Chapter 63

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 insulting stare that made her even more startled than before. He cut to the chase.

"How much did it cost for him to get what he wants from you?"

Stung by his unexpected hostility, she frowned in confusion.

"I don't understand what you're~"

He cut her off impatiently.

"How much did he pay you for the entertainment you provide?"

Gasped in shock, she took a step back.

"I would never do something like that at any price."

"What's the bargain, then?"

The loathing flickered in his eyes made her skin tingle with fear.

"If you don't set a price for your companionship, what does he give you in return? Is it simply pleasure for pleasure?"

Her mind started to figure out what this was all about, still, she didn't expect him to be so furious.

"You've got that all wrong. I wanted nothing to do with him. I accidentally met him in the forest, I tried to escape from him, but he caught me in the middle of the bridge, and~"

"No need to explain, I saw it before my very eyes."

Darkness cast a menacing shadow over his face.

"You play it better than any woman in your family. You almost convinced me you are different from all of them."

He thought he would take great satisfaction in hurting her, but when he saw the shocked, painful look in her eyes, he felt the pain hit him just as much. In one startling moment, he was shaken by unexpected emotion. Before she returned his glacial glare and said.

"Even if it were true, what is any of that to do with you?"

He caught hold of her arm as she tried to push past him. His fingers biting her flesh so deep it hurt. Her heart began to pound in panicked beat as she looked up on his hard face and she heard her own sobbing breath. In one wild instant, he almost lost his head in an overwhelming urge to thrust her into the shadowy alcove and kiss her without mercy, robbing her breath out of her and took possession of it.

They looked at each other in stunned bewilderment. For a moment there, she had an insane idea that any moment he would shove her to the wall and kiss her senselessly.

It took a great deal of self control to restrain himself from following the irresistible urge, but one thought slipping into his mind a second before he lapsed. If he kissed her, she would know for sure that he desired her. If she knew it, she would think that she mattered to him, that she was important to him, and that she had power over him. God, no. He didn't give a damn about her.

So what was he doing right now, in the place he wasn't supposed to be, one second he was overcharged with hatred, another second he was torn with regret, a moment later he flew with fury, next he was almost overtaken by desire?

He released his grip with a sudden jerk, and she snatched her hand away, retreating a few steps from him. She had a hundred reasons to fear him, but she refused to let him insult her without any resistance. Trembling with outrage, she thrust her chin up and looked straight into his eyes.

"As much as you despise women of my kind, you should not forget that men of your class, who consider themselves worthy of utmost respect, are absolutely the largest buyer of what those women have to offer."

And with that, she turned around and left him rooted to the spot. Tears brimmed in her eyes, and a huge lump stuck in her throat. She felt like her heart was just stabbed with a jagged, poisonous dagger.

She knew what every person thought about her. She knew what the ladies of society talked about behind their fans in her presence, as much as she knew what the staring noblemen thought everytime she walked past them.

"You're just a whore, like your mother, like your sister."

Roger couldn't be more distinct about that. Even the best kind of man like Magnus saw her as nothing more, that was the reason he left her when she asked more than what she was worth.

So why on earth does his opinion matter to her? He might think whatever he wanted.

But really, in a split second, there was something in his eyes when he looked at her, she felt like she could fairly see it. Battle of emotions, the truth of his feelings flashing through for just an instant before it flickered away.

Nonsense.

She had to forget her crazy, stupid infatuation for him. And her silly fantasy that he had some serious feeling for her. If today had taught her anything, it was that she should be done involving herself with men of nobility from this moment on. No one of them really appreciated her value. No one. Each of them fascinated her at first, but in the end, they brought her nothing but heartache and disappointment.

The party was a feast for the senses. The decorations, the food, the music, everything was delectable, but Lady Selene Wyndham could no longer enjoy the enchanting evening. Just not so long ago, she was informed that her betrothed was having an illicit affair. And the woman was here with them, masquerading as a lady's companion. She might had seen her during the soirée without knowing that the woman was her betrothed's devil spawned whore.

One of the significant reasons she agreed to this arrangement was because of the duke was highly reputable. He never kept a mistress, and even if he actually had a few short-lived affairs, he had been very discreet about it. He was never touched by gossip, never mind scandal.

She was not that naive to believe that he had never had some 'experiences' in the past, but she wouldn't tolerate something like the presence of another woman in their marriage, no matter how perfectly concealed it was. He must learn that Lady Selene Wyndham demanded absolute fidelity from a husband.

People came and went through the door but none of them was her betrothed or his whore. They wouldn't come in the same time. They would come separately, one after another. Women, ladies and maids appeared in the doorway, some were familiar faces, some other were not, but she knew those women were not the one she was looking for. Dark hair, lovely face. Many women in the room matched that criteria, but no one felt right. Until a young woman swept through the doorway at hurried pace.

"Ah, here it is. Thank you dear," Lady Byrne noticed Ava's pale, strained face and asked. "You don't look very well. What's wrong, dear?"

"Nothing," She fought back tears and tried to keep her voice steady.

"I'm fine, my lady."

"No, you're not."

She couldn't tell what really happened to the lady, and she didn't think she could stand the pain and pretend to enjoy the party any longer, so she sighed and replied.

"I'm sorry. The long journey, I think. I'm just a little bit tired."

"Let's get back." Lady Byrne hold her arm firmly and guided her through the crowd. Ava glanced at the lady regretfully.

"I wouldn't want to spoil your fun."

"Nonsense, I'm getting bored anyway."

She said nothing in response, feeling touched by the lady's genuine affection. Not all nobility was bad, actually. Just the male species.

By intuition, Lady Selene Wyndham knew at once the beautiful woman was the one she had been looking for. Especially when she accompanied Dowager Countess Byrne out of the ballroom. She was posing as a lady's companion. A perfect charade to cover her true purpose. The moment she laid eyes on her, she could see what made her fiancé fall into temptation. However, she was never the one who convicted without evidence. And she was determined to uncover every hidden secret of her fiancé before their wedding day. She would find out whether her fiancé had been unfaithful or not. She would find out whether this woman was his lover indeed. Only then she could decide what to do. And she didn't have much time. She would figure out everything by the end of the week.