The Woman Of My Dreams ✔

Chapter 13

Hugh felt his mouth go slack. He felt his blood grow hot, and his veins grow cold. He felt his head pound, and his brain shrink. All in all, he felt his body turn bipolar. It was bad, he thought, preposterous.

"Lord Hugh?" came Joan's muffled voice.

Hugh blinked, and stared into those green depths of her eyes. 

"Tell me" Hugh said "have you destroyed William's sister's reputation?"

"No"  Joan said "and yet he thinks I'm the one."

Hugh narrowed his eyes "really?"

Joan nodded "I pleaded, begged and convinced him, but he won't budge."

Hugh didn't know what the truth was. He looked at Joan. Something in her eyes flashed. Something innocent, something guilt-free, and something tired.

Hugh could feel her innocence. She was speaking the truth, he could feel that.

"Even yesterday night, at the ballroom, the moment he caught a glimpse of me, his eyes boomed with ire. Pure IRE. I could feel him go afire, and he was about to lunge at me. I literally ran. And then I met you. And you saved me"  Joan said, her voice clipped with despondency.

Hugh offered her a sympathetic smile, then asked "when did the rumor grow prevalent?"

"The previous year, and Belle was totally ruined. She was of marriageable age, and now no one wants to marry her. Poor girl. She is so beautiful. She was the catch of the season a year back" Joan said with a sigh.

"It's not your fault" Hugh said.

"But William, he-he- he is now on the verge of ruining my life" Joan said "I even remember the day he pinned me against the wall, and was about to kill me. But I stamped on his foot, and yanked off."

Hugh widened his eyes "he's dangerous, he can do you some harm, we've got to take some action against him."

Joan let out a wry laugh "does it matter?"

It does to me, Hugh thought.

"How calm can you be?" Hugh asked feeling impatience lacing his heart.

"I've grown used to it" Joan said staring at the elm tree "really. He hasn't done much harm except twice or thrice. He mostly lives in the countryside, not here in London."

"So now you'll wait, until he harms you, eh?" Hugh asked feeling acrimony claw at his gut.

"HE LIVES IN THE COUNTRYSIDE, LORD HUGH" Joan said irritably "he just comes to London few times a year."

"Miss Winset, I'm most worried" Hugh announced.

"And what can you do?" Joan asked angrily.

"For God's sake, I'm an earl, and he's a mere baronet. I can use my power over him and thrust him in a gaol"  Hugh replied.

Joan caught her breath "can you?"

"Anything for you. Er...for a lady" Hugh said.

Joan smiled. But then it brushed off too soon. 

"No. It will cause even much more ruin for his younger sister. It will be all too much for her to bear" Joan said.

Hugh looked at her. Straight.

"And for you?" Hugh asked softly.

"My feelings be damned" Joan said.

Hugh felt his heart turn to cream. Joan was risking her own life, to save someone else from any further risk. She was kind. She was benevolent. She was thoughtful.

And...

She was everything.