Chapter 8 Two Worlds Apart

An agaped housekeeper stared at the human figure before her. Well, it was a man quite alright, a burly well built one at that. He seems to have acquired the highly sought after body of 'one who lives at the gym.' Apart from his nice stature, everything else was a total no, no. Nada, not coming anywhere close to Lady Lucinda's ridiculous standards.

His well defined masculine body which seemed to be his only saving grace can't even make up for the fact that HE wasn't at all the guy they had all envisioned Katniss' fiance to be.

I mean, he was far beyond expections. Where was that glow and glimmer? The razzle and the dazzle? The riches, the golds and diamonds? The flashy entourage and the fleet of ridiculously expensive rides? Where was the flare? The rich guy pizzazz? Where was all of that?

Clearly the man in front of Housekeeper Mary possesed none of those, not even a little bit. The only thing that seemed impressive on him was his chiseled and we'll sculptured body and the suit he wore, it was fairly nice.

For someone like Noah Weston who is always aquainted with a free and laid back appearance and had a closet which comprised mainly of T-shirts, plaid shirts, jackets, joggers, shorts and jeans, he sure was presented in a new light tonight as he was clad in a Navy Jacquard Coloured Peak Lapel suit apparel.

Well off course, the suit wasn't his, it was for his friend. Noah had rented the apparel from his friend prior to this introductory dinner and this friend of his had sworn to the moon and back that he had only worn the suit once but by taking one glance at the suit, you'd know the truth.

Noah stood confidently at the door. His lips had curved into a small smile that highlighted his bright, brown eyes giving a soft and charming look to his bearded face.

The housekeeper's mind was spinning. Apart from the fact that everyone's expections of Katniss' fiance would be made folly on seeing him, she feared for the young man. Surely, Lady Lucinda would give him the embrassment of his life as he was not her pick in the draft for an ideal soulmate for her daughter.

Lady Lucinda is very particular about who Katniss associates with as she even goes ahead to pick who Katniss befriends and strongly disapprove and embrass those who fall bellow standard coming around Katniss. She forbade her daughter from socializing with the common social class. Yes it was as serious as that.

If Lady Lucinda could do that to mere friends, what extent can she go to a man, a prospective husband to Katniss who won't be able to tickle Lady Lucinda's fancy.

The housekeeper could only but imagine Lady Lucinda's reaction on seeing this man and how badly this night may go for Katniss. Well, she was only just a maid and it was not in her place to judge. She might as well do her simple job of welcoming the visitor in and anticipate the drama that'll follow.

"Come in." The housekeeper said and opened the door wide enough to accommodate Noah. He nodded and waved at the maid then stepped into the interior of the mighty Costello edifice.

Noah was escorted by Mary into the lounge where the Costello family was waiting for him. Noah on entering the lounge was stunned by it's ornamented design. It had pop culture and retro designs excellently and expensively infused into it's overall look. It was richly furnished in English Oak and Valence settees. The theme of the room was dark which was as a result of the rouge coloured lights and Grigio Alpi Honed Grey Marbled tiles. Noah was indeed mesmerized. He has chosen well; a beautiful, well mannered princess of a wealthy home.

"Noah!" Katniss squealed immediately she sighted her lover and she ran and embraced him in a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around her reciprocating the hug. Soon after, they broke out of the hug and proceeded to lock lips in a kiss.

The housekeeper stared at the kissing couple with arched brows and a slightly bewildered demeanour. All in all, she was happy for the duo and hoped this night goes well and would turn out to favour their love story.

With that thought concluded, a small smile found it's way to her face as she turned to leave the room excusing the couple.

"Who is this?" Lady Lucinda asked. Her stern accentuated tone sent pierces to the duo's skin and they immediately disengaged from the kiss. Their cheeks flustered red bashfully as they turned to see Katniss' parents and her brother's eyes glued to them and that was when it dawned on the couple that they had been kissing passionately in front of everyone.

Katniss' eyes met with her mother's face. Her demeanour wasn't friendly or welcoming at all. Her facial expression could be likened onto the one she usually puts on whenever she brings home a friend her mum didn't like. She had already caught a glimpse of her mother's dislike for Noah but it still didn't hurt to try. Maybe if she gets to know him better, she'd see that all about a man is not his money or social status but his character.

