Chapter 17: Was he really hers to begin with?

Frances,left the party to be alone. She felt suffocated being in the mist of so many people. She wondered upstairs and stood in front of the Ambrose family portrait. The fact that they look happy somehow made her heart sunk in her chest. She folded her hands, and sway her neck to the side, studying everyone's expression in the portrait.

" Miss Carter!" Desmond called. He strolled towards her with a saucer containing a piece of cake. " I thought you would want some" He was quite when she kept glancing at him. " I mean the cake" He pointed to it.

" There's no need to be formal with me, just call me Frances" She brushed her hand with his as she took the cake from him.

She touched the icing on the cake with the tip of her finger and sucked on it.

"Mm! It's delicious" She smiled.

" I'm glad you like it Miss Cart…" Desmond was interpreted by her. She placed a finger over his mouth to stop him from talking any further. " Call me Frances" She nubbles the words into his ear. Desmond felt a tingling sensation in his bud and to add with that, the appealing smell of strawberries was ozzing out from her hair. How he loved strawberries!

Frances watched his reaction from the corner of her eye, and her lips curved with a satisfying smirk. She unfasten the hook of her bracelet and carefully slide it into his pocket. She moved away from him, adjusted her dress and gave a slight cough. " How long have you been married?" She asked picking up the cake again.

" All I can remember was that, I have a son" Desmond replied. He doesn't remember marrying Agatha but his family made him accept her.

" ohh, I see! The portrait shows that you love your wife a lot." Frances stepped right in front of him, not leaving a space between them. " You should try the cake too, it's nice." she placed her index fingers in her mouth and bite seductively.

Desmond, held his breath. For heavens know why! He was unable to look into her eyes. He found himself sweating. When Frances saw how he froze up, she decided to give him a break by stepping aside a little.

" I think we should continue some other time, because I see you're not enjoying the conversation." She gave him a soft smile before she began to head down the stairs. Desmond watched her back leaving and striding the stairs elegantly but then he suddenly flung the saucer in his hand and ran towards her like a lightning when she suddenly missed her steps on the stairs.

"Haha!" Frances panicked when she suddenly began to lose her hold on the stairs. She shut her eyes tightly, ready for the great fall but then… She suddenly felt secured.

"Frances, I gat you" She felt a hot breath on her face. Then, she began to open her eyes slowly. Breathing heavily, she held unto him for dare life. She saw his eyes fixed on her, they were as strong as his arms around her.

"You okay?" Desmond asked like a whisper.

" You.. finally call me by my name, I think I should slip more often" She smiled.

Agatha was breathing fire at the sight of them. Desmond was so close to her, glancing into her eyes, holding unto her like a princess. Something he has not done with her in ages!.

"Desmond!" She called out to him. She ran towards them and quickly held his hand tightly in a protective way.

"I hope you're not hurt, Miss Carter?"

"Your husband caught me on time, I must say he has such a nice body and you're one luck young lady."

Nice body? Agatha become more offended. She was shamelessly admiring her husband right In front of her.

" I'm so lucky, and I hope you get the fact that we're both married." Agatha said between her teeth.

Frances stepped in front of her and caresses her chin. " Oh really now! Marriage? As far as I know, a second marriage is punishable under the law, that's If you both really got married in the first place" Frances knew she dropped a bombshell on both of them.

Desmond looked at Agatha confused, 'Second marriage?' He wondered what the lady ment by that.

And before he could ask further, their fathers came downstairs to join them.

" Look, our fathers are here" Frances quickly averted the silent.

"So dad, how did it go? Are we going to be doing business with Uncle" Frances asked as she approached her dad.

" Yes darling. He agreed to entire into a contract with us with his vineyard while we make the wines" Mr.Carter replied.

" I really like your daughter my friend. She's beautiful and smart." Mr.Ambrose turned to Frances and continued." Would you love to have a tour through the vineyard?" He asked and she nodded.

" So then, my son Desmond will take you there this weekend, what do you say?"

" Weekend is great, I'm going to have a lot of fun" She replied fixing her gaze on Agatha and giving her a wink.

" Great! We will leave now. I'm so tired" Mr. Carter replied and the entire family escorted them out to their car. After they got in, Mr. Ambrose shut the door behind them. " Take care my friend, and see you this weekend Frances"

" Yes uncle, see you. And take care Desmond" She bite her lips. He gave her a quick smile and nodded.

When their car moved away from the family, her father turned to face her and asked. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing much, I'm just doing what I should have done a long time ago." She rested her back to the seat and shut her eyes tightly.

"You would be going out with him alone, are you going to be fine?" Mr. Carter held her hand and squeezed it gently.

"Mm, I guess so."

…

"Let go of me, you're hurting me" Agatha tried to free her hand from angry Mrs. Ambrose.

"What was that all about?" Mrs Ambrose asked pushing her to the bed roughly.

" She was flirting with Desmond, and I did what any reasonable wife should have done!" She snapped back at her.

"A wife? You call yourself a wife! Let me remind you one thing, your living here at my mercy. Don't you dare ruin this business for us by getting the heiress angry. If your foolishness affect the deal, I will kill you Agatha"

" Just like you killed her?" Agatha replied with confidence. She has been tolerating Mrs. Ambrose tunts for too long.

Mrs. Ambrose, became angry and slapped her tight on her face!

" You benefited the most from it, you wretch! Dont you ever talk back at me or else I will really kill you" She grabbed her neck, " I mean it" She let go of her and stormed out of the room.

Agatha buried her face to the bed and cried. When will it ever stop, she surfers everyday because she wanted to be with the man she loves. She wiped the tears from her face and went out of her room.

First, she went to Tedros room, and the little man was sleeping deeply. She sighed then went into Desmond's room. She peeked at him from the crack in the door, she saw him standing in the middle of the room, lost . Agatha wanted to go to him and curled up in his arms just like every husband and wife should but then… Her relationship with his was far from perfect. Over the years, Desmond paid less attention to her and treat her like a plaque. They even sleep in different rooms.

" I won't let anyone take you away from me Desmond, I won't" She murmured softly. Was he even hers to begin with?