A/N: Oh dear. WELL, where do I begin? My life has been a giant crap-hole for the last month or so, so I apologise for the ma-HU-sive gap between updates. Turns out that I've worked my arse off this term for absolutely nothing because OXFORD UNIVERSITY DOESN'T WANT ME. Funny story; they asked me what my favourite dictionary was in my interview, and I accidentally laughed because I thought it was a joke... TURNS OUT IT WASN'T A JOKE, PEOPLE. In summary, life = crap-hole. BUT HEY, I'M OVER IT. They blates just didn't want me because I have a nose piercing. I IS 2 GANGSTA FOR DEM.

AAAAnyway, here's the next chapter. It's a long'n. I sort of just... kept writing to take my mind off everything. This chapter will probably answer some of the questions which were sort of... hanging around - Hitomi finally grows a backbone! Brill!

But yes, ENJOOOOOY.

(cough Damn those Oxford bastards. cough cough)

Edited 23/02/14: Oh Oxford! I'm so very glad I didn't go. Why? Because I had the most wonderful time at the uni I eventually ended up at. Moreover, the things I went through there inspired lots of things in this very story. Crazy times.

Not much to change in this one, just needs sprucing up. Mainly I think I'll dive back into the dialogue and make it snappier.

Enjoy!


Hitomi watched idly through the window as a sparrow hopped between the branches of an old cherry tree by the road. The book resting in her lap had been untouched for the last twenty minutes, and was currently open on page three of two-hundred and sixty five; a poor effort, really. The morning had passed slowly, as if dragging itself to midday where it should find some greater meaning. Hitomi imagined it was as distracted as she, and simply could not remember where it was supposed to be going at all. Indeed, her mind was no longer her own; not since last night. Now, it was filled with…well, cotton wool more than anything else. But there were images which flashed into her thoughts now and then, of eyes and lips and fingertips. She would find herself shivering involuntarily, only to catch herself remembering a dark voice in her ear or her own sighs into the night. She frowned as the sparrow she had been following hopped down to the ground before flitting away somewhere undoubtedly more private.

It was only after looking down at her lap once more, to where the book lay, innocent and at rest, that Hitomi realised she had quite forgotten what it was she was actually reading. She had walked into the parlour that morning without much thought at all, and had reached for the first book within her grasp. She hadn't actually given any attention to the title or author, a habit she usually approached with meticulous consideration before choosing a tome. She blinked and turned lightly to the book's cover.

Romeo and Juliet

William Shakespeare

She closed her eyes and cursed beneath her breath.

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"I daresay she should see right through you, Fanel."

Van smiled easily at Daniel Gaddes' attempt at ridicule. Chid buried his face in that morning's edition of The Times, showing blatant disinterest.

"And I daresay you're right." Van folded his arms, leaning back against the front of his desk. "But what she should do and what she shall do are two very different ideals, are they not?"

The friends were in the library of his fashionable London townhouse, apparently conducting a business meeting, although in reality they were doing nothing of the sort. Daniel snorted at the Viscount's confidence.

"You seem very sure of her intentions," He raised a brow, "Surely you know better than to second-guess what a woman is thinking."

Van swatted away the idea with an impatient hand.

"Women are simple, Daniel. Far more simple to understand than you and I."

"Only the ones you've bedded thus far." Chid cut in smoothly, not looking up from the paper.

"Indeed," Van nodded towards him, smirking, "And what do you think that implies?"

"Oh, of course." Chid lowered the paper in one swift movement, his tone dripping with sarcasm, "It means all women are exactly the same. How could I have missed that?" He exchanged a pointed glance with the Viscount before raising his paper once again.

Daniel disguised his amusement with a well-timed cough.

"That's not what I meant." Van took his weight from the desk and walked over to where Chid sat reading in a leather armchair. After eyeing the front page, the Viscount pressed his hand down from the top of the centre fold, simultaneously crumpling the news from view and irritating his friend.

"What I meant," He regarded Chid's impassive expression over the ruined paper, "was that it implies my ability to understand them. Of course they're not all the same." He formed a lop-sided smile before adding, "Some of them require flowers before agreeing to a tumble."

There was a roar of laughter from Daniel on the other side of the room.

Van grinned boyishly at him before turning back to Chid, who was staring at him intently, seriously, eyeing his amusement, his lightness.

After a moment, he folded the now-crumpled paper and held it on his lap. "I can't decide who you are deceiving more, Van. Is it Daniel, or yourself?"

Van's smile fell slowly. Daniel, still chuckling next to a bookcase, had obviously not heard the comment. Chid's eyes held no trace of frivolity, their deep blue turning cold and distant. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet, almost gentle.

"I saw you watching her last night, Van, this governess of yours. And I can tell you now, she is different." He stood, causing the Viscount to take a step back. "She is different, and you know it."

He made a move towards the door.

Van's brow creased as he was suddenly filled with something akin to outrage. It was laughable. Of course he hadn't been watching her. Of course he hadn't been following her every move or imagining her breathy sighs in his ear. What on earth would he do that for…? She was just a woman. Just part of his plan. He could never think of her as anything more than that.

Even if her response to him had been…

He caught himself. Blinked. Came up with a suitably nonchalant retort.

"You're right, Charles." He spoke across the room, using Chid's full name in an attempt to antagonise him, "She's not like the others at all. She's a much easier sort altogether. She's a dried-up old spinster. Desperate, clueless. Most unchallenging. And as such I will not hesitate to cast her aside once I'm finished with her."

"We'll see." He said quietly after a long beat, ignoring Daniel's awkward attempt to move away from the scene.

Van scowled.

"How much do you bet?"

Charles Aston stopped, mid-step, but did not turn around.

"Matters of the heart cannot be-"

"How much?!"

Chid sighed.

