The Wicked Game (A Wicked Game Novel) (8 page)

She did not want this at all.

She didn’t say a word but he somehow knew what she wanted. She was begging, pleading for him to save her.

So in one swift move he grabbed the Duke by the collar of his shirt, pulling him off of Miss Bennett. Andrew spun him around and looked him squarely in the eyes and planted a solid punch right on his nose. Blood began to pour down his face and before he could reach up to stop it Andrew had punched him again. The Duke responded with a thrust of his head, slamming it squarely against Andrew’s chest. Andrew thudded loudly against the wall behind him. This prompted a scream from Angela and so he turned to make sure she was uninjured.

The Duke took this opportunity to reach for Andrew’s arm but he missed and Andrew pinned him to the wall.

“How dare you put your hands on me. I am a Duke! And you—you—are nothing!”

At this point Andrew had lost his patience. He was nearly a full head taller than the Duke and noticeable stronger. Andrew grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall with such force that a painting came loose and crashed to the ground. Corning’s eyes grew wide as Andrew put more pressure on his windpipe. He was gasping for air and struggling to get away but it was useless. Andrew was not going to let him go anywhere.

“I don’t know exactly what you were doing to the lady but I saw enough to make a fair judgment. What I do know is that if I ever see you near this woman again you will have more problems to deal with than a broken nose.” Andrew reached down with his free hand and grabbed the Duke in a sensitive spot. He squeezed with all his might and the Duke fell to the ground in agony.

The Duke look up at Andrew, wide eyed and washed in red. “I could have you hang for this!” he rasped.

“Then best get on with it. But I don’t regret what I have done!”

The old man looked rather pathetic now as he wiped blood from his eyes and narrowed his stare. His pride was obviously pricked. “You are not even worth the time. Did you not hear me the first time I said it? You are nothing! Not worth the paper to file the charges, nor the effort to speak my case.”

Angela saw Andrew wince.

“But this is not over. Angela will be mine. One way or another…”

“Well that time is not now. And since you have made it clear that I am not worth your time, your business here is done. Now go!” Andrew yelled. “Get out of this house and never come back!”

The Duke struggled to his feet and stumbled down the stairs. All Andrew could hear was the sound of receding footsteps as he hurried to leave. Most likely the Duke would not stay away forever but he would stay away for now and that was what mattered.

Andrew looked over to Miss Bennett. She had fallen to the floor and looked rather a mess. She had pulled her dress back into its proper place but she had crossed her arms over her chest as if trying to hide herself. He kneeled down and offered his hand to help her up. Realization flickered in her eyes and she reached up to accept his offer.

Once on her feet Angela took one long look at Andrew and threw her arms around him. Her body was soft and warm and he thought he could feel a large amount of terror leave her body as they touched.

Angela released him from the hug but quickly clasped his hands.

“I—thank you. You have saved me from having to marry that fool,” she said somewhat composed.

“Well you are welcome, Miss Bennett. There was no way I could stand by and let him abuse you so.”

“Please,” she said smiling. “Call me Angela.”

“Thank you ma’am but I couldn’t possibly do that.”

In a rather intimate gesture, she put her finger up to his mouth to silence him. “I insist.” She paused for a moment before continuing. “We have become close enough that I believe it is called for.” She looked down at the neckline of her dress and flicked her eyes to him. She blushed and he knew exactly what she meant. They had met only twice, accidentally both times, since his arrival at the residence only the day before, and both times her clothing had been around her waist.

“Oh umm I suppose you are right…Angela.”

Now Andrew was blushing.

They both laughed nervously and Angela squeezed Andrew’s hands.

This time they were both left wondering what had just passed between them.

***

One half hour later Angela was safely tucked into her bed with a warm bottle of water under the covers by her feet and a tall glass of brandy on the table by her head.

Andrew had promptly returned Angela to her family who expectedly went bug eyed at the sight of her. The two had remained silent the entire walk back to her family, though she never let go of his hand until the very end. He had intended to think of a good tale to explain their current situation but her touch distracted him until it was too late.

