The Earls lie or a scoundrels promise

a beautiful angel stood in his doorway

Chapter 13 - a beautiful angel stood in his doorway

Blake waited, waited until the house settled and he could no longer hear moving bodies or the light patter of the servants finishing their duties, the house began to creak as the night settled upon it. He'd stripped off his coat hours ago in agitation. His shirt was loose and the night was uncommonly hot. It felt like a blanket sat thick in the air around him, smothering the breeze that had been so welcome before. He recognised that thickness to the air, a storm was brewing. He waited.

He woke, having drifted off into a light slumber atop his bed, he'd laid down as he debated going to find Elizabeth. He sat up in a panic, ten minutes.He rubbed the back of his neck and stretched it out feeling the crick loosen as he did so. He took one look in the mirror which sat atop the small beuro in his room, he looked like shit. He felt like shit, ever since she had refused him. Ever since he'd found out what the bastard had done to her. He wondered over to the basin and splashed his face with water. He sat once more upon his bed, removing his shoes and let his bare feet touch the cool floor. He would be less likely to make noise this way. He leaned over to find the small box which lay in his jacket. His mother's ring. The weight of it in his hand, he'd had it ready, to give to her. He was so pleased he had never presented it to Melissa, he wasn't sure at the time why but it all made perfect sense now. In his gut he must have known something, someone was out there waiting for him.
He opened the box with the flick of this thumb, diamonds sat on either side of a beautiful oval cut emerald, so similar but lacking compared to her beautiful eyes. Fate had a funny sense of humour. He realised he didn't even know what he was going to say, he just had to find a way to change her mind. He was about to make his way to her when he heard the soft turn of the doorknob, followed by the quiet click as the door shut. He smiled to himself.

She had come.

He didn't look up as he spoke to quietly shut the ring box 'I didn't think you would come.' He stayed where he was and heard the rustle of skirts move closer. He had yet to look into her face because he knew it would undo him. She stood before him and her skirts brushed over his bare feet.

Lizzie dressed in one of her nicer, night gowns, despite being completely covered, it left little the imagination, she had stood in front of the mirror for nearly half an hour persuading herself to wear it, she watched as the dim light of the candles outlined her curves. Which she realised was completely ridiculous because they had made love completely naked under a rising sun. She grabbed a shawl to cover herself a little as she padded barefoot across the dark hallways.
She wanted him, wanted him desperately. She would confront him about what she saw this afternoon. She trusted him, she realised, she had so much trust in him and she had to give him the opportunity to explain, because she felt it deep down, that there was more to it. She knew him, and she knew he was not that man he tried so hard to be for everyone else. The scoundrel. That wasn't really him. She had been so utterly stupid, was it pride? Was it that she had longed to be alone for so long she had just lost all sense of what she wanted, or simply that she had wanted to be alone, but that was before she met him. She had seen who he truly was and she hoped it wasn't too late to change her answer.

*****

Blake looked at her skirts, he had never seen her wear red before, a colour far too ostentatious for her. At the same second he did not recognise that scent, it was not her. He looked up and found not the glowing green emerald eyes he longed to see. Shit shit shit

'My love I will always come to you, I want you, I know you want me too.' Why was Melissa here? How had he been so stupid, how had he not known? She towered over him as he sat on the edge of his bed. 'Get out'  He spat through clenched teeth. She cradled his cheek 'Shhh, she won't stop us being together'
She placed her hands on his shoulders and began to run her fingers down his arms and down his back. He retracted instantly, grabbing her wrists in a vice like clamp. She smiled as if she enjoyed it. 'Melissa You're crazy' as he spoke he realised the gown she wore, was not a gown suitable for a ball room, it was cut low and her breast were completely exposed through a sheer fabric. She caught him looking and miss understood his action. 'You like? I purchased it with you in mind.' She smiled coyly. She climbed on his lap and leaned in to kiss him, before he could remove her, his chamber door opened for a second time tonight. No