Title: Unwilling Bride

Author: Neamh1

Disclaimer: Not mine!

Warnings: NC-17

AN: Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter, my computer blew on me and it took a while to get it running again, anyway, happy reading and please review.

Molly knocked on her mistress's door and then entered, knowing that she would receive no answer from inside telling her that she could.
Buffy lay on the bed completely still, dried tears stained her cheeks and the bed sheet below her face but she made no indication that she knew Molly had entered her room once again. She felt completely numb inside; she didn't care about anything anymore, why should she? She had nothing left. No family, no father, no hope of dreams come true. Molly approached her mistress at the side of the bed and knelt down so she was level with Buffy's face.
"Mistress, I have some news for you, the new master has arrived, Lord O'Connor? He has requested your presence at the dinner table at seven tonight. Shall I prepare your bath, Miss?" Molly received no reply;
Buffy didn't even look at her. "Mistress, I fear he will be greatly disappointed if you do not appear as requested. He was most upset to find that you had not left your room since the passing of your father. Shall I pick out a dress for you for this evening?" Again no reply and Molly knew there were going to be tears before the night was out.

Molly had spent the rest of the afternoon prattling on to her mistress who still showed no sign of listening to her in the slightest. She picked out a dress for Buffy and prepared her water but couldn't get her to move from the bed.

Angelus O'Connor stood waiting at the bottom of the large winding staircase for his wife-to-be to make an appearance. He didn't like being kept waiting. No one in his life dared to keep him waiting and if they did
they suffered the consequences. Tardiness was not an attractive quality. He had enough of waiting and stormed up the staircase taking two steps at a time with his long powerful legs. He had learned from the butler, which was Miss Summers room and rapped heavily on the door three times upon reaching it.
It was Molly who answered the door and the girl looked positively terrified of him. 'Good, he thought. She wouldn't hesitate to do as he said in that case. "Molly, where is Miss Summers?" he asked tersely.
"I'm sorry Sir, I prepared her bath and gown but I couldn't persuade her to move from her bed." Molly said, moving aside for him as he pushed his way inside the room.
He looked at the pitiful figure of a young woman lying frozen on the bed; she hadn't even moved when she'd heard him enter the room. "Wait outside Molly." He said. He saw the doubtful look on the young girl's face but she did as he said and went outside into the hallway, closing the door behind her.
Angelus moved toward the bed and stood at the side she was facing. Hank had told him much of his daughter and her ways, that she had a temper so hot when flared she could scorch the skin from a man with just one look.
He had said she was a free spirit, wild and untamed but loving all the same. Angelus saw nothing of that girl in the woman that lay before him, just a broken shell.
"Miss Summers?" he said, hoping that she would answer. He didn't want to have to resort to drastic measures but he would if it would bring her out of this delirium. "Woman, snap out of it." he said harshly as he took hold of her hands and pulled her to a sitting position. "Good Lord, you smell like a street rat and you look awful." he exclaimed and her eyes finally locked with his, a small fire burning in their depths. 'Yes, that's what I want to see', he thought. He didn't expect the surprisingly strong slap that she planted across his right cheek as she twisted her hand
free from his grasp.
"How dare you! Come in to my home and speak to me so, who do you think you are!" she shouted at him, taking out all her anger on the man in
front of her.
"I'm you're future husband and when I tell you to be at dinner you will be there, not lying in bed wasting your life away. Do you think your father would want that?" he shouted back but she didn't back down or cower from him like he had expected, like anyone else would have done.
"I hate you! I hate you!" she shouted at him, banging her fists against his hard muscular chest. She hit him until her hands hurt and she could no longer hold back the tears "Why did he leave me?" He heard her whisper
as she collapsed. He took hold of her small frame and held her as she shook from grief, knowing now that she could only go forward.
After a few minutes she calmed and Angelus called Molly into the room, "Is Miss Summers bath ready?" he asked, and at Molly's nod he handed Buffy to the maid, giving her strict instructions to help Buffy bathe and
then escort her to the dinning room where he would wait for her.

Molly had heard shouting from inside the room but hadn't been able to make out what had been said, her mistress was walking with her toward the dressing room though so she concluded that whatever had happened had been for the best. She just hoped now that Buffy could try
and make a life for herself but she doubted that it was going to be easy.

tbc...