Thousand Years

CHAPTER 17 - The Portrait- Part I

1920, Dublin, Ireland

It has exactly been two weeks since the musical. Two weeks since she had last seen Aidan. He has not shown up downtown on Sundays, she had assumed he was busy. 

Dareanna was looking out her balcony smoking. The evening was beautiful. It brought so many memories. She thought back to how Aidan had kissed her. The passion, the need was so inexplicable, the only way she wanted to understand it was by experiencing it again. 

She had asked him if he would draw a portrait of her and he had immediately agreed. What she did not know was when she would get a chance to step out of the house without arousing any suspicion. 

The Mayor was heading out tomorrow on a trip to London and was not expected back till the end of the month. But it did not mean Dareanna could do as she pleased, there were eyes everywhere. 

She thought long and hard on how she would escape. She couldn't believe what she was doing. 

The pull she had towards him was something else. He had made her feel alive and she needed to feel alive. She did not know what her feelings for him were. The only thing she knew was that she needed to be close to him.

Aidan was busy as usual. He was busy building and expanding his property. One thing that he constantly had in mind was her. She was always there at the back of his mind but he did not know when he would see her again. 

He set aside his papers and sighed. It was tormenting how a woman could affect him so much. There were countless women before her, why is she so different?, he had kept asking himself this the past two weeks. 

His trail of thoughts were interrupted  when Jon, his butler knocked on the door.

"Come in Jon,"

"Sir, will you be free tomorrow evening? Just confirming sir, there is nothing in your schedule as for now. "

"Well, if there isn't anything, I think I would not be occupied.  Why do you ask?"

" Oh ,I just received a note from the Mayor's house inquiring."

"I see. Please send a note back in the same way you got it." Aidan replied with a straight face but his mind was on overdrive. He knew it was from her. 

She will be coming here tomorrow! He wanted to shout out loud, but that would be ridiculous. 

"Jon!Please ask Mary to clean the study adjoining my bedroom, first thing tomorrow morning. Keep my art supplies ready as well. I have some drawing to do tomorrow. And, do not accept any appointments other than the one from the Mayor's house tomorrow. "

Jon patiently listened to his master's orders and asked, " Anything else sir,?

"You all can have the afternoon off tomorrow. Except for the cook. I will give him separate instructions. Make sure you finish all your work before that."

Jon closed the door behind him leaving his master humming a tune that he did not know. He wondered what had cheered him up so much. He never gave everyone an afternoon off at once, especially when he was expecting someone.  Things were a bit crazy these days, Jon thought as he went downstairs to inform the housekeeper and others regarding their master's wishes. 

Dareanna had managed to send a note to Roche Manor through her housemaid. She had once said her cousin worked at Roche Manor as a driver. Dareanna knew the housemaid since she was young and trusted her to keep it from the Mayor. To anyone who wasn’t Aidan, it would seem like the note is from the Mayor himself asking for an appointment. Not everyone knew the Mayor was leaving town. Dareanna thought she should be able to sneak out in the evening. She would ask everyone not to disturb her for the evening.

The housemaid, Jane, came into Dareanna’s room with a pot of tea early the next morning. The Mayor had already left and Dareanna hadn't bothered to say goodbye. There was a note along with it saying Mr. Roche had accepted the appointment. It sounded so formal, Dareanna wanted to laugh.

She was planning to go to Roche Manor by 3.00pm in the evening so that she could hurry back at least around 7.00pm.  She had already informed the household that she would not be having dinner, in case she got late. No one actually thought this was unusual since the lady of the house often skipped her dinner.

Dareanna took a long bath while she thought about how to pose for a portrait. She wanted to surprise Aidan and an idea popped into her mind. She smiled mischievously as she wrapped her bathrobe around her. 

She still had two hours to kill so she put her hair on rollers and continued her skin care routine. She had not thought about what to wear, but she thought she would wear silk.

