My Rogue Lord

Chapter six

CHAPTER SIX

"T'was quite rude of him do behave in such a manner." Katherine said scandalized.

Annabelle shrugged. "Poor man didn't understand his own feelings. I still have the scar." Annabelle lifted the sleeve of her gown until her elbow was exposed. Katherine peered at the crescent shaped mark, even now, years later, it looked less than pleasant.

"It looks like it would have been quite painful." Katherine remarked, moving away. Annabelle pulled her sleeve back down.

"Aye, t'was very painful, but not nearly as painful as Lockhart's beating." Annabelle grimaced at the memory. Edward had been furious. But he hadn't meant to hurt her, he had meant to harm the man who dared to court her, insolent man. She had tried to prevent it, resulting in her scar.

"All ended well, Lockhart had smirked in Edward's direction and had left, never boring a grudge. If it weren't for him Edward would never have come to accept or understand his feelings for me." Annabelle recalled Edward's face when she had hurt herself, he had been devastated.

"If Lord Dracmore hadn't discovered his feeling's you would not have told him or pursued your own?" Katherine inquired curiously.

"Nay, I wouldn't have. I knew I had liked him, but I doubted he liked me. I always had assumed he loathed me. After Jonathan had left, Edward was angry all the time, he wouldn't speak to anyone. He locked me out." Annabelle shrugged sadly. She remembered all too well why he had secluded himself. His parent's death in a carriage accident a year prior to Jonathan's sudden departure had left Edward in a despondent state. Jonathan leaving hadn't helped the matter.

"When he finally began accepting company he wouldn't speak to me. And if he did, he would quickly catch himself, as if he had forgotten himself. When Lockhart proposed, I thought Edward hadn't cared, until he began hitting Lockhart for taking me out to the gardens."

"Why would that anger Lord Dracmore to such extent he had to resort to violence?" Katherine frowned. Annabelle smirked mischievously. "Unbeknown to my innocent self, gardens are a place of debauchery, well, according to Edward anyway."

"That sounds..."

"I know." Annabelle rolled her eyes heavenward. "When I told Edward gardens were made for walking, he grabbed me and..." Annabelle trailed of blushing furiously.

Katherine scrunched her brows in confusion. "He grabbed you and?"

"He kissed me." Annabelle quickly said when the silence stretched.

"Oh, well..." Katherine blushed, at a loss for words.

"That occurred five years ago." Annabelle sighed.

"And you still haven't married?" Katherine questioned incredulously. "Tis, just, it seems as if the two of you care very deeply for one another." Katherine hastily assured at Annabelle's fallen expression.

"We were waiting for Jonathan's return. The berk finally decided to come back." Annabelle snorted.

"Why had he left?"

"You'd have to ask him yourself, Kastry." Annabelle smirked.

"A story for another time perhaps." Katherine smiled.

***

"Mind your manners." Edward growled.

"As if I have any." Jonathan grunted as he shoved Edward into a wall.

"Why you..." Edward snarled as he pushed Jonathan into a painting.

"I apologize! I didn't mean to hit you so hard." Edward panicked as the painting began to fall. It was comical really, a six foot something man panicking over a painting. Jonathan tried to steady the painting with one hand while the other was used to steady himself.