Page 23 of The Scarlet Lady's Duke of Desire
Forced to stand in the middle of the room with no furniture between herself and her uncle as he stood imposingly before the roaring fireplace, Melody felt all too exposed.
"Uncle, I…" Melody began, hoping to reach some small familiar part of him that might help to ease his anger. The moment the word left her lips she regretted it.
"Do not think to be familiar with me!" Lord Faversham snapped back at her and even from a distance, Melody felt the spittle spatter her face. "I have spent a great deal of time and money to cut ties withyourfamily."
Bile rose in Melody's throat. Though she had never really spent any time in her uncle's presence, she never would have expected him to speak quite so venomously.
"My Lord, I…" Melody tried again to speak, feeling tears prick the corners of her eyes. With every moment that passed, and every word spoken, she felt her chest tightening painfully. Yet she would not allow the tears to fall, not in front of the earl or his servants, whether the latter was sympathetic to her or not.
Melody thought to tell the earl that it was The Duke of Haston who had invited her there and that there was no other reason but just as quickly, she stopped herself. She didn't like the thought of getting the duke into trouble even if that had been his intent. He was the first man to have been kind to her in such a long time.
The earl sighed with exasperation and surprised Melody when his tone became almost understanding.
"I do feel sorry for you," he admitted, and his words caused Melody's head to whip up. She stared at him in amazement, seeing sympathy flash through his dark gaze. But when he spoke again, she wished she hadn't been taken in by him.
"It isn't entirely your fault you were born tothosepeople."
Anger burned inside Melody at his words. How could he talk that way about his own brother? Yet, she knew she ought not have expected anything different. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen her father and his brother in the same room. In fact, she wasn't sure they ever had been, at least, not since before her birth.
Remembering who she stood before, Melody gritted her teeth to stop from snapping at the earl. It would do no good to rile him further. Besides, what good would it do when she knew he was right?
Not about her parents but about the fact she had no right to be there. After all, she only had the duke's invitation, and whether duke trumped earl or not in the grand scheme of things, this was Lord Faversham's home.
"Well, why did you come here?" Lord Faversham continued to rant on, sounding as though he might well injure his throat. "Was it to beg for something? For money perhaps or an end to the scandal surrounding you? No amount of my influence could do that for you!"
The longer she remained in that room, the more she knew there was no point in being there. She would get nothing from her uncle, not that she had wanted anything in the first place.
An acknowledgement of kinship without scorn might have been nice,Melody thought, though she knew deep down that was only wishful thinking.
"I will leave," Melody said in a small, almost inaudible voice.
The earl scoffed at that. "You most certainly will. I have already had a carriage sent for."
Melody wasted no time in curtseying, backing away as she did not dare to turn her back or even look up to see where she was going. As she did, she stumbled on the edge of the rug and accidentally caught her hip upon a nearby decorative table.
Heart hammering, she offered a grateful half-smile to the butler who had hurried forth to catch the vase she had knocked.
He quickly averted his gaze from hers when the earl cleared his throat aggressively.
Melody barely managed to contain herself, holding back tears, when the butler pulled open the door for her and she was able to race from the room.
Her feet carried her swiftly down the hall, her heart hammering as she went, hurrying for the front doors and the carriage that was likely waiting beyond.
Yet, when she reached the porch, she saw that there was no carriage awaiting her. If she listened closely to the evening air, she thought she heard one coming down the lane from the stables where they had likely gone to water the horses after having dropped off guests.
Though she couldn't be sure if it was one called up for her or not. She wasn't sure she could handle speaking to a footman to find out without releasing the tears that bubbled up in the corners of her eyes.
The sound of the door opening back up behind her where it had just barely slammed shut, made Melody's stomach twist.
She half-stepped sideways, hoping to avoid whoever was exiting.
"Miss Thornton?"
The inquisitive voice took her by surprise, and she whipped around to face the duke.
"Please, Your Grace, I implore you," Melody stated, barely able to hold onto her tears, "Go back inside."
But he did not. The duke slipped out of the door and over to her, urging her back into the shadows of an alcove away from the main lantern light.
