An Earls lie or a scoundrels promise

The She-Devil

Chapter 7 - The she-devil

'Hush now dear, I want him back and you want her. We can both have what we want.' Melissa purred into the Barons ear as she slid her arms over his shoulders and down his chest. 'we can work together'

He rested the back of his head against her full round bosoms. Her dress almost so low, it almost revealed the tops of her nipples. He'd pushed the empty plate away after they had indulged in a private dinner at the Barons town house.

'She defied me once' Thomas spat through his teeth 'I want what I was denied, it would have been mine by right had the little tease never broken off the engagement.'

Melissa soothed his anger, rubbing at his shoulders. After they had both witnessed what happened on that balcony, they had decided they did not care for the relationship that seemed to be blossoming between the two.

'Shhh, it will all work out. You'll have your teasing wench, and you can show her what she missed all those years ago, how dare she lead you on in such a fashion, and then deny you what you obviously deserve, what you were entitled too' she tutted a pout 'And in doing so I shall have back the Earl. We were both wronged my darling. Both treated badly. And we shall have our recompenses.'

Melissa had always been good at getting what she wanted. It wasn't hard to convince the Baron he should take what would have been his, especially once she slipped him nearly half a bottle of brandy after the ball in which she saw her man, the man she lost, with another. And Melissa Ashton never lost, especially not to a plain little nobody, why would he even be interested in such a simpleton. She wasn't that pretty, certainly not Blake's usual type, because she was Blake's type. She didn't come from an impeccable background and if what the Baron had told her was correct, was dull as sin, but surprisingly wealthy. That was all she had going for her. She would have Blake back, once the girl was out of the way, and Winters would do just that.

One less obstacle to deal with. She had cocked it up big time before, had she not she would be Lady Arrington. A Handsome Earl as a husband, an enormous fortune at her disposal with several Huge Properties chucked in too, she would have been welcomed into circles beyond her and admired by the ton. And as much as it pained her to admit it, she really had lost out, but never again. She wasn't about to let him leave again.

Melissa had been grateful when her old husband had finally popped his clogs, she couldn't stand to let him share her bed anymore, not that he would come to her often, he was old, weak and repulsively unsatisfying. And she knew it was only a matter of time. Otherwise she would never have accepted his proposals. But after losing out on one Earl, she had taken what was on offer as soon as possible, then after quickly tying the knot, Blake had never outed her to society like she had expected, so she needn't have bothered.

She straightened up and slowly withdrew her hands from inside his waist jacket and resumed her seat next to him

'The girls mother and brother are coming to town for her sister's engagement ball at the end of the week. Do they know what happened, why your engagement was called off?'

He barked laughter 'Are you kidding? of course not, she wouldn't tell them anything. Her mother is some sort of sad recluse. I'm surprised she is even coming to London. And her brother, well he would probably have called me out if she had, so I doubt that very much.'

She smiled 'wonderful, reconcile with the brother, I take it you were on good terms?'

'as any future brother in law I suppose'

'Good. Make him believe you're devastated still, that you wish to marry her'

Thomas pulled a face at her, 'I don't want to marry her, I just want what was promised to me. What was meant for me.' He almost growled.