Page 50 of Alone with the Beastly Duke
“Do you know how most rumors fly in the Ton?” he asked. Dorothy was further confused as she shook her head. “It is through maids and servants,” he continued. “As you can see, I have forty workers: twenty maids, ten groundskeepers, and ten servants. Do you see what I am trying to say now?”
“I do not understand,” Dorothy replied.
“What would happen if one of my maids saw you standing in the middle of my drawing room? What do you think she would think?” he asked.
Dorothy gasped.
“And before you know it, the entire ton would have found out that you are having an affair with the Nordic Beast,” he continued, watching as her eyes grew more fearful.
“But...but your butler knows about our affair, and no one in the Ton found out,” she said.
“That is because the butler is the only one that knows about our affair. I can trust my butler with my life, which is why he is the only one I have trusted with our affair,” he continued.
“You are simply saying this because you do not want me to confront your lover,” she argued. Even though Dorothy tried to sound like she did not care, he could tell she was bothered by what he said.
“Is that what you really think?” he asked.
Dorothy shrugged. “If that is not the case, then let go of my hand and risk me going back to confront your lover.”
“Fine!” Axel replied, releasing her hand. Dorothy stared furiously at him for a moment, but he did not waver.
“Remember, Dorothy. If you go up there, the only thing I would lose is the one woman I have deep feelings for. I am already an outcast in the Ton, so nothing the Ton does can bother me. You, on the other hand, are still married to an honorable man. Can you imagine what the Ton would say if one of my maids let it slip that you are having an affair with me, a man that the Ton despises? Is this what you want, Dorothy?”
Dorothy sighed in resignation.
Axel moved out of her way. “You are free to go to the drawing-room,” he said.
Just like he had envisaged, Dorothy did not move an inch. If anything, she looked tired and drained. There was a moment of silence with Dorothy staring at the floor, and Axel’s eyes trained on her.
She finally straightened up; her eyes set dangerously.
“I will leave now,” she said. Axel was elated.
“I am glad you have returned to your right senses,” he replied.
“However,” she continued, “This is not the end. I will find out who she is and do everything I can to ensure that you both feel the pain that I feel. I will not stop until I am satisfied.”
Axel shrugged with indifference. “Do whatever you want to,” he replied. Dorothy looked taken aback by his indifference. She seethed angrily.
“You will regret how you have treated me,” she huffed before leaving angrily.
Axel heaved a sigh of relief when Dorothy finally left. He pitied the woman, but aside from that, he had no other feelings for her. She was simply a sad woman trapped in an unhappy marriage.
Being involved with Dorothy was the worst decision I have ever made.
He, however, could not quite blame himself. He had met Dorothy at a time when he was dead inside, a time when he did not give a care in the world. However, as he made his way back into the main house, he could not help but remember Dorothy’s last words.
“This is not the end...You will regret how you have treated me.”
Could Dorothy possibly have more tricks under her sleeve?
ChapterSixteen
Jasmine rolled in bed for the umpteenth time. She found it hard to sleep, and it did not help that her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Axel.
She smiled as she remembered the fateful afternoon in the library when he had pleasured her until her legs shook. Ever since that day, however, she and Axel had not been able to spend any private time together.
Dinner had been pretty intense and, in fact, torturous, but they could not show any affection to each other without arousing suspicion.
