Duplicity Ch. 02

"I don't know what you mean my lord," Evelyn breathed miserably. Why is this great and powerful man singling her out for abuse?

Philip frowned slightly and stiffly melted back into the company of the others.

Lord Davenport had eyes only for Evelyn as he towered over her. "Are you not a particular friend of young Prince Edward?" he asked when Philip was out of earshot.

Evelyn schooled her face to reveal no emotion at all. Luckily Lady Warwick, annoyed that both her guests appeared enraptured with Evelyn, chose that moment to invite her guests to take a turn in her garden with its maze of exotic flowering bushes. The suggestion was greeted with eagerness from everyone. Philip took charge of wheeling the elderly Earl as the other ladies followed behind.

Lord Davenport held out a hand to Evelyn and she had no choice but to take it. She reluctantly allowed him take her hand and fold it into the crook of his arm and together they followed the others outdoors. He kept their pace well behind that of the others until very soon they were out of sight.

"Just what sort of friendship can a young woman have with a man that she would enter his apartments alone?" he pressed once they were out of earshot of the others.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean. Even so, who my friends are should be of no concern to you!" Evelyn retorted, with more force and confidence than she felt.

He e stopped dead in his track and pulled her around to face him. "As long as you are moving amongst this set, your every action, your every breath is under scrutiny," he grounded out forcefully. "By me. By everyone!"

Evelyn flinched but she refused to be cowed. "Do I pose such a threat to you and yours?" she retorted, with more strength in her voice than she felt. "We only just met. What could I possibly have done to warrant such insults?"

"You may believe I am insulting," he informed her with an arrogant lift of his firm chin. "In time you will learn that it is for your own good that I warn you. You grow careless with your hubris when you visited your royal paramour in broad daylight. Oh yes , I saw you! Others might have seen you too and draw the same conclusions I have! Who will protect you when all decent society turns you out? Will your Prince? How deeply does his affection run when he has already abandoned you here with the Warwicks?"

A deep blush of anger and outrage spread to the very roots of Evelyn's hair. She struggled to breathe, from the weight of his accusation! Instead she stood with her mouth hanging open, at a loss for words.

"Answer me!" he demanded after a while.

"This day is too hot for a stroll," she said instead, with trembling lips, her eyes burning with unshed tears. She won't cry in front of him, no matter how much he frightened her. "You must pardon me as I must return."

"Have you nothing to say for yourself? Won't you attempt to make some form of denial?" Lord Davenport asked, growing somewhat irritated by her stubborness. Why wasn't she grateful that he was willing to keep her secrets? She ought to be very, very grateful that he has kept his peace so far.

Instead of being grateful, she willfully defied him. "You know nothing and I won't listen to your insults anymore!" She turned to go, but he quickly reached out a long arm and pulled her back to him. With no thought to where they were or who might see, he took hold of both her wrists which she held out to defend herself and captured them easily.

"Stop!" she squealed, in shock and outrage, as she twisted and pulled against his first grasp.

He was simply too strong, too determined in his purpose! With hardly any effort at all, he pulled her against his large muscular frame. For moment, Lord Davenport wondered at the wisdom of his actions. But she had tormented his thoughts for far too many weeks. He must satiate himself and be done with her soon, to quiet this madness he felt for her.

So he kissed her. His lips slanted and crushed against hers. It was a kiss unlike any of the chaise, gentle peaks Evelyn had experienced before. Kisses were suppose to be sweet. This felt like a violation. Hard and bruising! He bite her lower lip and urged her mouth to part for his probing tongue, all the while he held her firmly by both wrists against the length of him.

How cruel his lips were! How simply intoxicating his soft tongue felt as it filled her mouth and sucked her breath away. He was sucking her very soul from her body! Evelyn slowly stopped struggling against him. Her breath simply left her body under his bruising kiss and her whole world turned to darkness!

"Evelyn!"

Lord Davenport looked up at the horrid face of Lady Warwick and her equally aghast sisters at the sight of Evelyn's seemingly lifeless body in his arms.

"Quickly!" he shouted, without missing a beat. "Lady Evelyn has fainted from the heat!"

"Send for the doctor!" cried the elderly Earl from his chair behind the others.

There was a flutter of activity as everyone returned to the house, fluttering around Lord Davenport as he carried Evelyn. Philip following silently, grim faced, at their heels.

The ladies lead the way to the family drawing room, shouting for a doctor, for water, for brandy as they went. When the servants weren't quick to respond, the women scattered about to chase them down.

Evelyn's limp body was spread upon a chaise. She looked so pale, so at peace with thick dark fans of her lashes gently resting on her dewy cheeks that it appeared quite lifeless. Lord Davenport hovered over her for a brief moment and brushed a lock of hair back from her face. He wanted to taste those pillow pink lips again.

"Evelyn," he said to her prone figure. No response.