And besides, the only thing he could really think about was how he should have killed the Duke. Duke or not that man was disgusting and deserved to be punished with full force. But it was more than this that was driving his anger and the comfort of her hand was making his mind foggy.

In the end he never did come up with a cover story. However, luckily for Andrew, Angela was as quick minded as he and by the time they had reached her family she had created an intricately detailed story, both hilarious and heroic.

As Angela told her family, “I passed Andrew in the hallway as I headed towards the steps that led to the terrace. I was about to place my foot on the first step when a large rat ran past me. So as it happened the sight of this rat set me to shrieking and hopping up and down. That’s how I ripped my dress you see.”

Her mother shook he head but her eyes were still transfixed on her daughter’s clothing.

Angela continued anyway. “Meanwhile, Andrew who heard the screaming and knew that the only place I could have been heading was the stairs, immediately assumed that I had fallen down them! So he threw all his tools to the floor and came running around the corner to save me!”

She paused here to gauge the reactions.

“However, when he finally caught sight of me and realized that I was actually
not
in danger, it was too late. He couldn’t stop and his momentum sent him flying down the steps instead. So I, who had suffered nothing more than a ripped dress after stepping on the hem while jumping, let out another shriek at the sight of Andrew tumbling past me, arms and legs flailing wildly. He crashed with such a sudden thud at the bottom of the stairs that I quickly fled down the steps intent on saving him!

“But you see mother, I didn’t yet
know
my dress was ripped and while I was rushing to make sure he was uninjured, I tripped on the hem and ended up tumbling down the stairs after all. Thank goodness Andrew was there to break my fall!”

At first no one spoke but then without warning, Lord Cheston himself slapped his knee and hollered with laughter. The story was so absurd it just had to be true. Soon the entire room was wild with merriment.

As it turned out, everyone was so enchanted by the story that no one thought to ask about the whereabouts of the Duke. By the time anyone remembered about him, it was well into the night and everyone just assumed that he had retired home for the evening.

Well
, thought Andrew,
she’s safe for now.
The pair exchanged knowing looks before going their separate ways. They only looked back once (or was it twice?) and smiled.

It was a secret she would hold inside her heart forever. She had been attacked, violated, and almost taken but women had no voice, especially in the world of elite families. Her family preferred the Duke for her match and if the attack had been seen, her fate would’ve been sealed. It was thanks only to Andrew, a servant, that both her life and innocence were intact.

The next morning the rain came pouring down.

She could never cry out loud for the horror she had faced, so she let the rain be her own tears, each drop a sorrow from the depths of her heart. It washed over her and the house, cleansing some of the fears that she felt inside, but it would never be able to erase the memory completely. With this thought, Angela was not surprised when the rain continued pouring for a week. The crying rain, so strong and powerful, flooded the roads to and from the country home leaving her family prisoners inside. But Angela didn’t mind and thanked the weather for this gift of solitude when she needed it the most.

During the first day of home confinement Angela took to wandering the massive country manor. The view was beautiful and calming and she marveled that she had never noticed it before. Her eyes scanned the horizon and she set them on a familiar stretch of the land; the place where she had first seen Andrew and misjudged him for a scrawny boy. Amused, she retreated into her thoughts and when she came to, she was at the stairs of the servant’s quarters.

What inside force had driven her to this place, she wondered. But she didn’t have time to ponder the thought. The sound of footsteps caught her attention and when she opened her eyes, Andrew came into focus. Her heart took a gentle leap and a peace fell over her body. His expression changed as well and he quickened his steps in her direction. They both looked down nervously.

In a fantasy, Angela hugged her heroic rescuer and cried until all her tears were gone. But she didn’t and she couldn’t. Instead she said, “Thank you,” and nothing more. He didn’t respond but he looked at her now and she could read his eyes. He understood her and she understood him. Words were unnecessary. He reached out and softly squeezed her shoulder and something changed between them.

