Several years ago:

"I don't understand why you insist on courting that child." Lenora was standing in the doorway of Oliver's bedroom, sulkily staring as he brushed his hair and straightened his shirt, tucking in into his trousers.

"She's not a child, Lenora." Oliver faced Lenora. He could see the hurt in her eyes and it unnerved him. He once thought he'd cared for her. Until he saw how manipulative she could be. Lenora was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Oliver cleared his throat and brushed past Lenora. She dared to touch him and Oliver shivered with disgust. He hoped she wouldn't know the difference between disgust and desire.

"She's ill, Oliver. You know she won't live to see her twenty-fifth birthday."

Oliver didn't respond. He'd heard this same shit countless times before. He'd only be wasting his breath. Lenora followed him down the stairs and continued to watch as he grabbed his coat and shrugged into it.

As Oliver went for the door, but immediately Lenora was in his way, clutching at his coat, her eyes pleading silently. Oliver didn't want to be rough with her. However she refused to move.

"Lenora, let go." Lenora only clutched tighter. Oliver grabbed her by the arms, physically forcing her away as he quickly exited the house, as Lenora slumped to the front stoop, sobbing uncontrollably. Oliver didn't turn. He was tired of dealing with Lenora. And soon he wash his hands of her for good.

***

"I want us to move up the wedding date," Oliver told Addie. Her dark eyes were shining. They looked enormous in her white, peaked face. Oliver felt a pang inside his chest and he pushed it away. He refused to think negatively in regards to his future bride.

"How soon?"

"Next month," Oliver said, taking one of her dainty hands, which was ice cold.

"Will everything be ready in time?" Oliver smiled, leaning over and gently kissing Addie. From the moment he'd laid his eyes on her, she'd been the one for him. Addie was everything that Lenora wasn't. She was sweet, kind and loving. She wouldn't have known how to manipulate anyone.

"Since we'll be having the ceremony at the house, it shouldn't be an issue. I'll speak with Grandmother about it. I doubt she'll object."

Addie laughed but ended having a nasty coughing fit. Oliver felt his stomach drop. He hated seeing his beloved in such pain. He would have done anything to relieve her of her physical ailment.

"Is that so?" Oliver lifted Addie's hand to his lips, brushing them over her dainty knuckles and she smiled that angelic smile, which made Oliver weak in the knees.

"You know how fond she is of you." Addie chuckled again. Luckily this time she didn't start coughing.

"Along with the rest of your...family." Oliver heard the sarcasm in Addie's tone. He wasn't surprised. Most of Oliver's cousins, including Lenora were jealous of his relationship with Addie.

"You don't need to say it, Oliver," Addie went on. "Especially about...Lenora. She despises me."

"For God's sake!" Oliver snapped. He rarely lost his temper. Unless Addie began harping about Lenora's silly infatuation with him. He wasn't interested in her that way.

"Must you constantly bring up that shit?" Addie gave Oliver a defiant look. Oliver released Addie's hand, standing and began pacing in front of where she was reclining on the settee.

"You know she'll never leave us in peace. She's not that sort. She's a nasty, vindictive bitch who's obsessed with you and she won't give you up so easily."

"I've made my decision," Oliver said flatly. "Lenora will just have to come to terms with that."

"She won't," Addie insisted. "She knows that I may not live so long. Hell, she'd probably just as soon speed up the process and find some way to kill me."

"Grandmother wouldn't allow that. She'll speak some sense to Lenora. She'll remind her how we Espers are strong. How we've endured much throughout history. She'll learn to cope."

"She won't." Addie was growing fatigued and she leaned against the side of the settee, closing her eyes as the waves of nausea rolled over her. Oliver immediately rushed to her side, carefully cradling Addie in his strong arms, lifting her and heading for her bedroom.

The maid that was attending to Addie, immediately came as Oliver gently placed his beloved on her bed, stepping away and allowing her maid to take over. He hated to dash but he needed to speak with his grandmother right away.

"Would you let her know I'll return later today?" The maid nodded, waving her hand in Oliver's direction as he quickly left the house. He stood in the frigid air, as the wind whipped his hair and coat. He slowly made his way over to his car and climbed inside.

He hated to admit that Addie was correct. Lenora would never release her infatuation with him. It made Oliver apprehensive just thinking about it. He had to find a way to draw Lenora's attention away from him. And he exactly what he had to do.

***

"I refuse to allow that ungrateful bitch to live in this house." Oliver was seated in the drawing room, taking tea with his grandmother. She was the type who believed strongly in traditions and held fast to them.

"Addie and I can live somewhere else," Oliver said. "The house isn't worth fighting over."

"I've already made the arrangements, Oliver. I've left Esper Hall to you specifically. Lenora will just have to cope."

"You know her better than I." Oliver lifted his mug of steaming hot tea, taking a sip. The hot liquid burned his tongue. It felt like an omen.

"Lenora has already informed me that she's made her own arrangements to move out in a couple of weeks. That way, it'll be ready properly for you and Addie to move in, as soon as you return from your honeymoon."

Oliver smiled. His grandmother was such a generous soul. She not only insisted on him and Addie having the wedding ceremony at Esper Hall, but she'd booked a wonderful honeymoon trip for them to Athens Greece for two whole weeks.

"Addie is looking forward to having a holiday where it'll be hot." Oliver's grandmother smiled. She'd known the young woman would enjoy that.