"I'd really rather not, but since you seem so intent on trivialising the incomprehensible complexities of human emotion... one thousand pounds." He offered, uninterestedly, staring at the door. "One thousand pounds says she will change you."

The Viscount laughed coldly. "Change me-?"

"Do you accept?" Chid interrupted, finally turning to hold the bemused yet determined gaze his oldest friend.

Van took a moment, perhaps too long a moment than he had intended, before he answered in a low, clear voice.

"I accept."

Chid smiled, a little sadly.

"Good."

The door clicked behind him as he exited the room without another word.

Daniel looked to Van, who had turned to stare broodingly into a bookcase.

"Well," He said, raising his brows at the Viscount's ominous silence, "What are you going to do now?"

Narrowing his eyes, Van straightened his jacket.

"I'm going win one thousand pounds."

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Van did not like the Rogers' butler.

"If you would just let me wait—"

"Miss Rogers is not in, my Lord, I have told you—"

"And I have told you that I do not mind waiting—"

"Pardon, my Lord, but you cannot wait—"

Van rolled his eyes. They had been at this for a good three minutes now. Why in God's name was such a complete ass in the Rogers' employ? Sighing, desperate to keep his temper under control, he tried again.

"Are you telling me that there is nowhere I could wait for her, sir? No parlour or kitchen, or dare I say it, chair that I could sit on in the meantime?"

The butler sniffed.

"Miss Kanzaki is currently occupying the only parlour, my Lord, and has given strict orders not to be—"

The Viscount verbally jumped on the butler's slip.

"Ah, but I should not think she shall mind if I take tea with her; Miss Kanzaki and I are old acquaintances."

"My Lord—"

"I'll thank you to announce my arrival." He swept past the stuttering old man into the entrance hall, grinning satisfactorily.

"I…but…" The butler resigned himself to a losing battle, "Very good, my Lord."

He then closed the front door and disappeared through a door on the right of the hallway. There was a feminine muttering from within, and Van could have sworn a book was dropped onto the floor in haste to stand up. This short interlude was followed by the re-emergence of the butler. However, to Van's annoyance, the door to the parlour was closed shortly after him.

The butler cleared his throat.

"Miss Kanzaki has stated that she is not expecting you and cannot possibly receive you without the proper warning."

Van fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"Well," He started, calmly, "give my deepest, heartfelt apologies to her before stating that I have…" He thought of a reasonable excuse for being there, "…extremely important news which I cannot possibly wait to impart to her."

"Well, my Lord, I can—"

"Personally."

The Butler eyed him warily before returning to the parlour.

There was more feminine muttering, a pause, and then the Butler once more appeared.

He came to stand in front of the Viscount before gesturing into the room.

"You may enter, my Lord."

Resisting the urge to drawl his thanks sarcastically, Van nodded to him before stepping through the open door.

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Hitomi doubted she had ever been so nervous in all of her life. She half expected him to come in and pounce on her, claws outstretched like the beast he was. The image made her heart beat a trifle too fast for her liking. Memories of the night before were still swimming in her head, haunting her thoughts. The whispered words, the forbidden friction of his lips on hers… it -Just why exactly was he here?!

When he eventually entered, she regarded him coolly, schooling her features into a mask of indifference. He looked at her in return as the butler made his exit, making a blatant study of her countenance as if… trying to convince himself of something. Their gazes seemed to spark off each other. After a moment, he collected himself.

"Miss Kanzaki." He bowed gracefully.

Hitomi looked on with a wariness she did not attempt to disguise. He looked every inch a Viscount, as per usual, with an exquisitely tailored morning suit which seemed to hold to him in all the right places, accentuating his lean, athletic form and undoubtedly concealing the muscled perfection which lay underneath. Her cheeks reddened reluctantly as her thoughts took on a rather sinful path.

She made a small curtsy, as if meeting him for the first time. As if he'd never held her close or breathed into her ear or kissed her lips until they were full and pink. She cleared her throat, cutting the formalities before they'd barely even begun. "What are you doing here?"

Van took a step further into the room, casually surveying the bookshelves as he approached her slowly.

"I thought I'd pay Miss Rogers a visit. Do you take issue with this?"

His tone made her frown.

"I daresay I do when you have no doubt been informed of her absence." She crossed her arms moodily, dropping her voice to a violent whisper, "Not to mention the fact that I've told you to stay away from us both."

She watched as he skimmed his fingers along a row of her favourite poetry books, apparently choosing to ignore her comment. The delicacy of his fingertips seemed to fascinate her in ways she did not entirely understand. He turned to her, causing her heart to jerk awkwardly.

"In all fairness," he started, flicking an imaginary speck of dust from the sleeve of his jacket, "you never said anything about staying away from your charge." His eyes caught hers, challenge flashing in their depths. "Only you."

"I…" Hitomi blinked before shaking her head at him in frustrated wonder. "And do you really think I would let you go anywhere near her after..." She struggled for an appropriate description of their… encounters, "—after you've treated me in such a manner?!"

Van smiled knowingly, "And what manner would that be?"

She hated the fact that his grin widened at her silence. Her eyes narrowed.

"Must you insist on embarrassing me every time we meet, my Lord?"

The Viscount raised a sardonic brow.

"We're back to titles now, are we…" He muttered, "Embarrassing you? I think that's a little harsh." His tone was defensive, yet mockingly so. He gestured to a nearby chair. "You may sit down, by the way."

Hitomi blinked again, realising that she had been standing for far longer than was necessary. She cleared her throat, crossing her arms moodily.

"I am aware of what I may and may not do in your company, my Lord." She bit out, "I simply choose not to sit because you will be leaving soon."

Leaning against a mahogany bookcase, Van made a tutting noise with his tongue.

"Always so aggressive, aren't you." He looked down at something on the floor in front of her.

