"Welcome to Malakoff My Lady, I hope you find it comfortable," Edward said. His face was hidden by the half mask which glowed a ghoulish white against the huge iron torches.

I marvelled at the dark house, black lacquered decking was intertwined with a clambering white rose which crawled up the whole expanse of the giant house. Under the cold light of the moon, the cracked white limestone seemed to shimmer.

Apart from the hiss of the flames and the chatter of the footman and the driver the air was still and clean and cold.

I swallowed hard, taking in the decadent building but I could feel his eyes on the back of my head. I stayed quiet instead of saying anything and briefly nodded and gave him a thin smile. He held out his arm again but I brushed it away, even the mere thought of leather gloves against the cotton fabric of my sleeve made me want to bolt.

He didn't try to make conversation and thankfully did not offer me his arm again.

"Lord Sharpe, how excellent it is to see you again" came a warm female voice. My head snapped to a woman standing in the now open grand doorway of Malakoff House.

"Good Evening, Miss Fatima, it is a pleasure to see you again" responded Lord Sharpe, his voice remained managed but I swear I saw a small glint of warmth in his face. As the woman came out to greet us the torches made her dark brown skin shine like freshly polished copper.

"And you must be the new Lady Sharpe, it is a pleasure to finally meet the new mistress of Malakoff House," Miss Fatima said her dark brown eyes glowing with warmth. "My name is Miss Fatima and I am the House Keeper here", offering me an outstretched hand.

I took it hastily, feeling the roughness of manual labour of her fingers calmed my rapid heart. I followed after her, half listening to her and half trying to ignore the burning gaze of Edward's eyes.

I felt like I had been punched in the lungs when I entered the house. The high ceilings were decorated with thick dark wooden panelling, engraved with beautiful animals and stories. I let go of the housekeeper's arm to marvel at the intricate beauty of a large dove that had been pierced through the heart by an arrow.

"Beautiful is it not" came the housekeeper's voice beside me.

I blushed and started to feel my fingers becoming sweaty under the fabric of my white cotton gloves. "It is very beautiful," I said.

"His Lordship has quite an eye for design and prefers to be left to himself. He often dislikes company and I was very surprised when he said he would be taking a wife," she said. She gently took my arm and I allowed myself to be led down the high-ceilinged passage.

I tried to ignore the burning feeling in my gut when she said that she was surprised about Lord Sharpe taking a wife. I bit my tongue, if he was not concerned about taking a wife then why take one at all? He wasn't old I could see that from the way he walked and from the open side of his mask. However, I was still unsure as to what he looked like because he always glowered in the dark as the light would burn him.

I was led to a small sitting room the room warmed by a large crackling fire in an iron grate. "Thank you for your generosity, Miss Fatima," said, relaxing on one of the dark green velvet arch chairs. My bones sagged and I let out a low moan as I clicked my neck, after sitting down somewhere comfortable I hadn't realised how exhausted I was.

"Someone had a rough journey," the housekeeper said a soft smile on her face but even through my tiredness I could see the worry in her eyes.

"You said you were surprised by the fact that Lord Sharpe had taken a wife so quickly. Could you please tell me why?" I said concern lacing my voice.

"Well," she said, pouring me a cup of tea which I gratefully accepted. "His Lordship is a rather closed-off man and he spends most of his time in his workshop. I was very surprised when he sent me a letter detailing that he had married."

I nodded slowly, taking a long sip from my tea. The warm liquid felt heavenly as it dripped down my throat and into my stomach.

"I wanted to ask," I said suddenly, causing the housekeeper to turn quickly from where she stood at a low silver tea tray. "Has His Lordship ever shone himself to have callous tendencies". My words hung dead in the air and I heard the Housekeeper let out a heavy sigh.

"My Lady," she said but I stopped her quickly.

"Please, I said, call me Diana. I haven't gotten used to the new title" I said, resting the teacup on my knee as the Housekeeper lowered herself into an old rocking chair opposite me. Her grey hair which had been pulled into a plait and wound around her head in a crown glinted in the firelight like spun silver.

