Four

I tried to leave since he clearly didn't want me in the room but he didn't move. He remained in that position, taunting me, trapping me, asking me to get out even though he made it impossible for me to do so.

He was still staring into my face, looking intently like he could see right through me. I didn't like this. I knew he could see the fear in my eyes.

He smelt vaguely of vodka, or at least what I thought vodka smelt like. But he didn't look drunk. His eyes were clear and he was neither stuttering nor staggering. He was breathing into my face and with no air left to inhale, I was breathing him in. It seemed like such an intimate position, for someone whose aim was to antagonize me.

"I want to leave now," I said, feeling uncomfortable.

He didn't move.

Instead, I saw the small trace of a smile grace his lips.

"You're actually not that bad," he said, his entire demeanor changing.

I had no idea what he was talking about.

"You have a face that's worth looking at. I was mistaken. That's something." He rubbed a hand over my cheekbone as he spoke, once again acting like I was an artwork he was about to purchase and not a human being.

"Who asked you to come here?" He asked, the serious look returning.

Was this guy bipolar or something?

"The maids. Natalie." Maybe he was drunk because I'd just told him that a minute ago.

"Natalie!" He screamed into my face. If I hadn't backed into a wall, I would have fallen out of fright.

I was just about to ask him why he'd screamed Natalie's name into my face when I saw her run right to the door of the room and stop, curtsying as she did.

"Yes, master."

He didn't turn to her. His face was still pressed to mine as if he wanted to see every single reaction of mine to his words.

"You brought her to my room, correct?"

"Yes, master."

"May I know why?"

"She's your new wife sir so I thought it was only right to…"

"You thought," he said sharply, but there was an edge to his voice that even Natalie noticed.

"What is my rule?"

"No one is allowed into your room."

"And yet you brought her here."

"But she's your wife…"

"And I gave you a rule which I expected you to follow. You made the room to her liking, arranged her things in it, and even brought her belongings in here."

Even though he wasn't addressing me, the way he was looking at me while he spoke made me feel the exact way I assumed Natalie was probably feeling.

"I'm so sorry, sir. I sincerely apologize," she said, curtsying so low, that I was sure she would fall on her face.

He kept watching me, taking every one of my reactions into consideration.

Something was unsettling about him. Not just his creepy gaze, but it felt more sinister than that.

"You may leave."

Natalie curtsied and left, not before giving me a sorry look.

I wish I could go with her.

Finally, he moved back a little and I breathed a sigh of relief. Being so close to him for that long was doing so many things to me that I didn't understand.

However, he didn't leave or ask me to leave. He ran his eyes over me twice before he smiled with satisfaction.

"Turn around."

I did as he asked, even though I felt a little weird about it.

"I suppose you probably just had terrible stylists. You're pretty good-looking," he said.

"Thank you?" I said sarcastically and immediately wondered where my boldness was coming from.

Somehow I knew that he wasn't going to do anything to hurt me.

"You'll do," he said, nodding. "You'll do just fine."

I frowned. I'd do?

I hoped it wasn't what I was thinking.