My Fair Lady

The Lioness

As they entered the room, Caroline closed the door and smiled. "Well, tell me, what wind blew the dashing Edmund Aughust here? Shouldn't you be planning your wedding?"

"How did you know I was getting married?"

"Tsk, fancy not telling your old friend." Caroline smiled. "Congratulations on your...marriage to Lady Juliet."

Edmund glanced at her. There was something forced about her congratulatory greeting. There was a sense of...artificiality and a deep undercurrent to her words. 

"There might be no marriage now," he added carefully. "Juliet has disappeared."

There was no change to Caroline's face. Instead, she merely said, "Really? Why?"

"She ran away," Edmund said slowly as he watched for Caroline's reactions.

"Such a foolish girl. Giving up the man she claimed to love?" Caroline pulled a face. "She clearly does not love you as much as you think."

"And what makes you say so?"

"I know what you are trying to do." Caroline raised her perfectly arched eyebrows. "You think I did this?"

"As expected of the renowned seductress, you have guessed my intentions," Edmund said slowly. "And you deny this?" he asked expectantly. Despite his misgivings, he wanted to believe that she wouldn't be that heartless or merciless not after their many years of acquiantence.

Caroline's sensuous lips curved into a smile. "I don't deny it."

"Pardon?" Edmund stared at her. "What did you say?"

"I said I don't deny it," Caroline smirked. "You know me. I'm a forthright person and I dare to admit whatever I've done."

"What the hell did you do?" he growled. 

"I merely staked out my territory," she laughed charmingly. Draping her left leg over her right, she continued, "I told her if she doesn't leave you, I will force her sister to become a whore."

"What has Titania Rosewood got to do with this?"

"That girl came to my whorehouse and requested to become a whore here," Casoline said. "I have to say, I actually like her. She has character and a fiery attitude. Something all the plain gentle ladies in the society lack."

"Can you hurry up and explain what happened?" Edmund demanded. 

"My usually calm Edmund is all frustrated because of a woman." Caroline rolled her eyes. 

"I'm not yours," he snapped.

Caroline twirled her hair, ignoring his outburst. "I told Juliet that if she doesn't leave you, I will whore Titania out to my customers. To tell you the truth, that Titania girl would have been willing to do so. I don't even need force her to do so."

"You bi-" Edmund growled and without thinking, he raised his hand and slapped her across the face.

There was a potent pause before Caroline whipped her head back. "You slapped me," she said in a strained voice. "You fucking slapped me," she repeated disbelievingly. "All because of her."

"I can't believe you were so immature to behave like that," he said in a low voice. "Do you actually think doing this will make me not care about Juliet?"

"She's gone anyway," Caroline cried out as her calm composure slipped. "You will never find her. For all you know, she's on a ship now to France."

"Juliet won't do that," Edmund's eyes hardened into emerald stones. "She's nearby. I can feel it. And I'm warning you right now, if you dare interfere again with my matters, I will personally see to the closure of this whorehouse."