"Diana," she said heavily and my eyes lifted from the glowing embers of the dancing flames. "I understand that you are frightened. You are a young woman in a place which is not your home. I will not pretend that I understand His Lordship's mind no matter how long I have served as Housekeeper here."

I began to pick at my fingers, rough skin against worn nails through cool cloth as I listened to her words.

"However," she said, her words long and drawn out, "he is not cruel nor is he callous. I will not try to hide the fact that he is not a normal man or an easy man."

Before I could bombard her with any more questions, a dark scratching sound reverberated through the room. I whipped around, out of my seat as a howl reverberated from the other side of the door.

"Ya Allah, that bloody dog" snorted the House Keeper, rolling her wisened eyes pushing herself out of her rocking chair and stalking over to the door. As she opened the door and large black dog with amber eyes trotted into the room.

I relaxed as I realised that the howling had been from a pet and not a wild beast. "This is Pilot, the closest thing that His Lordship has to a friend." The Housekeeper explained, annoyance clear her tone but she patted the large dog's head affectionately anyway. " I apologise that he was so rude, he doesn't like it when he dosen't recognise someone sent into his house," she said emphasizing his

As she said that, Pilot turned his flaming eyes on me. He trotted over to me and gave my hand a quick sniff before deciding to give my gloves a big lick. A small smile, an actual real smile split my stiff demeanour as I scratched his soft pointed ears.

"That's quite odd," the Housekeeper said. I looked up from the adoring face of Pilot who pawed at my skirt in protest of my absence of giving him constant affection.

"Why is that," I said, curiously.

"Pilot doesn't take to strangers, he normally takes off after he is done," she said and I shrugged my shoulders.

I had loved dogs as a child, I remember playing with my Father's hunting dogs when I was little. That all changed when I went to the Cavendish Household, little blighters used to bite and tug at my dress or snap at the children. Though Pilot came up to the height of the chair I was sitting on, he was as docile as I lap dog. His tale let out hard thudding sounds against the wooden floor panels as I gently scratched his ears.

"My Lord, how are you this evening" said Miss Fatima, resting her hands in the lap of her dark orange gown.

I froze at her words, I hadn't realised that he had come into the room. Pilot wandered from my hand and patted around my chair and out of my eye-line to where his brooding Master stood.

"I am well, Miss Fatima," he said stiffly, "I would like to speak with Lady Sharpe, alone". I did not move from my place on the dark green velvet chair and continued to sip at my dwindling mug.

"Yes, Sir," said the Housekeeper standing briskly from her rocking chair. "Would you like me to collect another chair for you?" she asked.

"No, Miss Fatima. That will be all" he replied and the kind old Housekeeper, my only consult left.

"I hope that Miss Fatima did an ample job of showing you the house," he said briskly, pulling a wooden stool in front of the fire.

"She wanted to leave it too tomorrow" I responded, matching his cool tone. I refused to make eye contact, instead, I gazed into the warm dying embers of the fire to avoid his piercing gaze.

"Have I done something to offend you?" he asked his voice as sharp as cut glass and my blood boiled.

"Believe me, My Lord, you have done nothing to offend me," I said in a taught voice, still refusing to meet his gaze. I could feel his steely gaze and he stood from his low stool, his dark form towering over me.

"Tell me." he barked and my patience snapped.

"I find it quite impertinent that you demand to know what I am thinking and feeling when you will not even show me your face." I snapped, standing from my seat, mere inches from his neat ironed shirt.

In the bright glow of the firelight, I could see the silken strands of his thick dark hair which curled around his ears. I could feel his warm hard breaths on my cheeks as my eyes bore into his. His eyes flickered across my face trying to break eye contact but I would not let him. His sharp cheekbones cast deep shadows making me almost step back in fear but I did not. I would not let him see that he frightened me any more than he already knew.

"I will leave you. Goodnight My Lady" he said sweeping out of the door, his long black cloak acting like a magician's curtain and in a moment he and Pilot were gone.