Chapter 221 TEIGEN XLV
Her delicate hands on his neck, driving him so close to insanity but anchoring him just at the edge. Even as he traced her throat with his lips the way she whimpered and shivered was so immaculate, the quiet noise was the thing of his dreams, torturing his mind every second of the day.
She smiled at the idea of marrying me? He thought, she was so rooted, haunting, devastating, and she was in his arms, for him to worship and worship he would.
An hour later, Elara sat at the dining table, Lord Sawyer stationed at the head of the table as the Lord of the manor. She poked at her food, her appetite completely gone
the moment she realised he would be joining them and no less seating so close to her.
"A parting feast" he had claimed was the reason behind the "thoughtful' gesture. Elara did not believe it.
She did not know what he was up to, but she could feel it under her skin.
"Your estate is so beautiful My Lord" Philippa says, "Out of us all, My Lady Elara enjoys the grounds much more, especially the horse stables. Am I not correct My lady?"
Philippa glances over at Elara who sat adjacent to her, trying to encourage some conversation but Elara did not pick it up, intentionally. The air was thick with subtle tension and awkwardness.
Instead of words the ear pinching
sound of Elara's silver wear scraping against her barely touched plate filled the silence.
Camila clears her throat, "I especially adore the.."
Their voices and attempts at fulfilling conversations reduced to white noise. Elara glared down at her plate, eyeing Lord Sawyer from where she sat, just the sight of him alone made her skin crawl with disdain. How dare he truly? Misbehave with her and then propose marriage? She scoffs in her mind, as if she would ever allow it. I would never marry someone who is not my mate.
I would much rather stay alone for the rest of my life than become Lord Sawyer's chosen mate. Never.
When dinner was finished Elara was the first to leave the table, not without receiving a stern glare from Augustine which she ignored. Up in her room, while Elara lay on her floor reading away Winnie busied herself with clearing the mess she made and packing the rest of her dresses into her traveling chest.
As Elara expected the door to her chambers opened and Augustine walks in, looking confused and furious. Winnie walks out of the dressing chambers just in time, "Winnie are you finished?" Elara asks, sitting
"Yes, my lady"
"Good, thank you. You may go"
Winnie exchanged glances between the two, sensing the charged atmosphere she was grateful she would not have to listen to whatever hell Augustine was about to unleash on her lady. She took a curtsey and scurries off.
"Elara" she starts, her tone raised with disapproval.
Elara stood, settling down at the foot of her bed "you should not be upset" she mutters, dropping her book in her lap
Augustine's brows rise in shock, "I should not be upset when you so blatantly disrespected the Lord of the house!?" She thundered
"I did the right thing. Nothing I said or did was wrong, I only said what I truly felt" Elara remarks, her hard eyes challenging.
"You know better than to do such a thing. A lady cannot simply say what she feels, especially if it is at such a cost"
"What is so big a cost? That I have to keep my mouth quiet and see Lord Sawyer, speak with him, be so courteous and forget what he had done to me!?"
"I apologize then because I do not care for the cost any longer. If you or Father truly love me, you will understand" her words settled heavily like a thick blanket between the two, tears blurring her vision, angry, hot, exhausted tears.
Augustine deflates, "Elara, of course we love you. But it is not that simple. You are not a child, you have a duty to fulfill"
"I have fulfilled my duty to the fullest, I gave the Lord the utmost respect he was accorded and that is why this happened. I cannot be a well mannered lady to such an ill mannered Lord" she sneers
Augustine takes the spot beside Elara, trying to hold her but she pulls away, "if you worry so much about what Father will say and how he will reprimand you then don't. I will speak to father myself when we return, so you need not worry"
"No, it is nothing of the sort" Augustine sighs but Elara was done listening. She knew where Augustine's concerns lay, not for her own well-being but for her reputation and how she was to present herself as a noble lady, nothing more.
"So my status is all you care for?" Augustine was too stunned to respond, she had not expected what she did to be misinterpreted in such a way. Her silence was all the answer Elara needed "It is alright. You are my governess not my friend or my confidant, of course you would want to do your duty"
Elara stands to her feet and walks over to the door, "Please, do call Camila for me. I must prepare for bed" she pulls it open, looking at Augustine expectantly
Augustine stands and walks out.
~
“Elara” his voice, paired with my name made my spine straighten and breath caught in my throat.
I turn, watching him walk up to me. I inhale a quiet breath as maids scurry past us with my trunks and belongings stealing glances at the scene that was about to unravel, no doubt what between the Lord and myself would be gossip on their lips for months. As I watch him approach, settling just a few feet away from me I felt my trained confidence weakening. I should have been more prepared for this, prepared for him to make one last attempt to change my mind, I practiced my response last night with Ryker, swift and with finality. But here I stood, a lump formed in my throat.
“My lady” he picks my hand, keeping his gaze trained on mine as he places a kiss on my knuckles. A dangerous shiver wracked my whole body and I exhale a nervous breath, what was this sudden chill?
I pull my hand away, “My Lord” I greet cordially
“I am truly glad to see you are doing better, although I must confess my unwillingness to let you leave’’ the way he said it, thick with some other meaning.
“Forgive me, I have gotten much too familiar with your scent lingering in every corner of my abode’’ I kept silent, noticing something different in his eyes. It was something quiet, predatory, like a promise of catastrophe brewing. He seemed too relaxed for someone I had spoken to so disrespectfully and somehow that terrified me more.