Heart Of Darkness

Chapter 55

Angelica lay in bed, turning back and forth. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Perhaps she never thought he would agree to marry her, so she was shocked.

Oh, Lord! He agreed to marry her!

Panic set it. Why? What did that mean? What was the benefit for him? But also, what should she do? What would happen now?

Calming herself with a deep breath, she closed her eyes. It was what she wanted, so why was she panicking? She turned in bed and curled under the blanket. If she became Lord Rayven's wife, what would she be called? He had no last name, so would she be called Lady Rayven?

She chuckled. It sounded absurd, yet she liked it. Having the name Rayven, she would finally be able to leave and go out without fearing people hurting or harassing her. Who would dare? As his maid, she wouldn't have that freedom. Still, for some odd reason, thinking of becoming his wife made her chest heavy with guilt.

All the benefits that would come with marrying him, she couldn't rejoice at. If she married him, she would become more than a prostitute. It would elevate her position, and people would treat her like a lady. But for Lord Rayven, it would be the opposite. People would pity him and laugh at him. All because of her.

Angelica clenched her hands into fists, thinking about it. He must know this, so why did he agree to marry her? She would have to ask him the real reason.

Then she thought of William. This marriage would be suitable for her brother. The monster he spoke about must have been Lord Rayven if this was happening. But why did he call him a monster?

Angelica kept thinking for almost the rest of the night. She kept imagining herself as a married woman, spending her days and nights with Lord Rayven to get used to the idea beforehand. But it seemed like she wouldn't get used to it so quickly. The thought alone sent shivers down her spine and made her heart race.

Forcing herself to fall asleep, she finally succeeded. When she woke up, it was still dark, but someone was in her room.

She saw the shadow of a tall man nearing.

"Lord Rayven?"

She saw it was indeed him when he stepped out of the shadow. What was he doing here?

"I couldn't sleep." He spoke with his dark, husky voice. "May I sleep next to you?"

Angelica's eyes widened, and she blinked a few times.

"Don't be shy," he said, reaching for her face. His cold fingers left a trace of heat down her cheek. "We are getting married. Soon you will be my wife."

His fingers travelled down her neck and chest, and then he grabbed the blanket that covered her. He lifted it, and she moved to make a place for him before he got under it and lay next to her. Angelica moved close to him, put one arm around his waist, and held onto him. She then closed her eyes. This felt so good.

When she opened her eyes again, she hugged her pillow tightly. At first, she was confused, and then she realized that she dreamed of sleeping next to Lord Rayven and hugging him instead of the pillow. Shocked, she almost threw the pad off the bed.

Why would she have such a dream? Had she lost her mind?

She quickly got out of bed and looked in the mirror. She needed to change from this dirty dress and comb her hair. A bath would be good, but she had no other clothes.

Leaving her room, she went to the backyard to fetch some water. She washed her arms, legs, and face. She rinsed her mouth and wet her hair to comb it with her fingers. Then she went to make breakfast. Even though Lord Rayven had told her not to call him, she still decided to put the breakfast on the table if he changed his mind. As she worked, she would hear his words from her dream.