Katniss then proceeded to answer her mum's question with a smile as she took Noah's hand and clutched them slightly.

"Noah, meet my mum, dad and older brother Zayne." Katniss introduced.

"Good Evening everyone." Noah greeted cheerfully with a smile but no one answered. The couple shared a look at this and Noah's cheerful demeanour seemed to have fallen at this.

"I ask again Katniss. Who is this?" Lady Lucinda questioned even more sternly than the previous time. Katniss' heart faltered at this, it was glaring that her mother didn't like Noah.

"Uhm. Everyone this is Noah Weston, my fiance." Katniss stammered and Zayne raised a brow at that in puzzlement. Lady Lucinda let out a loud guffaw in response to Katniss' statement.

"What?" She further questioned with a sinister smile. Katniss began to get nervous, she was worried her mother would say something off that would hurt Noah's feelings.

"Uh. Now that our long awaited guest is here why don't we finally go eat dinner. Remember I'm really hungry." Zayne stepped in quickly rubbing his stomach before his mother could say anything else.

"Yes, yes precisely." Katniss hastily agreed.

"It's this way." She said to Noah and she quickly lead the way to the dinning room so her mother couldn't object and Zayne trailed behind her. Katniss then turned back to face Zayne and mouthed "Thank you" to him. Her brother winked with a smile and she grinned in return.

"I'm already getting an insight that this Noah isn't of a high caliber." Lady Lucinda said to her husband as the trio left the lounge pronouncing Noah's name with disgust.

"There's no way I'd let her marry any riff raff son of a nobody and she knows that. So this better be one of her expensive pranks." She added slowly clenching her fist and increasing her pace in breathing showing rise in anger.

"Lucinda." Chief Costello called his wife sweetly to pacify her.

"Regardless of his social status, we still have to eat dinner right?" He added.

"We'll be waiting for you." He concluded and walked out of the lounge.

Lady Lucinda fuming in sheer anger groaned loudly before haughtily trailing after her husband.

•••

The food had already been microwaved by the maids and served to everyone at the table. The dinning table was quiet, awfully quiet. No one uttered a word or did any other action apart from gently eating their food; a simple food-to-fork-to-mouth movement, no conversations and no laughter.

It was not like the regular spunky way dinner was observed in the Costello's mansion; Chief Costello most times in between meals, spoonfeeds his wife and she does the same to him while the children usually tease each other with their food but all that had voided tonight's dinner. It was different, even the aura around the room was tensed up, dinner was observed rather quietly as even the sound of the cutlery hitting the plate wasn't heard as nobody dared interrupt the silence for reasons unknown.

Katniss was worried. The dinner wasn't going as planned. She knew the tensed atmosphere was as a result of her mother's reaction on seeing Noah and she feared that her mother might have already disapproved of Noah even though she had not voiced it out yet. Katniss' gaze drifted to Zayne, his eyes met with hers. Her eyes conveyed a message. He nodded in response as he knew what he had to do.

Zayne gently cleared his throat and proceeded to ask "So tell us about yourself Noah."

Noah flashed a small smile at Zayne then for a split second, landed his gaze on Katniss' parents, her mother especially. Lady Lucinda dropped her utensils then picked up her glass of juice and took sips out of it as she gently reclined into her chair.

"Well, I'm a twenty seven year old freelance artist. I studied Arts & Crafts at Deville University. Currently, I paint, draw, colour and even dabble in the art of sculpting. Art is my passion and my hobby which I have turned into an occupation. I'm not a popular, well known artist yet but I hope to be become great like the likes of-"

"What is your name?" Lady Lucinda abruptly asked interrupting his introduction and everyone was puzzled at that. Her accentuated voice was scarily firm as she asked the question and the tone sent chills down the young man's spine.

Everyone wondered why Noah was asked that question as his name had already been stated by Katniss. So why the question?

"Noah ma'am, Noah Rogers." Noah stuttered and then looked at Katniss who responded by shrugging in obliviousness to her mum's question.

