Semua Bab Disgraceful : Bab 101 - Bab 110

The words robbed her breath for words. Before she could think of anything, he bent toward her and cradled her face in one hand, another hand took her arm. When he pulled her closer, she thought he was going to kiss her rightaway, but he only ran his fingers along the silky cheek. He stared silently into her face as if he was memorizing every line and contour, as if he wanted to have a lasting imprint of her visage. Heart pounding in violent rhythm, she sat very still under his close observation. Without warning, he caught at her wrist and pulled her towards him. Startled, she resisted a shriek when he brought her into his lap.  She was not prepared for such intimate situation. In the castle and during the morning walks the other days, they were never alone for a long while. So far, every touch and kiss in the stolen moments was brief and light. Now that they were in the privacy of the enclosed space, she had no ide

His voice was not loud, but being in close proximity to the staff behind them, obviously they could hear him very clearly.  "Keep your voice down, for goodness sake. You don't need to humiliate me in front of your staff."She whispered under her breath.   Glancing down at her, for a moment he turned silent. A few seconds later, he released her and muttered for her ears alone."From now on, you will stay within the grounds of the castle. One step over the gate, and I'll have you locked in your room for a full month. Do you hear me?"  For a moment, Ava could only stared at him in utter bewilderment. The current incident had showed her the bloody possessive side of him. "I haven't the slightest intention of running away."She tried a softer tone in hopes that he would come to his senses. She didn'

The following day after the unexpected reconciliation that was initiated by her, Ashton secluded himself in the quiet privacy of his study. He had a lot on his mind, he needed some time to get accustomed to the new situation, and to contemplate the sudden swing of emotion that overtook him lately.  For the first time in a very long time, he felt truly alive, and he was glad for the chance to live life like he had never felt before. But along with joy and happiness, he was also bedeviled by the fear of losing her, and the long-ago heartache caused by painful parting. It had long gone, and he thought he had buried it in the pit of his being, but the ghost of the past wouldn't let him send it away. Yesterday morning when he thought he had lost her, a sudden burst of recollection flashed through his mind, and he was taken back to his youthful days, almost a decade ago. Vermont

The kinder woman sputtered in clear indignation."Don't be so quick to judge. What if she is really his relatives?" "For heaven's sake. Only a fool would believe that." Ava turned around and left as quietly as she came, unable to take it no more. Later when she told it to Polly, her friend didn't look a bit surprised. "Everybody knew about you and him, from day one." Polly said. "I was going to tell you, but later I decided not to. For the first time in a long time, you looked really, really happy and I didn't want to spoil it."Polly stopped momentarily from doing her job, regarding her with a reassuring gaze."It must be difficult at first, but you'll get used to it. You'll come to a point where it can't hurt you anymore." Ava flinched at her friend's casual remarks."What do you mean?" "Your mother has gone through this, and she survives and thrives

The last morning before the day of departure, Ava and Ashton took a stroll along the orchard behind the castle. The weather was perfect for a long walk around the immense field. Ava gave one last look at every corner of the estate. Tomorrow she would leave it all behind, along with her old life. Consumed by the prospect of seeing her father and her mother again after a good long while, she felt a mixture of fear and longing. She wondered how her father would take this unpredictable turn of events. Will her father allow this union? He has no reason to object. But she suspects her father would prefer a lesser, more manageable candidate. From his previous choice, Ava supposed her father would like to have his son-in-law eating out of his hand, for he assumed a man of some sort would be easier to control. After going around the orchard, they turned back for home, but as they reached the edge of the orchard, he asked her to rest a while under a m