Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 219(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
“D-does Rathe know?”
“I’m almost positive no one’s ever told him about the rumors, but they will eventually find their way to him. You know how it is. The people concerned are always the last to know.”
Mary nodded.
“I just wanted to warn you so you’d be on your guard.” Yanna took Mary’s hand again. “If you need to talk to anyone, Saffi and I are just a call away.”
****
“Are you sure you don’t want to go to the ball with me?” Rathe asked one last time as he started knotting his tie in front of the full-length mirror in their bedroom.
It was already the day after, and yet Yanna’s words still lingered in Mary’s mind, making her feel like she had to be extra vigilant with everything she did. Since she had no doubt Yanna’s warning was true, it meant that there was a viper in their midst, waiting to pounce on her mistake the first opportunity it had.
Meeting Rathe’s gaze through the mirror, Mary said half-pleadingly, “I t-think it’s better if I stayed here.” She knew Rathe was disappointed with her decision, but he had to understand she was doing this for both of them. She just wasn’t his equal right now, but she would do everything possible to make herself worthy of him in the future.
Thank God for people like Yanna and Camilla, Mary thought. Those women had known that it was better to give it to her straight than let her walk into a den of wolves unprepared.
While Yanna had warned her of an unknown enemy, Camilla on the other hand gave her better insight into Rathe’s thoughts. The first time she and Camilla had met, the older woman had told Mary right off the bat about rumors of Camilla and Rathe being a pair.
“But just ignore them. If we had something going on, it should have happened long before. We’ve known each other forever.”
The honest words had made Mary warm up to Camilla immediately, which was why she appreciated her friend’s heads-up about tonight’s ball.
Earlier, Mary had received a text from Camilla, one that convinced her to change her mind about attending the ball with Rathe.
Camilla: Don’t tell the duke I told you this since he’s just going to deny it to death, but the board’s been putting a lot of pressure on him lately. Something about marrying the “right” woman to put investors’ fears at rest. Yeah, whatever, right? I just thought you should know. If he asks you to accompany him to the party later, there are going to be a lot of those investors present. Expect it to be a blood bath. But still – chin up, okay?
“Mary?”
Blinking, she realized that Rathe had come to stand in front of her. He had finished dressing, and the sight of him in a gorgeous Italian suit effectively wiped away two decades’ worth of learned vocabulary.
Gah. So. Handsome. Like. Wow.
Rathe’s low chuckle had her eyes flying up at him.
“Right now,” he murmured wickedly, “I’m guessing you’re thinking I’m very, very good-looking.”
All sorts of retorts came to mind, but she ended up with, “Xihwerhtiwha.” In other words, gibberish was all she was capable of.
His low, sexy-sounding laughter rang out in the room, and then Rathe was bending down as he stole a kiss. When he lifted his head, she was breathless and dazed. And if she had to be honest, she was also more than a little sad she was not able to go to the ball with him.
“Sure you’re not going to change your mind?”
“I’m...sure.”
His eyes became hooded.
She asked worriedly, “R-Rathe?”
A odd smile played on his lips, and his tone sounded just as odd as he murmured, “Don’t mind me. I’m just feeling bereft. This is the first event I’ll be attending without you since we came here.”
As he straightened, Mary’s unease deepened. She felt like she was making a big mistake, but surely it couldn’t be?
One day, Mary told herself fiercely, she would make him see that she was only doing this for him. Tonight was all about not putting him in a position that he’d be forced to defend her, that he’d be forced to choose between her and his investors.
When Rathe was halfway to the door, Mary said impulsively, “I’ll m-miss you.”
Rathe halted. “If you really do, then why not choose to come with me?”
She couldn’t think of an answer, and she could only watch helplessly as Rathe closed the door behind him.
Was she really doing the right thing?
Mary’s absence from Rathe’s side was like seeing a ghost. It was as if she was there but not there, her presence palpable but not visible. Even now, he could not get rid of the disappointment he felt at Mary’s refusal to accompany him.
Was it selfish of him to feel this way, Rathe wondered broodingly as he watched the other guests mingle around him. He knew he should be doing the same thing, if only to quell the stupid rumors. Recently, it had come to his attention people believed he was neglecting his work because he was too infatuated with his American girlfriend.