deal with before I can happily call the place my own."

"How long do you think it will be before you that is all completed?" Lord Sullivan asked.

"It should not be any longer than two days at the most. I never would have thought that moving into a house of my own would be such a difficult task."

"Then you shall stay with us until everything in your home is completed," Lord Sullivan stated rather than suggested.

"Are you sure having a guest would not be an inconvenience to you Lord Sullivan?" Cutler asked, desperately wanting to move straight in to his old bedroom, but not wanting to overstay his welcome.

"I would not have suggested it if I thought so. It is settled then my friend, you will stay in this house with us for as long as it takes you to set up your home here in London," Lord Sullivan said, "you have always been welcome in my home Cutler."

"Thank you Lord Sullivan," Cutler replied.

"Anna will be thrilled to learn you have agreed to stay. I do not think that I have seen her smile quite so large ever since you left."
"I fear you may be exaggerating Lord Sullivan."
Lord Sullivan let out a small laugh, "Perhaps, but you forget that you were not here. You know she ran after your ship and stood at the end of the dock watching it leave until she could not see it any longer. After that she cried her little eyes out and would not leave her room from a solid week."

"My goodness," Cutler said, his eyes widening in sheer amazement.

"Do me a favour and do not let her know that I revealed that piece of information, I fear she would lock herself in her room and never come out again from, sheer embarrassment."

"You have my word Lord Sullivan," Cutler promised, "I am just glad that someone missed me so much."

"My little angel has always been very fond of you Cutler, none of my other students have ever captured her attention so completely before or after you came along."

"I am glad," Cutler replied, truly amazed that Anna was so taken by him.

"As am I," Lord Sullivan said, "let us return to the mansion, dinner should be ready about now and I for one am starving."