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Chapter 152
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2024-10-29 19:42:56The sound died out just as sudden, for several seconds Ava was uncertain if she really heard it. But it was quite real that she almost jumped out of her skin. Even now her heart was still pounding from shock. It sounded like a woman's voice. And Amanda, what was she doing up there? Obviously she was bringing a food tray to the attic, which meant that there was someone in there.
It could be Amanda's sick relative. But some instincts told her that there was something wrong going on. This massive house surely had more than enough decent rooms to accomodate guests and relatives. It was unreasonable to place a guest or a relative in a secluded place like the attic.
The thought was disrupted when Amanda appeared at the bottom of the stairs without the food tray. Amanda blew the candles and set the chandelier back to the sidetable, then walked away. Ava waited until Amanda disappeared down the stairs, then rushed to the railing and peered down. Aft
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Disgraceful Chapter 153
"You little whore..." Amanda hissed and suddenly the candelabra in her hand swung into her face. Shrieking, Ava dodged the attack and shoved Amanda, so hard that she slammed into the wall. The candelabra slipped out of her hand and dropped onto the floor with a loud clang. Whirling away, Ava streaked down the hallway to the servants' stairs. From a near distance, she heard hasty footsteps as the guards dashing upstairs.She must flee, or she would meet the same fate as Eleanor, confined in the dark, forsaken place. She shuddered to think what Amanda planned to do next. Perhaps she would settle her along with Eleanor to keep her secret. Ava recoiled at the possibility. Now she really wished she had brought her gun.Halfway down the stairs, Ava heard Amanda shout to the guards,"She's escaping through the back stairs! Go get her!"A wave of panic swept through her and she ran as fast as she could, nearly stumbled ov
Disgraceful Chapter 154
Amanda flashed her a smug, triumphant smile and Ava nearly tripped over the steps as Ashton pulled her roughly down the stairs all the way through the house. The servants immediately lowered their head when they passed by. Not giving up yet, Ava struggled to wrest free of his grip."She can't be far! We should search the entire house." Her stomach churned at the thought of what might happen to Eleanor after this, when they had left the house."You must believe me! Amanda is hiding a captive somewhere in this house!"*****"She was there just a moment ago, I swear it!" Ava stumbled after him as he dragged her out of the house and to the waiting coach at the backgate. When they stopped by the carriage, she opened her mouth to speak again, but immediately shut it when Ashton pinned her with a hard stare. The coachman opened the door for them, and she was thrusted into the carriage. Throughout the ride, he'd withdrawn to a qu
Disgraceful Chapter 155
Furtively Ashton kept an eye on Amanda the whole evening, but she stayed in her chamber until bedtime. When the clock struck ten, and the house was empty and quiet, silently he went to the attic.The door made an eerie voice as it creaked open to the darkened room. With the dim light from the candelabra, he scoured the whole room, inspecting every corner, every old, dust-covered stuff carefully. The lack of light made it difficult to see clearly, however there was nothing like a hint that anyone had been confined in this place. He stopped in the corner a little longer to examine the empty chair, but again found nothing.When he turned to leave, he spotted a dark patch on the floor, just a feet away from the door. Kneeling, he set the candelabra on the floor and rubbed his fingers across the surface and lifted his hand to better see it. It didn't take long to recognize what the stain was, and h
Disgraceful Chapter 156
The word "jail" seemed to strike instant terror into Amanda's heart, because her crimson face instantly drained of all colors. He stared down into her pallid face from hard, uncompromising eyes."Choose wisely, Amanda. If you give up now, I will let you go and you don't have to bear legal consequences for your offence. You will get nothing, but you will still have your freedom and possibilities. In jail, you will most likely lose it all."******The pale winter light peeked through the slit between the curtains in Ava's chamber as morning crept over the quiet mansion. In the middle of her bed, Ava rolled over to her side, biting her lips restlessly. She'd been staying wide awake all night, not so much as thinking about sleep, knowing that somewhere in Amanda's house, a woman was confined, perhaps terrorized and tormented as well, alone with no one to save her. Everytime she'd closed her eyes, Eleanor's terrified face flashed through h
Disgraceful Chapter 157
A shout from behind startled her. Gasping, Ava turned to see Ashton rushing in. Roughly he snatched the piece of paper from her hand and crumpled it before throwing it back into the fire."These are my personal stuffs. You shouldn't go through it."He hissed, turning blazing eyes on her."Why I shouldn't see your stuffs? I think we've vowed before God to share anything we have with each other.""Listen carefully. This house and everything in it is yours to do as you please, but I'd rather you leave my personal things alone.""I want nothing to do with this house. All I want is you committed to me.""You know I'm committed to you.""I've committed myself, to being totally honest with you at all times. Is it too much to ask the same from you? If you're truly committed to me, then you should be completely open and truthful with me. If you still keep secre
Disgraceful Chapter 158
After so much disturbance in the first days of their marriage, Ava could finally enjoy a few days of peace without disruption. Except for Lord Carlton and Lady Cecily, nobody dared to be hostile to her in her husband's presence, but just when she thought she would finally be able to breathe easy, a sudden news dashed her hopes. It happened one fine morning when she was taking a stroll down the garden with her husband."A ball?"Ava repeated the words in horror, staring unblinkingly at Ashton, who just announced that he'd ordered the household staff to arrange a ball in her honor. Not expecting such an unenthusiastic response, he stopped walking and looked down at her with a slightly perplexed frown."That's absolutely unnecessary."Ava shook her head, horrified by the idea of having to be displayed in front of the crowd of nobility."It's a family tradition.
