Fire in the Rose Garden

Every one in the house ran towards the room that the screams were coming from. Lucas opened the door panting and saw Lady Peony hugging her husbands dead body. Lucas ran and checked Nathan's pulse and he couldn't find one. He backed away slowly, his best friend was dead and he was only here for two weeks. Nathan had a plan for his life, he would built his house, move in with Peony and have children, continue with his business and travel the world. And now... he would never do that.

"This is my fault..." Lady Peony wiped his tears and grabbed Luca's vest.

'No! This is not your fault Lucas! He was sick before coming here, I told him to go to the doctor sooner but he wouldn't't listen!" new tears fell from her eyes. "This is not your fault... it's mine."

"No, no. it is not Peony... don't blame yourself." Lucas grabbed her hands and pushed them away. The last thing he needs is the presence of his best friend's wife crying. He needed some time alone.

"Sir," said Duff the butler. "What are your orders?"

Lucas turned his back and got out of the room. "Notice Sir Knight's family and prepare his funeral... make everything to my name." Rosemary ran towards him but he stopped her. "I need some time alone Rose, go... go and clean some rooms." When he said that he didn't turn and look at her but he knew he hurt her in some kind of way.

"Yes, master." she whispered and Lucas turned around to say not to call him that but but he only got a glance of her back slowly disappearing into the halls. He regretted but he didn't have the strength to go and look for her and apologize.

Rosemary was more than a maid, she was her childhood friend and the woman he loved for almost his entire life. She was his supporter, the one who gave him strength to continue forwards and now when he most needed it he pushed her away. She didn't deserve this kind of attitude, the only thing she did was be there for him. Lucas grunted and took the bottle of whiskey and drank a mouth full of it, burning his throat but it helped him forget about the pain in his heart. He needed a distraction.

An hour later passed.

The doors of his study opened hard revealing a panting Rosemary. She was sweating and her hands were shaking but even if she was in that state her eyes told she was angry and was determined to say what was on her mind. Lucas was about to send her off when she grabbed his chin making him look straight into her eyes. He was now drunk and was thinking like a true master of the house. He wasn't thinking clearly.

"Don't you dare touch me!" Rosemary smelled the alcohol in his breath.

"Listen to me!" she screamed. Her voice was no longer a little girl's but of a woman. It had so much strength that Lucas was taken aback. Rosemary cupped his face with her hands and with her green eyes she said, "Remember you have me! Don't blame this on yourself, don't do this by yourself, don't suffer alone. Do it with me!"

The shock from her words knocked him down and he dropped on one of the furniture. "Rose..."

"Lucas!" she said his name and it send some shivers down his spine. "I know you are hurting but please, just don't bare it alone. Cry with me, cry!"

A tear rolled down and he shut his eyes. "I don't know what to do Rose," she knelt in front of him. "He was like my brother. We grew up together, even you knew him." Rosemary nodded. "I just lost a friend... a dear friend." Lucas dropped to the floor and hugged Rosemary and she welcomed it.

Rosemary whispered something in Lucas ear that made him stop crying. He was more sober than ever and was taken aback by those wonderful words. He grabbed her neck and kissed her. Kissed her like he never kissed anyone before. He repeated the words she said but to her, drenching her face with fresh tears. Finally he could say what he feels.

Nathan had showed him that life is short and that he should make the best of it. There is no time for him to be hesitating about his feelings. He loved Rose and she loved him back. Lucas would fight the word if people would start going against it. He was willing to sacrifice his life for her... that was how much he loved her.

Peony ran to his dead husband's room, took the vase full of red roses and smashed it against the wall. She was full of rage now. They kissed! That maid was kissing Lucas! She started pacing around the room, biting her nails. She needed to take care of that maid and she will not wait until she has Lucas in her hands. She needs to take action now because if she started making moves on him, he will reject them because of that maid.

But she had to wait, she needed to find the right time to do so. And she knew how to do it and make it look as accidentally as possible.