The Vicious Viscount

chapter 28

Chapter twenty-eight

One day later

"Ms. Hastington, my lady, please you need to rest, your burning up" her maid was nagging and forcing her back to bed, but Mabel did not want to, she had her aunt as responsibility, to watch her eat and take a stroll around the garden—it seemed like the maid knew her distress, "Leave your aunt to my care.. my lady you might faint any second, do you think your immune to sickness" her maid playfully joked making the corner of mabels lips lift, "I believe that, elizabeth" the sharp intake of surprise made Mabel realised what she had said.

The maid watched her in silent before asking, "H-how did you know my name? my lady—" she shook her head like it was impossible.. well when you were a wealthy lady with tons of maids and servants one would believe it was hard to keep a track on their names, especially if there were new ones.

Mabel chuckled softly as the burn seemed to increase, "How could I not? Had I ever told you that my middle name is Elizabeth" she lied smothly.

The maid than chuckled in understandement, thinking it was impossible for her to recall her name. and stubborn was the maid too, she had demanded for her to sleep, taking place of her demanding father who probably informed her to keep an eye on her.

With a groan Mabel told herself she would only sleep for an hour, an hour only. She would let herself rest that much.

"Noo.. Mike.. no, please no," she was twisting and turning in bed as the nightmare of her supposed first born baby. It was an nightmare where she could hear his yelling sound and not being able to see him, she jolted up from the bed and breathed heavily like a caged animal. Throwing the covers from her legs she did not bother to call for a maid and instead strooled out of her bedroom and down the stairs, her aunt was in no sight, the relasation that it was still evening she thaught they had gone to take a fresh breath. She needed it herself, "My lady can I prepare something for you" an servant came out of the kitchen, Mabel shook her head, "No it is not needed. Has Elizabeth informed you where she took my aunt?"

When the servant told her Mabel did not bother to bring a coat, instead she rushed towards the door , the same time It was flunged open. Her footman was in front, "My lady, a gentleman is here to see you" Martin said and Mabels mind cast to the last time a man asked for her,  Lord Lewis used to nonstop visit her until she lied that she was travelling outseas, suddenly Martin steeped aside, her entire body stiffened in a battle of readiness, she heard the deep sound that penetrated to her soul, "Mabel"

Her legs quivered beneath her as she saw a lean dark- haired man steps away from the gates of the house I't cant be she thought, blinking hard to clear her vision, which must surely have been playing tricks on her. "Malcolm" she whispered and took a hestitant step forward. The rest of the world seemed to vanish, the footman and everything. Malcolms face was pale beneath the poor attire he wore in this cold weather, he stared at her with searing intensity, as if he feared she might disappear. His stride quickened, and as he reached her, she was seized and caught in a biting grip. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her hard against him, "My god" he muttered, and buried his face into her hair. Mabel was in a state of shock, she could not believe he was here, he was here. Crushing her into his embrace, holding her tightly as if she was a foam that would disappear. "You're here" Mabel gasped, trembing all over, "You're here" she couldn't conceieve how it was possible. He smelled of horses and a scent that was only his, and his clothes were chilled from the cold air. Feeling her shiver Malcolm drew her tightly inside his coat, murmuring loving words as she whispered thickly," Have I gone mad? Are you truly here"

"Im here" his voice was low and shaken. "I'm here and im not going anywhere"

He drew her back silently, his gaze scouring her from head to toe. It seemed that in that moment Mabel knew it was not another hopeful dream, when it seemed to true to be a dream she recoinelled like he burnt her and took several steps back, their breath heavy, his eyes filled with regret and pain that was so visible it tore her. But she could not let her emotions control this, because he couldn't just come back throwing checks at her like she was nothing but a piece of dirt, he seemed to read her thoughts, "Mabel, my dear.. I know you probably don't want to see me, not speak with me, but I have to let you know. I have been a fool, a stupid fool, for ever—ever—doubting you, for-----" she cut him off so coldily, "It does not matter, as you said the past—" he reached her desperately grasping her burning hands between his shivering cold onces, "It bloody matters! It does now! For I had not known the truth..." his once burst turning a whisper at the last sentence,  and she met his distressed eyes, the truth? What---"You never knew of your mother, why hadnt you told me the truth" he rasped out, his breath now shaky. Her breath hitched, how could he know?