"And with good reason!" Hitomi countered, noticing where his gaze had fallen and looking there herself. Her eyes came upon the book she had dropped a few minutes ago, at the announcement of his arrival. She had stood up so fast it was faintly surprising said book hadn't flown out the window.

"Reading, were you?" He moved towards her before she could gauge his intentions.

"I…well yes, I was, but—"

Van bent to pick up the tome, splayed open on the floor somewhat indecently. As he straightened, he held it gently, with the utmost care. Hitomi's thoughts drifted back to the library in his townhouse, the one she had stumbled upon, or rather, into. She recalled the well-thumbed collections gracing its many shelves and could not stop the arch of surprise in her brow. So it was him who read so veraciously…

Van regarded the page it had split on. After a moment, he smiled and looked up.

"Your taste strays to Shakespeare, I see." He closed the book softly, a glint in his eyes. "Or is it simply romance that draws you?"

Hitomi sighed impatiently, stretching out a hand towards the book and wiggling her fingers in a half-hearted effort to acquire it from him. Van merely drew his hands further away, teasing.

"Well?" He prompted.

The governess planted her hands on her hips missishly.

"I can assure you that I have absolutely no interest in romance, my Lord." She watched as he raised a sceptical brow, and suddenly felt the need to verify the statement. "It is the…the poetry that… 'draws' me, if you must know."

Van seemed to consider this for a moment.

"But surely the romance lies in the poetry." He argued, his smile subtle, "Surely."

Hitomi's eyes narrowed. "What is your point?"

His smile remained. "My point is that, at least on some level, you enjoy the poetry because of its romantic subject matter." He placed the book in her outstretched hand carefully, grinning. "Therefore it is, in fact, the romance that draws you."

She frowned down at the item in question.

"On the contrary, my Lord," She countered before she could stop herself, her argumentative nature clouding her better judgement, "I find the romance of Romeo and Juliet to be naïve and shallow, not to mention absolutely ridiculous."

Their eyes caught as she looked up at him again. He appeared to be somewhat intrigued by the little unprompted debate they had started.

"Ridiculous?" He questioned, taking a small step closer to her, "You find passionate, all-consuming love ridiculous?"

Hitomi shrugged, "I find it hasty and idealistic between children who do not know any better."

"Then you don't think they feel genuinely for each other?"

"I don't think they have any idea of what love even is!" She countered, suddenly becoming rather engaged, "Let alone what is genuine and what is not."

Van brought a hand up to his chin and scratched it thoughtfully.

"So you think…what, that they simply imagine their attraction to one another?" He shook his head, disbelievingly.

Hitomi fought the urge to poke him forcefully with her finger. "Attraction and love are two very different things! I never said they weren't attracted to one another. Of course they are. If anything, that's the premise for the superficiality of their relationship." She shook the book at him like a schoolmistress, "He desires her; she desires him. How can you call such a thing 'love' when it is plainly lust which fuels their attraction?!"

The Viscount took a step closer to her, now rather caught up in the discussion himself. "But do you not think their love grows from lust? Do you not think it is the lust and attraction which allows them to learn of each other on a deeper level?"

"Indeed I do not." Hitomi almost laughed at the idea. "It merely proves their insecurity, their vulnerability and their naivety. It merely serves to show that Romeo is a boy and Juliet is a girl and they want each other – and that's the thing isn't it." She leaned towards him slightly, "They're selfish. They're only out to satisfy what they think they need, what they want."

Van rolled his eyes, "But Romeo marries her, for christ's sake! And there is nothing selfish about that, believe me, no man in his right mind would marry before he was forced at the point of a sword down the aisle."

Hitomi crossed her arms at his callousness, "He wanted her, so he married her. Just think about it, how far would you go to get what you want?"

It was at this point both seemed to realise their close proximity. Their bodies were only an inch or two away from each other, their faces near, their eyes trapped in one another's. Hitomi swallowed as they both fell still, silent. It seemed the debate had become…a little too heated.

Van's gaze darkened. His smile fell. And then he whispered something that made her remember exactly who he was, exactly where they were. Exactly what he was capable of.

"I wouldn't need to go far, Hitomi." He breathed.

"I take what I want."

Suddenly the room was far too hot, and then far too cold… and then fell away altogether. Hitomi felt the depth of his words, felt their heat and their fire, knew the danger that laced his meaning. She saw him lean in, felt herself losing the battle within herself to stay away, to get away from this rogue, this stranger who kept invading her dreams like a phantom. As her eyes closed, flashes of warning danced before them, of Merle, of propriety, of dignity and virtue and… everything else that had fallen away for this beast of a man. This wicked, cunning, charming, elegant, eloquent beast of a man.

They had kissed twice, almost three times before now, and both had been wonderfully improper and entirely his doing. Yet now, Hitomi felt herself…well, wanting…something. It terrified her that she had no idea what it was. She blinked her eyes open, her wits returning in a fuzzy, drunken instant. The feeling of déjà vu, a reminder of the night before, was heavy in her mind.

Incidentally, had good sense evaded her a second longer, she would have been out on the streets before dinner.

Because the handle on the door creaked just before Van's lips touched hers, and the speed with which she leapt away from his embrace was, frankly, admirable.

Merle swept into the room, unannounced by the Butler who had obviously not expected the debutante to run into the parlour before him. Her cheeks were delightfully flushed from the outside air, and her smile radiant, as always, ready to greet whichever man lay in wait for her.

"Lord Fanel!" She gushed, her eyes immediately fixing on his mock-casual stance against a bookcase (on which he had leaned back upon a mere millisecond before).

Van smiled warmly, though the gesture did not quite reach his eyes, and made a stylish bow. Hitomi stared resolutely at the treacherous book in her hands.

"Miss Rogers," He rose, "What a pleasure it is to see your beautiful visage so early in the morning."

