Anew (Disappeared #3)

26

Ahuil

Edward Merton stood there, frozen, as Theodosia stalked away, the memory of her slap still ringing through the ballroom. The door banged shut as she went out. The sound seemed to spur the man into action and he began to push through the throngs of onlookers, fury clouding his expression.

Running on instinct, Ahuil quickly went after his master.

"Are you alright sir?" he murmured as he caught up with Edward in the hall outside the ballroom.

Theodosia seemed to have already left. Ahuil's heart was hammering in his throat. He choked back his fury that this toad of a man had blatantly made Theodosia fall down — it was more important that she escaped to safety. It helped that the mark of her handprint was still on Edward's cheek.

"Get out of my way, Anthony," the man roared, clutching his face. "Where is that tart?"

"Gone, sir. Please, let me help you."

Edward Merton glared at him. "Damn it, I'm fine!" He looked around wildly. "Gone? Where to?"

"I don't know sir. Please, let me get you a carriage to escort you home."

"I'm not resting until I find that impudent vixen," he said furiously, his eyes casting around as if she might appear at any moment. People had begun to gather in the hall, looking scandalized.

"What are you looking at?" he roared at them and strode out into the street.

Ahuil followed and signaled to one of the footmen to fetch a cab. "Sir, she's gone. We need to get you out of here."

Edward was hyperventilating. He went pale and then looked as if he would pass out. Ahuil stepped up and caught him and put his arm around his shoulder.

"Come now, sir," he said. "A cab is waiting."

It took all of Ahuil's energy to stop from striking down the snake right then and there. Yet he had to quarantine Merton first and deal with him later. The important thing was that Theodosia had shown finally shown him — in a very dramatic way — where her loyalties lay.

He had to find her. They had to make a plan.

But first he guided Edward Merton into the carriage and climbed in after. It wasn't a long ride but the man cursed the entire time as he held his hand to his bruised cheek.

Ahuil thought hard in the Nextic language to drown out the nasty things Edward was surely saying about the woman he loved. He clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly to try to stave off the desire to push the man into the street and see him run over by several teams of horses.

They arrived at the Merton residence — a dark, imposing house just off Hyde Park. Ahuil ushered him inside. The servants stared as he went in, an obvious bruise blooming on his cheek.

Ahuil took him upstairs and into his chambers. "Sir, let me fetch you some brandy."

Instead, the man took a flask out of his breast pocket and downed a great quantity in one gulp.

"No need." He looked at Ahuil in confusion. "I shouldn't be back here. I have to find that ungrateful woman."

Clearly, Theodosia had not slapped any sense into him. Quite the opposite.

"Sir, you must have your rest. It's been a trying day," Ahuil said in his most servile tone.

He needed to get out of those chambers as soon as possible. He had gotten Edward away from Theodosia — his task was done.

"Trying?" Edward roared. He walked over to Ahuil and shook him. "By God, man, I've experienced far more than that. The woman I was engaged to just humiliated me in front of the best of London society."

Ahuil stiffened and moved back.

"She has disgraced me and will make me the butt of jokes and the center of gossip for months to come," Edward continued. "No one will take me seriously. I shall be ridiculed at the club. Other women will look down on me. How could I ever forgive Theodosia for that? She was supposed to be docile. Complacent."

"Sir, I should leave you to your evening," Ahuil said. He felt a strange tingling throughout his body, an energy that told him that he was angry and that he should remove himself from the source of provocation immediately.

But Edward wanted an audience for his rage. "Stay, man. You owe me that at least." He shook his head. "I should never have listened to my parents about that ugly cow. Been seduced by their words about her father's title and connections, the business deals and money that could be made."

He took a deep breath. "And then I saw her for myself, and I felt strangely compelled to keep her, to mold her, to dominate her. She was so unlike the sweet society women I knew. She was smart and hard to break, which made me want to break her all the more..."

"I shouldn't be in your confidence," Ahuil muttered, his eyes flickering towards the door, his stomach churning. "Why don't I call the cook about something to eat..."

But Edward wasn't listening. Instead he paced back in forth in the room, eyes blazing. "She won't get away with this insult. I will track her down, I will find her, I will force her to marry me. And on our wedding night I will teach her exactly who is the master..."

He stopped short in front of Ahuil, who felt himself flush hot, his arms tense up, his neck muscles tense, and his thoughts begin to spin in an out of control way.

"You know," Ahuil said, unable to help himself, "You really shouldn't talk about the love of my life that way." He clenched a fist. "Sorry about your face."