Second Meeting
1237 Words
Genevieve sat up straight in the armchair and tried not to look constantly at the clock. It had been 12 hours since she had made the contract and her aunt and uncle were still telling her about the arranged marriage.
“Genevieve, you will have to get married. You are a lady and an heiress,” her uncle said sternly.
She looked him straight in the eye.
“I said no. My parents said I could marry who I like.”
“Your parents let you run around to your own devices too much,” her uncle snapped.
Genevieve returned her gaze to the family portrait above the fireplace. If only her parents hadn’t contracted that illness. If they hadn’t her father’s sponging sister wouldn’t be in this house.
Where was that demon?
He was definitely not human. That candle flame wouldn’t have turned black without some dark magic.
That was all well and good to remember that black flame, but where was he now?
“Genevieve is still refusing to marry Lord Edwards,” her uncle said to her aunt.
“You are getting old,” her aunt told her very frankly. “You’re 15… time is getting on.”
Genevieve stared at her aunt. She had no resemblance to her father and from everything she had ascertained, her aunt had always hated her father for being the first born child who inherited everything.
“I maintain that I should be free to choose.”
“How did my brother raise you?”
Mrs Banks made a disgusted noise and left the room promptly with her husband in her wake. Genevieve sighed. This was getting increasingly harder to handle.
She rang the bell and asked for afternoon tea. Her late night and loss of blood had caused her to have a large appetite. The cut was no longer there though. It had closed up after the demon had… caressed her arm.
She blushed and hated herself for it.
It was getting highly necessary to find a man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with for two reasons. Mainly so her aunt and uncle would stop lining up marriage matches and to make sure she didn’t lose her heart to a faceless demon.
There had always been plenty of ball invitations arriving at the house in her parents’ time, but she hadn’t seen any since the arrival of her aunt and uncle. They must have been hidden by one of them. Maybe it was time to try and find some balls to go to so she could make it clear she was single and looking for someone herself.
Afternoon tea helped to clear her head and she managed to eat all of it much to the maid’s surprise.
“You have not eaten much in the past month, my lady,” her maid said respectfully. “Are you finally feeling better?”
Her appetite had been off since the day her parents had died. She mostly picked at her food and didn’t care if it was something that she loved or hated.
“I suppose it is,” she replied. “Can you ask the cook to make my favourite tonight? I think I could actually eat it.”
***
Her mood was lifted to the extent that she dressed up for dinner in one of her more formal gowns. The dress that had been reserved for her coming out ball was still in the back of her wardrobe and she passed an eye over it after ignoring it for so long.
Maybe she would wear it soon and not because her aunt and uncle wanted her to.
She closed the doors of the wardrobe and sighed. She didn’t know what she was doing with her life.
Who knew a lady would have such troubles?
Where was that demon?
Dinner was absolutely delicious and she found herself enjoying it. Genevieve knew her aunt and uncle were finding it strange she was eating so much based on their glances.
“You seem happier,” Mr Banks noted.
“She must have accepted the arranged marriage,” her aunt snapped. “So have you?”
“No,” was the cheerful reply.
Where was that damned demon?
From the way he had acted she assumed he was good at his demon duties. Did he make all his contractees wait like this?
Dinner passed by very awkwardly after that and the three of them retired to the library. Genevieve located a book she wanted to read and sat down. This demon had better make an appearance soon or else she would have to make another visit.
She waited patiently for uncle to fall asleep in a chair like he normally did in the evening and for her aunt to be less watchful. Genevieve slipped out the room quietly and crept out into the hallway to the table under the stairs.
There was a stack of envelopes hidden behind the ornaments and they were addressed to her. They must be all the ball invitations. If the demon didn’t come, she had this to fall back on.
She emptied the envelopes and stuffed the invitation cards up her sleeves and returned quietly to the library.
Unfortunately her aunt had noticed her absence and wasn’t happy.
“Where did you go?” she demanded.
“To powder my nose,” Genevieve answered lightly and picked up the book again.
Her aunt sniffed and picked up her sewing instead of the book she’d been reading. Mrs Banks was normally occupied with some ugly looking embroidery in the evenings, but Genevieve suspected it was more so she could keep a discreet eye on her.
There was nothing but silence for the next ten minutes apart from the ticking of the click until Genevieve heard sounds from the hallway.
There was a knock on the library door and the butler came in.
“There’s a visitor to see you,” he said politely and held out a silver tray with a calling card.
Her aunt picked up the card and her eyebrows disappeared into her hairline.
“Are you sure this is real?” she asked quietly.
“He’s definitely a gentleman of class,” the butler replied. “Should I show him in?”
Genevieve frowned. What was going on?
The answer became clear when the butler brought a man into the library and he winked at her.
It was the demon.
Without his mask on he was very handsome with black hair and well cut features. His eyes were mesmerising. Genevieve found herself lost in them for a moment.
The demon bowed and sat down next to her. Genevieve twitched nervously. She had no idea what his method of attack would be.
“What can I do for such a nice young man?” her aunt twittered.
Genevieve stole a look at the calling card and understood her aunt’s friendly manner.
Lord Lucian Ward.
Was that his real name?
She had a lot of questions for him and he’d better answer them.
“I married your niece last night,” the demon said frankly. “This house is mine now. Leave.”
- Writer
