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He has no idea what I have in store for him.
And she’s lucky, because she has no idea what he has in store for her.
“I guess it’ll be a busy week,” she says, trying to make light talk. She gets to her feet, and my heart surges in my chest as she takes one step, and then another, toward me. “Are your… friends, from the cabin, coming?” She’s apprehensive. I can see it, in the faint lines around her eyes. There’s a tremble in her voice.
“You don’t have to be afraid,” I say, “this is not the time for us to put our plan into action.”
A cloud shadows her face.
“We need to talk about that,” she whispers, dropping her voice low. “I think you’re making a mistake, one that’s going to cost you your life.” She looks at me with such earnest honesty that, for a moment I believe her. That she actually cares about me, and my future, and isn’t just trying to wriggle out of something that could be dangerous for her.
Then she does something I never would have expected. She lifts her hand, and puts it on my chest, right over my heart.
“I can’t truly believe that you’d ever want to hurt your brother, your niece’s father,” she murmurs. The fury that erupts in my chest has nothing to do with love, and this is why I don’tfallin love. I just take.
I want to take her by that beautiful throat of hers, hold her tight and kiss her, force her down on her knees and make her take every inch of me. That smart mouth of hers won’t be able to do anything to me except make me feel good.
I grab her by the wrist, and clamp down until her eyes widen.
“Youforgetyourself,” I growl. Then a sound I never want to hear from her erupts between us, her lips parting in a pained gasp. My body flashes cold, her eyes wet at the lashes, and I drop her like she’s burned me. Her hand goes to her wrist, and she rubs it, looking down at the ground.
Good. She needs to fucking remember who I am, a monster on the inside, not just a pretty lord as she’s seeing me. I step away from her, as Maddie rushes back through the stacks, running at top speed and waving a book, breaking the moment so neither of us has to say anything.
It’s better that way. I have to stay focused and not think about anything but my next steps.
I can’t look at any of these complicated feelings Eva’s bringing up in me.
Like having me think twice about my Grand Plan.
Nothing is going to get in the way of me finally getting what I want. There’s no version of my reality where my brother lives and I stand by the wayside, watching the whole world worship at his feet and leave me in the shadows.
I’ll have my chance to step into the light, bask in all of its warmth.
The universeowesme.
And I mean to take it for every single cent.
21
Eva
The rest of the week blurs by with me avoiding the duke and the marquis as much as possible. Thankfully Madeline’s schedule, in preparation for the upcoming house party, is more slammed than normal. To the point, I’m about to make a complaint that a five-year-old should not have back-to-back classes all day until she drags her tiny, thin body into bed and passes out when the weekend comes and the guests arrive.
“Don’t look them in the eye, don’t go in their rooms unless more than one of you is there, and for god’s sake, do not even think about taking up with a single one of them no matter how much money or jewelry they offer you,” Mrs. Harris is lecturing the maids in the servant’s hall, Mr. Matthews at her side, with Mrs. Briar over-seeing from the entry into the kitchen.
I’m at the back of the room, looking over the schedule as it is on my phone calendar for now. Most of the daytime events, Madeline can go to. At night time, I’m planning on locking her up in her room (with me for company) and a pile of books.
I can already tell it’s going to get rowdy. Nobody needs to warn me. A bunch of high-born idiots, especially the kind thatBenedict likes to pal around with at Savage? And at least four of the men from the cabin are coming.
Alcohol, stupidity, bravado, and men. Horrible mix. I don’t know why the duke allowed it, and neither does Mrs. Harris. She complained to me for four long hours about it yesterday as we went and did a last-minute round check of all the guest bedrooms that had been opened up and dusted out.
Mr. Matthews catches my eye as I’m about to duck out, and go collect Madeline from her last lesson before the house party begins. The staff, along with the family, will go out to greet everyone as is customary, and I want to make sure she’s cleaned off and in a nice dress.
“Miss Bell,” Matthews says as I walk to the arched doorway. “Are you all prepared for this week?”
“As well as I can,” I say, with a smile. He doesn’t smile back, before bending his head to murmur in my ear.
“I’d avoid Wilder if you can. He’s still angry about Jethro.”