Disgraceful Chapter 159
"Don't forget, you once said your uncle is like a father to you.""He is, and I will always respect and honor him, but that doesn't mean I will tolerate his unacceptable behavior, especially where my wife's well being is concerned."She shook her head, appalled by the idea."It may seem like the most possible solution now, because you are mad, but you'll regret it later.""The only thing I'll regret in life is if I fail to protect the closest person to me."Ava opened her mouth to reply but then subsided. She knew that at this point, whatever she said wouldn't stop him from doing whatever he deemed necessary. Once Ashton took a resolved standpoint, nobody could change his mind. He had always held fast to his point of view, and never wavered between two courses of actions. Now all she could do was to try to defer the decision."All right, but I ask you to consider this matt
Disgraceful Chapter 160
Stung at the unexpected jab, Ava was temporarily speechless. Just then, the woman's husband came wrapping her arms around his wife. Perfectly unaware of what just happened, the man nodded and led the woman away. The woman flashed her a scornful glance a moment before leaving. Ava froze, too dazed that she was unable to react until she felt Ashton's hand on the small of her back."I told you it's not as tough as it seems. Actually it's quite easy, isn't it?"She tried to think of a direct, clear way to tell him, but none came to mind. Another peer came to greet them and she stood beside him as still as a statue. Though she directed her gaze straight ahead without really looking at anyone in the crowd, she could feel the burn of curious eyes around her. Just as the growing tension became excruciating, she caught a familiar face amidst the crowd.It was Lady Byrne, gawking at her as if seeing a ghost. When their gazes met,
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Disgraceful Chapter 187
Carrying the old, unsent letter in his hand, Ashton took a determined step to Lord Carlton's bedchamber. The door was left slightly opened, as to make it easier for the servants to hear if the lord rang the bell. He stopped in front of the doorway and peered inside. Through the narrow opening, he could see his uncle across the room, sitting on the wheelchair by the window, gazing out into the wintry garden outside."Do come in."The lord called without glancing his way. Despite the head injury, his uncle hadn't lost his usual alertness, and the wheelchair didn't make him look less forbidding. He was very fortunate the injury didn't cause him any permanent damage, and though he hadn't quite regained his normal strength until this day, the doctor said that he would no longer need the device in a couple of weeks.Lord Carlton turned in his wheelchair to face him as he entered the room."What is it?"His uncle
Disgraceful Chapter 186
Present DayWhen Ava peered into his chamber this morning, she found that he'd been able to get out of bed without any help. He stood in front of the mirror with a brush covered with lather in hand, meeting her gaze within the reflection. He paused, watching her breeze into the room and walk toward him."Oh, you're up already. Do you feel any better today?"She asked casually."Very much so. I think I'm going to have some fresh air. I'm tired of being confined in this room."Stopping within a foot from him, she glanced at the shaving equipment on the dresser."Let me help you.""There's no need-""Sit over there."She ignored him, motioning him to sit on the sidetable. Obediently, he did her bidding, half-sitting on the edge of the sidetable. With a brush, she smoothed the lather evenly ove
Disgraceful Chapter 185
For a moment, she was quite bewildered by his request, but then she realized, by asking her to do so, he was trying to be completely truthful to her, to share his darkest secrets with her, no matter how sordid and shameful they were, to let her see the ugly side of him and to trust her without reserve.She settled back into the chair and took the letter from his hand. She opened the envelope and unfolded the letter, clearing her throat before she started reading,"Dear Carlton,I hope you will understand why I choose this way. I can no longer carry on in this fashion. It's not that I don't love you enough to go on. No words can express how much I love you. I die a little inside each time I see you. You can't imagine how difficult it is for me, but we both know that this is the best for us. I know you can't desert your family, and I don't blame you, for I can never do that to my son eith
Disgraceful Chapter 184
Several hours later..."This is unspeakable. I can't believe it."Magnus' voice carried clearly across the hall. He turned around abruptly, wild sparks shooting from his eyes as he gazed furiously at the woman sitting in an armchair on the other side of the room."For Christsakes, why would you do this, Mother. How could you?"Lady Cecily stared into the void without so much as a word. Her eyes devoid of emotions, her refined feature as hard as granite.Sitting in a wheelchair pushed by a servant, Lord Carlton entered the parlor. Behind him are two of the guardsmen. Shooting a bitter look at his wife, he uttered with a composed voice."You'll be up before the magistrate to face the legal consequences of your crime. I've sent words to the authorities. The Constable will pick you up at first light."The lady took the notice with a pr
