Chap. 4
Shadows filled the large garden and the maze that made it up. It was beautiful, yet intricate, and it was easy for an untrained eye to pass secret entrances by. Still, it was far from dark. Soft moonlight lighted the way for lovers, except no lovers wandered in this grove; it belonged to the powerful Duke of Clynester, and he had decreed that no one enter his private sanctuary. This was his special place; this was the only way he could escape from the cacophony and busy schedule of his social life. Tonight, however, it was different. Though other people weren't in the lush gardens, two people could be seen inside the forbidden puzzle of Eriol's refuge.
***
" Lady Tomoyo, you are sweeter than Aphrodite herself. You are radiant in your beauty and perfect in every form..." Lord Eddington said, mouthing platitudes to her. " Your fragrance is exquisite and your complexion is like the purest cream..." His wandering gaze shifted from her face to the bodice of her gown where her creamy swells were exposed enticingly.
" My Lord Eddington, what shall I have to say to convince you that I have absolutely no interest in you?" Tomoyo said, frustrated and annoyed. "I've already told you three times. Should I repeat it iagaini for you? I do NOT like you or feel affection for you in any way," she said, lifting her chin high, her amethyst eyes scornful.
The lord continued, oblivious to most of what she said. "Nothing will convince me! Tomoyo, you have stolen my heart!" he cried, moving forward and backing her against the wall of the garden. " I am your servant, lady, forever!"
"Nonsense!" she retorted angrily. " You are not my servant, and I'll thank you to stop looking at me in that...that manner!"
His face features seemed to harden, and Tomoyo thought she saw a glimpse of something sinister and sly reflected in his face for a fleeting moment. He seemed...different...somehow and she wasn't sure she liked it. Quite the contrary, it alarmed her exceedingly.
" I can't help looking at you so." he said, almost lovingly. "You are as lovely as a goddess." His face altered abruptly, twisting into an ugly mask. " And if I can't have you, no one will!" Lord Eddington said in an savage voice. He pressed her against the wall and leaned toward her, trying to capture her lips with his.
" No. No. No!" Tomoyo said, struggling to break free, and winced at the bruises forming on her arms. " Don't do this!" Fear and trepidation moved across her pale face. "Please!"
" Can it be?" Eddington sneered. " Can it be that the ice princess is afraid of love?" He grasped her tighter. " I'll teach you what it means to scorn i me I," he said, almost shaking her in fury. " You should be happy that I would even offer myself to you," he spat out. " You should fall at my feet, grateful for such an honor!"
Rage warred with fear in her heart and won. Gathering up her courage, she straightened and stared into his eyes with cold hauteur. " My, my," she said mockingly, " Aren't we a little vain today?" " Just to let you know, I despise your fashion sense, your manners, and your meaningless flattery. I also think that your outrageous costume makes you look like an overfed pig. Have I insulted you enough for you to leave me alone?" she asked. " Or should I continue?"
Lord Eddington's lips formed a tight line. " Looking at you now, I wonder what I saw in you," he said. " You are not a lady in any sense of the word. However, you shall not easily escape unpunished." With that, he lifted his hand to strike her.
" What a gentleman you are," Tomoyo said, her voice literally dripping with sarcasm. " Now you have to hit women for satisfaction."
Frustrated and enraged beyond reason, he snarled a curse and slapped her. " You bitch!" He lifted his hand to strike her again; Tomoyo closed her eyes and braced herself for the contact...but it never came. Slowly, she opened her eyes to see an expression of shock and fear written on Eddington's face. A smooth, large hand had gripped the lord's wrist in midair.
" I was not aware that cursing and hitting females was part of the decorum of being a gentlemen," stated the masculine voice softly. Tomoyo looked up to her savior's face to see the clearest blue eyes she had ever seen, and she found herself drowning slowly in the blue depths of his mesmerizing gaze.
***
Shadows filled the large garden and the maze that made it up. It was beautiful, yet intricate, and it was easy for an untrained eye to pass secret entrances by. Still, it was far from dark. Soft moonlight lighted the way for lovers, except no lovers wandered in this grove; it belonged to the powerful Duke of Clynester, and he had decreed that no one enter his private sanctuary. This was his special place; this was the only way he could escape from the cacophony and busy schedule of his social life. Tonight, however, it was different. Though other people weren't in the lush gardens, two people could be seen inside the forbidden puzzle of Eriol's refuge.
***
" Lady Tomoyo, you are sweeter than Aphrodite herself. You are radiant in your beauty and perfect in every form..." Lord Eddington said, mouthing platitudes to her. " Your fragrance is exquisite and your complexion is like the purest cream..." His wandering gaze shifted from her face to the bodice of her gown where her creamy swells were exposed enticingly.
" My Lord Eddington, what shall I have to say to convince you that I have absolutely no interest in you?" Tomoyo said, frustrated and annoyed. "I've already told you three times. Should I repeat it iagaini for you? I do NOT like you or feel affection for you in any way," she said, lifting her chin high, her amethyst eyes scornful.
The lord continued, oblivious to most of what she said. "Nothing will convince me! Tomoyo, you have stolen my heart!" he cried, moving forward and backing her against the wall of the garden. " I am your servant, lady, forever!"
"Nonsense!" she retorted angrily. " You are not my servant, and I'll thank you to stop looking at me in that...that manner!"
His face features seemed to harden, and Tomoyo thought she saw a glimpse of something sinister and sly reflected in his face for a fleeting moment. He seemed...different...somehow and she wasn't sure she liked it. Quite the contrary, it alarmed her exceedingly.
" I can't help looking at you so." he said, almost lovingly. "You are as lovely as a goddess." His face altered abruptly, twisting into an ugly mask. " And if I can't have you, no one will!" Lord Eddington said in an savage voice. He pressed her against the wall and leaned toward her, trying to capture her lips with his.
" No. No. No!" Tomoyo said, struggling to break free, and winced at the bruises forming on her arms. " Don't do this!" Fear and trepidation moved across her pale face. "Please!"
" Can it be?" Eddington sneered. " Can it be that the ice princess is afraid of love?" He grasped her tighter. " I'll teach you what it means to scorn i me I," he said, almost shaking her in fury. " You should be happy that I would even offer myself to you," he spat out. " You should fall at my feet, grateful for such an honor!"
Rage warred with fear in her heart and won. Gathering up her courage, she straightened and stared into his eyes with cold hauteur. " My, my," she said mockingly, " Aren't we a little vain today?" " Just to let you know, I despise your fashion sense, your manners, and your meaningless flattery. I also think that your outrageous costume makes you look like an overfed pig. Have I insulted you enough for you to leave me alone?" she asked. " Or should I continue?"
Lord Eddington's lips formed a tight line. " Looking at you now, I wonder what I saw in you," he said. " You are not a lady in any sense of the word. However, you shall not easily escape unpunished." With that, he lifted his hand to strike her.
" What a gentleman you are," Tomoyo said, her voice literally dripping with sarcasm. " Now you have to hit women for satisfaction."
Frustrated and enraged beyond reason, he snarled a curse and slapped her. " You bitch!" He lifted his hand to strike her again; Tomoyo closed her eyes and braced herself for the contact...but it never came. Slowly, she opened her eyes to see an expression of shock and fear written on Eddington's face. A smooth, large hand had gripped the lord's wrist in midair.
" I was not aware that cursing and hitting females was part of the decorum of being a gentlemen," stated the masculine voice softly. Tomoyo looked up to her savior's face to see the clearest blue eyes she had ever seen, and she found herself drowning slowly in the blue depths of his mesmerizing gaze.
***