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Chapter 35
Upon waking in her bed Athena was left as confused as she was before. Her body ached from the joy of his touch but she wanted more. Had he carried herself here, how long had he let her lay in his arms. The almighty question reigning over all the others remained, did he have any emotional attachment to her yet?
His deep brown eyes had followed her into her dreams, the tiniest adjustment changed his expression from cold to adoring but it never stayed fixed. She lay in silence for over an hour as the options swirled before her eyes like competing dance partners
.
Clapping her hands together she got out of bed with a purpose. Chewing on her breakfast as though preparing for war she unnerved Lily with her silent demeanour. She was determined not to faint today.
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Lady Louisa had no idea of Athena's arrival but welcomed her with open arms. After a silent gallop through the countryside, they had arrived at Lord McDonald's residence, Burniston Hall before lunch. Soon they were seated in a light airy parlour that looked out onto the kitchen garden. The scent of fresh herbs flooded the space and helped soothe Athena's anxiety. The tall, stately figure of Lady Louisa was softened by her kindly face and greying hair. She fussed over Craig and Athena as though they were her children and couldn't welcome them enough. Piling them high with sandwiches, cakes and tea she kept the conversation as bright as possible. "Now I am sorry the proposal with Lord Trimble did not work out but I have some ideas for some lovely contacts I have in London."
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The final few days of party preparation for the Saturday at Fairfax Manor counted down relatively calmly. Felix eventually cornered Craig in the foyer of the manor, forcing a brief conversation to confirm Athena's location. Craig had answered politely and the Baron had merely given a brisk nod and returned to his study seemingly unperturbed. It was now Thursday and the manor was awaiting the return of Craig later that evening in the carriage. Every room was freshened and prepped ready for dozens of guests and well over a hundred guests to the party. Temporary stables and staff had been brought in, giving a sense of organised chaos that Felix sought to escape by riding off on Achilles every day for long periods. Meanwhile down in London Oliver had found himself rising and falling over the previous like a tide. He fough
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Oliver sat in his chair still waiting for Lady Daphne Stockwell. Checking his pocket-watch he noticed she was running late but dismissed this as the actions of a lady of fashion. The gold and jewelled bracelet was ready in the pocket of his jacket to give to her. Hopefully, her agreeing to meet privately was a sign of her serious interest in him, it was certainly a step up from the public outings amongst mutual friends. He noted sadly it had not even been twelve hours since he had been thrown out of the Gilded Falcon drunk and enraged. He vaguely remembered being restrained by Milo at one point as he was tossed out of the back entrance into a cobbled gutter. Every penny to his name was lost. Everything and more. The bracelet he had in his pocket he probably could not afford now. His hotel bill would likely default too.
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The rattling carriage containing a dozing Oliver and ever-watching Milo pulled down the driveway. "We're here," Milo announced drily. Oliver snorted himself awake and quickly smoothed down his hair and suit. "I believe that is your brother waiting for you at the top of the steps." Felix wore a grey jacket and waistcoat, his expression was as severe as usual. The only bright spot was that the grounds of the manor did look stunning. With over a hundred guests now confirmed this was going to be the biggest party in decades at Fairfax Manor. When he first arranged for Athena to come back in the spring he had envisioned turning the old place
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A floor down from the Luptons suite, Oliver was bracing himself to knock upon Athena's door. Below him the sound of guests arriving and the band in the ballroom warming up added to his hurry to address her. "Athena, may I have a quick word?" He called out as he sharply rapped on her wooden door. He heard the lock turning and a slight opening revealed Athena's wide-eyed face of surprise. "Good evening Oliver, happy birthday for today," she whispered nervously. "I have a quick matter to talk to you about. May I come in quickly, assuming you are dressed of course?" "I am, come in," she replied cagily and opened the door fully to him. He was briefly struck by her appearance, finally he saw the beauty beh
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The terrace buzzed with activity and quickly Craig and Athena were split apart by various interested parties asking about work. Both struggled to give truly enthusiastic responses as their hearts were inextricably tied to persons within Fairfax Manor now. Both felt their eyes drawn against their will to their soul mates across the room. Lily was working and busily carrying drinks in her prim black dress whilst Felix stubbornly remained facing the grounds and not the crowd. As the sun started going down people started to move into the ballroom to enjoy food, card games and dancing. Craig stayed back and enjoyed the sunset setting over the lake. He wished he had Lily by his side. He also wondered what she would look like in one-off those beautiful evening gowns, with that fiery red hair and blue eyes she would turn every single head. She was a true natural beauty. Lost in his thou
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The band had struck up into a waltz in the ballroom, the deep bass notes of the cellos reverberated throughout. Craig held Lily’s hand tightly as they quickly wove their way unseen through the corridors to the library. The ballroom was located on the other side of the manor, its views did not look out onto the lake but instead the paddocks and surrounding valleys. In the late dusk only a dying fire illuminated the room. Craig led Lily in by the hand and then shut the door after them. Taking a deep breath he launched into the best explanation he could give. “Octavia Lupton and I, last year, had an affair,” he began, pacing the room like a trapped animal. His boots echoed loudly on the floor, adding to the sense of darkness. “I did not pursue her, though I found her attractive, she actively encouraged me and we had several months of rendezvous and intimacy. I u
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The ballroom was bustling with activity. Elegant women in dazzling gowns milled around the ballroom, their jewels and hair pins sparkling in the evening light. The wooden card tables filled a corner of the ballroom and were full of Oliver's friends laughing, joking and sipping claret. Milo stood watching the gambling action, leaning against an ornate statue, almost as if he knew of nothing else to do with himself. His dark brown eyes followed the highs and lows excitedly despite the low stakes. Milo was under his own pressures, by lining up Oliver to furnish the Gilded Falcon’s pockets he was now due to produce the goods. If Oliver did something foolish such as kill himself the club would be the losers. It was a balancing act of pressure, threat, and reassurance that he enjoyed walking. The thought that Oliver was on a knife edge towards ruin made his eyes gleam in a similarly cruel light.
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