Disgraceful Chapter 183
With soundless steps, Ava sneaked her way to Lord Carlton's bedchamber. The door was slightly opened, allowing a shaft of light from inside the room to spill out into the dark corridor. Stopping by the doorstep, she peeked into the room through the small opening. In the middle of the large bed, the lord lay as white and still as death. A candle burned in the nightstand, casting a dim glow in the gloom of the chamber.Drawing a long, fortifying breath, Ava slipped into the chamber. Crossing the room, she moved around the bed and sat in the chair nearby, gazing regretfully upon the lifeless face.To have a death on her conscience was too great a burden to bear. Perhaps she was a fool to think that to confess her sin and beg forgiveness from the insensible victim would give her a little comfort, but she just couldn't help it."I'm so sorry, My Lord." She began."I thou
Disgraceful Chapter 182
There hadn't been much progress on Lord Carlton's condition the following day. He remained unconscious, only a faint pulse indicated there was life in there, yet it hung by a tenuous thread. In the morning, Doctor Haynes returned to check on him. Ashton asked him if there was any hope, and the doctor shook his head slightly in answer.In contrast to her dramatic reaction over Lord Carlton's condition the day before, Lady Cecily showed little interest in taking care of her husband. Instead, it was a loyal servant that had worked for the family for nearly fourty years who seemed to care deeply about him, feeding him with broth and water every hour, and applying soothing balm to his chapped lips. When she had finished her gentle ministrations, the old maid would kneel beside his bed and folded her wrinkled hands, praying for the master's recovery.Inside one of the sitting room in the secluded West Wing, Ashton stood gazing into the fire where
Disgraceful Chapter 181
Ava blanched upon hearing his oath. She'd never heard such ferocity in a person's voice. Quick to notice her sudden pallor, Ashton took her hand, murmured some excuse to Aunt Cecily and Magnus, and led her out of the room."Your hands are so cold," He looked down at her hand in his hold with concerned frown. Too overwhelmed with distress, she let him take her to her chamber upstairs."Nobody will know about it." He said once the door closed behind them, and when she remained mute, pale and cold with fear, he headed to the sideboard and poured a glass of brandy. He made her finish the drink in two long swallows, and took the empty glass from her trembling hand. Setting the glass in the nearest sideboard, he placed his hands on her arms, forcing her to look directly into his eyes."Listen, I've told the guards never to breathe a word about it to anyone. I'll replace them immediately. Don't be afraid, I won't let anything bad happen to y
Disgraceful Chapter 180
The next thing she knew, Ashton and the guardsmen already moved with mad haste to save Lord Carlton's life. By sheer luck, one of the guards had managed to get a wagon from a local farmer to bring the wounded lord home. She fixed the bandage and tried to slow down the bleeding, doing the best she could without further question, since the severity of the lord's injury left no time for explanation. Unfortunately the process of removing the lord from the building into the vehicle and the rough journey back home seemed to worsen his condition. Once they arrived home, a servant rushed to fetch the new doctor. During the wait, Ashton could hardly think of anything else. He was too distraught with fear, not certain Lord Carlton would survive another minute. Thankfully, within minutes the doctor arrived with his nurse."I'll do my best."Doctor Haynes promised before closing the door to Lord Carlton's bedchamber.
Disgraceful Chapter 179
It seemed like the matter was urgent and highly confidential, Uncle Carlton didn't even leave his name on the message. Pulling the top drawer, he slipped the note beneath the piles of documents and rushed out of the room.*****By the time Ava returned to the study, an empty room greeted her. A sudden sense of premonition settled over her, and she instantly suppressed it. He might have retired to his chamber, or he might have been doing some other activity in another parlor somewhere in the house, she told herself. Still, she couldn't help but quicken her pace as she rushed through the house, desperate to find him as soon as possible."Edward, where's my husband?" She asked when she came across the butler in the corridor. The butler halted and bowed."His Grace has left the house a few minutes ago, Your Grace."Her heart immediately missed a beat."What?! Where?""I
