She braced herself to look back at him. She knew certainly the purpose of this flirtatious game, and she was not the least bit interested in playing it. However, she didn't want to make a fuss, she had to get through it in the most unobtrusive manner.
"I am Miss Ava Banks of Evergreen Valley."
"A beautiful name, although not nearly as beautiful as you."
"Thank you, My Lord. Now if you'll excuse me~"
"Why hurry, Miss Banks? Do you have to go somewhere else?"
"Yes,"
She thought of a more open space.
"I'd like to see the garden."
"Ah, I have a fondness for gardens."
A glint of mischief sparked in his eyes.
"Let me come along with you. There are so many interesting spots there I can show you."
Her breath caught at the wicked promise implied in his polite words.
"I'm afraid I have to refuse your kind offer."
"I promise you some company will be harmless. You'll find that I am the most agreeable escort."
"I believe you understand as well as I am, My Lord, that it would be utterly inappropriate for us to be seen together."
"If you don't want to be seen, I can make some suitable arrangement."
Her eyes widened at the unexpected boldness. Fortunately, some noisy footsteps coming into the room. A moment later, a convenient crowd came into sight. As the group of guests got near, Ava slipped past him and scurried out of the library. When she was already in a safe distance, she glanced over her shoulder. Fortunately the lord didn't follow her.
She wished she had made it unmistakably clear, but she still felt it wasn't safe for her to wander alone. So she chose to stay in the safety of her room until almost nightfall and only returned to Lady Byrne's bedchamber afterward.
Because usually some of the guests hadn't arrived yet in the first day, the soiree would be held in the second day. This evening, dinner served in each guests' bedchamber, and she was glad she didn't have to anticipate another encounter with Lord Blackthorne today.
The next day, when they joined the other guests to have breakfast at the dining room, she caught sight of Lord Blackthorne amongst the other guests a distance away from her, but she found that he was no longer stalking her. She noticed that the earl exchanged smiles with some passing ladies several times. She observed him surreptitiously a few times and much to her relief, he didn't glance in her direction at all. Perhaps he had ceased his pursuit toward her and was now aiming a more willing target.
In the afternoon, she rambled around the garden, looking around and glancing over her shoulders every now and then to make sure Lord Blackthorne didn't follow her. But ever since she spotted him in the dining room this morning, there was no sign of the earl's presence anywhere. A robin perched on a fountain nearby, the little bird chirped as if greeting her. Just when she tried to touch it, the bird flew off. She traveled further to the end of the garden and stopped still as the painting and music of nature fascinated her. Wildflowers grew along the edge of the stream. The trickles of water mingled with the voice of birds chirping. A fallen trunk crossed the stream, made a walkway to the forest beyond.
Grasping her skirt, she trod carefully along the narrow trunk. A rush of joy filled her as she finally reached the end of the bridge. She wandered into the woods in pure excitement. The air was fresh and damp. A shaft of sunlight passed through the canopy of leaves, dappled the forest floor with glowing patches. The beetles on a fallen leaf caught her sight. Birdsongs echoed above her head. The sight, the sound, the atmosphere were reminiscent of her country childhood. She drew a deep breath, filling her lungs with sweet scent of earth.
"I think I've seen a woodland fairy."
She jolted as though she had just caught sight of a snake. She turned toward the voice and froze in pure terror. Lord Blackthorne was standing a few feet away in front of her. His black hair was not perfectly neat and tamed like before, it seemed like the wind had just whipped through the locks, his shirt was partially unbuttoned on top and the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He looked casually handsome, and even more dangerous.
"What a pleasant surprise to find you here in the woods... all alone."
She stepped back instinctively, her blood ran cold. She couldn't think of an answer. In an instant, her instinct were telling her to run. Run as fast as she could. Her instinct were telling her, she was in some sort of danger.
A little voice in her head tried to calm her anxiety. However, he was a nobleman. Even though he was known as a rake, it didn't mean that he was a rapist. But one could never judge only by status or appearance or even track record. Roger was no lesser noble than him. Gentleman by birth, perfectly urbane and civilized, he also had a good reputation in that matter. Yet it didn't stop him from assaulting her. The thought scared her out of her wits.
"My lady must be looking for me now. I told her I was going to the forest."
She prayed it would make him think twice if he meant to do anything untoward. To face such dangerous creature, she had to keep her fear from showing, or she would have no chance to escape.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I must return to the mansion."
She spun around her heels and left without making a curtsy. She was too nervous to care about such things. She dashed across the landscape, fear rising with every step. She heard the tread of his boots behind her and she quickened her pace. Heart pounding in terror, she regretted her venture to this secluded place. No one was very likely to come this way, they were completely alone and unobserved.
