Pink Is The Color Of Infatuation

Chapter 12

"You can't shoulder all the weight from a past mistake! You had nothing to do with it all!" Xael tried to reassure her virtually distraught mother, hugging her close.

Her family's debt had been paid off years ago but paying it off had left little to the Beckwith family name other than a useless title and an overly large estate. Xael had never known how much money was issue for her family. She had grown up quite spoiled. She had never known that things were getting as bad as they were until she was old enough to understand that they were broke. They barely had enough to pay the staff let alone live the life of luxury they had led when she was a child.

Her father had died years ago, he had had a serious heart condition that only seemed to worsen with each year, the stress had finally gotten to him and he had died. With no one to help with finances they had taken to other methods. Selling their horses and small acres of land but the money was never enough to help with anything. They had exhausted all other resources and the only thing left was finding a rich husband.

"I'm okay...I promise, I am...in fact, I came to tell you," she gulped, "I'm happy with him."

Her mother stiffened up, wiping at her red eyes. "Oh, don't lie to me...I'm not an idiot. I can tell when you're unhappy. I know when you're lying to me."

Xael smiled softly, "I thought that would work."

"Well, it didn't," Her mother grabbed her hands, "Let's forget about the money."

"What?"

"We'll have an annulment drawn up and you'll be free, darling! You'll be free to marry whomever you choose and I won't interfere ever again." Her mother said.

Xael shook her head no. She loved her mother but she knew that they needed the money. Having a title meant nothing if you were penniless. Her mother had no special skills. She had been raised merely to marry and procreate, leaving her with no source of income would not bring Xael any relief.

"No, mum. It's a wonderful thought, to be free of him but to leave you with nothing would not make me happy. An annulment would do me no good. It's much too late for that."

"Don't worry about me! You-," she cut her mother off, "I'm pregnant."

Her mother's mouth fell open. Tears brimmed in her eyes and she cried. "Oh...darling!"

They hugged and Xael sighed, "Please be happy for the baby."

Her mother nodded. "You've always wanted grandchildren. Now you get one." Xael said with a forced smile, trying to coax her mother out of the guilt shrouding her.

Xael stood then, running her hands down her dress. "I really must be going now. And as for that," heavy footsteps echoed the arrival of a rather angry looking Alexander and all he heard when he walked in was, "Annulment."

Her mother hopped up and all the color drained from Xael's face. The rage in his eyes said it all.

He stomped into the room, grabbed her by the arm and dragged her toward the door. Her mother chased after them as best she could, finding it hard to keep up with his long strides.

"Wait! Wait! You mustn't be so rough with her, she's-," Alexander cut her off as they made it to the front door, scowling darkly, "We had a deal. You stay away from Xael and I finance you. The deal's off."

Her mother gasped. Xael struggled in his arms as he began to walk again, heading straight for his carriage. "No! Please, don't do this! It wasn't her fault! I came here on my own...I-I, she didn't know I was coming!" Xael cried as he placed her inside the carriage and slammed the door behind himself as the vehicle moved.

The expression on his face was dark. "It doesn't matter, you both broke the deal."

"Would you have had her turn me away?" Xael cried.

He narrowed his eyes at her, "Yes! If she really wanted the bloody money she would have turned you away!"

Xael gasped...did he honestly expect her mother to be so greedy? "You're so cruel!" She snapped at him.

He stared at her with hard eyes, the word annulment constantly repeating itself in his head. "Enough, Xael!"

"No! I've had enough of you! She's my mother! She's all the family I have left!"

He grabbed her by the wrists, yanking her up against his chest, "You have me now!"

"I don't want you!" She snapped once more, her fist pounding against his chest, "You're absolutely awful! You've been nothing but cruel to me! How could you expect her to toss me out?"

"She tossed you to the wolves for money, how hard would it have been to toss you out to keep it?" He said through grit teeth.

She gasped but before she could answer the carriage came to a halt and he climbed out, pulling her along with him. She struggled with him all the way inside.

When she refused to climb up the stairs herself he threw her over his shoulder and walked her up them himself. He tossed her onto the bed in their bedroom, slamming the door shut behind them.

She bounced hard before turning to glare up at him as he approached her. She sat up quickly, scooting up the bed, kicking up the sheets as she went.

"Don't touch me! I'll never sleep with you again! You brute!"

He ignored her, grabbing her by the ankle and yanking her down the bed toward him. She squealed, kicking her feet out. He pinned her down before kissing her like a starved man. She slapped his back, trying to pry her lips away but after a while she gave up, the lack of oxygen stopping her.

He pulled away, allowing her time to breath. "You honestly think I'll let you go? You're mine."

She grit her teeth, raising her hand she slapped him across the face. It shocked it because it actually stung. She had put a lot of power into. Her eyes watered and she sucked in a breath, "I hate you."

Something inside of him snapped at that moment. His eyes widened. This was the first time that she had uttered those words. It was always apparent in her big brown eyes but to hear her actually admit to hating him stuck more than any beating he could receive.

He yanked her up and across his lap, she gasped as his hand came down on her bottom. She tensed up as he did it again. She choked on a sob, tears running down her face, he raised his hand to do it once more but froze up entirely when she began to cry.

He cursed underneath his breath, feeling deflated and absolutely evil. He gripped her by the arms and hauled her up so that she was straddling him. She shook in his arms and he held her close, one arm around her and a hand buried in her hair.

He kissed her cheeks, tasting her tears. "Shhh...Don't cry, please."

She continued to cry. Her emotions on a downward spiral and all of them bursting forward. She pounded against his chest with her small fist, "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! You're awful!"

"I know, sweetheart, I know." He said softly, trying to soothe some of the pain he had caused but it was much too late for her tears did not stop for a long while.

Once she stopped, she grew still in his arms, her eyes closed. She was asleep and even in her sleep she looked exhausted. He sighed, kissing her forehead before gently depositing her into the bed.

As he pulled the blankets over her body he knew...he was in love with his wife.

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