The girl is pretty, there is no doubt about that. With an adorable button no
se, flowing chocolate brown hair and sparkling grey eyes, she's the prettiest thing I've ever seen. My hands make fists at my sides as I watch her stand atop the stairs.
I want to have her.
They say love at first sight is a myth, but as I watch Lily Anna Oakes stumble - somehow gracefully - down the grand staircase in her father's Estate, I fall in love on the spot.
She comes to a stop once she's reached the bottom of the stairs. She's close enough for me to notice the smattering of freckles on her nose, her pretty porcelain skin that makes her look doll-like. She's painfully pretty. A fierce need to protect her at any cost threatens to swallow me. I want her. I need her.
"Lily Anna!" Bryony's the first one to speak, the rest of us still too shocked to say anything. "That's the dress I'm wearing to the ballet tonight, you can't just-"
"Ugh, whatever Bryony," the girl rolls her eyes while we all balk at her. "I didn't ask for your opinion, stepmother. And it’s not like you don’t have a dozen other dresses."
"Lily Anna, come join us," Oakes speaks up. "Time to meet the Booth family."
His voice is so much gentler when he's speaking to his daughter, so much different than it was when he talked to his other children and their mother. It's plainly obvious he has a soft spot for the pretty girl in the much too big lilac silk dress.
"I don't want to right now," the girl whines, taking in my parents with a bored glance. "I wanted to come to the ballet with you tonight, father."
"Darling, you know you're too young," her father replies apologetically, and the girl makes a face at him.
Then, she shifts her attention to the three of us standing in the hall, and her curious gaze drinks us all in. Her eyes settle on my hand in my mother's, and she smirks at me. Flushing, I let go of my mother's hand, shifting my position awkwardly. I feel embarrassed now, as if I've been caught doing something I shouldn't.
"Is that him?" Lily Anna asks her father, pointing at me. "That's Dexter Booth?"
"Yes, darling," Bryony chimes in, but Lily Anna disregards her completely, focusing all her attention on her father instead.
"But I don't like him," the pretty girl whines. "I don't want him, Daddy."
She reverts into child-like speech, addressing her father like a much younger girl.
"Please, Lily Anna," her father pleads with her. "Give him a chance."
My parents glance at one another in disbelief, my father's hand landing on my shoulder and squeezing. They would never allow me to speak like that to them, not that I would ever try. This girl is the epitome of a brat. And I weirdly like it.
"You need to get changed before lunch," Bryony says next, and both Lily Anna and her father look at her in outrage.
"Don't tell her what to do," Emilian Oakes hisses.
"But Emilian, she's-"
"I don't want to hear it."
Bryony shuts up, looking offended as Emilian grins at the rest of us.
"Lunch will be served in the Crystal Room," he goes on. "Let's head there now."
My parents and I follow behind as he leads us into the beautiful room. It holds true to its name. Not only are the glasses set on the table made of beautiful, expensive crystal, the room is decorated with precious stones. It's almost entirely encased in glass, offering a gorgeous view of the cliffs outside. There is a stunning crystal chandelier above us. The room is exquisite, however none of us gets the chance to comment on it as Booth ushers us to our seats.
Silent staff in sky blue and white uniforms regards us, without remarks. We're sat down at the long dining table and served our first course almost right away. Emilian Booth heads the dining table, with my father on the other end. I'm sitting next to Lily Anna, grateful for the opportunity to be closer to her. I'm curious about her, eager to find out so much more, but she doesn't even look at me as we sit down to eat.
The courses come and leave the table in an excruciatingly slow procession. My parents and Emilian talk about the business, which bores me half to tears, so I keep stealing glances at Lily Anna instead.
"You know, I can feel you staring," she finally mutters without looking up from her food. "It's not polite to do that."
"I'm sorry, Lily Anna," I say back, inching closer to her. "I just can't help it - I want to know more about you."
"Well, get in line."