Chapter 22 - "Take responsibility"
"Take responsibility," Duke Raymond repeated himself.
"Listen, whatever that I did, I am sorry, okay. Can you forget our grudges and move on?" Eloise stayed as calm as she could be. But the infuriating man smirked and moved closer.
"Why should I? I am being traumatised by your mistake so you should take charge of it."
"What do you propose I do? This responsibility you talk about. What is it?" Eloise stood her ground.
He moved back with a happy smile. "Simple. You just have to act as my lover. If you do the other women might get slightly less persuasive with their attempts."
'Act as what now? Is this guy kidding me?' Eloise closed her eyes, took a deep breath to calm her surging blood pressure.
She had seen many Victorian series and novels for her to understand what kind of dire consequences this simply favor he asks of leads to. Pretending to date a duke, that's the worst!! After their pretentious breakup her prospectus of marriage will increase, but there will still be a woman who will scorn her for her debauchery. 'I bet it won't be like {Bridgeton} I am pretty sure of that.'
Letting out a deep breath she whispered, "I am thankful for your offer but I am gonna have to refuse, kind lord.
Raymond's mug face fell. "What? Refuse? Why? This is a good deal!"
"Yes, just too good to be true. Lord, I really appreciate you offering me this kind offer, but it really won't suit me. If I have to date a man, it would be a person I like and love. Pretentious love is something I will never accept!" she said per piece, bowed and left the balcony.
Walking out of there, she felt like a regal queen. But inside she was trembling in fear. 'Fuck that was scary. Why were his eyes so red all of a sudden? Is it a disease? Or did I land in a weird world? God help me, I just want to olive a lazy life with my darling mother,'
As she was walking into the crowd, few women glanced at her with their pretty brows scrunched up. Some even right up cussed at her.
'I am not even dating him but I am getting this much hate. I wonder who the poor woman the duke is going to end up with. She is going to have to face a lot of poisonous snakes and honeyed words,' Eloise thought and happily went over to the buffet. There was just one piece of white cream cake left. 'Oh lucky!'
She reached out but a long hand reached before her and took it off the table. 'My cake!!!' she glanced at the young man who was holding her precious last piece of cake.
His steel-grey eyes looked down on her. "If I was a gentle man, I would have given it to you, but I am not so." he shrugged and walked away with her delicious piece of cake.
Watching his blond head disappeared into the crowd, Eloise gritted her teeth. She glanced at other dished on the spread. There was a whole roosted suckling pig, some chicken in Jell-O. Just the sight of these two made her retch.
'I have attracted the unwanted attention of a duke. My cake was stolen and I am hungry!!!! Today is not lucky at all,'
She stomped her way to her mother and slightly leaned against her shoulders.
"My, my dear, what is it? Are you tired already, the dance hasn't even started yet," she patted her head softly.
Eloise breathed in her mother's soothing scent and smiled. "Hmm.... just wanted to hug you."
"aw my darling is so loving," madam Ayles patted her ruddy cheeks. "Why are you so cold? Are you chilly? Shall I ask the maids to bring in a shawl?"
"No, I was outside for a while." Eloise did not explain further about her unfortunate encounter with the perverted duke.
Her mother brought her around and introduces her to a few of her friends. All of whom asked her about her relationship with the young duke.
Madam Ayles did her best to dissuade their interest, but it only stroked their flames. One particular leady was insistently asking her about Duke Raymond.
"I have no relations with Duke Raymond," Eloise curtly said, stopping the lady mid sentence.
"But darling girl, it seemed like you both were quite....intimate," the lady said, fanning herself.
Madam Ayles is not an easy target either. She whispered, "My darling daughter was invited to this ball by the host himself. The duke and the young lad are quite close; I think you already know of this."
Taking a sip from the wine goblet, she continued, "Naturally, my daughter has come to meet the young duke from time to time. Other than that I must pressure you to stop spreading such nasty rumours. After all, my daughter is still unwed,"
This shut the wagging mouths for a while.
But Eloise knew that rumours spread faster than fire. Soon the entire cruise ship came to know of her seeming affair with the duke.