Catherine Nowells

Chapter 2 - Actors

Catherine searched erratically for the glass of water that Nina always left on the side table with a wave of her hand. The rays of sun determined to cross the sheer curtains had absorbed every last drop reluctant to leave her body. As a result, her throat had become dry and hoarse as if she were swallowing a handful of nails instead of saliva. With her eyes still closed, she managed to moisten her lips and return her body to its naturally hydrated state. It wasn't until the last sip that she managed to open her eyelids. 

"Nina! Nina!" she shouted, verifying that her throat was indeed able to return to its usual functioning. 

"Yes, ma'am" the maid hurried out of the small room next door to meet her mistress. 

"Can you tell me what time it is?" 

The maid nervously searched for a clock everywhere until she found a small, old one in a corner of the bedroom. 

"It's noon." 

"Noon? So early? You know I don't wake up until noon, it's not good for my skin" she got back into bed. "Do me a favor and close these damn curtains properly." 

"Oh! But Lady Nowells!" her stomach did a flip-flop tied in a knot of nerves, "the curtains are not lined and do not completely block the light. How can I do it?" 

"I see you're giving up on obeying me. If it's not completely dark in here in less than ten minutes, I'll have you whipped and thrown out of here."

"And I see you've awakened in a very bad mood, Miss" grumbled Nina, blushing with nervousness as she ran off to find another pair of heavier curtains. 

"Again mistreating the staff?" 

God! It was him!

 "Marcus!" she sat up immediately, covering herself with the blanket and vainly combing through the tangled chestnut curls that flooded her face and body without order or discipline. 

There were few occasions on which Marcus Raynolds spoke to her. Most of the time he did so to insult or ridicule her, and never to hold a coherent conversation or at least one that was courteous. 

"Lady Catherine Nowells" he sounded falsely formal with his hands on his back, beginning his way into the bedroom, taking advantage of Nina having left the door open in her haste. 

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you have left with the rest of the guests?" "

"Ah, for a moment I thought you might ask what I'm doing in your room" he ran his fingers through his beard, pretending to be concerned.

"The masculine aroma of Marcus mixed with whiskey began to burn dangerously on Catherine's skin. She was even unable to control the beating of her heart, fearing that Marcus might be able to hear it, making his ego and male pride grow. If asked to stand up, she would fall down heavily as her legs and hands had stopped obeying her. Thus she stood in front of him: a complete useless, without arguments or control. "

"That too" she remembered Karen's advice not to seem so available. 

"Well, I'll satisfy your curiosity" he planted the cane on the bed's feet. "I haven't left because I have some business to attend to with the Earl of Pembroke, Rudolph. And I'm in your room because I left my evening wear here, before this was my bedroom. But they gave it to you because of the warmth of the room" he opened the wardrobe as if everything he touched belonged to him, taking out a pristine black and gold evening suit and his cane. "

That had been here all night?" 

Wouldn't you have tried to sleep in it if you had known, right?" he frowned, making his sinful eyes shine as he put on the evening wear with extreme sensuality and elegance, almost bordering on eroticism.