The Earls lie or a scoundrels promise

As they say, Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Chapter Eleven - And she was lost

Elizabeth couldn't rid the smile on her face. The momentous morning had set her mood all day. She had given herself to him, in every possible way. Body, heart and soul, and he had given himself in return.

She couldn't deny her feelings for him even if she wanted too. It filled her body from head to toe Not once had she thought of Baron Winters. Not once had she had one of her nightmares, and for the first time in a long time, Elizabeth felt things were changing, changing for the better.
She had reluctantly left him after the most perfect morning. They had made love during sunrise and she had felt her spirits sore with the sun. She thought they would never come down. How was it possible for one man to make her feel this way?

She watched him, as hard as she tried to keep her eyes from him, they would always find their way back to him. During the croquet match any time she risked a peek at him, she found his eyes already on her.
How would they make it through the day. It felt impossible to hide the flush of her cheeks when she found him watching her with such intent and desire in his dark eyes, Luncheon on the veranda, had proved impossible, when all she wanted to do was touch him, feel him somehow, a small touch of their legs under the table when he leaned in almost too close to speak to her. She could feel his breath on her ear and neck, it sent a frisson through her body.

'I cannot believe I shall be married in a matter of days' She smiled fondly at her baby sister

'He will make a fine husband, I knew it from the start'
She stared at her aunt, one would think she hadn't tried to sway Victoria to another suitor.

'I think my aunt, you were right' she indulged her.

She smiled at her nieces, She directed the conversation back on the upcoming nuptials and let her mind wander.

She longed to talk to him, to see him, and when she walked into the drawing room before dinner he was dressed to perfection, but it was his smile she noticed first, his smile for her.
They had spent most of the day in each other's company, as much as they could without too much attention.

Blake tried his best to remember a better day, and nothing at all came to his mind. He scolded himself over and over for having taken her innocence but how could he regret it when it had been so amazing. He had never felt so close to anyone before, like he had known her his whole life instead the short time they had only really known each other for. She fitted into his life so quickly and so perfectly, to lose her now would leave a great big gaping hole which he hadn't realised was there before. In fact he couldn't fathom, How he hadn't noticed? What a lonely existence he'd been living in the country.

It seems to obvious now, how incomplete he had been without her. He had watched her during the croquet match, her laugh as she encouraged a struggling Lord Mendham who lost his breath after a few hits. That laugh that he could pick out above all over noise, it rang across the lawn to him, sweeter than any bird song. Hed loved how she crinkled up her nose slightly, chewed on her lip as she concentrated on her shot. He'd laughed at himself, keeping his state of arousal hidden had not been easy. She did things to him he could barely control. He caught a glimpse of Melissa watching them, and realised, although he had been successful in his attempts at avoiding her, he would have to speak to her eventually.

He had to know why she was here. He hadn't given her an opportunity to speak to him, if she came to his side, or joined the conversation he would find a reason to leave. He didn't want to speak to her. But her presence made him uneasy. He had hidden it from everyone but it was time to face her, it was no coincidence she was here, he was sure of it.