What Neither of Them Wanted

Prologue

In the middle of the British country-side, there was a large manor home, built in the mid 1700s. Here lived the Tomas family. They had lived nearly seven generations in this home, and it was a source of pride for Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Tomas.

The house had seven bathrooms, two ballrooms, four dining rooms, three lounges, and ten bedrooms. There was an ancient wine cellar, and an indoor swimming pool. There were too many windows to count, but on the whole, the view out of any of them was spectacular. The house was surrounded by a densely wooded forest that was full of animals year round. Behind the house was a large stable, which now only held two horses, the horse of Mr. Tomas, and that of his daughter, Laura. Long ago, the barn would have been packed with livestock for hunting and provision. Now it was used to store the family members' cars.

There was nothing shabby about this house, as per the orders of Mrs. Delia Tomas. She kept her home in pecking order, spotless at all times and always prepared for the unlikely event of an unexpected guest.

Mrs. Delia Tomas was a petite, middle-aged woman, who did not accept noise, dust or failure into her life. She met Mr. Tomas when she was sixteen, and the year after they met they were married. As said by her former friends, "She reeled him in like a fish." Delia was like a dog on a bone when she wanted something, and what she wanted, she got.

Mr. Joshua Tomas was an aging man, in his mid-fifties. He ran an extremely successful business, but no one seemed to know what it was, not even his family, although it seemed to have something to do with the bank. Joshua was a no-nonsense type of man. He would not accept no for an answer, at work or at home and God forbid someone should call him 'Josh'. He was stubborn, and if anyone got between him and his goals, he would run them over with whichever shiny, expensive car he happened to be driving at the time. This was not always a good quality in a man, and certainly not in a father.

At the age of twenty, Laura Tomas was the only child of Delia and Joshua. She was a gentlewoman through and through, with aristocratic qualities inbred within her by her mother. Laura was petite and fair, like her mother, but she inherited her father's dark hair and eyes. Laura was shy, and that, combined with her intimidating pedigree, meant that she had very few friends. At the age of seven, Laura had been shipped off to the most elite boarding school in Europe. She privately always wondered whether she had been an accidental child, or if she was only created because her parents needed an heir.

It is a sad thing for a child to be that unloved. Laura never felt as though she had someone to confide in. She had never had a relationship with anyone, boy or girl. She had few friends her parents approved of, and those they did like were deathly boring. Laura's main problem was that she was too shy to make proper friends, and too timid to stand up to her parents. So she lived her entire life alone, until her parents made a decision that would change everything…

On the other side of the county from where the Tomas's lived, lived the West family. The West family and the Tomas family moved in separate circles. While the Tomas's were strictly upper-class, and flaunted it every chance they got, the West's lived comfortably as middle-class citizens. They had a nice house, grand enough to accommodate their large family, but nothing too extravagant.

Mr. Brad West was a part owner of one of the biggest shops in the town in which his family lived. His store sold any manner of fancy clothing, whether it be prom dresses, wedding dresses, or cocktail gowns. His business had become so popular over the past few years that he and the other owner, Harry, had opened a separate shop to accommodate the men's clothing. Brad had wild red hair, and kind brown eyes that twinkled when he was happy, which was most of the time.

His wife, Jessica, was the love of his life. While the Tomas family showed no affection for each other, Brad took every chance he got. The West children thought it excessive and gross but the citizens of the town thought it was cute, and it made his business even more popular. Jessica was a short, plump woman with wild brown hair and bright green eyes. One look from her could send a child scurrying to his or her bedroom, but could also engage a perfect stranger in seconds.

The West family had five children. William, the oldest, was thirty-two years old. Tall and handsome, Will had inherited his father's eyes and his mother's hair. His charm and good looks had landed him a perfect wife at the age of only twenty-two, and the pair had two children, Sara and Luke, and at the time of this story are expecting another.

Lia was the third child. At twenty-five, she was helping her parents run the family business while living with her fiancé, Cameron. Unlike most of her family, she had inherited her father's red hair, and her mother's piercing green eyes. In fact, she was similar to her mother in nearly every way. Lia didn't take anything from anyone and could sniff out a lie from a mile away. Her looks were the talk of the town, and until Cameron came into the picture, everyone thought she could land herself one of the royal princes.

Daniel was the youngest boy in the family. At nineteen, he was a miniature of his father. He was an extremely good-looking boy and his tendency to 'hook up' was a source of gossip in town. Daniel had tried university but he hadn't enjoyed it, and decided instead to help his father run the stores.

The baby of the family was Rosie. At fifteen, she was the youngest and most of the town supposed (wrongly) that she had been the 'accident'. Rosie was in that awkward phase most adolescents go through and hid herself within baggy clothes. Regardless of her insecurities, Rosie had a wonderful boyfriend named Chris who treated her like a princess and never failed to tell her how beautiful she was.

Our story is about the second child, Charlie. Charlie was shy and withdrawn. He had never had many friends and his kind eyes were rarely noticed as they were directed downward the majority of the time. Charlie had his father's hair and eyes and was starting to go prematurely bald at the crown, like his father and brother before him. Charlie preferred his own company to that of others, and when he wasn't busy he could frequently be found in his room, sitting in an old armchair while reading a book or staring out the window.

Even though Charlie and Laura had never met, their lives would soon be intertwined more than anyone could have predicted. Their shyness brought them together, although no one could say it was by choice…