The Duke's Revenge (12 page)

Ivy brought her knees up to cover her
nakedness.

He leaned forward and grabbed her arm.

“
Your grace, what are you
doing here?” she asked, her voice shaking.

He pulled her toward him.

She shook her head. “Nay!” she cried and her
throat became dry.

When she was close enough he caught the back
of her neck and kissed her again. She couldn’t resist him as he
urged her lips to open. His tongue invaded her mouth and he
explored her innocence.

She whimpered as he caressed and fondled her
untouched body. He moved his lips from her mouth down to her throat
and lowered to her breasts. There, he kissed around one rosy breast
and then sucked her nipple.

Ivy wanted him to stop harassing her body,
but at the same time, the pleasure he was giving her was beyond her
imagination. She shook her head, for she was at a lost in
decision.

Before she could make up her mind for him to
stop immediately, she was on her back and he was on top of her. He
undid the front of his Banyan and threw the thing carelessly away.
She could feel his hard, muscular chest against her breasts and the
length of his iron-like legs intertwining with her soft ones.

“
Your grace, you must
stop,” she pleaded.

He looked down at her, his face hard. He
moved her legs apart.

Her sense was alerted and she understood.
She shook her head, biting her lips. “Nay, you will not,” she
cried. “No, you will not.” She hit his chest and kicked his legs.
“No!” she shouted, struggling below him.

He caught hold of her and stilled her with
his strength. He could have broken her bones if he applied more
force, but he knew his own strength and damn if he would bruise her
beautiful skin. When she couldn’t win him, she started to whimper
beneath him, hating him for reducing her to nothingness.

“
Stop fighting, little
dove, you know you will never win,” he said. He kissed her lips as
he spread her legs apart again. He positioned himself, moved one
hand under her lower back to lift her up slightly, and then with
one forceful thrust--he broke through her maidenhead.

The pain was sharp. Ivy tried to contained
herself from screaming but couldn’t. She cried into the night.

She whimpered until he finished his
thrusting and pulled out. God, she felt so low, as though she was a
thing to be used and then throw away. She refused to look at the
hated man who had stolen her virginity. Oh, how she hated him. She
simply wanted to wash his hated scent from her body.

Max sat up and stared at the weeping girl.
He grabbed for his Banyan and wrapped it around her.

She pushed him away. She didn’t even look at
him and stared blankly at floor. Her tears were still spilling out
of her eyes.

Ignoring her push, he picked her up and
carried her to bed. She rolled over and gave her back to him. She
could feel him watching her. When would he go so that she could cry
her heart out?

She felt the bed cracking. Then her body was
moved around and he was hugging her.

Nay, ‘tis not right.

“
What’s not right?” he
asked.

“
What?” She did not know
that she had spoken her thought aloud.

“
What’s not
right?”

“
You should leave, you
shouldn’t be here,” she cried, her hands pushing at him to leave
her be.

“
Cry, little dove, if
wanted to, and then we can sleep,” he said simply.

She stared up at him. God, had he no
feelings whatsoever?

“
I can cry after you
leave,” she said tightly.

“
I’m not leaving, so cry.”
He pulled her closer.

She was very confused by his actions.
Weren’t he supposed to leave her to her misery after he had raped
her? Shaking her head in confusion, she started to cry and she did
so for an hour. When no more tears came out, she slept in his
arms.

***

Ivy woke up alone to the bright sunlight
shinning into the room. She blinked and turned over to the other
side of the bed. The moment she turned, the pain shot through her
like hot molten fire. She gritted her teeth and tried to ignore the
ach. She sat up and threw the blanket away. Too late, she had
forgotten that she was naked. She stared down at her body and saw
the little spots of bloodstain between her thighs.

Hating him was the first thought that came
to her mind. She hated him with all her heart. The devil--had he no
heart at all?

Angry at the thought of him, she got up and
stalked to the vase on the table. She splashed warm water on her
flushed face and then reached for the cloth. She dipped it into the
water and used that to clean the bloodstain from her body. Once she
was done, she put on her chemise and then searched for a gown to
wear. As she was doing this, she wondered if she should defy his
order and wear her own gown instead, but then she really didn’t
want another scene like yesterday. He would surely rip her gown
again and dress her himself, and that, she did not want.

She stared blankly at the array of gowns and
picked one without much thought to wear. The one she chose was of a
light pink and white color. It was an Empire style, and so once she
had finished dressing herself, she felt quite bare. The dress was a
flimsy thing and far too light for her liking. Oh well, she
thought, she might as well get used to it since she had no choice
in the matter.

She was walking down the stairs when she saw
Lisa rushing toward her. The woman looked pale and quite sick.

“
Is everything all right?”
she asked.

Ivy turned her gaze to the floor and
blushed.

“
M’ lady?”

“
I do not want to talk
about it, Lisa. I just want to forget it.”

“
But, m’ lady, you are
unhappy. Did he hurt you much?”

“
When was I ever happy,
Lisa? When?” She bit her lip and her eyes started to brew with
tears. “I can not really remember the last time I was laughing,
Lisa. Perhaps when Papa was alive but that was a long time ago.”
She turned to look at the maid. “Please, do not ask anymore if you
are my friend and do not want me to feel any worse than I already
am right now.”

The maid hesitated and then nodded.

“
Thank you,” Ivy said.
“I’m hungry, shall we breakfast together?”

“
I’ve already had
mine.”

“
You can have breakfast
again with me,” she insisted, “perhaps outside, like a
picnic.”

“
Yes, that would be nice.”
Lisa nodded her head.

“
I do wish I could go into
the town today. I only saw a glimpse of it on my journey here.
Could we go, do you think?”

