Chapter 12
By the time Draco was well enough to get out of bed there was only two days left of the house party. His valet voiced his concerns that his master should get out of bed so soon. He had been taking the potion Hermione left and was feeling a lot stronger. He was slow at getting his clothes on for the wound still stung like the devil. When he went downstairs for breakfast there was a great deal of fuss. Everyone exclaimed what a miracle it was that he should be down and the ladies exclaimed so brave. He barely caught sight of Hermione when she fled the room.
He felt his annoyance with her rise. Wasn't she over him snapping at her yet? How was he supposed to apologize if she kept leaving the room? He recounted the tale the Marquess made up for him with some feeling for the sake of his listeners. Only Canton gave him a look of disbelief. Draco raised his brow in challenge but the man just went back to breaking his fast.
He was pulled into the drawing room with a group full of ladies exclaiming it too strenuous to be with the men. He would surely end up pulling his stiches right out and have to suffer the whole ordeal again. So Draco went with the ladies and listened to them titter over them.
About team time Draco asked, "Have any of you seen Lady Sofia?"
It was Lady Victoria's sickly sweet voice that said, "Don't you worry about that now, Your Grace, I'll take good care of you while you're here with us ladies."
There was nothing he could say that wouldn't make him sound rude or ungrateful to the ladies with him. Instead he smiled and bowed his head in thanks. One of the ladies asked if he would be so kind to read aloud while they embroidered. It was on the tip of his tongue to say no, but he complied in the end.
Hermione had run off earlier to a hidden garden she had found earlier that week. She came to find out it was the Marchioness' special herb garden. Hermione found several lost hours in such place tending to the plants and basking in the sun. It did a great deal to relieve her stress as she pruned plants and put more dragon dung down for fertilizer.
She kicked herself for the hundredth time. Draco Malfoy had not changed, he was still the same obnoxious boy. She had started to think of him as a friend. As much as she needed one she wouldn't fancy such thoughts anymore.
She was leaving the garden and heading back to the house for tea time when the Earl of Hawkins came out. "Come my, dear; let us have a stroll through these wondrous gardens."
"Yes, Papa, that would be quite lovely." So Hermione took his offered arm and began to walk among the rose bushes with the older gentleman.
They walked in companionable silence before the Earl started to speak. "The Earl of Canton has asked for your hand again."
Hermione took a staying breath. "Has he?"
The Earl shot her a sideways look. "He has. He has been asking for about three years now. Don't you think it is about time to say yes? Or has someone else stolen your heart?"
She gave a small smile to his knowing one. She couldn't accept any marriage proposal. She needed to go back and she couldn't mess with someone else's life. "I'm not quite certain what I want. I just want a love so pure nothing could destroy it. I know I ask for too much, but it's what I dream of."
Lord Hawkins pat her hand. "It's something we are never allowed to dream of if we are part of the Quality. It is always duties and then love if it ever comes. Most people are lucky to become friends after their marriage. It is something I would never force on you."
"I know it and it is wonderful to have a father such as you. But I know I must marry someday, I just don't want it to be to the wrong person." She looked off in the distance at the rolling hills.
She wanted a partner who loved her no matter what. That she could count on with her secrets, to love her when things got bad and to hold her at night. She always seemed to be asking too much out of someone because they always left.
Hawkins squeezed her hand gently. I just wanted you to know because he plans on asking you again. I told him not to get upset if you reject him again. I have allowed you more freedoms than anyone else would their daughter. How is your cousin?" He changed the subject too fast on her.
"He's doing okay." She stammered. "He was out of bed I saw this morning."
"You have not been to see him?" He asked surprised.
"I have been there as much as it is proper." She replied.
They had rounded a corner of the house where the drawing room was. The French doors were opened wide to let in the afternoon light and warmth. One of the older ladies noticed them and beckoned them to join them for tea. Lord Hawkins was never one to say no to so many lovely women's company and pulled Hermione with him.
She noticed Draco sitting on a couch with several women hanging about him. Lady Victoria sat next to him, her skirt rubbing against his leg. She gave Hermione a victorious look while Hermione shot back a scathing one. She sat down in an arm chair accepting a saucer from the Marchioness.
They spoke of the weather and the wonderful gardens they had gone through. Hermione had missed the picnic in the arbors earlier this week taking care of Draco. She had gotten to go to the little village for some shopping, however. Life was so quaint here. You relied on yourself for entertainment or the people you invite to spend weeks with you. It was nice to be cut off from the world at times.
Then she started to think about her friends and family. Have they noticed them missing? Were they heartbroken? She didn't want anyone to be hurt over her. She knew more in that moment than any other she needed to get home. She needed her friends and family. Her parents would be broken without her.
Hermione was torn from her longing when a gentleman spoke in front of her. She blinked and looked up. The Earl of Canton was offering her a hand with a smile on his handsome face. She felt dread build up in her belly. She knew he was going to propose again and she knew she had to turn him down.
She reached for the man's hand and let him lead her out into the garden. "Sofia, my dear, you know how much enjoy your company, I hope."
Hermione murmured an answer. He looked quite serious at the moment.
"We match well together. I long for your companionship daily. We would suit well together. I would like you to think about being my Countess."
Well, she thought, that was a rather blundered proposal. He didn't mention anything she felt was important. "What about love?" Hermione asked.
He looked taken aback. "What about love?"
"Don't you love me?" She questioned.
He gave her a smile one would give while indulging a child. "My dear, love isn't a part of any of it."
Hermione pulled her hand away and stepped back. "I'm afraid it is everything to me. I cannot accept now, or ever."
