Chapter 13

"Yes, you" he motioned in impatient gesture to her like she was some servant. "Go fetch us some champagne."

Stunned, she didn't know how to react. She recognized some men were standing around him, probably the ones he referred as 'us'. The men were staring at her now.

The duke arched his brow in annoyance.

"Now" he said impatiently.

"Do you understand what I'm saying? You'd better be quick. I don't like waiting."

Bewildered, Ava stared at him blankly. The duke had mistaken her as a maid. And such an arrogant brute, how badly the way he treated a maid.

Seemed irritated by her unresponsiveness, he glared at her.

"Have you gone daft? Or are you totally incapable of doing such a simple task? I'm afraid I'll have to dismiss you."

"I beg your pardon" she heard her own voice rang in her ear.

"I'm afraid you had been quite mistaken, Your Grace. I'm not a maid." She looked back into his eyes.

The little scene started to draw attention of some other guests. Soon they went silent, anticipating what was about to happen.

Their gazes locked. A slight sparks gleaming in his eyes.

"Good Lord" he said as if he was surprised, but she suspected a mockery in his tone.

"I should offer you my apologies, Miss... what should I call you?"

Ava sucked in her breath. She didn't want anybody here to know her name, her identity. She was running away from Roger, from a binding contract that couldn't be broken even by the king. Nobody may know she was here. Blood drained from her face as panic attacked. If her father or her betrothed ever found her, it would be the death of her.

"It is absolutely not neccessary, Your Grace." She made a quick curtsy. "Now excuse me, I should be leaving." Not bothering to wait for his response, she turned back and hurried away.

Her heart racing in panic as she paced fast into the garden. Avoiding the people, she moved to a dark, quiet corner hidden from the crowd. She leaned to a large glass window and rested her head on its surface, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. Going to this party was a bad idea. She remained still with racing thoughts and unsteady breaths for some time.

A full moon rose, sending ghostly shadows to dance through the branches. The night was so quiet, there was nothing but the sound of wind in the trees and rustling of leaves. As her heartbeat got back to normal, she opened her eyes and drew back from the glass surface. An image flickered before her, reflected in the window. A ghost! Scared and shocked, she jolted and screamed, turning to run away. She slammed something tall and solid, and a blinding spark tumbled over her vision. She nearly fell down to her feet.

But she didn't hit the ground. Something held her still. The first things filled her senses were a warm body heat and a subtle blend of a man's natural scent with a slight touch of expensive cologne. As her vision slowly returned, she was looking up to a face she could hardly cast off her mind the whole evening.

The duke was standing with her, his hands gripping her elbows, keeping her from falling. The moonbeams gleamed on his hair, turning it to white. Even in the dark, the blue of his eyes were shining brilliantly as if they held their own inner light. Suddenly he released his grip with a jerk, forcing her to step back.

"I know who you are." Unlike before, his voice was calm and smooth now, yet she felt the hair on her nape rose.

"Ava Sofia Marlowe, your parents are the Duke of Livingston and Desiree Marlowe. You are betrothed to Roger Irving."

The last name he mentioned unnerved her, he noticed how her eyes widened and her body tensed instantly, though it last for only a second. He was very good at observing, reading the smallest, slightest sign of reaction, of changing emotion. That was what made him invincible. He knew how to use others' weaknesses for his leverage.

"You know me?" Then why he pretended to mistaken her as a maid? She dared not questioning him about it. Although his voice was soft, there was something about it that alarmed her that she was at his mercy.

"I didn't remember inviting you to my party." He said nonchalantly as if he had no particular point, but Ava sensed its implicit purpose.

"I ... I am accompanying a friend..."

"A betrothed woman accompanying a man who is not her fiancé, how inconsiderate..." A tinge of mockery colored his tone.

"If you think I would tolerate such an impropriety in my house, then you've been wrong, Miss Marlowe."

His voice went cold and tart now.

"I'm afraid you have to leave."

This man knew her secret, and she was under his territory at this very moment. To say one word against him would be unwise. The best thing she could do now was leaving rightaway without vexing him further. Her heart ached with hurt and fury but she wouldn't run away with teary eyes to his delight.

She took a deep breath, held her head high and kept her pace steady as she sidestepped him, refused to give him a nod or curtsy.

***

"Good heavens!"

A beautiful, middle-aged lady exclaimed in a low voice as Ashton made his way close by. She snapped her fan open elegantly and glanced around discreetly to make sure nobody heard her.

"Have you seen the country girl Magnus brought here just now? I almost had a heart attack, we can't let him parade her all night long in front of the entire guests!"

Her tone was colored with a little hint of disapproval, yet she maintained her voice low and flat.

"Your uncle will totally blow a fuse at such embarrassment."

"No need to worry, Aunt Cecily" He reached a glass of champagne on the nearby table and settled there, staring idly over the crowd.

"That matter has been taken care of."

"Thank God. We can always count on you, Ashton." Lady Cecily made a soft sigh of relief, then she frowned as if she was thinking about something.

"Anyway, one can hardly believe she is a peasant... such a beauty, her whole look is way too refined for a humble village girl.

Perhaps she is an unfortunate noblewoman falling into poverty..."

Lady Cecily waved her hand indifferently.

"Never mind, I'm glad she has already gone..."

'For now.' He replied in silence. It was certainly not the first time his cousin had a fling with some inappropriate woman, but this time he got a feeling the matter with the so-called peasant girl would last longer than they expected.

*****

Closing her eyes as she pressed her face to the cool and smooth pillow sheet, Ava clutched to the blanket wrapped around her tighter.

Some noises came from outside and the door swung open.

"Ah, you're already here! Why did you leave us at the party? We've been looking for you everywhere for hours!" She heard Polly speaking from the doorway.

"Everything's fine! She's here!" Polly shouted to some people outside without waiting for her response. Seemed like Magnus and Lady Byrne was there.

"Ava, what you've been thinking, leaving us just like that, you made me terribly worried. Magnus is coming with me, do you want to see him?"

"Tell him I'm feeling ill" Feeling irritated because he left her alone unguarded at the party, she refused to see him tonight.

Polly frowned at her response, but obeyed her anyway. Before long, Magnus and Lady Byrne had left her home. He told Polly he would come again tomorrow morning. Polly didn't bother questioning her again about her unexpected leaving afterward. Moments later, as she pulled her blanket beside her, Polly spoke to her.

"The old lady is totally crazy." She grumbled in utter disbelief.

"I was bored to death listening to her boasting about the fountain. She told me a silly story about a lady making a wish before the fountain with her fiancé waiting behind her. When she turned around and opened her eyes, unfortunately her fiancé was bending down to pick up a fallen handkerchief, and the lady saw the gardener instead. Later, the lady left her fiancé and eloped with the gardener." Polly chuckled. "That's a lot of damn nonsense!"

Previously, all the old tales and the magic things got her quite enthralled. She half believed that the local superstition was true, and she was eager to try it. But now, after the evening turned into a nightmare, and a bitter reality was thrown right under her nose just after she performed the ritual, she didn't believe it anymore. She didn't believe it at all. Besides, if the legend was true, the insolent duke would be the one to marry her, for he was the first man she saw after casting the spell. What a jest! 'Well, perhaps it could be' Ava thought wryly. 'When the hell freezes over.'

*****