by Allison, Kim
"I cannot believe Christmas is less than a week away," Elyssa commented. She'd never spent a Christmas holiday at Greystone, her limited time of residence there ending before the yuletide season, and the past year spent in Paris. Christmas had been lovely in Paris of course, but the hurt over Daniel had still been too fresh to truly enjoy the holidays.
"And the party on the twenty-second," Annie added. "Only three days away."
"Yes," Elyssa agreed, the butterflies in her stomach taking flight yet again. She felt almost as if it were her coming out ball. There would be friends and acquaintances there of course, but for the people she didn't know personally that were attending––and there were plenty by indication of the responses she'd received to her fancy invitations––Elyssa felt a kind of insecurity.
Would they like her? Would she be accepted or rejected by London's polite society? And would her small revenge against Daniel be a success? Questions that would be answered three nights hence. And for a moment, Elyssa actually wished that she'd never returned to Greystone.
CHAPTER 3FN">
CHAPTER 17
A white blanket of pristine snow covered the grounds. Hundreds of red and white candles twinkled like endless stars in Greystone's sconces and chandeliers throughout the mansion. Festive sounds of holiday music sounded invitingly from the ballroom as the stringed instruments played melodiously.
It was December twenty-second, the night of Elyssa's ball. Her family had arrived two days earlier, as had her cousin, Sophie. All were delighted and anxious for Christmas, her sister and brothers excited to see all the gifts Elyssa had bought. She hadn't realized how much she missed her family over the past year, and vowed to remain in closer touch now that she was back in England. Christmas was a time for family, of closeness, and it wouldn't do to keep harboring a grudge against her parents. Elyssa had already forgiven them for her forced marriage to Percy. That period of her life was over now, and things were finally good.
The servants were buzzing about excitedly. Food was plenteous and every sweet imaginable filled the tables. There was a wide variety of drinks including champagne and holiday egg nog.
Elyssa's hands trembled in nervous excitement at the sound of the first knock, and she was grateful for her family's presence. Hopefully she would be able to pull off the ruse of being interested in another man without actually giving him too much encouragement. She'd decided on a young baron, Lord William Harrison. Tall and muscular, with sandy blond hair, he was the stuff dreams were made of. Eyes so blue you wanted to fall into their depths, he'd been the crux of many a wounded female heart.
She was a fool herself not to be genuinely interested in him, Elyssa mused inwardly, for well over a year past he'd been at Greystone for a business deal with Percy and had betrayed a more than passing interest i feel of his tongue
Hurrying down the stairs to greet the guests, Elyssa forced herself to slow down. She was no longer racing down the stairs after her younger brothers like some hoyden, but was now the lady of a fine home, and must act as befitting a young woman of her station.
Surprisingly, the first and only guest so far, and fifteen minutes early at that, was William Harrison, the handsome baron. The sight of him both calmed and frightened Elyssa. Calmed her in the fact he was a friendly face and not one of the stuffy members of the ton she'd invited. Frightened in that he was looking at her with something akin to pure male admiration, and she feared that after putting her silly plan into motion, he'd most likely expect Elyssa to plead with him to ravish her before he left for the night.
Elyssa continued her careful descent, the emerald gown cascading about her in a frothy sea of green. She'd chosen the gown in honor of Christmas, though she was helpless to recall that Daniel had said emerald green was her color, bringing out her magnificent eyes. The neckline was rounded, the decolletage only slightly daring, and the long sleeves ended in a point over her dainty hands. An emerald necklace adorned her slender neck to complete the effect. Her black hair was pulled up and back, endless ringlets cascading about her face and shoulders.
"Lord Harrison," she said sweetly upon reaching the baron, extending her hand in greeting. He took her hand, placing a brief kiss upon it, his eyes never leaving her face.
"I insist you call me William," he replied, the deep timbre of his voice surrounding her senses.
Nervous laughter escaped her lips and Elyssa said, "William it is then." Putting her plan into motion, she continued, "Am I to assume you came alone, William?"
Taking a small step to close the distance between them, he replied with a slight smile tugging at his perfect lips, "Yes, that would be a correct assumption."