“
We shall have to inform
His Grace though.”

“
Must we?” she snapped.
She didn’t want to hear anything about him this morning, and Lisa
bringing him up into their conversation only deepened her pain. The
fact that she was now living under his roof and under his command
only rub salt into injury. Must she inform him wherever she went?
Whatever she do? Nay, she planned to do exactly the opposite. After
all, she was only his mistress and not his damn wife or servant,
and she would go where she pleased.

“
Yes, it was his command
that if you were--”

“
We will not tell him,”
she said and walked down toward the ground floor.

Lisa frowned. “But, m’ lady, wait!”

Ivy went into the kitchen.

The housekeeper saw her and said, “M’ lady,
you shouldn’t be here at all, ‘tis not a place for you.”

“
But I’m hungry, Mrs.
Price, what good food have Mrs. Woods prepared for my breakfast?”
She smiled at the fat woman.

The cooks stared at the beauty and couldn’t
think of a reply so she just blushed and smiled back.

“
Lady Ivy, I’ll take your
food to the dinning room,” Lisa suggested as she entered the
kitchen.

“
No need, let’s go
outside, near the lake and have breakfast there.” She moved toward
the cupboard and started opening doors.

“
Dear me, my lady, what
are you doing?” Donald asked, astonished.

“
Finding a basket to put
food in,” she replied.

“
Mrs. Price, you must stop
her at once,” Donald said, rushing toward Ivy. He closed the
cupboard doors she had opened.

“
What’s this, Donald? Am I
not allowed to touch your beautiful cupboards?”

“’
Tis not that, my lady,”
the butler said, frowning and going quite red.

“
Then what?”

“
My lady, best if you go
to the drawing room and when everything is ready, Lisa will fetch
you,” Mrs. Price said and nudged her toward the door.

“
Nay, tell me now, am I
not good enough for the likes of your cupboard then, Donald, Mrs.
Price?” she asked, angry now.

All she wanted was a basket to put food for
her breakfast picnic. Was she to be denied that small enjoyment
too? Her life was limited enough with happiness, how could they
stripped her of her little happiness?

She stared at the two people bowing their
heads in front of her. She was determined to get her way no matter
what. She turned, and didn’t care that they begged her to stop, she
slammed cupboard doors open and only to shut them again when she
couldn’t find what she wanted. She thrashed various kitchen items
in the cupboard to the side, and then at last, she found a basket.
She grabbed it, rushed to the table, and stuffed food into it--not
caring that the breads, muffins, rolls, cakes, butter, and a jar of
strawberry jam were jumbled against each other. She threw knives
into the basket too and then rushed out the kitchen.

All that the four people could do was to
look at her quiet tantrum, each pitying her unhappiness. But what
could they do to help except to let her have her way?

Ivy ran all the way to the bridge across the
lake. There she stood, heaving with anger and self-pity. When she
couldn’t seem to control her self, she threw the basket into the
lake. It sunk down and then rose back up, bobbing in the water as
it float away with breads, muffins, rolls, and cakes drifting
across the wide-opened stream.

Why oh why?
She was so determined to be happy. Must everybody
in this world be her enemy, torture her until the day she passed
away from this earth. Had God no mercy for her?

She felt a hand touching her shoulder. She
turned and saw Lisa smiling at her.

“
I feel so stupid over my
silly tantrum. They must think I’m stupid too, not as a lady should
be,” she murmured.

“
Nay, they do not think
that, they cared about you, m’ lady. They were just doing what His
Grace had told them to do.”

“
What?”

“
Aye, His Grace had
ordered that they prevent you from going into the kitchen. After
all, ‘tis not a place where the lady of the house visits now, do
they?” Lisa smiled.

“
But I love the kitchen;
it’s the only happy place I can go. Mrs. Johnson loves me when I
helped her with food and...”

“
Aye, with the exception
of you, of course,” Lisa said.

“
Aye, with the exception
of me.”

“
We want to see you happy,
m’ lady.”

“
I know, Lisa, I truly
tried but sometime it’s just so hard.”

“
Do you want to go to the
town?”

Ivy looked at the maid. “You mean...”

“
Aye, His Grace had
already left for London, so I’m thinking.”

“
Oh, Lisa, that would be
wonderful. I could bring my old gowns, too, to give away for the
poor.”

“
That sounds marvelous. I
know a woman who is in charge of charity for the church. Her name
is Mrs. Miller and she also owns a nice little shop.”

“
Really?” Ivy was
excited.

“
And there’s a little
pastrycook’s shop as well.” Lisa nodded as she saw the truly happy
smile from her lady. It was not hard to bring happiness into this
young woman’s life.

“
Dear me!” She caught
sight of the basket in the lake. “Your food—”

“
Oh, I’m hungry,” Ivy said
sheepishly.

“
Come, my dear lady, you
can have your breakfast in the kitchen.” The maid caught her wrist
and led her toward the castle.

CHAPTER 11

They went to the village by horses. The grey
mare Ivy rode on was gentle. This relieved her worry greatly, for
she had not been riding for a number of years and her skill was a
bit rusty.

“
The air is a bit chilly,”
Lisa said.

Ivy agreed with a nod. She tugged her riding
coat more securely about her to keep warm. She shifted her backside
on the saddle to get more comfortable. Instantly, she regretted it
for the pain between her thighs shot through to the core of her
heart. It still hurt even though it had since been two days past.
She wondered how long it would stay that way. She knew, of course,
that it would heal itself, but when, she didn’t know. If he were to
come to her again she could think no further. The pain, she was
sure, would be unbearable.

“
You look very
uncomfortable, m’ lady, is everything all right?”

“
Oh yes, I’m fine.” Ivy
smiled.