Chapter 100 Why Didn’t the Old Man Come Along?
At the exact same moment, on the foot of another mountain in Provence was Alexander, a piece of paper in hand. He checked the address and made sure it was right before he pressed the doorbell of the manor. A maid opened the door and automatically spoke in French when she saw an unfamiliar face. “Who are you looking for, sir?”
Alexander responded with equally fluent French. “Is this where Mr. Burton lives?”
The maid’s eyes lit up when she heard his question. “You must be our beloved guest, Mr. Griffith!” The maid spoke in English this time. She led him in after he gave her a polite nod.
“Please get into the carriage, Mr. Griffith,” one of the maids uttered politely. Alexander eyed her puzzledly. “Where exactly are we going?”
“Mr. Burton ordered us to bring you over once you arrive. You’ll know where we’re headed once you’re there,” the maid explained. Alexander got into the carriage, and the coachman steered the horses onto a tiny pathway. This gave Alexander the opportunity to enjoy the view outside the manor. It was a huge piece of land—he couldn’t see the other end of the road even if he tried to. There were grape trellises along the way, and they were covered in green and purple grapes. There were sunflower fields that had their yellow faces pointed toward the sun. What caught Alexander’s eyes the most was the purple lavender fields that looked as gorgeous as a painting…
“We’re here, Mr. Griffith.” The coachman halted the carriage in front of a castle. Alexander felt a surge of curiosity when he saw the castle before his eyes. Who exactly is Mr. Burton? Why haven’t I heard Grandpa talk about him in the past? Alexander got out of the carriage with his eyebrows raised.
…
Elise was wheeling her bicycle with one hand while she held onto a kite with another. She was strolling in front of the castle while her precious dog, Prince, tottered along behind her. “I’ll bring Prince out to play with the kites, Helen. I’ll be back in a while.”
The moment Elise finished speaking, Helen’s voice came from inside the castle. “Remember not to run too fast, Miss Sinclair! Don’t come back too late!”
Elise hopped onto her bike and held onto her kite with one hand as she cycled onto a small pathway. Alexander narrowed his eyes when he saw Elise’s figure from behind. That girl seems rather familiar. He was about to say something when Elise turned to look directly at him.
Alexander let out a rather exasperated sigh. I’m overthinking this! How could it be possible for Elise to show up here? They just look alike, that’s all. Elise, on the other hand, was utterly shocked when she saw Alexander. Her brain froze as she lost control of her limbs. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as she watched herself losing control of her bike. “Get out! Get out of the way!” she cried as her bike charged downhill.
While she was screaming, Alexander turned around to see the bike speeding directly toward him. At the very last second, Alexander leaped forward and caught Elise in his arms. Both of them rolled on the ground a few times before they stopped.
Alexander felt an odd sense of familiarity as he held onto Elise. He was about to say something when Elise shoved him aside and took a few steps back. “I-I’m sorry! It was an accident!” She intentionally looked sideways to hide her face as she scrambled to her feet. “I’m sorry for hitting you! I’m sorry!” After apologizing for the hundredth time, Elise hurried off to collect her bike before Alexander could respond to her.
He stared at the girl in front of him. All of this feels too familiar. If it weren’t for her face… It’s almost as if Elise had possessed this girl’s body. “It’s fine!” He managed to squeeze the words out of his lips.
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