Through It All

TWO

 "Please, come in."

Adam steps inside carefully, and watches his father deep in thought as he looks out the window. When he turns, he sees a smile he is so accustomed to see. Adam Lancaster is a tall, handsome man with an athletic body. His eyes are blue and deep, his mother says that his eyes are full of yearning for knowledge. And maybe, that was true. Adam is a very astute man, he enjoys reading every subject possible, his yearning for knowledge new no boundaries. He spends time with his friends at the plaza reading the adventures of Don Quixote. Girls that had the fortune to listen to his deep voice narrating the story, fall in love in that instant, for his elegant voice and fluent vocabulary, makes it almost impossible not to.

Adam is a man of knowledge but when it comes to his social life, he is the king. Ever since he graduated from the university and decided to come back home to help with his father's business, his popularity grew almost overnight. He not only has a wide circle of friends but he also has a wide circle of admirers. Like any man around the globe, he enjoys the attention. He talks to them sweetly and woos them so their love for him won't subside. But his father, Adam Lancaster Senior, wants his son to stop his childish ways and settle down with a wife. He has seen his son talking and smiling coquettishly to young girls, and he is not proud of what he sees.

For Mr. Lancaster sees his old self. He too was clever and he was also a popular young man. And if life taught him anything, was that popularity didn't mean a thing. Being popular never made him happy. If it wasn't for his wife, he would have so many friends but he would also be so lonely.

Mr. Lancaster stands on his feet and gives his son a great embrace. Adam's confused. His father never acted in such a way unless it was his birthday or he had been recognized for one thing or another.

"Tomorrow," he lastly says as he pulls away.

"What about tomorrow?"

His father chuckles as if he has heard something humorous. "Tomorrow you will meet your intended."

That is what Adam suspected. "Now that you've mentioned it, I want to talk to you about my independence."

His father laughs louder and sits back behind his desk. "Sure, let's talk about your independence."

"Well, now that I've come to the age of twenty two, I deserve more liberties, don't you agree?"

His father nods. "Indeed I do. That is why you dress on your own and walk down the streets without the maid holding your hand."

Adam runs his fingers through his hair. "We can add choosing a wife on that list."

"We cannot. You are still too young," he replies.

"I am not a toddler, I am twenty two," Adam reminds him.

"Exactly my point. We don't know what we want at that age."

"I am sure I know what I want in the woman that I will spend the rest of my life with."

His father raises his eyebrows. "Do you, now? Well, who would you consider to be your wife?"

That gets him by surprise. He hasn't really thought about it. All he is trying to do is to postpone the engagement, now he has to think of a girl. "Well, Lacy, Lacy Robling. She is good looking, smart and..."

"Seductive? You see, you thought of the most attractive girl in town," his father interrupts.

"Is that wrong?" Adam replies.

"Yes. There are values to consider, interests, morals, traditions, not just beauty itself."

Adam raises his hands in defeat. "All I am saying is that, I must at least have a say in my own engagement."

"You will." His father smiles. "We shall meet her tomorrow."

"May I at least know her name?" Adam insists.

"Sure you may, Sophia Marie Willis."

Satisfied with the name, he excuses himself and decides to go to the library. He repeats the name inside his head. Does he know her? The name sounds familiar. He doesn't know her but he knows her sister, Lucia Willis. In Fact, he knows Lucia very well. There was something about her that at one point, he found irresistible. She was very appealing, blonde hair and a voluptuous body. He smiles at himself, last time he saw Lucia was at Mona's House. She was the most popular dancer in the place and a very passionate one too. She was loud and she laughed with everyone. He remembers plenty of Lucia, but Sophia... has he seen Lucia's sister before? He has, but he didn't pay much attention to her.

What's the use, he has no idea who she is, and now he is expected to marry her? What a strange thing. He tries again to remember something, anything about her. She had dark long hair, she was younger than Lucia, and she was quiet. That is all he recalls from the time the Mayor had the Christmas Ball. Since he was mostly with his friends, he only caught a glimpse of her. He did noticed how extremely introverted she was. She stayed at her mother's side while Lucia was on the dance floor dancing with five different men. Sophia barely talked and the only time she danced was when Daniel asked her. For some reason, Daniel was fascinated by her at the time; Adam didn't see why a man like Daniel would be so hypnotized by a girl like Sophia.

Whatever it was, Adam was going to find out tomorrow.