Page 75 of Tangwystle
A set of double doors flung open, the floor of the ballroom groaning with unease.
The moment I saw the doors open, I knew. I knew that’s where Baz and Gretel would be.
For so long, the garden had been a spot of beauty for the three of us. It was normally our own cloister, our place of rest and refuge. The gate and the high wall kept us safe while the sun shone down on us.
But the garden wrapped around the Manor. It wasn’t just the little patch of vegetables I grew. People had been out the two terrace doors all evening, needing the fresh air and comparing the star decorations with those of the real sky.
I had told Baz to be careful. He hadn’t heeded my call.
And now Rufus stormed through the double doors. Dancers and guests scattered, their masks unable to conceal their concern.
Especially as he pulled Gretel—dragged her—across the room.
Murmurs rose when Rufus flung Gretel to the ground.
Men could treat women however they wanted, but Rufus’s unbridled anger had people stepping back.
I pushed my way through the crowd. Part of me understood how bad this was, but another part couldn’t fully process it. All I saw was Gretel on the ground, her dress tangled and her hair falling from its pretty chignon.
In my panic, I believed she hit the floor hard. Most likely because the force had been enough to knock off the silver mask from her face.
The murmurs increased, but not many knew Gretel’s identity.
Not until Rufus unleashed his fury.
“My servant!” His yell filled the ballroom. He lifted a threatening finger, his eyes burning.
Baz had followed him into the room. He remained tall, but his shoulders were tight. He barely looked at me as I fell to my knees and checked on Gretel. I know now it’s because he didn’t want to tear his eyes away from Rufus.
Baz’s fingers curled into fists. If it weren’t for the ballroom full of people, Rufus would have never escaped Baz’s wrath concerning the way Gretel had been thrown to the ground.
“You’ve deceived me!” Rufus flung the words at Baz, creating more of a frenzy in the crowd. “You’ve not only kept my servant, my servant who ran out of her contract, but you dare to defile her!”
My chest ached as I sucked in a breath. All around me, people gasped.
Thank the stars, I still wore my mask. Not that it stopped the heat from rushing to my cheeks.
Memories of what Baz had just done to me seared into my mind. If Rufus had walked in on us, there’d be no denying what act we were partaking in.
Gretel’s chin wobbled, and that’s all I needed to know.
Baz couldn’t deny harboring Gretel, a servant belonging to another gentleman. And he couldn’t deny tearing into her cunt.
I smoothed the skirts of her dress.
“I think you will find—” Baz tried to say.
Rufus interrupted. “I think you will find!” He’d taken off his mask, and I watched his cheeks redden, puffing out to a degree which made me think he’d explode. “That this will not stand! You claimed to know nothing of my servant running off. And now I find you sunk inside her.”
More gasps filled the audience.
“This will not stand!” Rufus repeated. “I have every right by the law?—”
Baz’s jaw spasmed. The sharp jawline remained clenched, his entire being tensed. “Yes, tell me of the law.”
Rufus reared back. Had he really expected Baz to lie down and take it?
Yes. The answer came to me immediately. And every moment this encounter continued, a knowing dread dragged me down. Rufus took Baz’s response as provocation, and he matched it with more of his own fire.