He collected himself and straightened up only to be met with Philip's accusing glare.

"Philip., I--" Lord Davenport began. He had completely forgotten his cousin's presence! For once his lordship was at a loss for words.

***************************

"I cannot bear to be here another day!" Lady Evelyn nearly shouted as she wrung her hands and marched up and down the length of a large opulent drawing room. "Edward, you must do something. I will not stay with the Warwicks for another day!"

Prince Edward dropped a corner of the morning papers he was reading to peer up at her.

"Now my dear girl, that will not do? You know Father's will and we must all obey. Of course you can always marry the first poor sod who purpose and be done with the whole affair," he said with bemusement. He shook out the crease in the paper and shield it over his face once more.

Lady Evelyn halted in mid stride. "How droll, Edward! Trade an intolerable situation for a literal prison. I don't know why I didn't think of it myself," she retorted with dry sarcasm.

"As a married woman you may come and go as you like," can the reply from behind the papers. "Father is most anxious to see you settled you know."

Evelyn bit her lip, somewhat reluctant to say what she meant to say. "I was thinking I can go aboard or settle into my own household in the country. I promise to keep out of the way and be of no bother to anyone."

"You're not a bother Evelyn. Father just wants you to be happy."

"His majesty-!" Lady Evelyn nearly shouted, but then calmed herself and tried again. "YOUR father, my dear Edward, needn't concern himself. I have my own money. I am extremely clever, when it comes to caring for myself. I would prefer to live out a life in quiet solitude to being paraded around and be subjected to their gossip and innuendo another day!"

The top half of the paper flapped downwards again. "Who had gossiped?" Edward said darkly. "What are they saying? I haven't heard any of this. I've only had glowing reports of your great success!"

"But the rumors have already started," Evelyn stated flatly as she stood over him. "I think that awful woman has been telling tales that I am not actually a relation."

"Then the Lady Warwick will be sorry for it!" Prince Edward declared darkly. Then he paused for a moment. "Are you sure? Has someone confronted you?"

Evelyn bit her lower lips. Either out of embarrassment or some inherent feeling of unease, she did not want to tell Edward about Lord Davenport. "It's an impression I've gotten," she said instead.

Edward's frown disappeared and he gave Evelyn a stern look instead. "You always were prone to see the worse in the situation and be very difficult. You oughtn't be so cold towards those who merely want your friendship. Can't you be charming and sweet towards Lady Warwick? You'll see that she is not hatching some sinister plot against you."

Evelyn's mouth opened to protest, but there was nothing she could say without bringing up Lord Davenport. Something made her hold her tongue once more.

"You're right," she conceded. "I only suspect her. But I'd rather leave before more questions are asked that I haven't a ready answer for! I know both you and his Majesty mean well. You are wrong though. I am not a success. No one accepts me. They merely regard me as a curiosity. Once the novelty wears off, or if the Earl dies, II will be shunned by one and all. Face it my dear Edward, a life of solitude in the country is much preferable to what lies in store for me if I stay!"

Prince Edward was forced to set his papers aside. He stood up, and came to placed two gentle hands on Lady Evelyn's shoulder to gently brush a kiss upon her forehead. Dark blue eyes met dark blue eyes with tender fondness. "My dearest sister," Edward said gently. "You know his majesty would love nothing more than to publicly embrace you as his, but not while my mother lives. He loves you deeply and will see you well settled. Won't you at least try, for all our sake? At least for a while longer. No one loves you more or want your happiness more than we do. If it is as hopeless as you say, then we shall explore other plans."

When Evelyn didn't respond, Edward tried another tactic. "Come! Tonight we'll take in an opera. They say Dido and Aeneas is simply divine. What say you?"

With resignation she accepted the tender kiss he now pressed on the back of her hands. "I have missed you, my dear Edward! But won't there be talk if we're seen out together?"

"To be out with my own sister?!" Edward admonished as he folded his arms affectionately around her slender, deflated shoulders. She didn't point out that no one knew of their relation, and no one can know. That was the cause of her dilemma now. Yet Edward seemed to have forgotten that point and Evelyn decided not to bring up again.

Edward was in a fine mood as he held her arms out to take in all of her. "Look at you my dear girl. Has it been so long since we were both at Pembroke? Look how beautiful you've grown, my sweet Evelyn. Surely, given a chance everyone would love you and you'll soon make a wonderful match."

Evelyn smiled at the mention of their childhood home. Oh Pembroke! There, two lonely children ran circles around their tutors and governess. Those were truly wonderful days of running and riding in the open meadows. It seemed a lifetime ago from this gilded, yet murky, and forbidding city. Real danger lurked here in the form of tall, dark, devilishly handsome man who haunted and stalked her. If she remained here, she didn't trust herself not to acquiesce to her own downfall!

To be continued...

End of Chapter 2