Suddenly his hand circled around her waist and pulled her back until she crushed his hard body. She shrieked and bucked against him, but his strong hand held her tighter than a chain.
"Easy..." His warm breath brushed the soft, sensitive skin below her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.
"You almost step in a hole."
She looked down in trembling breath and saw a grass-covered hole just inches away from her. He had just saved her from falling into an animal trap. She stopped squirming and forced herself to still in his hold. Slowly, his hand slid along her belly to her waist, tracing a warm, enticing pattern over her skin beneath the fabric before releasing her.
"Thank you, my lord, for saving me." She said without turning. The sound of her heartbeat was still thundering in her ears. She stepped aside with unsteady legs, walking more carefully this time.
Well, perhaps she was too paranoid. Still she felt uneasy to be alone with him. To her great relief, soon they reached the stream. The great mansion came into view. After crossing the bridge, they would be in an open area.
"Wait." He stopped her.
"The bridge looks like it's going to fall down at any moment. Let me try it first."
He strolled down the narrow bridge with a fluid ease and halted in the middle.
"Come, let me help you."
He called, beckoning her over with his head and offered his hand.
She hesitated.
"Thank you, my lord, but it's really unnecessary."
He smiled, a sensuous smile that would turn women's mind to mush, although it made her feel uncomfortable rather than dazzled.
"There's nothing to be afraid of. Come here, I won't bite."
She stepped on the bridge and took his hand reluctantly. He held her hand firmly and she looked down to watch her steps. All of the sudden, he pulled her forcefully, and she let out a startled cry. Her body swayed and crushed his hard angle. He held her close against his body, pressing her tight to him. His strong hands circled her waist in possessive grip.
"My lord?"
She recognized instantly the gleam of mischief in his eyes. She tried to wrench away but the risk of making them both falling into the stream limited her attempt.
"Please let me go."
She tried to say it in a steady, demanding tone but an obvious tremor betrayed her effort.
"Of course."
His low laugh made the hair on her nape rising.
"But as you already knew, there's a toll to pay."
She stiffened when his large hand cupped her face. It happened so fast, before she could think about anything, his gentle mouth already touched hers. She gasped in shocked surprise, her lips parted open. He took advantage of it and his tongue slid in like a snake. Her eyes widened and she writhed against him, but her body was trapped with an unbreakable lock and her protest were muffled by his clever mouth. She tried to fight, but when his warm tongue met hers and played skillfully in the depth recesses of her mouth, for an instant she couldn't control the shiver of pleasure running through her whole body. Her hands trembling helplessly on his chest and her body loosened in his arms, betraying all her efforts to struggle. For a moment sensations made her head swim and her body float against gravity. He took what he wanted not by force, but by persuasion. Only when his hands traveled lower to her buttocks, and pressed her against the hard bulge in the center of his body, she snapped out of the trance with a sudden jerk.
She turned her face away abruptly, breaking the kiss. Surprisingly he let her go so easily, his hands fell away, and she could feel his whole body went rigid. She looked up and saw him staring at the other side of the bridge. She turned to look in the direction and froze with a wild leap of heart.
The duke was standing there, watching them with a look that chilled her blood.
