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She would never come to Vauxhall again as long as she lived.
At least now she knew why they were called the pleasure gardens. It was a disreputable place intended for libertines and whores. It was a perfect fit for the viscount.
“Calliope!”
Of course, he was coming after her. He would likely spin some sort of tale about how things didn’t look as they appeared, and how she meant nothing to him.
She didn’t care to hear any of it. She just wanted out of here.
“Calliope, please—” He grabbed hold of her arm, and when he would have pulled her to a halt, she ripped off her glove and spun around with her palm open and ready. Her hand made contact with his face with a satisfying crack!
With tears still sliding down her cheeks, she spat, “Don’t you dare touch me! Don’t you ever touch me again!”
He immediately let go of her and held up his hands in entreaty. She saw desperation in his eyes that looked sincere, but she was too furious to try to understand it. She just wanted him to hurt as much as she did. “Callie—”
“No!” She pointed an accusing finger at him. “You don’t have the right to call me that any longer. Go back to your whore and leave me alone!”
“You don’t understand—”
“Oh yes, I do. I understand perfectly.” She waved a hand around them. “You set up this little scene to prove that you don’t need anything more in your life, that you don’t need me.” She swiped angrily at her eyes. “Congratulations, my lord, for you have succeeded admirably. Everything is as clear as crystal and you may rest assured that anything between us has faded into dust, swept away by your deceit.” Her voice became a whisper, any emotion carefully locked away. “I wish I had never met you, but I suppose it’s good that I did, or else I might have made a terrible mistake by allowing my heart to overrule my common sense in believing that you could ever be trusted.”
She spun away from him and was grateful when he didn’t follow her.
Fresh tears stung her eyes, but when she turned another corner and spied Lord Abersheen, she came to an abrupt halt. “I tried to warn you, gel,” he said in his usual gruff tone. “Do you believe me now? My grandson doesn’t want anything to do with you.”
She lifted her chin and glared at him. “Then you’ll be glad to know that the feeling is mutual. I’m sure you’re pleased that I’m out of his life. I’m sure he will be as miserable as you are someday, and I hope you both rot in hell for it.”
Calliope moved past him, not bothering to wait for a rejoinder.
She rushed out of the Dark Walks with a gulp of air, as if she’d been drowning beneath the waves of the sea and was finally able to kick her way to the surface for some much-needed air.
Isadora was still there, waiting for her, but the moment she looked at Calliope’s face, her sister’s eyes widened. “Dear God, what happened in there?”
Calliope shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to go home.”
Isa hesitated, but she nodded her head and walked over to put an arm around her. She sighed, leaning into her sister’s strength. Isadora wasn’t much for expressing emotion, but she knew when it was needed, and Calliope clung to her like a lifeline. Her chest hurt until she couldn’t take a full breath and she knew it was because her heart was breaking in two.
She had been so stupid, so naïve to believe that it was so easy to find love. What was supposed to be a magical feeling was one of the worst things she could have imagined.
