Chapter seventeen

Missandrei was angry. She thought her and Luke were becoming friends. How dare he try to tell her to change Her hair. Oh he'd done it so subtly. The bastard! And he had ordered her to have the first waltz with him. Throughout the dance they had both kept mute and he hadn't been as close as before. The distance between them was not only physical. She felt the wall he had set up between them. She told herself she didn't care.

 The air inside was stifling. She'd danced more dances than she'd danced in her life while Chadwick had glared at her from across the room. She'd to escape his intense gaze. She fled through one of the side French doors. Finally she was outside . She could breath easily. She sat on a bench , behind some bushes to avoid being bothered .

No luck for her.

"Hey beautiful" somebody walked up to her. Somebody that looked he'd had one too many drinks. She didn't know there was alcohol present. "They say you will be susceptible for some roll in the hay"

"go away" Missandrei ordered

"Ha ha. That's how it is eh? You need persuasion? Or only Belmont does if for you? Look girl" he slurred "I wouldn't mind you in my bed. What do you say?"

Missy jumped to her feet " I'd rather sell my soul to the devil than go anywhere near your bed" she turned to stalk off. The alcohol reeking man took a hold of her waist and jerked her back.

"if it's compensation you want , I'll give it tae ya"

"let go of me"

"Shut it" his hand clutched her bottom. She swung her fist and it connected soundly with his jaw. He staggered.

The man yanked her forward and took a handful of her dress and pulled. She heard the rip as she struggled against his hold. His cold hand crept up her thighs. She pushed away with as much force as she could muster. His foul smelling mouth covered hers. She bit his mouth hard. He yelped. Then shot her a leery grin. His hand roamed up and covered her breast from her over her bodice. She turned away , tears blurring her vision.

"Missy!"

" Missandrei!"

She heard the distant voices just before the man was pulled off her and flung across the clearing. His body connected with another bench with a sickening this , and then he was still on the ground.

She looked up with tear streaked face and saw Jonathan's furious frown. She flew into his arms. He held her tight and rubbed her back soothingly. She wept on his pristine coat.

"take me home Jon"

"okay"

"I will take you home Missandrei" Luke snapped " she's my responsibility"

" she's in shock. She needs-"

"Don't complete that sentence Belmont"Luke pulled her to him and reached for her hand. She flinched away . She felt too violated. She didn't want Luke to see her like this.

Luke took off his coat and wore it over her then deftly buttoned it up.

"I want to go with Jon" she whispered

Luke gritted his teeth"we can't always get what we want can we?" the duke said then took her by the elbow and steered her away"I trust you can take care of this Belmont"

Luke was pissed. First that bastard had dared lay his hands on her . He'd deal with that later. Then Belmont had saved her instead of him . He had watched her leave the ballroom, he had foolishly chosen to ignore her. He'd been doing a lot of foolish things of recent. Then he'd watched Missandrei embrace Belmont with all the familiarity of a lover. His suspicions had been confirmed when he'd tried to touch her. She had flinched away in disgust . To top it all, she'd asked to go with Belmont. He was the interloper in their relationship . For a second he had wanted to let you her to her lover. But he was too selfish. He wanted any part of her he could get. Belmont might have her heart . Luke was determined he'd have her body.

 He led her through a secret path to where his coach was waiting. He'd always taken that way home when he came to call on James years ago. James had understood Luke's need to not be involved in scandal and had told him about the path through the garden. The two men had an odd friendship. It was more like a quiet comradery that had stayed on through the scandal that had followed them.

At that time , Luke had thought Carolyn foolish but watching both of them tease and laugh at each other with stars in their eyes , Luke had immediately realized that they had something that was probably worth what they had bore for it .

 The carriage ride was quiet , tension filling the air of the small closure. Missandrei was sitting as far from him as possible. It filled him with choking dread. Maybe he and Missandrei hadn't planned to be caught together and forced to marry , but he'd planned to have something more than a formal society marriage. He'd planned to be nice and civil with her, give her free rein, provide for her . Maybe one day she'd look at him with something akin to care and joy. But he saw that could never be. Missandrei would always want someone else. When they went to bed together she would stare into his eyes and imagine it was Belmont who was giving her pleasure. Nothing could be done about it. He wasn't going to compete for her. He was a Duke after all.

Tomorrow the engagement would be announced . It was time he got this over with. The coach came to a halt. The footman pulled the door open and put down the staircase. The light from outside dimly lit up the interior of the coach. Missandrei's face was too pale. Luke didn't like it . He wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her , make that sparkle come back to her face but he clenched his fists to avoid reaching for her. She brushed past him as she descended the carriage. She looked shaken. She stared up at him with big , expectant eyes .

"I will return to the party to prevent gossip about our leaving together" he told her "goodnight Missandrei" then the door shut in her face . Not before he saw the disappointment and pain written all over her face . It tore at him. He wished fleetingly that he'd let her lover take her home , hold her and comfort her. But the petty side he hadn't known he had rejoiced that he had come between them. And he knew in his mind that he would always try to come between them. If he couldn't have her, then Belmont won't enjoy her sole company. His mind went back to that night. Missandrei had been waiting for Belmont. If he hadn't shown up they'd have been found together and probably married by now. That left a sour taste in his mouth.