Save Me (On Hold)

Chapter 8

Genevieve walked down the narrow garden path next to Lord Blackburn. They were silent and simply enjoying each other's company. She felt the warmth radiating from his masculine form, and she felt a tingling feeling deep in her stomach.

She grimaced at the thoughts and her traitorous body. He noticed her look and turned to her in quiet confusion. Genevieve blushed and turned her head. They kept walking in silence and stopped in front of a large fountain in the middle of the maze. William sat on the edge of the fountain and motioned for her to sit by him.

Carefully arranging her skirts, Genevieve sat on the fountain ledge and looked at the painfully handsome man in front of her. His chiseled jaw was tight in the moonlight, and his eyes burned holes in her head.

She felt herself suddenly want his touch, she wanted to hold his hand, she wanted to run her hands through his long silky hair....

He must have noticed the look on her face, because he reached forward and closed the space between them. His mouth was soft on hers and his hands reached out to grasp her waist. She reached up one hand shyly to cup his cheek and felt the stubble on his jaw. Her other hand rested on his chest and she pecked his lips again before breaking free.

He looked at her with such intensity, and she had to look away. He growled and pulled her swiftly onto his lap, before her buried his face in her neck, inhaling her scent. She tilted her head back and he pressed a kiss under her jaw, before trailing them up to her mouth. He kissed her softly again, then became rougher.

A thousand thoughts ran through her mind, but one really stuck out.

Love.

She loved this man, and she hardly knew anything about him. She loved this man, and he was a rake. She, a peasant, loved this man who was a lord.

His kisses became more needy and demanding and Genevieve fisted her hands in his shirt to keep herself upright. Finally, when neither could breathe any longer, he broke away and looked into her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have, I didn't mean..."

"Shh, it's okay," she whispered to him.

His face became clouded and he pushed her off his lap suddenly.

"Well well what a surprise," said none other than Julianne.

William glared at the beautiful woman and Genevieve's eyes grew wide. Julianne had seen everything, she had seen the kiss.

"I suppose I should go inside and tell somebody, shouldn't I? Unless..."

"Unless what?" Lord Blackburn ground out.

"Agree to marry me again."

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Genevieve watched lord Blackburn's jaw clench and unclench before he answered.

"Fine."

Julianne's hands clapped together gleefully. "Perfect!"

Genevieve felt her soul shatter into a million pieces and she knew he had used her. He had taken advantage of the small ragamuffin girl because he knew she wouldn't fight him, or protest.

Genevieve wanted to throw up, and she wanted to run off where nobody would ever bother her again. Lord Blackburn turned to look at Genevieve, an his eyes pleaded with her silently. She looked away and turned on her heel, determined to put him behind her and never think of him again. In those few seconds, as quickly as the love came, it was crushed.

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William watched Genevieve leave, and made his face a cold mask. He knew he had hurt her, and he knew he had lost her. However, he was a lord, and a lord must forget his own feelings in order to do what was best in situations like these, he suppressed his feelings and took the arm of Julianne, knowing it was the right thing to do.

As soon as they entered the party, the whispering began. Although the fact of their broken engagement hasn't been released yet, people were gossips, and the news had already spread.

Now, they were back together. William felt they eyes of his best friend, and his mother the most. Both looks were disappointed and both looked in disapproval.

Julianne smiled and greeted everyone and she clamped Williams forearm tight in her grasp, letting him know that he was hers, or she would tell his secret. His thoughts ran to Genevieve, who had looked so broken and hurt as he agreed to marry Julianne. But what did he care? He was Lord William Blackburn, and she was but a peasant. Filth, really.

The rest of the evening went by slowly and monotonously, and when the party was finally over, he said his quick goodbyes and rushed up the stairs and to his chamber. He was turning the corner when a pitiful sound reached him. Down the hall, in Genevieve's room, there was a dry, sobbing sound, and a calm voice spoke through to the crying person.

"My son is an ass, yes I do realize, I did raise him after all. But my dear, don't you think what he did was the best for both of you?"

"Noooo," the first voice wailed.

The sound was pitiful and he cringed, knowing that he was the cause of it.

"Just think about it before you judge him too hard. I'll talk to him."

He waited until the door opened an his mother left the room.

She glared at him and he tried to speak, but was stopped by her hand.

"How much longer do you think you can torment that girl before she breaks?"

William shrugged and his mother shook her head, "It doesn't matter, you may have already lost her."

Those words rang in his head as he listened to the sobbing, before he turned and went back down the stairs, knowing he had to get away.