The Lady

Chapter 7

I inhale sharply, my eyes widening. Why was he here? Did he follow me, hoping to take what he couldn't whilst my father was still alive?

"Good evening Rachel. I must say, it feels like an age since I saw you last" His voice sounded just as smooth as the day we first met but it sent chills down my spine.

I swallow, trying to find my voice.

"Mr Thomas, how.." I cleared my throat, "how is it that you come to be here? The last I heard you were abroad."

Oh how I loathed this man, I wanted to run to him and scratch his eyes out!

Unfortunately I had to simper and be polite to him lest I make him suspicious.

He was smiling at me, dear Lord, this gave me gooseflesh. I wanted to smack the smarmy look off his face. He looked me up and down with his smile not quite reaching his eyes. He looked like a predator ready to circle his prey.

I felt a warmth by my right arm, realising that Gabriel had come to stand next to me I felt a sudden surge of confidence. What could this man do to me whilst I had Gabriel next to me? Mr Thomas is only a little bit taller than me and as I stand at 5'3, Gabriel would tower over him.

Mr Thomas raked a hand through his greasy brown hair making it stand on end, gracious, hadn't anyone ever told him that he needs to wash his hair every now and then? The man was positively rat-like in appearance. Have I always thought of him like that? I wondered. Or is it because I see him as he truly is?

As I was thinking these things I realised that he had turned towards Edmund and Elizabeth. Ignoring my question, he introduces himself to them and starts discussing his recent purchase. Not wanting to seem interested in anything this man had to say, I turn towards Gabriel.

As I turn I notice that his hands are clenched at his sides and he is breathing quite heavily.

I lean towards him and whisper "Gabriel, is something the matter?"

He takes a deep breath, clenches and unclenches his hands.

"Rachel," he says, "how do you know this man?"

I flinch away from the aggression in Gabriel's tone. I shake my head at him.

"I'm sorry, what do you mean?" I ask surprised.

He takes a deep breath before continuing. Gabriel quickly darts a look towards Mr Thomas.

"That man, when did you meet him?" he demands.

As I open my mouth, Elizabeth calls out to me.

"Dearest, you must come here and listen to the wonderful things Mr Thomas has to say about you" she smiled.

Gabriel growled deep in his throat and before I could walk over to the others he quickly grabbed hold of my hand.

"Rachel, you must promise me that you will make sure to never be alone with this man."

What on earth is going on? Why is Gabriel so worried, it isn't as if he knows the man.  Mr Thomas showed no signs of knowing him. Unless, Gabriel must have seen the way that he looks at me and can tell that his intentions are not honourable in any way?

I tug my hand from Gabriel's grip.

"He is the very last man on earth that I would ever be alone with" I spat out. "Gabriel, why are you worried? You obviously don't know him".

The scowl dropped from his face and he looked over at the other three.

"You are right Rachel, I don't know him. Come now, let us not keep Elizabeth waiting any longer, you know how cross she will be if we take any more of her dancing time away" he forced a smile towards me and started walking over to the others and I follow reluctantly.

Elizabeth grabs hold of my hand as soon as I am near enough and drags me towards the others.

"What an extraordinary coincidence that you both have ended up in the same county" she says excitedly. "It must be divine intervention" she giggles.

Mr Thomas smirks at me letting his gaze linger a little too long. I squirm and look down at the gravel that we are standing on.

"Yes, I think you may be right Elizabeth" he starts. "The last time I went to visit with Lady Rachel," I quickly gasp and coughed loudly over him and hope to goodness that Gabriel didn't hear what Mr Thomas just called me, Thomas just lifts an eyebrow and continues speaking, "well, she was out on a walk with her mother so I missed out on the pleasure of her company and had to make do with her father's instead".

He looked at me carefully while speaking to Elizabeth. I know that he is checking for signs that I am suspicious, I must fool him for he continues on.

"I was ever so sorry to hear about your parents accident, it was such a terrible loss" he said all of this with his hand covering his heart and the most genuine look of disbelief across his face.

My hand is feeling itchy and all I want to do is bring it across his face time and time again until I draw blood. As a woman who never thinks violent things I am shocking myself with the feelings that I am having.

I draw strength from having Gabriel on one side of me and Elizabeth on the other and look Mr Thomas dead in the eye and reply,

"I thank you so much for your heartfelt sentiments, Mr Thomas. Their lives were cut much too short and there is not a day that goes by that I don't wish that I had been there with them as they drew their last breaths so far from myself and our home."

Now it is his turn to be unable to look me in the eye. That's right you murderous bastard, I think shocking even myself, you shouldn't be able to look me in the eye. This man took my entire world away from me and there was not a thing I could do to prove it.

"Yes, well, shall we go inside and enjoy the ball that Mr Thomas has put together?" Edmund spoke up for the first time since I joined them.

"Wait a moment," I say, "is this your home Mr Thomas?"

He grins at me, his confidence regained. "Rachel, my dear, please call me Charles. Yes, this is my new home and I am very much looking forward to showing you what I have done to it since moving here."

I realise that in the whole time he has been with us he has not spoken or looked towards Gabriel, I wonder if he thinks that Gabriel may be my suitor? Good! Let the disgusting rat-man think that, maybe then he will keep his distance.

No such luck though, as we are following another group toward the entrance of this splendid house he slips in between myself and Elizabeth. I can feel his breath on my ear making me cringe towards Gabriel. Who knew that I would actually prefer being closer to Gabriel than being anywhere near Charles Thomas.

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Hi to anyone reading! I've added a photo of Charles Thomas to the story..

Everytime I watch Gossip girl I think "Oh that Chuck Bass, he's such a smug git!" so when I thought up Charles I had an image in my mind of Chuck :D

Thanks for taking the time to read and I really hope that you've enjoyed the latest chapter. Cheers! x