"It's not like what you think..."She blurted without thinking and scurried down the trunk. She halted before him, looking up at him with racing mind, she couldn't decide what to say and how to begin."Leave."He said without sparing her a glance, looking straight at the man standing in the middle of the bridge. She had seen his eyes burning with fury, but she never knew those eyes could look that horrendous. Like eyes of a wolf stalking its prey. She sidestepped past him and hurried away.He had just arrived not so long ago, but he made it just in time to see her in the moment of surrender, her hands ceased to push and her body stopped resisting, before shaking in the devil's arms. He saw it all, though it lasted only a split second.He almost could see her mouth opened wider and took Blackthorne's evil tongue inside and su
Standing alone with a flute of champagne, the Earl of Blackthorne inspected the large ballroom with his observant eyes. Ever since he stepped into the room, women competed for his attention. Some blinked slowly at him in subtle invitation, some flirted boldly with him, but he declined them all. At this moment, he wasn't interested to quench the burning needs with the ordinary and the mundane.Perusing the sea of faces, he found what he searched. The ballroom was full of lovely women, but he didn't need a magic mirror to tell who was the fairest of them all. Riveting his gaze on her, Blackthorne curled his fingers into fist in aching need.He was not accustomed to not getting what he wanted when women were concerned. Women of all ages and class hurled theirselves at him all the time. Whenever he needed one, women were always available, in a colossal amount that could surpass the king's harem, u
Walking alone in the hallway to the music room, Ava was on full alert. The music room was quite far from the ballroom. To fetch the reticule, she had to pass the corridor, dashed up the empty stairway in fear of unexpectedly being caught by Lord Blackthorne once again. Once she found the reticule in the music room, she took it and rushed downstairs. Her footsteps echoed in the walls. Dim and silent, the side of the building was completely empty as the entire guests were gathering at the ballroom. Not even a servant passed by. She wondered if someone could hear her scream from here.When she scurried along the long corridor, suddenly she glimpsed a figure standing in the shade of an alcove. The man stepped out immediately, barring her passage. She almost shrieked in shock, but his pewter locks made her recognized him at once. For a second she was thankful to find it wasn't the man she feared for, but the relief last no longer than a heartbeat. He shot a crudely i
Long past midnight, the sheet in the large bed was still perfectly neat and straight, for it remained as yet untouched. The occupant of the best and largest suite for guest in the mansion had spent the hours sitting by the window, looking at something in the distance. Ever since he saw her in the devil's arms, the sight was consuming his every waking thought. The image played over and over again through his restless mind with startling clarity, made him feel as though the vessels in his chest was going to explode.He stared out the window, in the direction of her room in the opposite building, the East Tower, where the upper servants were housed. Instead of window, each room had a small balcony overlooking the garden below. Every balcony in the second and third floor were dark, for all the inhabitants must be sleeping safe and sound at this hour. So was her room, but suddenly a little light flickered and spread over the balcony. He tensed on his seat, his senses
Ashton watched her room from the shadow in the darkest hour of the night, only to make sure she was not with somebody else. He couldn't tell whether she was waiting for the scoundrel or not. The question harrowed him the whole night. He went back to his room in the small hours, just one hour before sunrise, wondering if he started to lose his sanity. He acted like a man obsessed, a man possessed. He was restless and curious and furious at the same time. This emotion had completely taken over at the expense of everything else.***A few hours later, he sat idly on a bench in the garden with his sketchbook and pencil. The gentle morning breeze carried the stench of dewy grass and the heady perfume of roses to his nose as the birds fluttered and chirped above his head. Soft, vibrant rays of sunlight flooded over the landscape, lighting and warming every inch of the lawn. It was a bright, beautiful morning but his mood was as dark as the night.
"Be careful."He held her automatically. She stopped walking and frowned as if in pain."Are you alright?"She took hold of him with another hand, apparently it was painful for her."I think I sprained my right ankle.""Let me see."He led her to a stone bench nearby and sat her carefully, absently he placed his sketchbook on the bench next to her, then squatted down in front of her."May I?" he asked. She nodded in response.He took her injured ankle beneath her skirt and brought it to his inspection. He skimmed over her delicate ankle to find the twisted muscles. When his focus fully drawn to her ankle, Selene glanced at the sketchbook laid next to her.Ashton couldn't feel a twisted muscle in her ankle, it seemed perfectly fine.&nb
She got up and tried to make her way out of the row, but her petticoat made it difficult to move in the narrow passage. She was in the midst of the row and with the seats fully occupied, to get out of here seemed like an impossible task."Please sit down, Miss. You're blocking the view."An irritated voice came from behind, followed by mutterings of annoyance. She had no choice but to sit back. She set her body rigid and looked straight ahead. She would just ignore the earl during the show. She could feel that he was watching her intently. Under his silent observation, she became more and more restless."What do you want from me?"She asked impulsively."Forgiveness."Came his unexpected reply."I apologize. I made a terrible mistake yesterday. I promise it will never happen again."Had she misheard him? Was he apologizing to her? He looked like an unrepentant jerk. But, s
"Please, allow me to make amends for my careless behavior."The lady's gaze brushed her from head to toe and she felt even more inhibited."There's no need, My Lady."Struggling to conceal her discomfort, she managed to bring out a polite answer."That's very kind of you," The lady raised one brow."I haven't seen you before, Miss..?""I'm no miss, my lady. I'm just a humble lady's companion.""I am Lady Selene Wyndham, and you are?""Miss Ava Banks of Evergreen, Vermont."She performed a low curtsy, and for some reasons she couldn't bring herself to look at the lady. Suddenly she felt an absurd guilt and an urge to escape. What would the lady think of her if she knew her fiancé had had several clandestine meetings with her?"Vermont, what a coincidence. Darling~"The lady beckoned to someone standing a few feet away
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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