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on his door.
No answer.
She knocked again, holding her breath. Still, no answer. It was nearly midday by now, but the duke had yet to rise, it appeared.
“M... M’lord, are you in there? Are you awake?” she whispered through the door, rapping calmly on its surface once more. No response came. Full of unease, Audrey took a deep breath and flung the door open, heedlessly entering, her slippers dragging across plush Persian carpets.
“O-oh! M’lord, I’m s... sorry,” she stammered, averting her eyes; a sheet swaddled about his waist, he bared his chest and yawned when the maidservant entered. He smirked, all full of lust and desire.
“You should knock before you come in,” Lord Parris murmured, his voice and his body so tempting.
“M’lord, I... I did, knock, several times,” Audrey giggled awkwardly.
“I know. And yet, with no answer, you still came in, didn’t you? A woman with initiative. I like that,” he whispered. “Shut the door,” he demanded, his voice taking that powerful and erotic tone that forced her quivering body to so wantingly obey.
“I...” Audrey thought to protest, her mind so full of questions, but she bowed, and complied. She clicked the heavy oaken door shut, turning back; still holding her gaze away from his face or his gorgeous body. “M’lord, I... I feel like we should... talk, about this.”
“Why don’t you want to look at me?” he purred, shifting on the bed.
“Wh-what? I... m’lord, you’re quite indecent, at the moment,” she stammered.
“I’m indecent at every moment,” he purred lustily. “What makes this one any different?”
“M’lord, I shouldn’t... be seeing a man, of your stature, like this,” she protested.
“Look at me, Ms. Fisher,” he asked. “You’ve had no trouble looking at me before.”
“M’lord, please, I have to beg your pardon,” she insisted strongly, resisting the urge filling every bone and muscle in her body. She heard the floorboards creak; now he stood, nude, in front of her, stalking her hungrily, just the way she secretly wanted.
“I know why you won’t look at me,” he whispered, circling her again; it all felt so familiar, the predator hungry for his simpering, sweet prey again. She wanted him to hunt her every day. “You don’t want to look at me, because you know if you do, you won’t be able to resist,” he growled temptingly into her ear, hands massaging her shoulders.
“M’lord, this... this isn’t proper!” she blurted in a wisp of a tone. “I’m...”
“Look at me,” he commanded again, his body naked, so gorgeous and so irresistible; she had to comply, this time. He had been right. She practically melted for him, her knees quaking; her cheeks bright-red as she bit her lip, taking in every part of his body.
“I... I’m sorry, m’lord, but... I don’t know about this, about this... relationship. These improprieties,” she huffed, nervous and afraid and angry.
“Haven’t we spoken about this before? You’re no mere serving-girl,” he hummed.
“But to you, m’lord, I am!” she shrilly squeaked. “I... I can’t be your wife, I can’t be your lover, I can’t bear your children, I... I can’t marry...” she began to softly sob. He encircled her in his strong arms, kissing her forehead. “I don’t... want to be a mistress,” she admitted, impassioned. The duke sighed, looking out to the windows; his gaze streaking across the rolling green of the moors.
“Audrey,” he spoke tensely, pain creased across his brow. “I don’t... a man of my place... there are certain expectations on his shoulders,” he admitted painfully. “It’s... something outside of my power. But that doesn’t mean that everything inside of me doesn’t burst with need at the very sight of you. I want you madly, and deeply, Ms. Fisher.”
“That’s...” Audrey sniffled, eyes closed in pain. “That’s what they said you’d say. That you’d take your liberties with me, saying everything to me... that I’d fall for it, and that I’d fall in love, even if I can’t have you,” Audrey tearfully admitted.
“Who said this?” the duke asked, his face twisted in muted anger as he stroked the maidservant’s hair.
“A... all of them, everyone,” she sighed in exasperation, shrinking beneath his strong grasp. “My aunt... Ms. Agatha... they told me to keep my dignity, but I didn’t,” she scraped her hands down his shoulder, the tears flowing freely.
“Audrey,” he spoke, his tone stern and warm, “do you think you’re just another woman to me? Just another maidservant?”
“I...” she sniffled. “I don’t know.”
“Station...” he sighed, looking out across the moors. “My station makes demands of me. But you’ve done something to me, something I hadn’t expected. It’s... true, what they say,” Lord Parris struggled to admit. Audrey squirmed, pain in her eyes.
“And you’re telling me I’m not just another woman?” Audrey challenged him. “I’m certain... you’ve said that to the others. Even to Ana,” she recalled.
“Ms. Rancourt and I... we had a brief affair, but she’s not a woman like you,” the lord’s expression grew vexed. “I don’t expect you to believe me. But let me prove it to you.”