"If I can recollect correctly, I do not know of any Mr. Rogers. I haven't heard of him as a member of a wealthy association, neither is he a known politician of a rich business man of any sort." Lady Lucinda said smugly with a sly smile on her face.

Katniss' jaw dropped as she knew where her mum was going with this. A vivid demeanour of nervousness mixed with fear was present on her face. How could mum be so low?

"So who is your father?" Lady Lucinda asked and Noah in fear gulped down nothing before proceeding to answer.

"My father passed on when I was fifteen years old . He was an artist just like me. I fell in love with art admiring his creations and gazing at him work." Noah answered and with a smirk on her face, Lady Lucinda clicked her tongue repeatedly as to abash Noah.

"So he was a nobody?" Lady Lucinda chuckled.

"Mother!" Katniss called out to her mother vehemently as she rose up from her seat hitting her fists on the table.

"For a son of a nobody who is steadily on his way to imitate his father and become a bigger nobody, you sure do have enough nerve to frolick around with my daughter and even have the guts to come to her parents to propose marriage."

Noah was beyond embrassed, mortified even. The detailed expression of embrassment was vivid on his face. Not only was he insulted by Lady Lucinda, but she managed to bring his late father into this and insult him as well. It was as clear as crystal now, Lady Lucinda didn't even have an iota of likeness for him. It was over.

"And you think I'd let a poor, struggling artist like you get married to my jewel? Never, it'll be over my dead body!"

Chief Costello got up from his chair and excused the dinner. It's not that he was okay with the union of Noah and his daughter, no, he would never let Katniss get married to an unworthy man, nevertheless he had just has to exit the dinner. Lady Lucinda was already out of his control and staying there would demand him to say something to support her and it has been previously established that no one voices out their support to Lady Lucinda.

"Mum calm down." Zayne tried to pacify his mother.

"At least give them a chance. Everything is not about money you know. If Katniss loves him then that's the-"

"Keep quiet Zayne. You're not allowed to speak in this matter because it doesn't concern you in any way." Lady Lucinda rebuked her son and he swallowed the remains of his stament.

"Mum I'm not the little girl Katniss of before who would agree to have you choose my friends and who I relate with. I'm a grown woman who has the right to choose a suitor for herself notwithstanding anyone else's opinion." Katniss snaps at her mum fury

"What can he offer you? He's not of your level Katniss. He is a poor artist, a nobody in the society, unbefitting of the daughter of a prominent Chief. His life savings cannot even afford the basics of your needs so cut crap and call a spade a spade for the Lord's sake Katniss." Lady Lucinda fires back at her daughter.

"How can you say such cruel things mum?" She asked in a lowered voice as she was beginning to get overcommed in her emotions. Her stance in fury lowered on hearing her mum's statement.

"I want the best for you Katniss my love and that is why I go ahead to choose what's right for you because obviously you have an awful taste in humans." Lady Lucinda said and sneered as she stared down at the already disgraced Noah from head to toe.

"He's not right for you baby." She concluded with a smile looking away from Noah.

Noah who had been rendered embrassed and speechless since the quick turn of events knew that the more he stays here, the more this matter would linger. It dawned on him that his presence here will just make things escalate the more, he will not be the sword used to destroy the mother and daughter relationship. It's best he leaves.

"You both are two worlds apart! You are not meant for each other."

"Excuse me. I'd have to take my leave now. Thank you for having me." Noah cleared his throat and spoke. He pushed his chair backwards and got up to leave the dinning.

"Noah!" Katniss called out to him. He didn't respond, he didn't even flinch or turn back to look at her.

"Let him leave Katniss and ensure things stay this way, understood?" Lady Lucinda said with a chuckle then walked up to where her daughter stood.

"You should cut him off from you life." She whispered into Katniss ears and snickered then proceeded to leave the dinning. Katniss grunted and then went on to run after Noah but her mother halted the action by getting a grip of her arm.

"You will do no such thing."

"I will not be held down by anyone. Not even you mum. I'll go to any length to get what I know is right for me." Katniss stated fiercely and with that she forced her way out of her mother's grip and ran after Noah.