A Game of Deception

Chapter Eight

Minutes later, I was pushing open the door to the room I woken up in.  Alexander had escorted me back through the halls, making sure I hadn't any detours, before closing the door in my face, a lock clicking into place, securing me inside for good measure. 

I leaned my back against the door, listening for the sound of his fading  footfalls, before taking a deep breath, my eyes fluttering closed as I attempted to ground myself. It was something I'd never quite mastered in my years with Doug, but I was getting better. 

I could feel the hardwood floor beneath my feet, the door at my back, the cold draught of a cracked window. I could hear nothing out of the ordinary, just the rustle of the lace curtain and the faint chirping of birds. Ugh. My heart thundered in my chest, the ectopic beats becoming more frequent, causing a stirring in my chest and tears to prick at my eyes. 

It was impossible to convince yourself you were safe when your fears weren't irrational. 

I forced my eyes open, willing back the tears that burned. I just had to trust. To force trust in myself if not in Alexander. If I had the opportunity to run tonight, I would. I'd had enough of living at the mercy of powerful men. I'd leave, buy a coach ticket to somewhere far. I had no passport, which meant no planes. No money, which meant I'd have to steal, but I'd do it. 

My attention was drawn away from my plans as I caught sight of the new additions to the room. A black gown had been draped across the bed, its sleeve sheer lace, neckline plunging much further than anything else I'd ever worn. Alongside it lay three small boxes, each containing what I thought must be jewellery, while a pair of black heels had been placed at the foot of the bed. 

Oh god. What had I gotten myself into?

***

It was around three thirty when two women arrived to make me over, they'd ushered me into the chair while one of them had taken to wrangling my hair into something appropriate, while the other painted my face. 

Neither spoke to me as they worked, instead talking over my head to each other. At my protests that I'd been kidnapped, they'd simply laughed it off, muttering something about the women Axton attracts before going back to ignoring me. Fine. 

They left me alone just before six, half of my hair twisted into an elegant braid, the other half laying in soft curls against my back. I looked like a different person. Not the stubborn girl I'd been a few hours earlier, but a woman of sophistication, as my grandmother would have put it. 

I closed my eyes against the memory of my family, pushing it down, out of reach where it couldn't hurt me. 

Axton knocked a few minutes later, not waiting for my reply before gracing me with his presence. He strode to the centre of the room before taking me in, his eyes brushing over every inch of me, a small smile on his lips. 

"You look-"

"Nothing like myself." I finished for him. "When are we leaving?"

He seemed to want to say something more, but clearly thought better of it as he simply said, "Now. Max will brief you in the car."

I looked around the room before following him out, a tight feeling in my gut. The necklace hung heavy around my neck, as if I'd been shackled. Before we reached the door he held out his arm to stop me, pulling a length of black cloth from his pocket. 

"No." I said immediately shaking my head.

"It's either this or I knock you out again." He spoke simply. 

I considered his offer, "Can't I just close my eyes? I wouldn't peek."

"Sorry Darlin' but I don't trust you." 

I swallowed, racking my brain for an alternative before swallowing my fear. "Okay."

He stepped behind me before the material covered my eyes, his fingers skimming my cheek.

"I'm tying it loose, I wouldn't want to ruin your makeup." He said softly as he moved my hair back over my shoulder.

We emerged from the house, his hand on my arm to guide me to the car, pushing gently on my shoulder as I ducked into the car. The seat beneath me was warm, and the car smelled new, not musty as most of the cars Doug drove did.

"Its about half an hour's drive from here." Alexander said from beside me, startling me slightly as  his side door closed. "Max will be quick."

It was only then that I registered the breathing of another person. Max was in the front seat. 

"You'll be at the event for less that two hours." His gruff voice spoke. "The first hour is your time to scope out the building, get to know it. I've got the schematics and I'll be in your ear to guide you, but this will be a lot easier to pull off if you look like you know where you're going." 

Something was pressed into my ear before fingers pushed my hair back into place to cover it. "That's your earpiece. You can't speak to Max, but he can speak to you. There's a small camera in the pendant you're wearing, so don't cover it. If you need to speak to Max you've got a phone in your bag. It will only call Max, so don't get any ideas." Alexanders presence beside me disappeared as he, presumably, leant back.

"Once you've done your duties at the party and spoken with who you need to, Elizabeth, you'll excuse yourself to the ladies room and I'll talk you through it from there," Max finished. This was overwhelming, I still had no idea what this whole evening was going to look like, whether it would be easy or whether I was going to end the night behind bars... or worse.

The rest of the journey was spent with Alexander reeling off names of couples and who they were. I was to stay by his side until I excused myself, and I wasn't to speak unless spoken too. How last century. 

When we pulled into the estate, Alexander removed the blindfold, my heart leapt and refused to slow. The main building was a huge old stone manor, with at least four floors that stretched out into the expanse of gardens. How the hell was I supposed to familiarise myself with a building this size in an hour if I was glued to Alexander's side?

"There's one more thing." Alexander said quietly before pulling out a small box. "You're supposed to be my fiancé, so you'll need a ring." He opened the box to reveal a beautiful (probably fake) diamond ring, the stone at its centre larger than any I'd seen on the women I'd stolen from before. Around the centre stone were small ones that glittered like stars in the silvery white band. 

He slipped it onto my finger before I could protest and slipped out of the car. Before I could open my door he was there, holding out a hand for me. Bite your tongue, I told myself and slipped my hand into his, allowing him to escort me to the stairs that led up to the house.

As much as I tried to fight it, my eyes kept slipping to Alexanders, trying to read him as he covertly scanned the entryway. He affected an air of sophistication that I knew I could never match. 

"Are you ready?" He asked me as his eyes sought mine, his thumb running over the back of my hand.

"As I'll ever be," I said softly, as he smiled. 

"Come on then." Alexander said, leading me up the stairs and into the fray of people.