Mabel yanked her hands away from, "I don't know where you got that from—" then it occurred to her that her father was gone, he could possibly not.. dear god!, "Your father told me everything, I should have listened—I should have—" his voice broke and she couldn't take it any more, to see him breaking. With a strength she did not have she bit out, "I did not tell you that night either, it was not your fault now can you go" her cutting voice was as if she struck him, because he shoook his head desperately, "I wont go—I wont ever go, now that I have known the truth, I will beg for your forgivness, I will wait—"

"Don't, don't wait for me, live your life the way you had been doing before, i will the way I have been doing"

He watched her spinningly after nonstop riding on his horse for his life the effect had seemed to hit him, but he stood his ground, he would not let his tired and exhausted body take over what he wanted to say—no what he needed to say, "Darling, my love, my life is nonexisting without you, I cant live without you," he shook his head like the thought was more frighetening than death, then burning in the hottest flames, then drowning in the deepest ocean, losing her was more scary. He could not bare to loose her again.

Mabels heart squeezed in pain, her eyes stung as they gazed in silence, his not being controlled by his tight muscles who he usually wore, no all of his emotions showed, agony and misery that surged deep in, "I—we can't," she closed her eyes, but he had already came to her, his hands crawdeling her face urging her to look at him, his breath faned her skin, "We can, we can," he muttered over her skin, she closed her eyes tightly breathing for control, she could not.. she could not.. not when he---

"Don't do this—don't- we had already gone separate ways, why have you came back" she sobbed silently, he caressed her cheek with his thumb so soothingly and slowly, like he needed to touch her, "Because I love you.. I had never stoped loving you" he whispered achingly rubbing his nose over hers, she opened her eyes in horror and tried to back away but he wouldn't let go, "I do, I---" he continued, with a sharp burst she cut him, "Don't!" he was shocked to see her like this, he had expected her to throttle him and anger above all, but the denial in her voice had shocked him.

She separated them by pushing away from him and he let her because she was trembling into sobs, "I love you, I loved you, so much that I never wanted anything bad to happen to you---" he was tensed at the past sensed she used.. loved him.., he interrupted her, "You were threatened, that bastard threatened you, damn you do not deny it!.." anger came to him at the memory of what his uncle ruined, it had not been enough to see his blood filled face, he wanted to kill him.

A mask of compsure came over her, like she would succed in getting him away. As if he would leave again,

Again

Had it not tore her the way it did him? Had she not desperately missed him?. Did she truly want him gone after everything they had suffered?.

"don't give up on me.. on us," he started before continuing, "One chance, I ask you for one chance to let me show you how much I want you, love you, treasure you.." he droped down and crawled her waist against his head, gone his pride, arrogance, concietness.. he would beg for this woman. Mabel sobbed wanting to sink her fingers in his hair, but she bit her lip as he cradled her waist closer, she could feel the shake of his body

He was crying.

The silence strecthed of both of their bodies reacting with sorrow and pain, he lifted his gaze but did not stand up, "My love, my love" he tried but she shook her head slowly, even if it hurt her. Even if she deep down wanted him she could not be remebered. Remembered of what she shared with him.

"I cant"

"Who is it" he grounded out and regreted the moment the jealous words left his mouth because she reacted in fury, "See, the past will always haunt us, you will always believe I'm not faithful, just like my mother, love is about trust, we never seemed to have that----"

"We can"

"We cant!" she bursted, everything she tried to supress, her emotions, her feelings

As he was again about to open his mouth she lost it, "We cant! We cant! Because I cant stand to live seeing your face and being remembred of our son!" she cried.

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