Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 97740 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97740 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
I look up and see them. Three horses, two black, one white, heading our way. The highwaymen. For the first time in days, my blood rushes with excitement. Chaos ensues, people screaming and running, and I stand there, silently encouraging the wild horses, mesmerised by the majestic creatures cantering towards me.
‘Hell,’ Frank blurts, grabbing Clara and pulling her close. ‘We need to move.’
‘I’m fine where I am,’ I declare, following their path, watching them come closer and closer and closer. The promise of something interesting to write about is suddenly monopolising my brain.
‘Eliza,’ Frank yells, just as I am barged from the side. I look up and find Johnny glaring down at me. ‘What is it with you and wild horses?’ He takes the bare skin of my elbow and speaks to Frank. ‘If you remain on the edge of the path, you should be safe. Now, excuse me a moment while I borrow your sister. I would ask her betrothed, but he appears to have scarpered.’
Frank frowns as he searches the vicinity for Frederick, and Clara chuckles as I am hauled away into a nearby alleyway with absolutely no regard for potential spectators. It matters not that everyone is most likely distracted by the highwaymen. He has a rather bad habit of manhandling me, and I can’t say I appreciate it. ‘Let go of me, you big oaf.’
‘An oaf is what I am, and I, where you are concerned, Eliza, do not mind remaining as such, but you will shut your mouth for a mere moment and hear me out.’ His hand seizes my jaw and holds me still as his body, oh, his glorious, hard, familiar warm body, holds me against the wall. His mouth comes close. His eyes flick from mine to my lips, back and forth, as if he simply cannot decide which to focus on. He settles on my eyes. His narrow. So do mine. ‘Promise you will hear me to the end.’
‘I promise nothing to a man who has hoodwinked me into his bed with false promises of—’
‘Of what, Eliza? I have promised you nothing. In fact,’ he goes on, his jaw becoming progressively tighter, ‘I do believe I explicitly informed you of my desire to not promise you a damn thing.’
‘That may be so, but I distinctly remember you telling me you loved me. That was cruel, Your Grace.’
‘It was not cruel, because it was the truth. And you may not call me Your Grace.’
‘Of course. Because there is nothing graceful about you, is there, Your Grace.’
‘You infuriate me.’ And he slams his mouth on mine, kissing me hard, and I am a slave to it. ‘And yet I cannot resist your allure, Miss Melrose.’ And I his, it seems. ‘Now, listen to me and listen good.’
‘Or else?’
‘Do not test me.’
‘You have a nerve.’
‘Indeed I do.’ He pushes away from me and straightens out his jacket.
‘Did you entice me into your affections to exact revenge upon Frederick?’
Jaw ticking, his frown deepening into a scowl, he thinks for a long, hard time. I have no idea why, unless, of course, he is considering lying. ‘Yes.’ He spits out the word as if it’s poison on his tongue.
‘Then I am afraid I must depart.’ Why I am speaking so politely I do not know, for I am raging on the inside. But I must not allow him to see my inner turmoil. My hurt and anguish. I have already given this monster my innocence. I refuse to lose my self-respect to him also. Or, at least, any more of it. ‘Excuse me.’ I refrain from touching him, scared of where that may lead me, and move past him.
‘Eliza, wait.’
I keep moving. Just keep moving!
‘Eliza, you cannot walk away!’
‘Yes, I can!’ I shout, whirling round, suddenly quite dizzy with rage. ‘This may have been a fun game to you, but in the process I have surrendered what little bit of freedom I had for the sake of your freedom, and for what? To learn that you have taken advantage of me. Stolen from me. Forced me into a marriage to a man I am not meant to be with!’
‘Then do not marry him.’
‘I am not the only one backed into a corner here, Your Grace. Besides, if I do not marry him, they will lock you up and even after everything you have done to me, I cannot with good conscience pardon that.’ Turning, I walk away, barely holding on to my emotions, but I do, if only to save myself the inevitable questions from Frank upon my return to him.
‘I won’t give up, Eliza. Where you’re concerned,’ he yells, unbothered by being heard, ‘I have no boundaries.’
He’s never lived by boundaries. Now should be no different. This isn’t simply about keeping Johnny out of prison but keeping my father away from financial ruin too.