"In that case, I wonder if I might have the great pleasure in your company during the gala tonight. To talk," she added, not wishing for William to get the wrong idea. Indeed, people tended to mistake a young widow for a woman desperate to sully herself with whatever handsome man propositioned. Elyssa did not wish to gain an indecent reputation in the process, but merely to exact some tinIn between kisses, ishi d fy revenge upon Daniel.
"I would greatly enjoy that," he responded warmly.
Elyssa was grateful to hear the bell sounding someone was at the door, giving her an excuse to leave William's side. Already she scorned herself a fool for using a man like Lord Harrison in a petty female scheme. She had best watch her step, else become a victim of her own ploy.
Guests were arriving now, one after another, and Elyssa's family was downstairs by that time. Elyssa's mother and father helped greet everyone and the servants were quick to see to the guests' comfort, taking their coats, hats, and gloves, and offering them refreshment.
As Elyssa turned from one guest to greet the next, she faltered for a split second at the sight of Blake Edmonton. Luckily, William was standing next to her at the time and although the sight of Daniel's closest friend was nerve-racking, he was the one person at the ball that would help carry out her plan. Pulling William familiarly by the arm, she greeted Blake.
The gesture of closeness and the brief smile of adoration Elyssa flashed up toward William was not lost on Blake. Indeed, he didn't particularly care for Elyssa already, given the fact that she was responsible for his good friend's downfall over the last year, but still he forced an air of strained friendliness.
"Elyssa," he said, taking her hand briefly, "it is good to see you. Indeed, I feared you might not be present tonight, but rather send a note advising you were unable to host the party."
Elyssa's smile faltered more than a little, and she could not help but notice the anger lurking in his eyes. Of course he would blame her for calling the wedding off, but he had no idea of her side of the story.
Compelling herself to proceed with introductions, Elyssa said, "Blake, this is William Harrison, my....friend."
"We know each other, dearheart," Blake responded, shaking William's hand enthusiastically as he added, "We've shared more than a whore or two, eh, Harrison?"
Stunned, William scolded, "Edmonton, there is a lady present!" romantic onslaughtchance second
"Indeed," Blake muttered as he walked away into the crowd just after his female companion joined him. Elyssa forced the tears back, her gaze faltering downward as she struggled to maintain calmness.
"I must apologize profusely for Blake's behavior," William exuded in sincere sympathy, and not a little perturbed that Blake had mentioned whores in front of the woman he planned to begin courting as soon as possible.
"No matter," she replied, forcing a smile, "he is probably into his cups already. I know Blake meant no harm."
A moment later William left to talk business with a group of men across the ballroom. Elyssa counted the gathering a success already, for the mansion was verily crowded from one end to the other. She was correct in assuming most of them had come purely out of curiosity. She was not oblivious to the covert stares, the veiled whispers, and did her best to ensure that everyone would leave that night thinking well of her.
It seemed everyone that
was coming had already arrived and Elyssa was walking away from the foyer when she heard her name called. Turning about, she saw Catherine Edmonton and wondered of a sudden why she'd invited Daniel's former lover to her party.
A coy smile graced her lips and the petite woman allowed the butler to remove her lavish fur before leisurely making her way toward Elyssa. "Darling, I never got to express my gratitude at your taking my sage advice last year. It was for the best, you know."
Though it nearly killed Elyssa to speak the words, she softly uttered, "Thank you for being honest with me."
"But of course," came the short reply, Catherine's eyes betraying the same dislike Elyssa had seen in Blake's. "Dear Daniel did need comforting after you abandoned him, and I was more than happy to provide it." The woman's taunting smile was meant to hurt, and it did.
"I am sure you were," Elyssa managed as Catherine's escort approached, and she turned at the sound of William's voice. She allowed him to sweep her out toward the dance floor, happy at least that Catherine had seen her whisked off in the arms of a gorgeous man. That she was not a lonely, forlorn widow, in spite of Daniel. romantic onslaughtk hi d f
The hours wore away quickly, the evening a huge success. Sophie was having a marvelous time with the gentlemen, her French accent an alluring thing to them all. Elyssa's younger brothers had long since retired to bed.
