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Chapter 38
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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Athena wandered back into the party in a daze. Rather than trying to put on her social face and join in with the laughter and jokes she wandered to the sash windows at the edge of the ballroom. The huge windows reminded her of the library, where she had placed her hands on the glass whilst Felix embraced her. Tears stung and she rebuked herself for being so emotional. This was not the time. Escape seemed impossible. Would sacrificing three years of her life for a secure future truly be that terrible? Deep down she knew it was impossible. She may have given away her virtue to Felix willingly, but her pride remained intact. Hugging one arm around her waist she looked out into the open countryside in balmy, late summer dusk, and idly wondered how much effort it would be to just saddle Tempest and vanish. The weasel faced man who had
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Halfway through the ballers, in-between trays of drinks, Mrs Clarke had finally cornered Sophie. Her prim little black bonnet bouncing as she spoke would have been comical had the news not been so devastating. “My dear, you know you cannot stay here much longer.” “What is the matter?” “Do not make me spell it out, your bump is starting to protrude and your apron will no longer hide it in a few weeks. You need to leave. Soon.” Unable to find Lily to ask her advice Sophie had instead hidden herself away on the fourth floor, the servants' sleeping quarters for a few hours. The period of nausea and lack of appetite had now finished but now she craved food and milk to feed her growing child. When she could forget
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Barely having time to turn around on the slim wooden steps to see him. As he rushed up the stairs to meet her his dark eyes glinted dangerously and his face was flushed with emotion. His huge body seemed to take up all the space and light within the servant's passage. Without a word he took the brandy bottle from her with one hand, deftly placing it on a small ledge whilst the other hand wrapped around her delicate waist. Drawing her to him hungrily he wordlessly pressed his lips to hers. The oil lamp dropped to the floor as Athena flung her arms around his broad shoulders, his lips glued to hers, his tongue gently seeking hers. She ran her hands through his hair pulling him to her. All sense had flown from her mind. As the oil lamp started to flicker she quickly
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