The Lady Yves

Chapter 16

Yoshi saw her looking around before nodding her head once and then she suddenly disappeared. He looked for Angenette who was speaking to her father and excused himself.

"I think I am going to retire for the night. Thank you for the great party and the invitation," he said graciously. "I will bring the gifts by, tomorrow."

Lord Barley pulled him aside to talk privately. "Look," he whispered. "I know you do not have even the slightest interest in Angenette that is why I need to say this. Stop letting her parade you around like that unless you are actually planning to do something. I want Angenette to be happy and she cannot be happy knowing that you do not like her back. The invitation you got today was just us being courteous to you because you have been good to us but you have not been good to my daughters."

Yoshi apologized.

"After tonight, I am begging of you. Please stay away from this family, especially Freedom because you are going to cause more harm than good."

"Lord Barley-"

"No, Yoshi. My family is falling apart because you and Freedom chose to lay with each other knowing very well the consequences of that. I want to see you nowhere near this estate starting tomorrow. You may retire."

Lord Barley walked back to his wife and Yoshi stood dumbfounded before he walked out of the ballroom.

If he was no longer welcome here, he wanted to at least say a few word to Freedom so he looked around until he found her in the kitchen, alone.

She turned to look at him and before she could say anything, he had snatched her up into his arms, hugging her so tightly he almost suffocated her as she hugged him tightly around the neck, kissing him on top of the head.

He put her down and stared at her with disbelief as he brushed his hair back. Then he crashed his lips on hers and she breathlessly held on to him, returning the vigour with which he kissed her.

"I missed you. You look beautiful," he breathed, a gleam in his eye as he stroked her cheek.

She smiled shyly. "You look handsome."

He quickly looked around to make sure that there was no one to see them then he pulled out the maid dress he had seen earlier as he came in and gave it to her to change into. When she was done, he opened the door and led her out into the gardens, planning on not taking her too far.

"Were you running or did you ride a horse to this event? You looked wind whipped when you came in."

He laughed, still holding her hand. "Junior refused to bring me. I had to improvise so I rode. It felt good too."

"Why would Junior refuse you when you pay him?"

Yoshi stopped. "He knows about us and he was adamant that I should stay away from you."

Freedom nodded. "He is right. All the people that know and do not want us together are right. This is so dangerous, Yoshi. And I am hurting many people by doing it."

"Let us go somewhere that we'll be accepted then. We can run away, Freedom. There is an island very far from here and there, they even marry people like us. We can do it all if you will run with me."

"If you do that, I will tell father," the voice of Angenette suddenly said.

They turned around to find her seated on one of the garden benches, staring at the star splattered sky. She had been sitting there a while, contemplating, when she heard their voices coming in her direction.

Yoshi let go of Freedom's hand. "Angenette-"

She silenced him by putting an index finger up. "Freedom is my sister and you have no right to be doing this to her. I know you do not want me, Yoshi but you cannot want her. I have tried countless times to seduce you but you just will not budge. I was doing it for Freedom to hate you so that she would leave you alone. I know it was horrible but it seemed like the only way to put an end to this.