His face grew stormy and dark. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her hard against him, his face close to hers. "You will say yes. Maybe not right now, but you will. You will be my Countess."
"She will not." Came Draco's icy voice.
The Earl let go of Hermione and took a step back. "What do you want?"
Draco came further into the garden and pulled Hermione to his side. "She will not be your Countess because she has agreed to become my Duchess."
Both the Earl and Hermione gaped at Draco.
"You vicious little tease." Came the Earl's voice. "You'll pay for this."
Draco stared down the Earl. "Try it and die."
The Earl stomped off in a furious whirl. Hermione turned to him furious. Before she could get out a word his mouth was on hers. He wrapped an arm around her waist and another moved to the back of her neck to keep her in place. Once he started to feel her melt against him he loosened his hold on her.
"What is this?!" Screeched Lady Victoria.
Hermione jumped away from Draco with scarlet cheeks. The woman breathed so heavily her bosom bounced with her efforts.
"May I present my betrothed to you, madam?" Draco asked.
Her eyes jumped with malice as she glared from Draco to Hermione. "I warned you, you insipid twit!"
Hermione watched in shock as Victoria turned on a heel and marched back towards the house. She looked to Draco and back at the house.
"You seem to have made many friends here." Draco told her.
She rounded on him, feeling her ire rise from his words. She had pent up rage from days before. "What were you thinking you insufferable lout?"
Draco grabbed her hand and pulled her further into the garden. "I was thinking of saving both of us the hassle of ending up married with someone else before we knew what happened."
"What a ridiculous notion that is! Last thing I need is to be saddled with you." She raged.
"I've news for you, madam, you already are." He said through gritted teeth.
"No, no I'm not. Not like being married to you would be. You say the nastiest things to me and expect me to fall down at your knees so graciously when you propose some bizarre plan like marrying. I do not need your malicious tongue and egotistical ways hampering my days!" she yelled.
He gripped her upper arms and looked down into her stormy face. "Look, Hermione, what's done is done. Now we just need to ride it out. We cannot take the chance of being separated it. I need you with me. We have to be in this together, whether you like it or not."
Her eyes dropped to their shoes, saying in a low voice, "I just never thought I would be forced to marry someone I did not choose. Nor someone that doesn't love me."
He felt a painful ache under his ribcage. "It's not real; it won't stand up in our time. We need to do this. Canton is hot on your trail and that woman Victoria on mine. I cannot take a chance of either of us falling in the parson's trap. We both need to swallow our own pride and do this."
After she stopped worrying about their marriage standing legal she realized he was right. This was the best way for them to do this. They wouldn't have to skulk about to see each other. They'd be married and no one would think twice about them alone in a room together.
She pushed away her fear of having a marriage for anything but love and nodded her ascent. "Okay, Draco, let's do this."
He placed her hand in the crook of his arm and led her back to the drawing room. The men had gathered there also. Neither Victoria nor Canton were anywhere in sight. Draco stepped away and walked over to the Earl asking to speak with him.
Hermione waited in dreaded silence while the two men were away. She had gone to the window seat and sat with her back to everyone while she studied the outside. If Harry, Ron or Ginny were here they would be aghast at what she was doing. She could barely believe it herself. She fought her resistance to compliance and smiled graciously when the Earl of Hawkins came back beaming inside.
That night was to be the Marchioness' birthday ball so they would hold onto their secret for just a little bit longer. Hermione knew Lord Hawkins was going to have a hard time of it; he looked fair to bursting with pride. Hermione gave a smile back to her "Papa" and looked back out the window. Marriage to Draco wasn't something she ever thought about, even if it were a sham. In truth it scared her. The kind of power he could hold over her in this time was truly alarming.
A secret smile spread across her face. She could always hex him if he got too controlling. She was sure she was still more powerful than he was. She started to feel a lot lighter about the whole marriage business; mayhap it wouldn't be so bad.
Excusing herself she left for her bedroom to "rest" for a bit before dinner. Mildred had drawn a bath for her and Hermione took that moment to lock her door and relax in the refreshing tub. Everything would turn out okay, she told herself. What could possibly go wrong with this?
She started to feel more faith in herself and Draco. He was a fairly competent wizard and she was definitely bright. They would figure this out. By the time Hermione had dried off in front of the fire Mildred came knocking at the door. So they spend the next tedious hour dressing for dinner. She was getting used being shoved into corsets and her hair wrestled to sit atop her head.
She was even getting used to looking in the mirror and seeing herself in these clothing that enhanced her figure by tenfold. When she left her room in a powder blue dinner dress she ran into Draco waiting outside her door.
"What can I help you with?" She asked him.
"Nothing, just escorting my affianced downstairs," He informed her.
He took her hand and put it in the crook of his arm and started down the hall. All she could do was follow since he was fairly pulling her.
She rolled her eyes at him. "We do not need to play at it when no one is about."
He gave her a sardonic look. "There is always someone about. Whether it is Quality or servants, there is someone there. Trust me, servants here and see everything. There is nothing you can hide from them."
"You would know, wouldn't you?" she retorted.
"Of course I would. I grew up in Malfoy Manor, one of the biggest magical estates in the country. It takes more than one person to run the whole thing. Be it person or house elf." He replied. "Let us make a truce, even if it is for just this one night. Let's act like a normal couple for the benefit of those about us, especially Lord Hawkins. I like the man and you are supposed to be his daughter, whom he is so proud of getting betrothed."
"Alright," she replied. "Just for the one night we will get along."