Without knowing why, Angela was back the next day. When Andrew came down the stairs he looked surprised but that expression only lasted for an instant. Unconsciously, the pair linked hands, and with a mischievous glance at each other, they fled to the secrecy of Lady Cheston’s gardens.

***

She was smart, witty, and beautiful… and he was holding her hand! This was Andrew’s first chance to speak so intimately with a woman of class and he was determined to make it count.

“Tell me about yourself.”

She smiled at his interest and asked, “What would you like to know?”

“Anything. Everything. As long as it’s about you…”

There was coyness in his voice and Angela’s heart leapt. He was flirting with her!

“Well,” she began, “As you know I am the only female member of my family…”

Andrew raised his brow. “I know this, do I?”

Angela had no words.

“No,” Andrew continued simply. “All I know is that you’re Angela.”

She blushed and nearly fainted. She had found the man of her dreams, the only man in the world who didn’t know who society said she was. Andrew knew who she really was. She was Angela, just Angela.

“You don’t like this status. Why?”

Angela laughed. “It appears you can read my mind.”

“No,” he ran his hand gently down her right cheek. “I can read your eyes.”

She shivered and her words were breathless. “And what are my eyes saying now?”

Andrew moved in closer. “That you haven’t answered my question.”

She furrowed her brow. “A lot is expected of me. Society calls my birth a ‘divine gift from God.’ I’m overprotected and overexposed!”

“And…”

But before Andrew could continue his thought, Angela interrupted him and pulled herself away.

“Are you suggesting that I’ve lived a life of pleasure? Who are you to tell me anything about my life?” Her words were angry and sad.

Her emotion shocked Andrew and he exploded. “Oh, it’s that way is it? Maybe your life isn’t perfect but I bet you it’s a hell of a lot better than mine! What about what I’ve been through? At least you have a family! What do I have? Nothing!”

“What don’t you have? You have yourself! You’re in control of your life. That’s worth more than anything. I have no say!
I
have nothing!”

Now Andrew stepped in closer still. “You have nothing? Are you crazy? You’re a Baron’s daughter for God’s sake!”

“Listen to yourself! You said I’m ‘a Baron’s daughter.’ That’s not who I am. I’m Angela!”

He crossed his arms defensively and calmed his voice. “You ma’am, are nothing more than a whiny, selfish, brat.”

The two were now closer than ever before; their eyes locked and intense. Their first instinct was to scream and fight but their gut instinct was to kiss. Despite it all they were both in a battle to keep their hands to themselves. Somehow Andrew moved in closer and Angela followed his lead. He imagined the taste of her kiss and was about to join his lips with hers when the unexpected happened. She drew back her hand and slapped him.

This was a dangerous and wicked game they were playing. It was a game they could not win. It was a game they could not quit. They each took the lead at times but tonight Angela was in charge. She flashed Andrew a look that made his entire body blush and before he could protest, she was gone.

***

On the third night Angela reached the servants landing at the exact same time as Andrew. She wondered if he had been looking for her and secretly wished that he had.

On this evening the pair found themselves walking through the garden just as dusk was falling.

“I’m pleasantly surprised with you!” Angela exclaimed.

“Oh?” Andrew questioned though he knew exactly what she meant. “And why is that?”

She halted trying to think of a tactful way to explain. “Well, it is just that a man of your…
position
is not normally educated so extensively.”

Andrew laughed. “I grew up working for the Earl of Dillard. His son and grandson lived there. Lady Dillard let me take lessons with her grandson.”

Angela was taken aback. “You took lessons with the future Earl?”

“Well when you put it that way, not exactly.” Andrew could see that Angela was confused. “You see I was a… bond servant. Lady Dillard liked me but she knew her family would never agree to educate me. So you see, she always found a reason, every day, for me to be in the room when her grandson was taking lessons.”

“You were a bond servant?” Angela’s voice was a whisper.