Elyssa could fairly see the wheels turning in her parents' heads over the prospect of marrying their younger daughter off. Quelling any such notion, Elyssa told them, "Please don't even allow the idea of marriage for Rachel to enter your minds, Mother and Father. She is only fifteen."
At their initial objections that Rachel was quite mature for her age and well able to make up her own mind about such matters, Elyssa insisted she would cut off the generous monthly allowance she'd been sending them did they not stop pursuing such ideas. Finally, they gave in and Elyssa was pleased to have gotten her way. She would never allow Rachel to be forced into an unwanted marriage as she had been.
Later Elyssa excused herself for a moment, William urging her to hurry back. She went upstairs to check her appearance, touch up her makeup, and gain a moment's reprieve from the evening's constant demands. Leaning back against the closed door, Elyssa closed her eyes, a smile curving her lips upward. The peace and quiet was heavenly but Elyssa dared take no more than ten or fifteen minutes before returning downstairs.
William had been quite the willing partner in her scheme, however unwitting, and Elyssa thought she might perhaps allow the baron to court her after all, for he'd hinted at such intentions throughout the evening. Indeed, he was an excellent conversationalist, a fine dancer, and quite easy on the eyes.
Her thoughts rudely interrupted, Elyssa's eyes flew open at the sound of someone's footsteps in the room. Before she could even think to scream, her mouth was covered and Elyssa looked up fearfully into his eyes.
Daniel! How in the world had he gotten into Greystone? Into her very bedroom without anyone having seen him? She hated the way her body was reacting to his mere touch, impersonal as it was. An entire year she’d spent trying her damndest to forget Daniel, and just the feel of his hand upon her mouth made her want to beg him. To offer herself to him, to do with as he pleased. His harsh voice ordered her not to scream and Elyssa reluctantly nodded her head in acquiescence.
True to her word, Elyssa remained silent though her chest heaved in utter fear. He looked stunning in all black. Dangerous. His hair was longer romantic onslaughtchance second than she remembered, blacker than she recalled, the day's growth of whiskers on his face adding a sinister look to his already angry appearance. The gray of his eyes was turbulent, yet in them a sign of loneliness. The vibrant life that once shone in them was now gone.
As if wanting to avoid any physical contact with her, Daniel moved away from her. He paced the room like a caged animal, though his gaze never strayed from Elyssa. He saw her hand on the doorknob, noted the slight turn of it and Daniel was on her at once. He yanked Elyssa away from the door and threw her onto the bed. Turning the key in the lock, he placed the key in his jacket for safekeeping.
"Now, where were we?" he sneered, returning his full attention to Elyssa as she reclined uncomfortably on the bed. The woman he believed to have killed his father. The scheming bitch that had gotten his inheritance and left him with nothing save his father's business and the small home left him by his mother. "Oh, yes, we were supposed to be speaking vows the last time I expected to see you, darling, weren't we?"
Stalking slowly toward her, the feral smile on Daniel's face made Elyssa shiver, his straight, white teeth showing as he chuckled at her obvious fright. "The last time I saw you was at a ball not unlike this one, wasn't it?" Sitting on the bed next to Elyssa, he reached out and stroked the curly ringlet lying across her forehead. "I made the mistake of going to get us drinks and that was the last I ever saw of the mysterious Lady Elyssa Fredrickson."
No matter that she was the one that had been wronged, lied to and used by Daniel, Elyssa was still helpless to feel frightened of Daniel. His touch was cold, his expression grim, and she feared he meant to do her harm. Surely if she didn't reappear below stairs shortly, someone would come looking for her. Her mother, perhaps, or Sophie. Of course by that time, it might be too late. Of what, she wasn't sure.
