Chap. 14

Tomoyo ran through the vast house of the duke, lost. She clenched her teeth in frustration. Did the monster really need to have a house this large to live? What extravagance was this? He could always live in a house half as large perfectly comfortably, but no, he just had to have a larger just to spoil her plan of escape, didn't he? She mentally cursed him as she looked for the right way out and saw three corridors running in different directions. She was thoroughly frustrated. If she could only…

"Do you need help, miss?" asked a young maidservant. "You seem, well, lost."

For a moment, she felt like screaming. Of course she was lost! It was obvious, wasn't it! But as she looked into the girl's eyes, Tomoyo could tell that she only wanted to help, and hurting someone who did nothing wrong was not something she could bring herself to do. Swallowing a sharp remark, she calmly said, "I would like to go outside, please. Could you possibly tell me how?"

The girl's hazel eyes grew huge. "I do know the way out," she said hesitantly, "but the master strictly prohibited all the servants from telling a 'lavender-eyed lady' how to get out, and you have lavender eyes. I really want to help, I do-" she explained with eyes that begged her to understand. "but I'll be punished, beaten-"

"Have you ever been beaten?"

The servant giggled at the sick look on Tomoyo's face. "No," she said finally, "Never, but my former master did. Oh God, I could never forget all the blood and bruises-"

"Please," Tomoyo said stiffly, fist clenched. Memories of what happened between her and her father whirled around her head. "No more." She looked down at the girl regarding her strangely. "What?" she asked, instantly bracing herself for the coming tirade of "former masters" who had beaten their servants into fearful subjugation and treated them like slaves.

"You're not like the others," the girl said, tilting her head thoughtfully to the side. "Most people would die to live in a colossal palace and have everything they want. I would."

Tomoyo smiled at her candid statement. "Well, unlike the 'others', I'd rather have someone I can love and trust, someone who is loyal," she emphasized meaningfully, "rather than all the money in the world. If a fortune comes with that person, fine. But it's optional." Her mood changed for the worst, drastically. "I've never found that person. I thought I had, but he wasn't the right one," she faltered, sudden tears blinding her eyes. "I was so sure. How could I have been so wrong? What did I do wrong?" Her knuckles grew white with the tension she was exerting on her fingers. "I only wanted happiness-love. All I got was someone who wanted to possess me."

The servant tugged at her sleeve. "I'll lead you out, miss," she said bravely.

"No, thank you," Tomoyo answered, "I couldn't ask you to lead me, knowing that you would suffer. Could you, perhaps, just tell me the way so I can find my way alone?"

The girl nodded. "Anything for you, miss." With complex signals, she explained all the paths and turns to take to reach the entrance. "Once you get outside, you have no choice, but to use one of the horses," she said. "The distance from the mansion to the front gate is approximately 25 miles."

"Thank you." Tomoyo turned to go. "Oh, and your name is…"

"Maria Lanon, miss. I shall miss you," she said, "I truly shall. You remind me so much of my mother. Not in looks, of course, but in your warmth."

"Well, Maria. Just remember that you're someone special no matter what other people may tell you, and there's someone out there, waiting just for you."

***************

Eriol bit back an appreciative grin as he watched her ride one of his horses toward the front gate, unaware that she was nearing him. God, she was an excellent horseman-horsewoman, he corrected himself, and with the wind blowing her hair and the rapturous look on her face, she was an untouchable goddess. She slowed the horse to a gentle trot, and stopped a short distance from the gate. And she let out a muffled scream as a black cloaked man jerked her from the saddle, and pinned her to the wall.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked in a hoarse whisper. The man ignored her question and his gaze dropped to her lips. She knew in that instant that he was going to try to kiss her. "Don't," she said fearfully, "I'm warning you. I shall scream!" She struggled against his imprisoning hands in vain. "My fiancé will kill you if he finds out that you've been acting this way toward me," she said desperately, fiercely. Getting one of her hands free, she tore the hood of the black cloak back and was…

Stunned. The blue-eyed man smiled his sardonic smile. "I, my dear," he drawled lazily, "am your fiancé." With that, he captured her mouth ruthlessly.