Merle let free a practiced giggle, swatting a dainty, gloved hand in his direction. "But my Lord, it is well past midday!"

"Perhaps," The viscount's smile turned roguish, "though I would say that your presence would brighten any room enough to confuse a man so."

Hitomi fought the urge to roll her eyes. How many unsuspecting women had he used that one on?

Merle seemed delighted with such mindless flattery. She blushed sweetly as Van walked over to her, and then further when he took her hand and delicately brushed a kiss over her knuckles.

"Oh, my Lord," She placed a hand over her heart, batting her eyelids, "You are too much!"

"Never." He dropped her hand gently. Merle began staring rather wistfully at him.

Hitomi somehow felt as if she'd turned invisible. She cleared her throat audibly.

Merle's head turned in her direction, obviously noting her presence for the first time since she'd entered the room.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, "Hitomi, have you been standing there all this time? I could have sworn you weren't there a moment ago."

Hitomi smiled slightly in spite of herself, "Oh, don't mind me." She gestured to the Viscount, now also looking in her direction, "I'm sure you and Lord Fanel have much to discuss." Her eyes caught his. He grinned.

"I'll just ring for some tea." She muttered, ignoring him, and walked briskly to the corner of the room where the bell-pull was.

Merle turned to the Viscount again while she was doing so, gesturing to a chair, "Please sit down, my Lord. Forgive my chaperone for not inducing you to do so when you arrived."

Hitomi heard the Viscount respond from behind her, "There's no need to apologise, Miss Rogers. It was my fault entirely. I admit that I was inspecting your book collection."

Merle did not disguise her lack of interest, "Oh, it is frightfully dull, isn't it." She admitted, "Nothing but Shakespeare and books about history and astro… something or other." Hitomi turned around to see her making a dismissive gesture towards the bookcases. "There's nothing for a genteel woman like me to read. It's all gobbledegook."

Van chuckled lightly, "Indeed." He turned to Hitomi, who purposefully avoided eye-contact with him. "And no doubt Miss Kanzaki would agree?"

Hitomi blinked in surprise. Merle answered before she could summon up her own reply.

"Oh no, Hitomi practically lives in this room, don't you, Hitomi?" She proclaimed openly, not actually waiting for Hitomi to agree or disagree, "She reads the silly things every day even though I tell her it is dreadfully unfashionable for a woman to be educated so."

The governess reddened. Her passion for reading was something that was not entirely ladylike, or at least, it was not expected of a lady to know such things. Women who expressed interest in expanding their intellect in such a way were often labelled as blue-stockings…and deemed absolutely unsuitable for marriage. No surprises there. After all, 'good' wives would never answer back or question their husbands' decisions; they would certainly never spark up an intellectual argument or debate. Heavens, how incredibly vulgar would that be.

Van made a non-committal noise after regarding her for a moment. He then turned back to Merle.

"Tell me, Miss Rogers, how would you like to come as a guest to our annual house party in Hampshire tomorrow fortnight?"

For a moment, Merle's eyes seemed ready to pop right out from their sockets. It was a wonder they did not, for the question had been asked so bluntly, without any of the usual ceremony that went with these things, that it was faintly unbelievable. Hitomi's breath caught in her throat. It was indeed out of the blue, but if Merle accepted… that would mean…

"W-Well, my Lord, this is… what a surprise this is!" She stuttered back, glancing at Hitomi for some sort of guidance. Hitomi was as shocked as she, and simply looked on in horror. Merle turned back to Van, who smiled easily.

"Please do not look so alarmed, Miss Rogers." He brought his hands up in a gentle gesture of reassurance, "As I said, the party is annual; a tradition in fact. As per usual, my Mother has asked me to find and invite appealing company." He nodded in her direction, "You, and of course Miss Kanzaki, would be welcomed most warmly onto the guest list."

Merle let out a generic noise of glee. Whilst willing her heart to slow its rapid beating, Hitomi made a mental note to work on concealing one's emotions with the debutante.

"Oh, my Lord, that sounds wonderful! I would love to attend, of course!" Merle beamed before sobering slightly. "Though I should hate to impose… considering all the others who shall be there…"

Van shook his head, smiling still, "Oh, there won't be many. Only a hundred or so."

Merle's mouth fell open.

"Well," The Viscount stood up without warning, "I regret that I must take my leave so soon, but duty calls, I'm afraid."

The debutante stood up in a rush, "Oh but… won't you stay for tea, my Lord?"

"No, No, I couldn't possibly—"

"But—"

"We understand, my Lord." Hitomi cut in before Merle's desperation became embarrassingly apparent, subtly shooting the debutante a disparaging look, "You must go, of course."

Van looked at her for a moment, slightly bemused, before adding a short, "Indeed."

He made his excuses again, said his goodbyes in good humour, and complimented Merle about four times more before finally leaving the room. Hitomi ignored the way he tried to catch her eye on his exit.

As the door closed to the parlour, Merle flopped down in her chair again.

"Oh, what a burden it is to be so in demand, Hitomi." She sighed, wearily. "These gentlemen are all so tiring."

The governess moved to the window, catching sight of Van as he rounded the corner and disappeared out of sight.

"Tell me about it."

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Three nights later, and another party was in full swing. The air was stale, the lemonade was warm and the room was absolutely swarming with eligible bachelors and debutantes alike, as well as, of course, the spinsters and chaperones who were paid to keep an eye on them both. Hitomi sat near the back of the enormous ball room, next to her good friend Liddy, also known as the renowned Widow Damask and veritable queen of upper-class gossip circles. She listened as the large woman reeled off another tragic anecdote, no doubt entrusted to her in confidence.

"Well, it turns out she is pregnant, of all things! I heard from a certain source that they are to be married immediately - in secret of course – and are to move to York by the end of the month!" Liddy fanned herself theatrically, "The girl's life is absolutely ruined. Ruined! And all because of one night of passion with one of her own footmen, for goodness' sake!"

