EHI

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

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LORD STEPHAN'S POV:

He climbed down his carriage, wondering why on earth the Duchess invited him to this ball.

The last time he checked, she avoided his family like a plague or to be more precise, she loathed his uncle.

The Duchess used to be a sweet old lady, but that ended with the death of her husband.
Currently, she is just "a wealthy old witch", he chuckled silently as he recalled the name people call her behind her back. Of-course, no one had the balls to say it in her presence, not even him.

She was a force to be reckoned with, just like her husband before he died.
Frowning as he recalled the late Duke, he was a man of honor, a man who loved his wife fiercely.
He fought for what was good, and that mostly landed him in trouble with the parliament and people of power.
The late Duke was a good man, and Stephan himself looked up to him as a child.
The duke and his uncle were friends and business partners, he got to spend most of his teenage years with the duke.
Their friendship crashed when the duke was killed mysteriously in his office.
The duchess then withdrew from society and cut off ties with their family.

He had no idea why until this day, hence the surprise when he received the invitation for the coming out ball of her "niece" and from what he could remember, the Duchess had no sister.

Curiosity and Courtesy made him climb into his carriage tonight as he headed for the venue.
He needed to hurry and be done with it, he had an early meeting with the parliament by morning.
His new appointment as prime minister has kept him on his toes all season.
"Bless the old woman's heart, but goodness knows he had no time for this", he mumbled, walking stiffly into the ballroom.

He headed towards the duchess to tender his greetings, as courtesy demanded.

He was about to take a sip of his wine when his eyes drifted towards her.
His movements slowed, time stopped and a rush of breath knocked out of him.

"Maybe it's the alcohol", he thought.
Or the way her hair was up in a careless bun with little tendrils caressing down her cheekbones, or how her smile,
oh such a beautiful smile, drew him in.
Her lips were small but plump, it was just perfect.
His gaze trailed down her dress, noticing how it made her curves visible and bulged her breasts up her chest.
His trousers immediately tightened at the sight.

Her dark skin glowed brighter than the chandelier that adorned the ballroom.
But what captivated him was her eyes.
He could tell her smile did not reach them, if one looked deeply they could tell there was a hint of sadness in them and that reigned him in, like a curled up spring in his chest tightening fiercely. It made it difficult for him to breathe.

The duke adjusted his shoulders, finally regaining his composure. He kept his eyes on her as he walked towards the duchess.

"Greetings, Your grace."
"Splendid party you have here."
"As always you throw the most wonderful ball", he bowed

"Ohh, Stephan, my darling boy, don't be so formal with me."
"It's been a long time my dear boy"
"Ever so charming, she chuckled.
"How do you fair these days?"

"I've been very well, M'lady."
"How do you do?"
"I cannot say I did not hope to get one of those Christmas invitations you often send," he teased.

"My boy, I needed a break from it all and heavens know I needed time to heal"
"I hope you understand that, do not be cross with this old woman", she teased back.

"Now, enough talk."
"I need to introduce you to someone", the duchess said, as she glanced around the ballroom, searching.

He knows he should feel suspicious about the duchess's sudden niceness and urge to rejuvenate their ties after ending it for years.
But his gaze fell on her again as she walked toward them, making all the worrisome thoughts cease from his mind.

"Ahhh there you are, come my dear", she guided her forward.
"Meet my niece, LADY EHI MCNIGTTON OF WILTSHIRE"

"My dear, meet LORD STEPHAN."
"Duke and the Prime minister to the House of Parliament."
"An acquaintance and a friend of the household."

Ehi curtsied gracefully.
He stretched forth his hands, she placed hers in it, and he bent forward, planting a kiss on it.
He let it last a second longer than it should have, taking his time to breathe in her heavenly scent.
"Just like pine cones," he thought.

"Delighted to meet you, M'lady"

Even her tightly gloved hands didn't stop the tremor of electricity that jolted down his spine when he touched her.

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The conversations continued with other guests.
He nodded stiffly, trying not to look bored as they kept bringing up the issues of politics.
While the stupidly bold ones suggested some questionable business deals with no atom of legality in it.
Normally, he would tell them off with a sound warning and his signature glare, but right now, he felt like a man whom a spell had been cast upon.

Ehi has been dancing with various partners, and he had to reprimand and remind himself of how "caveman-like", it would be of him, to rip her out of the hands of those men.
Besides, he barely knew her to be this possessive.
"That's it", he thought, "he had to fix that."
He smirked as a new idea swirled in his head.
Walking straight to the dance floor, he tapped the gentleman on the shoulder,
"I believe it is my turn to dance with the lady," he said sternly.

Facing her, he leaned forward,
"May I M'lady?"

She took his hands with a tight-lipped smile, her eyes glaring daggers at him.

Smirking to himself, they twirled and glided across the ballroom.

Note
I have been waiting to write this phase in Ehi's life, and I am so excited about it💃
Who can guess what is going to happen next?
Don't forget to vote and comment, guys.