Pink Is The Color Of Infatuation

Chapter 16

Xael felt liberated in a certain sense. It felt good to be angry. To admit that she was angry. And in a way, making him suffer was a bit more fulfilling than she thought it would be. Yet no matter how much she ignored him or ordered him to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner in the parlor alone, it didn't make her feel any better.

She had been nothing but mean to him for a week straight and it still left her feeling empty and utterly ridiculous.

She confined him to one area and forbid him to drink any alcohol. He had stared at her as if she were mad but to her surprise he had obliged. It felt more like he was merely humoring her, waiting on her angry to simmer down.

All of her ideas of revenge were nothing short of childish and they didn't really seem to affect him nearly as much as she wanted them to. He almost always shrugged them off and it irritated her to no end. She couldn't seem to get to him the way he got to her and it pissed her off.

She wanted to torment him, to get him back for all the humiliation he put her through but it seemed useless on her part.

She smoothed her dress down, her hands passing over her belly. She hadn't told him yet...truthfully she was afraid to. She had noticed that her stomach was beginning to grow and she was sure that it was growing obvious by the weeks. She just hoped he didn't notice.

She exited the bedroom and walked slowly down the stairs just as a knock on the door sounded. There was no maid around so she simply answered the door herself. A well-dressed footman stood with an envelope in hand.

"Mrs. Abigale Maxwell requests that you attend her luncheon." He mumbled. He bowed courteously before handing it to her. She took it and closed the door as he walked away.

She pulled the envelope open and read the invitation. It was simple, asking that Alexander and a guest attend the luncheon. She was sure that it was just a ploy to cause more gossip. Everyone was simply curious about the whole mistress drama and knew that inviting Alexander meant that Xael would be on his arm.

She tsked, her face turning read at the thought of it. So many people only saw her as a harlot now, not knowing that she was actually the brute of a man's wife. She wished she could embarrass him the way he had embarrassed her.

Then he's understand...She stared at down at the letter just as a plot popped into her mind. Why hadn't she thought of it before? The best way to get back at him was to show him how it felt to be humiliated. She straightened her back and headed toward the parlor, where she knew he would be. She pushed the door open, only to find him napping comfortably on the sofa. She moved into the room and shook him awake.

He blinked up at her in confusion.

"We're going to go to a luncheon today. Be ready in an hour." She mumbled to him authoritatively before turning on her heels and disappearing out of the room.

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Xael looked herself over in the mirror. She looked absolutely indecent. She had decided to go with another pink outfit. Pink clashed with her red hair and tended to cause her to stick out like a sore thumb. Her hair was held tightly in a beat chignon with several strands curled and running down the back of her neck. She had spent the last hour altering her dress so that it hung off her shoulders, exposing more skin than inappropriate for any outing. She looked like the definition of a mistress. This was what everyone saw her as and a mistress is what she would be. She'd show him, she mussed. She'd show him exactly how it felt.

She headed down the stairs, calling out his name as she stood by the door with her wrap around her shoulders.

He walked out of the parlor and met her at the door, dressed neatly in his evening coat. She didn't utter another word to him as they headed out and into the carriage. She told the footman where they were heading and silence ensued for the next couple of minutes.

The ride felt incredibly long, the silence stretching out for longer than it should have. She hated it but refused to give in. He hated but knew that this was her period to seek revenge and thus stayed silent.

The carriage came to an abrupt halt and the footman opened the door, allowing them to climb out.

They both slid out and headed toward the luncheon site. There were a few others headed toward the party as well.

They walked inside and several maids offered to take their coats and wraps. Xael grinned before handing her wrap over to one of the maids. The soft intake of breath she heard from not only the maid but Alexander himself only made her nervous. She knew how she looked damn it, she was not going to wuss out now.

She thanked the maid before making a beeline toward the dining room. Alexander reached her quicker than she anticipated and snatched her by the wrist. Yanking against his chest. "What in God's name are you wearing, woman?" He seethed, blinded by jealousy at the very thought of anyone seeing so much of her.

She blinked up at him, batting her lashes, trying to be as sensual as she possibly could. If he wanted a mistress, that's exactly what she would be. "I assure you I don't have the slightest clue what you mean. I always dress like this. Don't you like it, darling?" She purred loud enough for the guest walking by them to hear.

Many of them stared at the two of them with interest, their lips already moving.

Rage spread across his face and his grip on her wrist tightened. "Xael." He warned, his voice growing deeper with anger.

She snatched her wrist away and scowled at him. "Stop it."

"Enough. You've made your point, you've gotten your revenge, now let's go and get your wrap and leave." He snapped.

"No. You can leave if you'd like but I'm staying. We were invited and I intend on accepting the invitation with or without you. Besides, maybe you should leave, with you gone I'm sure I can find someone else to entertain to me."

His eyes narrowed at her words.

She noticed. A sexual grin played across her lips, "The season has barely begun, I can only imagine how many gorgeous, young bachelors await me."

"I'll kill any man who looks in your direction. Is that what you want? For me to commit murder?" He said with a calm that did not reflect in his eyes.

She shrugged as if she didn't care, though her heart was pounding at his words because...well, she believed him. She was sure that she had never seen him so terrifying before.

She swallowed the lump growing in her throat, trying to mask the nervousness she felt in the pit of her stomach. She grinned despite the worry she was feeling. "You wouldn't dare! I can talk to whomever I please, Alexander. I don't need your permission. And if you dare to interrupt my dealings with another man here, if I choose to speak to someone, I'll get an annulment drawn up faster than you can blink!" She huffed at him before turning on her heels and storming into the room.

Alexander took a deep breath, trying to stifle some of the boiling rage bubbling up inside him before following her inside. He was done humoring her. He was done with this whole scrambled up situation. He would fix what he started today.