She had just finished getting dressed when the doorbell rang. She did not bother going downstairs thinking that it might be someone looking for the Mayor. Jane came in and informed her that it was Mrs. O’Conner. It was almost 3.00pm and she did not have time to entertain Mrs. O'Connor. 

She was a rich old woman who constantly held Charity balls and other charity events. She was probably here to invite her and the Mayor to an event. What everyone knew about MrsO’Conner was that there was no stopping her when she started talking. She might not be able to make it to Aidan’s today. Her heart sank at the thought. However she quickly went downstairs to the living room to see Mrs. O'Connor was already comfortable on the sofa.

“Hello Mrs. O’Connor. It is so nice to see you. How are you?” she asked with a fake enthusiasm.

“Would you like some tea or coffee?”

"Tea would be alright " she said.

“Jane, Please bring Mrs. O'Connor some tea.”

Dareanna kept looking at the clock in the corner every five minutes while the woman kept talking. It was almost 4 o’clock and she was not planning to leave. If it was another day, she would not have minded.

She purposely kept rubbing her forehead several times hoping the lady would notice.

“Do you have a headache my child?”

“Yes. Mrs. Conner. I have had this headache since morning. But don't mind it. “

“Oh Dear, you should get some rest. I will be going now.” Mrs. O'Connor stood up to leave.

“Oh No It's Okay”

“Make sure you come to the charity ball with the Mayor. Now go get some rest.” and with that she left.

Dareanna called Jane and told her not to disturb her in the evening and that she would be going to bed.  She knew after that everyone would be in servant’s quarters. 

Dareanna went upstairs and closed the door, gathered her coat and the purse, waited for five minutes before she went out into the garden. There was a small gate at the corner of the garden that led to a gravel path which led to the road. 

It was past 4.30pm and Aidan wondered when she was planning to come. He had asked the cook to prepare dinner for two. He also had his finest wine ready to be served. While he waited, he arranged his canvas and the brushes.

He was pacing anxiously in his room. He did not know why he was so nervous. He had been wiping off non existent dust from his couch, not trusting the maids to have done a proper job.

He had entertained a number of women in the bedroom adjoining this living room and never once had he been so nervous. 

The doorbell rang making Aidan's heart rate increase some more. He ran his hand through his hair as he went downstairs thinking why this woman is affecting him so much. 

Dareanna stood in front of Aidan's house looking around like a lost puppy she took off her gloves. She was nervous. What if someone saw her here and told the mayor. Well she would deal with the consequences later.  All her negative thoughts became insignificant as soon as he opened the door.  His gorgeous face breaking into a smile.

" Hello love", he said as he took her hand to kiss it. She would never get used to it. She blushed.

"I suppose you sneaked out of the house" , he said while he led her upstairs, still holding her hand.

"Something like that, yes", she said.

She looked around the living room as he took the coat from her. It was spacious with dark blue curtains hanging over the large windows. The fireplace was burning and a picture was hung over it. In a corner were the painting utensils, he already had a canvas prepared. In front of it was a blue velvet couch, in case she chooses to sit.

Aidan looked at Dareanna observing the room and finally set her eyes on him. She smiled.

“Would you like some tea or coffee? Wine maybe?” he asked.

To do what she was planning to do she definitely needed something more than wine but she would settle for it.

“Wine”

He took a bottle that was already out of his cabinet full of bottles that he kept in the living room. Poured two glasses and gave one to Dareanna.

Dareanna was wearing a red,silk dress that came a little below her knees which had thin straps. It hugged her body so perfectly that one would wonder if she was wearing any underwear at all, which was exactly Aidan’s thoughts at the moment.

Aidan went and sat in the chair behind the easel and asked, “How would you like to pose for this portrait, my lady?”

What she did next surprised Aidan more than anything or anyone had ever surprised him in his life. He was sure he would not be more surprised if  she had pointed a gun at him.

She gulped down her wine, faced away from him and slowly removed the straps of her dress and let it fall down to her feet.