Hitomi shrugged, only half listening, "Perhaps it is not entirely ruined, Liddy." She suggested, "After all, they might be in love."

Liddy guffawed in the way that ageing women tend to, "But my dear girl, it is because of love that her life is ruined, don't you see?"

The governess squinted in confusion.

"Don't make that face, dear."

Hitomi took a sip of her lemonade, looking out to the dance floor even though hordes of people were blocking her view. "But I don't understand, I… why?"

"Well, just think about it," Liddy regarded the dance floor herself, "If it weren't for love, she would never have broken class codes by talking to him in the first place and encouraging him and…well, all the rest." She sighed, "In five years time, she'll look at her life and realise that love is no substitute for security and respect, and then it will be far too late."

"Oh… I see."

The string quartet finished their waltz, as did the partners on the dance floor. Hitomi excused herself briefly and stood to look for Merle during the scattered applause. Her eyes found the debutante standing near the centre of the room, next to a rather dashing nobleman with a crop of chestnut hair. They had obviously just finished dancing with one another.

"Sit down and let her be, girl." Liddy's voice lifted from the nearby chair, "She'll only be this age once, you know."

Hitomi frowned. "That is precisely what worries me."

She eyed her charge warily for a moment before complying with the widow's demand.

"If she runs off with him then I will lay it on your head." She muttered, ignoring Liddy's confident smile.

"If she runs off with him then it will be nobody else's fault but her own, child."

Hitomi turned to her, smiling slightly, "Well, let's hope her father will see it that way. And all her other would-be suitors, at that."

The widow laughed lightly, "I'm surprised you're still bothering to keep count of them." She eyed the young governess for a moment, dropping her voice, "Especially since the Viscount Fanel has made his intentions clear with you."

Hitomi froze. Her heart had either stopped beating altogether, or it was beating so fast she couldn't actually tell. Whatever it was doing, it seemed to have lurched anxiously into her mouth. She stammered into action.

"I-I-I… I don't…" She cleared her throat, willing her nerves under control. "I don't quite u-understand your... " She struggled. Did Liddy know what had happened between her and the Viscount? But how? And what did she mean by 'intentions'?

The widow raised an eyebrow, obviously confused by Hitomi's reaction.

"My dear, I was merely referring to the visit he made to the Rogers' residence today. I assume he intends to court her with your permission, for the gesture can be read as nothing else. Why, it is the talk of the ton."

She watched suspiciously as Hitomi's tension left her in one swift exhale.

"Oh! Oh, right! Of course, well, I—"

Liddy stopped her with an intimidating finger in front of her nose.

"Stop right there." She ordered, "What on earth did you think I meant?" Her chubby face neared, "What are you hiding?"

Hitomi bit her lip.

"I-I'm not—"

"Lord Fanel!"

A voice rang out near them, high and pleasant. Liddy's head turned, and Hitomi thanked god for the interruption. She then retracted the thanks when she realised to whom the name belonged.

The crush parted just enough for her to make out Millerna Aston, bedecked in finery from her latest benefactor (who's name she could not recall), attracting the Viscount's attention, rather loudly, from across the room. Hitomi swallowed as she watched him approach.

Van, looking as piratical and charming as ever, took Millerna's hand, brushing a light kiss over the knuckles as he smiled slyly up at her. Hitomi suspected their relationship had, at one point, been fairly… personal. Perhaps it still was.

Liddy made a dissatisfied noise beside her. "I say your charge can do much better than that awful rake."

Hitomi tried not to agree outwardly with as much vigour as she did mentally.

"I would say you were right." She ended up saying, a little too calmly.

"He is devilishly handsome though…" Liddy acquiesced, lightly. "Dangerously so." She regarded Hitomi out of the corner of her eye, watching as the governess watched the Viscount, biting her lip. "Would you not agree?" She nudged verbally.

Hitomi turned to her quickly and blinked several times. She then glanced back to where Van stood, and then out onto the dance floor to avoid eye contact with either of them.

"I… I couldn't possibly comment." She mumbled hastily, longing to change the subject, though her gaze strayed back to him treacherously. She noticed a tall blonde man, the same build and height as the Viscount, standing with him at Millerna's side. Perfect.

Hitomi cleared her throat. "Who is that man standing with Lady Aston?"

Liddy flashed her a look she could not interpret, before continuing to fan herself gently. "That, my dear girl, is Charles Aston. Heir to the Duke of Ferthing. 'Chid' to his friends."

"Millerna's younger brother?"

"Indeed. Known to be one of those introverted sorts, you know. He's only seen socialising with the Viscount, and rarely at that."

Hitomi frowned, grateful that her self-indulgent friend had taken the bait. "That's odd, for a Lord."

Liddy sighed, "Well, rumour has it that he hates having women fawning over him – strange man. He was to be married three years ago, to a childhood sweetheart apparently, but his fiancée died shortly before the wedding."

"Oh, that's awful."

"It was. I heard it was a riding accident. Clearly he still blames himself."

Hitomi watched Lord Aston as he looked mutely around the room, obviously not interested in the conversation between his sister and the Viscount.

"How can you tell?" She asked after a moment.

Liddy sighed again, "Oh, darling, he's screaming it silently. It's all in his eyes."

Hitomi continued to watch him as those eyes searched the crush impassively. When they landed on her, she blinked in shock and turned back to Liddy, who was taking a sip of champagne.

"So how does he know the Viscount?"

Somehow she knew Liddy would know the details.

The Widow regarded the pair before answering, "Boyhood friends. Practically brothers. It was common knowledge that Chid was the only person the Viscount would speak to after the death of his older brother several years ago."

Hitomi's heart ached with shock. The Viscount had had a brother?

"Gosh…" Was all she managed to get out.