He leaned closer to her. His lips neared hers slightly and Elyssa's heart began to beat furiously. Dared she hope Daniel had missed her, though why that should matter in the least astounded her. The flat look in his dark eyes would deny that wishful thinking. Their mouths a whisper apart, he ignored her tempting lips. He reached his hand about her, his fingers toying with the tiny buttons on the back of her gown as he stared into her wary eyes. He leisurely undid the top few in an agonizingly slow manner, his cynical smile daring her to try and stop him. He was pleased to note the slight look of disappointment in her eyes that he’d not kissed her. It was taking everything in him not to kiss her, but he’d be damned if he’d let Elyssa know how seeing her was actually affecting him. How it had been killing him to spy on her from above, watching as she plied her adoring smiles and discreet touches to William Harrison. romantic onslaught,thi
His smile faded at the remembrance of holding Elyssa in his arms, of the immense hurt she'd caused him that long ago day, and Daniel wanted to punish her. To hurt Elyssa like she'd never been hurt before. Still, his body was unable to remain immune to hers and he cursed her for his weakness. Her faithless beauty should have left him cold. The faint look of longing in her eyes, though she would deny it, left him feeling bitter. Soulless.
In a futile effort to recapture the tiniest bit of life, he rasped, “Damn you for being so beautiful,” just before his lips covered hers in a scalding kiss. Elyssa shoved at him, unable to keep him from halfway covering her with his body. The panicky thought that her expensive gown would get wrinkled beneath Daniel's onslaught gave way to more urgent matters and she struggled anew to prevent his kisses.
Daniel was not to be stopped, however, and the kiss deepened as his hands tortuously roved over her gown. He tugged at the partially unbuttoned bodice, his fingers splaying over the exposed part of her chest, bringing forth a seductive tingling throughout the whole of Elyssa's body. The traitorous whimper of a long buried passion sounded from deep in her throat, the shame of it mortifying. Her tongue finally surrendered to his passionate kisses and she moaned aloud in sweet defeat. The rough velvety feel of his tongue against hers was exquisite torture.
It was surreal. Like a long forgotten dream, lying in Daniel's arms with his fingers and mouth bringing her to a fevered pitch. How ever could she have forgotten the feel of his warm lips upon her flesh, the mastery of his hands, his hard body?
Releasing her as abruptly as he'd started kissing her, Daniel dragged Elyssa to her feet. "Do you hear that?" he asked. Elyssa stared at Daniel in alarm, for his face was wild, his demeanor untamed, and as he continued to concentrate on a certain sound. Elyssa likewise strained to hear, realizing
what he was talking about. The lovely music being performed below stairs, the sound of it barely making its way up to the second floor.
"Dance with me." He wasn't asking, Elyssa knew, and as ordered, she mutely put her hand in Daniel's and proceeded to dance with him. She knew it was mockery. Punishment. And still she wanted to melt into his arms. “We never got our wedding dance, darling,” he whispered against her ear. It was a slow, intimate dance at best, for Elyssa was acutely aware of every hard angle of Daniel's body pressed familiarly against her own.
His fingers tangled in her fancy tresses and it was all Daniel could do to refrain from yanking the silky mass from the hairpins. If nothing else, so she couldn't return downstairs in the same orderly appearance she had left with. But rather to look thoroughly plundered. Altogether sated. And unable to return to the arms of that mincing fop, William Harrison, without giving further thought of himself.
Elyssa wondered if Daniel was drunk or if he'd indeed gone mad, for she'd never seen him in such a state. He was still the most incredibly handsome man she'd ever seen, but he now possessed an intense anger which was directed solely at her. As the faint sounds of music ended, Elyssa tried unsuccessfully to pull her hand away. "Please release me. I must get back to the ball," she pleaded.
"Back to Harrison?" he bit out.
A look of confusion marred her features and Elyssa asked, "You have been spying on me? How long have you been inside my home?"
Snatching her against his chest, Daniel's eyes blazed into hers as he replied, "Your home? As if I have no right here? As if I should simply surrender my legacy, lacking as it is, simply because you had the foresight to wed a wealthy, older man who ended up dead before his time?"
"Please, Daniel, you are hurting me!" Daniel released his tight grip on her arms, though his fingers tortuously splayed about her waist, rising higher bit by bit as he spoke.