"I've always been terribly fond of Addie. Such a sweet soul! She's perfect for you, Oliver. Absolutely perfect."

"She's my everything." Oliver remembered all the times when Addie was a child, how often she was bedridden with one illness or another. It broke him every time he watched her suffer.

"I know, Oliver. Which is why I'm freely giving you Esper Hall."

"I still think it might soothe Lenora's troubled soul if you allowed her to take control of the house. She can't have me but the house would surely help."

His grandmother shook her head, looking determined and stubborn. Oliver sighed. He'd tried. He truly had. He knew that his grandmother wouldn't change her mind. If only she would! Then perhaps she wouldn't be so angry about losing Oliver.

"No, Oliver. My decision is final. You're to inherit Esper Hall. Lenora will get over it eventually."

Oliver nodded as if in agreement. He knew better, though. Lenora wouldn't get over losing him or Esper Hall.

****

Lenora was angrily packing the last of her belongings. Shit! She slammed her things around, not caring if she broke any of it. She was too pissed off to care. Why should Oliver get not only his child bride but Esper Hall as well? It was positively infuriating!

Lenora went to the doorway of her room, poking her head out, listening as her grandmother told Oliver that she would be leaving Esper Hall. She shamelessly listened to the majority of the conversation, growing angrier by the second.

Lenora moved into the hallway. The drawing room was just at the bottom of the stairs and the doors were open so she could hear every single word that was spoken between her grandmother and Oliver. A block of ice was slowly forming in her stomach. She wanted to vomit.

"Lenora has made other arrangements. She'll be leaving Esper Hall in a couple of weeks."

Only because the old biddy had twisted her arm, threatening her to leave or she'd have her forcibly removed from the property by the law! How dramatic could her own grandmother be? All because she'd always favored Oliver above the rest as though he were some damn saint!!

Lenora angrily struck the palm of her hand against the wooden banister and immediately regretted her actions as it stung dreadfully. She twirled around, marching back into her room. She didn't resume her packing, however. She was too upset to continue.

Instead Lenora found herself making her way into her grandmother's bedroom. She stood in the middle of the room, examining everything. Her grandmother wasn't just traditional in her manners. She kept on with that in the sense of keeping her room in perfect order. A place for everything and everything in it's place.

Lenora wandered over the tallest bureau and studied the contents of her grandmother's jewelry box. It was a beautiful jewelry box made from oak by Lenora's grandfather. He'd given the jewelry box to his wife on their wedding night.

Lenora ran a finger across the top of the lid before lifting out a string of pearls that had belonged to her great grandmother, her grandmother's mother. Her grandmother had received the pearls as a present on her sixteenth birthday. Lenora had often admired the pearls hoping that one day her grandmother might present her with them.

Lenora had dropped numerous hints to her grandmother with no luck. Either the old biddy wasn't capable of understanding or she'd simply ignored Lenora's hints. Lenora had a strong suspension that her grandmother was deliberately misunderstanding what she meant.

Lenora held the precious pearls in her hand. She quickly lifted them, dropping them into her pocket. If the old biddy wasn't going to willing part with the pearls, Lenora would just have to take them herself. Her grandmother wouldn't even miss them. She was too wrapped up in the wedding plans of her beloved Oliver.

****

"Lenora, have you seen my string of pearls?" Lenora was in the kitchen making herself some lunch. Oliver had just left only a few moments ago. He hadn't even looked at Lenora and it had wounded her even further.

"No." Lenora kept her back to her grandmother. She feared if she looked the old biddy in the eyes she'd strike her across the face until she wasn't moving.

"You lying little whore!" Her grandmother snapped, grabbing one of Lenora's arms. Lenora whirled to face the old woman, giving her a mighty shove, causing her to lose her footing and land ungracefully on the kitchen floor.

"How dare you?" Lenora cried, the rage inside her growing like a burning fire. "You try and put on this facade that you're such a damn saint! Well! I know better! You wield that money of yours like it's a damn sword, using it either for good or evil against those you favor or those you don't! But guess what? I've had enough and when the time comes, I'll make you pay!"

Lenora's grandmother managed to get to her feet, huffing and puffing the entire time, her wrinkled face bright red by the time she was up. Lenora simply stared at her.

"I want you out of my house come morning!" Her grandmother turned away, heading for upstairs, her breathing still somewhat labored. Lenora glanced over a butcher knife lying on the countertop and had to fight against her rage to snatch it up and rush after the old biddy, falling on her and stabbing her to death.

She shook off the nasty feelings as she suddenly raced out of the kitchen, pushing past her grandmother and nearly knocking her down the stairs and into her bedroom. Lenora started collecting her bags. If the old bitch wanted her gone, she'd not stay another second in this house with her.

"I've no need of your damn false charity, you old bitch! I'll take my leave now. And you'll never have to look at me again!" Lenora thumped angrily down the stairs and within a few minutes, she was gone.

As Lenora opened her car door and began tossing the bags into the back seat, she saw her grandmother standing at the entrance of the house, a triumph look firmly on her face.

Lenora quickly climbed into the car and turned on the ignition, watching her grandmother's reflection in the side mirror.

"Just you wait you old bitch," Lenora breathed under her breath. "You'll be sorry you ousted me from Esper Hall! So very sorry!"

Chapter 4

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