In truth, her mind was suddenly filled with hundreds of questions. Moreover, she was herself filled with concern for the Viscount, though she did not understand why. Perhaps it was just in her nature to be sympathetic to others. Death was always such a terrible, damaging thing. She was tempted to ask Liddy more, however, she did not feel comfortable blatantly prying into other people's private lives… that is, anymore than she already had done. Unfortunately, Liddy shared no similar motive.

"Fanel ran away to America afterwards."

"America?!"

"Mm. Chid followed, naturally. Convinced him to come back." Liddy took another sip from her glass, effectively draining it. "I hear they recently went into some kind of business together."

Suddenly, Hitomi's thoughts rushed back to her first meeting with the Viscount.

"Tobacco." She realised quietly, mouthing to herself, "…those cigarettes…"

"You must speak up child; I can't hear a word you're saying."

Hitomi cleared her throat, thinking quickly. "I said I shall go to refresh your glass, Liddy."

The widow smiled, "No, you didn't. But I'll let you off because I happen to be thirsty." Hitomi opened her mouth to protest, but Liddy simply pointed towards the drinks table, "Go on." She ordered.

Hitomi complied.

As she forced her way through the crush, her mind reeled over the new information that had been crammed into it. The Viscount was not an only child. Or at least, hadn't always been. Hitomi knew of people who had lost a sibling, and had watched as they had either gone on with their lives or slowly destroyed themselves, mentally amongst other things. She hoped he did not intend to go about the latter, though his impulsive, erratic behaviour was not encouraging to this end. She sighed, squeezing through several more people before she was within an arm's width of the drinks table.

Again, she wondered why the Viscount continued to pursue her; he could kiss any girl he liked, and did so on a regular basis. So why her? Why did he show up at her residence, claiming to visit Merle when she knew it was simply a gesture to antagonise her; to tease. He had ignored her completely after Merle had arrived, and Hitomi had sensed that to be some sort of… victory dance on his behalf. It was as if, as he grinned across the room at her when Merle had not been looking, he was proving the power he had over women, over Merle. Over her. And even if their heated debate on matters of Shakespeare had been exhilarating and wonderfully unexpected, she had the feeling it had been some sort of act; a show he put on that she could not decipher. Did he genuinely take interest in what she had said? Was he impressed? Appalled? Amused?

Well, enough was enough. The next chance she got, she would confront him, ask him, demand from him the truth.

What did he want from her?

Unfortunately, the next chance she got was rather too soon.

As she reached for a glass of champagne, a familiar voice tugged on her senses.

"Miss Kanzaki. What an unexpected pleasure this is."

She turned without picking up the drink, and was greeted with the sight of the Viscount, extremely close to her, in all his evening glory.

"My Lord." She nodded curtly, making a move to leave before anybody had the chance to see them talking so close to one another. Fortunately, the crush was so dense it was highly doubtful you would even be able to see the door, were it an arm's-width away. Unfortunately, this somewhat hindered her plans for a swift escape.

Van watched the attempt with a lazy smile, not reaching out to stop her as she pushed meekly at the wall of silk and frills next to them. When she finally had room to manoeuvre away, he simply touched her shoulder subtly from behind.

"Meet me by the staircase in ten minutes." He muttered, low and soft near her ear.

Hitomi froze, then reddened, and then practically barged her way through the sea of bodies in front of her in order to get away. When she finally returned to where Liddy sat, she felt as if she'd run a mile, as opposed to the dozen metres or so she had all but shoved through. She fought the urge to collapse in her chair as she sat down, exhaling a large sigh. Liddy stopped fanning herself in order to fix her with a disparaging raise of her brow.

"You didn't get me a drink."

Hitomi blinked at the flushed, aggravated widow before remembering her excuse for leaving in the first place.

"O-Oh, well… you see, they didn't have anymore champagne and, well, I know how you hate lemonade…"

She swallowed, her gaze straying to where the Viscount stood.

"I'll have to go back and check… i-in ten minutes or so."

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Van's smile fell as he watched the governess fight her way through the crush. He had not intended to propose they meet alone that evening, but something had possessed him to ask. Though he was loathe to admit it, he had left the Rogers' townhouse thoroughly frustrated three days beforehand. He had been clumsy, letting his guard down with her as they'd argued. He had found himself wanting, anxious to kiss her again, watching her lips purse and pout sweetly as she'd talked so passionately with him. But Chid be damned, he was going to prove that she was no different to the others he had seduced. Even if he had felt a sharp pang of… something when she'd denied his kiss.

Fifteen minutes later, he excused himself from company and headed for the exit, leading to the stairs. As he advanced elegantly through the crowd, stopping here and there to socialise with an acquaintance or two, he wondered what it was he would actually say to the governess. He hadn't really thought past getting her alone again and, well… kissing her senseless.

Catching the direction of his thoughts, he gave himself a mental shake.

He left the room, rounding the corner to the stairs. She was there, standing by the banister, looking nervously at the wall in front of her. Giving the area a quick scan himself, he approached where she stood slowly. Their gazes caught and tangled.

The governess swallowed. "You're late."

Van took her hand from her side wordlessly, raising her fingertips to his lips as he had done to both Merle and Millerna. His lips touched her cool bare skin, for it seemed she had forgotten to wear gloves, and brushed softly over her knuckles. The gesture, usually his way of putting a woman at ease, seemed to do the exact opposite to her. He felt her hand shake slightly. His eyes remained locked with hers, heated and dark.

"My apologies."

He couldn't help smiling faintly as a bloom of colour lit her cheeks. After a moment, she seemed to clear her head, extracting her hand from his, hastily.

"My Lord, I… I must talk with you." She said, quickly. "Is there some place we might speak privately?"

Van blinked at her frankness.

"Of course." He looked around briefly, "There's a room over there."

