Some Like to Shock. Кэрол Мортимер

obvious unhappiness in her marriage, and his own unbearable circumstances, Colin had visited the duke one last time to ask for his help and had again been refused, before then choosing to hang himself from one of the trees in the woods at the back of Woollerton Hall?

      William Forster now looked at her as mercilessly as his father had always done. ‘Your brother was weak, as well as a fool, in not demanding my father’s promise to him in writing before your wedding.’

      ‘And your father was not a gentleman, or a man of honour.’

      ‘Honour?’ William laughed derisively. ‘Why should my father stir himself to honour anything he might have said to your worthless brother, when he had already sampled your charms and found them wanting?’

      Genevieve welcomed the pain as her nails now pierced the palms of her hand through the lace of her gloves, ‘I wish for you to leave my home.’

      ‘Not until I have said what I came here to say.’

      ‘You will leave my home now!’ Genevieve shook with the anger that now consumed every part of her.

      ‘And who is going to make me? Your elderly butler?’ William challenged confidently. ‘Or perhaps your new lover?’ His cold grey gaze roamed over her with a familiarity that made Genevieve cringe. ‘From all that I know of Lucifer, he is not a man to trouble himself in regard to any woman he takes as mistress.’

      ‘I am not his mistress!’ Genevieve’s eyes glowed a fiery blue in warning.

      ‘Yet,’ William bit out harshly. ‘And it is my intention that he never will be.’

      ‘And what business is it of yours, sir?’

      ‘For better or worse, you are my father’s widow.’ Those pale grey eyes raked over her with dislike. ‘And tomorrow morning will see the announcement of my betrothal to the Earl of Ramsey’s only daughter, the wedding to take place next month. A marriage which will be beneficial to both our families.’

      ‘Perhaps it behoves someone to warn that poor girl of exactly what sort of family she is marrying into—Take your hands off me!’ Genevieve gave a pained gasp as William moved to take a tight grip of one of her wrists before twisting her arm painfully behind her back, causing her to arch her back in an effort not to allow their bodies to come into any sort of contact.

      ‘I have no intention of releasing you until I consider this conversation to have been settled to my satisfaction.’ William thrust his face very close to her own, the warmth of his breath brushing against Genevieve’s throat, and causing her to quiver with revulsion.

      ‘What do you want from me?’ she gasped softly.

      ‘Ramsey is … something of a prude, and as such I do not believe he would appreciate it if my father’s widow, the woman who was my stepmother, and is now the Dowager Duchess of Woollerton, were to become involved in a sordid affair with the man the ton calls Lucifer. Therefore, I advise that you cease your relationship with him before such a possibility occurs.’

      ‘It is not for you to dictate to me whom I should or should not take as my friends,’ Genevieve refused determinedly.

      ‘I thought you might say that.’ William sneered at her bravery. ‘But you may rest assured, Genevieve, that if in the next month you should do or behave in such a way which might interfere with my own marriage plans, then I will personally make sure that you regret that behaviour. Am I making myself clear?’ His voice was as hard with cruelty as his father’s had always been.

      ‘God, how I hate you!’ Genevieve choked, wishing this conversation over, most of all wishing this man’s presence gone from her home, and the memories he had brought with him. Memories of her wedding night, followed by Josiah’s numerous cruelties to her. Of the times she had tried to escape him by running away, only to be brought back and beaten by the very same man who now twisted her arm so painfully.

      ‘The feeling is mutual, I assure you,’ William sneered. ‘Nevertheless, you will do as I say and immediately break off this scandalous friendship with Lucifer.’ He gave her arm another vicious twist before pushing her roughly away from him, studiously straightening the leather riding gloves he wore as Genevieve stumbled to regain her balance at the same time as she clutched her bruised arm.

      How Genevieve hated this man and his father for what they had both done to her. For what William was still trying to do to her.

      And she hated him even more for his confidence that she would again do as he had instructed.

      ‘Leave,’ she managed to choke out.

      ‘I will go when I am good and ready.’

      ‘You will get out of my house now!’ She refused to so much as sway on her feet until after William, with one last mocking smile in her direction, strode confidently from her salon and her home.

      At which time Genevieve’s legs would no longer support her and she fell down on to the carpet, her wrist and arm hurting so badly that she sobbed tears of pain and humiliation, knowing that the peace she had acquired this past year, her belief that she was finally rid of Josiah, and his equally as cruel and unpleasant son, was completely shattered.