The Vicious Viscount

chapter 17

Chapter seventeen

There was not a lot of things that Mabel despised, truly, her life had take a drastic turn since four years ago. From scraping of floors and walls trying to live till next day, find a shelter after barely being able to aford food, she remembered the times where bread and water was luxury in her life. She didn't care about dresses, silks, shoes, ribbons, jewelry, shopping or any number of things that the other females in her status lived with. Not that she didn't adore pretty things, she did. Just the overwhelming exensation that came to her whenever she realised where she was had gotten to her. But she never care enough about it, because she knew there were a garuntee.

There was never a garuntee in anything in her life, she only lived for less than a handful of things. The first being her aunt, where it not for the hard surcumanstances that drifted them apart she would not be with her father.

Wheter that was a blessing or a sin she had not been sure til this day.

But she had never tried to find her father, thinking he was cruel and abonded her just like the tales all of her fatherless friends used to tell. From that she had not even bothered to know his name, who he was, why he left her. Simply because he was expected to.

And god if she had not regreted to think that way. How hard it had been to be able to believe that her father was searching for her, he found her in a rotten place, where death seemed better. Where anything seemed better. And he had shared how in fact her mother left him for another man when he had financial struggles , one that was wealthier. She had also robbed him from his daughter, he sent men up in north, scotland and irland never knowing that she was a hair strand away, in london.

Because her aunt kept her safe.

As she watched her reflection seeing the pain visible in her face she blotched some powder on her cheeks to seem lively, as a lady should be.

"After all.. the apple doesn't fall far from the tree"

Six years and that god damn words had lived with her, how much different could she be from her mother? She left a man... a man who she loved, a man who perhaps saw more than the flimpsy poor bastard child she was. The only man who ever would. And for that she had never tried finding a husband, let alone go to balls.

It had been simply impossible, to imagine loving someone and having to live as she did know with half trues and lies. when the time came and he would know who she was.. would the man stay with her? Try to hear her out? She hardly believed any man would.

And now she was going to attend a bloody ball! For the first time in her life. Not only where every nerve in her body practically shaking, but questions were eating her up, regarding Malcolm. Why did he have to kiss her? It had been nothing but a proof that their passionate and chemistry had not died out but fired and burned even hotter. She touched her lips and felt it plump from his rough action hours ago. She wondered if it was visible for anyone, it would not be a shock considering that her maid had asked if anything had occurred when she came back.

Oh none at all, just a tryst with the viscount himself. None to much.

"My lady, you are expected downstairs, shall I be of any help?" her maid strode in, making her sit up straight and watch the expensive bodice clung on her bosom like a second skin, it was utterly scandalous had she herself a word on it. But balls tended to be extravagant and showing of skin was requirded apparently, "None that I can think of, do tell Mrs. Standford that I will come any soon"

"It was not Mrs. Standford, my lady. Lord Grey is waiting downstairs, had you not been informed that he was to escort you?" the maid continued as the previous collected expression she had droped, her eyes widen and she inhaled sharply, "Is that so? Then we should not make him wait,"

And with that Mabel stroded out of her bedchamber, just what in the hell was the man doing? Trying to show that he had some kind of intrest in her when it was impossible.

You sick fool.. he has intrest in lady stephanie, the sophiticated and much more elegant version of you, the voice in her mind echoed. But she did not care, because one thing that both Mabel Coster and Lady Stephanie shared was feelings and emotions.

He would be the downfall of her excistence if not preventing it before. Coming downstairs she was not ready for the sight, her breath hitched and where it not for the stair handle her knees wouldve wobbled, because there he stood looking painfully striking with waistcoat and completely groomed,   the one man that still had the power to turn her up side down, thankfully he was standing side ways and had not caught her reaction, but he did hear her last footsteps, his head whiped over his shoulder and she sucked in her stomach from the intense both warm and dark gaze of his, he was not even ashamed of hawking at her openly.

He watched and lingered on places that made her body tingle, and how she came in front of him was a mystery, "May i?" he started and took her glove covered hand, before she could understand his words he brought it to his lips, she froze her glove covered hand burned feeling like it was her skin instead, she was watching him lift his head and drop her hand slowly. There felt something remarkebly different behind his eyes, yet like a lost memory, "You had not needed to escort me tonight," she broke the silent tension, it was as if the bubble that held their intense locking gaze stoped as he blinked, "It is the least I could do for my behaviour today, I come to believe that I am most certaintly not myself around you, my lady.. in a span of two weeks I have apologised more than to anyone" his lips turned into a grin that almost made her smile, almost.. werent it for him calling her lady, it seemed that they were back to honorific titles.

Fine with her, it was just what she needed to stop this maddening thing, to be formal with him was excatly what she needed. "My lord, you are forgive, I myself has behaved nothing of myself," in that record there would be no line crossed.

He smiled fully taking her breath with him, "Well, lets not linger any longer,"

She walked behind him when they went out of the doors, she wondered what the point of owning so many houses and ground, "Thank you" she breathed as she entered the carriage. The hair in her neck stood up when she felt him sit very close to her, she could feel the wave of his fresh cologne and expensive soap, he had not made a try to move. Neither would she.

The carriage was In three words, suffocating, torturing, hot. Especially when he did not hide to glance at her, longer than necessary. Out of the corner of her eyes she could sense him narrowing his eyes at her until she could not take anymore, her skin was burning, her breath was labored, and he was sitting close, "My lord, has no one told you It is inappropriate to stare at someone like your doing?" she blurted out without thinking, and by the wolfish grin on his face she wished to take it back, she quickly diverted her gaze, "And exactly how am I staring?" he was jesting with her, she could sense it from the playfulness in his tone and his gleaming eyes, her cheeks burned trying to form any words that was approprate, she could not say that it looked like he would ravish her any second or that he wanted to kiss her, again.

"You—you know what I mean,"

"I believe I don't"

"you do" she shot back, he grinned more his eyes droping from her eyes to her lips, she gulped as her throat worked silently. His gaze wandered back to her eyes, "But there has been something In my mind about you.."

She wondered what he meant but his words was like a melody, it had not needed to make sense for her to understand, she just listened to it. But he continued, "Every time I see you, I see someone else.. and god if I know why," he muttered, his eyes once again droping to her lips and she followed suit, her mouth went dry as he leaned closer and with a blink of eye he caught the nape of her neck and crushed his lips on hers. His soft lips seeked her for a more passionate and through kiss, she granted him the excess feeling as If the carriage couldn't get warmer, she was burning, and he seemed to as he brought them closer, he made a sound at the back of his throat and fisted her hair, Mabel wrapped her hands around his neck and toyed with the nape of hair on his neck, "This Is.. maddening" he said in between kisses as she was in a moment where nothing else but being kissed by him mattered.

And the guilt was only stretching, she could not bare to think him finding out.

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