Walking to the closed door, he hoped it was unoccupied. He turned the handle; the door swung open to reveal a private study. Dark, save for the moonlight streaming in from the garden window. Empty. Walking in, he beckoned the governess from behind him.

"Come on. You should be used to marching into other men's libraries by now."

Hitomi closed the door behind them. "That is not funny."

He walked over to the desk by the window, leaning back on it and stretching his legs before him. "You'll see the humour some day."

The governess frowned. "I doubt it."

Silence stretched between them. He watched her, standing in the moonlight as it draped the room in icy monochrome, suddenly overcome with the urge to just… look at her. Knowing she could not follow the movement of his eyes in the darkness, he couldn't help himself. Though she was certainly not the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, she seemed to have the fine, elegant features which many girls envied. In the light of the moon, they seemed defined, almost regal. Her figure, though hidden by an ill-fitted dress, was a little more slender than he usually liked, though he suspected her legs were—

"Why did you ask to see me, my Lord?" She interrupted his lascivious train of thought.

Van cleared his throat, "Why don't you first tell me what matter you so urgently wish to speak to me about."

The governess clasped her hands in front of her, blinking a few times and pursing her lips. She looked to the floor.

"Well I…I felt we should discuss—"

"Only, I would have thought you'd have mentioned something about this three days ago. It would probably have been slightly easier, since we were alone already in your parlour." He smiled wickedly, watching her body tense in the semi-darkness. "And you of all people should know that it is hardly proper for a lady to have a private moonlit rendezvous with a notorious rake such as myself."

He narrowed his eyes when he saw her swallow again. It seemed she was gathering her courage for something.

She looked up at him finally, biting her lip in a way that made his pulse kick a beat, much to his confusion.

"Please just let me talk." She requested, her eyes wide in earnest, "Let me talk and say what I must, and then you can make your silly, unhelpful comments until you're hoarse for all I care."

Her frustration made him frown, "No need to get snappy, chick."

Much to his dismay however, the would-be comforting remark only served to exacerbate her ire. Her eyes flashed dangerously as she brought her chin up in defiance.

"Well, pardon me for saying so," her hands flew to grip her waist, missishly, "but I'm afraid there is a great deal to be snappy about!"

Van raised a questioning eyebrow, pleased by her sudden boost in resolve.

"Pray tell."

He was still too confused over their spontaneous meeting to actually remember what part he was supposed to be playing with the opinionated governess. Roughly, he recalled his plan to coax her into a false engagement, but had not precisely considered any more tactics past getting her into his bed.

After all, she should not, he figured, need much more convincing after that.

But the matter at hand begged his immediate attention, and that was how in hell he was going to get her there when she was so bloody furious at him. Perhaps he should try to kiss her again; that usually silenced her for a moment or two.

He ignored the part of himself that urged there were many more reasons to kiss her.

Hitomi frowned, completely unaware of his train of thought.

"Well, my Lord—"

"Van." He corrected, absently, still thinking.

The governess looked at him warily, "I would rather not refer to you as if we are friends, my Lord."

Van blinked and looked up at her.

"But we are friends, chick." He shrugged, a lazy smile reappearing on his face, "In fact, some people might say we're more than—"

"Well then some people are completely raving mad, because we are most certainly not friends!" She barked, talking over his attempt to remind her of the particulars of their complex relationship. Well…perhaps complex was an overstatement.

He sighed.

"Hitomi, let's n—"

The governess tutted angrily, "For heaven's sake, have you no shame, Sir?! Do you not recollect that I just said not to—"

"No, sweetheart, you just said that you wouldn't call me by my given name; you made no rules whatsoever about how I am to refer—"

"Oh, will you just stop being such an insufferable ass and let me talk!"

The Viscount bit back a snort at her rather festive cursing. He rolled his eyes when she simply stared at him, obviously waiting for another witty retort.

"Well go on then." He waved an impatient hand, prompting whatever speech she was so set on making.

Hitomi pursed her lips.

"Right." She said, smoothing her skirts in preparation.

Van crossed his arms again, raising an eyebrow.

The governess took a steadying breath.

"The first time we met, I thought you were an arrogant scoundrel."

"A solid start." He muttered, bracing himself as she continued.

"Unfortunately, I can see that my assertion in that respect was completely right. You are conceited, your behaviour is often inappropriate and crude, your… flattery leaves a lot to be desired, and you… you are entirely untrustworthy, so I ask you—"

Van frowned at the veritable barrage of accusations.

"Now just wait a moment" He interrupted, defensive for reasons he did not have time to think about, "I can understand some of these remarks, Miss Kanzaki, indeed, I agree with most of them - but 'untrustworthy'?" He demanded, pushing off the edge of the desk, "I cannot let that—"

"Oh no," Hitomi took a step towards him, shaking an accusing finger in his face, her eyes wide, "No, no, don't even attempt to say that I have no reason not to trust you! You've—"

"Oh come on—"

"—taken advantage of me every time we've met, Sir!" She spoke over him, her finger still unapologetically waving in front of his nose, "And don't deny—"

"For heaven's sake—"

"—that you have absolutely no honourable intent—"

"Will you desist, woman!" Van grabbed her wrist firmly, stilling it, trying not to notice how small and delicate it felt under his fingers, "I am not a child you are scolding!"

She raised her chin, holding firm.

"Then I simply cannot understand why you continue to behave like one."

Something in her tone, now ominously self-assured, suddenly made his blood heat. Without consciously willing it to do so, his mind conjured images of her from the night they had kissed on the terrace, her cheeks flushed, her lips swollen and damp from the ardent pressure of his.

And it wasn't until he caught himself staring at those lips that he realised he'd pulled her closer whilst seizing her wrist. He eased his grip on it as his eyes caught hers again.

"I never took advantage." He said, softly.

The governess shook her head slightly.

"When?" He demanded, smoothly, his face betraying nothing of his own thoughts.

"When?!" She mimicked, outraged, "You… when you kissed me, that's when!" Her shout filled the small, dark room, "You kissed me three times and I… I don't even know you!"

Van stared at her a moment.

"No, I didn't."

Hitomi let out a cry of exasperation.

"Yes, you did!"

"No, I—"

She struggled in his grip, "Do not feign such ignorance, Sir! We both know that—"

"It was only twice."

"—you can remember p— …what?"

The Viscount smiled slightly, "We only kissed twice, sweetheart."

Frowning, the governess opened her mouth, shaking her head, obviously preparing to rebuke his correction.

"I think you'll find that it most certainly—"

Van rolled his eyes.

The little squeak of shock she made as his lips found hers almost made him smile, and he held firm as she attempted to struggle away from the grip he still kept on her wrist. He was gentle, of course, but she didn't seem too keen on letting him ease her tension, the stubborn chit.

She made another maddened sound against his lips, her free hand coming up to push at his chest. However, much to her dismay, he took the opportunity to pull her closer, his own free arm snaking round her back and essentially trapping her against him.

After several moments more of struggle, she finally managed to tear her mouth from his (though their bodies stayed perilously locked), her breath coming in warm little bursts against his face, her eyes burning. She scowled at him as he shrugged, smiling wickedly.

"Now it's three."

Hitomi looked as if she were about to strangle him.

She moved suddenly, making a noise of exasperated outrage that betrayed a temper he'd known she had possessed under the exterior of propriety.

"Eugh!" Wrenching herself from his hold, she pushed him so hard that his legs actually bumped the edge of the desk behind him, "Will you stop being such an intolerable cad!"

Van brought his arms up defensively, "You were the one who seemed so intent on the mathematics, sweetheart; I simply balanced the sums."

The governess threw her arms up in vexation, shaking her head in desperation, in defeat. When she put her head in her hands, the Viscount actually began to regret his decision to purposefully antagonize her. He heard her mumble something incomprehensibly through her fingertips.

"What was that?" He asked, taking a step towards her slumped form.

She looked up at him, and he was rather disheartened to see the unmasked pain in her eyes.

The governess looked, quite simply, at a loss. The atmosphere in the room suddenly became heavy with tension.

"What do you want from me?" She repeated, quietly.

Van blinked.

"Is it Merle?" She asked, her eyes almost pleading for some kind of answer, "Do you want to make her jealous? Is that it?" Her hands fell limply to her sides, brushing her full skirts, "Do you want something from her? From her father?"

The Viscount shook his head, his eyes narrowing, "What on earth do you— I don't—"

"Do you plan to tell everyone about what's happened between us?" She continued, not even listening to his forged excuses, becoming more and more upset. "To feed the gossipers their daily chunk of meat? Did you want to embarrass me further than you already have? To embarrass Merle?! Or did you just want a cheap laugh, Van?!" She enunciated his name furiously in response to him using hers so freely.

"Don't be ridiculous." His features hardened.

Still, Hitomi continued, closing the space between them, her rage making his heart beat an intense staccato.

"Oh, I'm not the one being ridiculous here. What am I supposed to think?! Someone like you taking interest in someone like me?" She smiled mirthlessly, "No, Van. It's not me being ridiculous. It's you. For thinking you could get away with it."

Van's gaze bored into her, silently. But she didn't flinch. She didn't even blink.

"I don't know who you think you are," She continued quietly, more intense, more passionate than he had ever heard her, "…or what you may think you are entitled to because you assume that you've experienced more pain and anguish than me or anybody else… but…" Her eyes shone in the moonlight, "But trust me when I say that it does not give you good enough reason to play games with people as if they are brainless toys! I… you have…" She searched for the right words. After a moment of exasperated silence, she found them.

"You have used hundreds of women, Van. You charm them, sleep with them, use them and then throw them away because, although they give you some sordid manipulation of fickle comfort, you know they can never give you what you really want."

The sound of passing footsteps drifted under the door, echoing crisply into the darkness.

"And what is that?" The question left him, hoarse, barely his own voice.

Hitomi shook her head. The footsteps died away, plunging their world into silence again.

"Love, Van." Her eyes glittered, liquid mercury in the moonlight as she accused him. "They cannot give you love, because it is the one thing you long for yet refuse to accept. You would throw a woman's heart away, simply because if she truly gave it to you, you could not bear to lose it. I can see it in the way you treat every one of them; the smile you fake, the bow you execute perfectly, the way you pretend to be interested in discussions about the weather – It's all an act! And nobody would ever know, because you never let your guard down, not for an instant!" She gestured wildly, unable to contain the words any longer. "Your eyes never smile, did you know that? They never show anybody anything other than cool indifference because that is all you allow yourself to feel."

His silence was ominous. After a moment, she gave up trying to make her point. He obviously just wasn't listening. She sighed.

"Some say you are a rogue, Sir. A womaniser, a villain. But I?" Her voice dropped. "I say you are just a coward."

She waited for his rebuke. She waited for his mockery and laughter, his casual comment that made light of the situation. But instead, he simply looked at her in the darkness, his eyes deep, concentrated, his face devoid of emotion.

And then…

"Go."

Hitomi's eyes widened. She flinched, as if she had just awakened from a dream. His voice was barely more than a whisper, but the tone within it held so much emotion and inner turmoil that she was tempted to apologise.

But it was too late for that now.

It was far too late.

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Aaaaaah!

What's gonna go DOWWWN at the Fanel houseparty that HITOMI IS STILL INVITED TO?!

I suppose you'll just have to wait and see, won't you.

If you've read this absolute drivel, please review it. And if you don't want to review the chapter particularly, you can just insult Oxford university - that'll make me just as happy. :D

I'M NOT BITTER AT ALL, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!

Toodles :P