Chapter 15.
The words echoing in her mind was like a shock wave. When the kiss ended, the man in the mask took the seat beside her. "You don't like the pearls?"
"They're lovely." Sarah said letting her fingers travel up the strand of slightly oddly shaped spheres.
"Each is unique, different form each other." He informed her. "They are only grown in certain water; the temperature has to be just right which is where the soft color comes from." His arm slid over her shoulder. "You don't like them?" he asked again.
"I feel…odd accepting them." She said firmly. "It feels like a…bribe."
A quirk at the corner of his lips turned into a smile. "In a way," he mused. "I was under the impression that all women enjoyed receiving gifts, or bribes."
Sarah frowned at him.
"It pleases me to give you a gift." He said in a tone of pretentious arrogance.
Sarah moved out of his arm over her shoulder. "I don't want your gifts; I don't want anything you have to offer." She stood up. "I'm here tonight under duress…Sophie threatened to give my father an invitation. I'd be just as happy to never see you again…"
"And yet here you are." He teased. "So Sophie threatened you with exposure. And rather than face what, humiliation before your father you come here with a sullen attitude. Have you any idea of how enticing that is?"
"Enticing is the last thing I want to be with you." She reached up to undo the clasp. Hands over hers prevented her from removing the pearls.
"You will leave them." He ordered firmly. He pulled her hands away from the clasp. "Let us return to our guests."
"Your guests." She corrected. "Not mine. Yours and Sophie's!"
"Mind your tongue, girl." He seethed. "Or perhaps we could visit one of the other chambers on this level to teach you to mind your tongue." Sarah bit back the words that threatened to come out. The Master took her arm and directed her steps to the door.
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The last of the guests was thanking the Master for an interesting evening and saying good night. Pablo pulled at the tie he was wearing and removed it. He placed a hand under Sophie's chin and praised her.
"Well done, chicca. Very well done." He kissed her brow.
Sarah, standing a little distance from them ignored their invitation to come and stand with them. She stared at the painting with a tag on it. Most of the work had been bit on and was going to be shipped to new owners.
The Master motioned for Pablo to take Sophie out of the gallery room. He moved to where Sarah stood staring at the portrait of her in the Grecian gown. From her stance he could tell she was fuming. Her fingers were nearly white with tension. He held back from touching her, but stood behind her looking at the portrait. "This one is going to Paris to live." He said breaking the icy silence.
Sarah looked at him over her shoulder. "I would take a match to them all if I could."
"Such violence you house," He muttered. "Green eyes, you are a beautiful creature. Beauty such as yours should be appreciated."
"This is not appreciated." Sarah tapped the tag. "It's lust." She walked away from him scornfully. "They don't care about my mind, or my soul…they want my body."
"Yes they do." He agreed following her toward the foyer. "But none shall ever have it. "
Sarah turned to face him. "You're not going to ever have it again, either." She said firmly.
"No?" He mocked.
"No." She said taking a stand. "I don't want to be your bed toy; I don't want to be your slave."
A smile played at his lips. "How valiantly spoken your words are." He stepped closer. "Valiant but useless." His hands were like lightening taking hold of her wrists. "What you want is of no concern to me." In the next instant she was over his shoulder struggling and he strolled to the staircase with her over his shoulder with ease. Reaching the second floor of the Wilde house he gave her bottom a firm and quick smack.
"Put me down." She demanded.
Carrying her like a pirates plunder, he ignored her cries and demands. When he reached his bedchamber he dropped her on his bed. He stood over the bed looking down at her. "You have fire, Green eyes. I'll credit you with that. But it is time you learned how to temper that fire." He sat down, placed a hand to her throat. "It's time you accepted that you don't have the control." He looked down at her with fire of his own building. "I think I should like for you to model the pearls without the dress."
"Go to hell." She said tightly, feeling the hand that could crush the breath from her.
He laughed. "Oh Green eyes, how you beguile." His laugh quieted, his jaw went firm, and the hand at her throat tightened slightly. "It is fortunate for you that I enjoy the banter. However our time is short." He sat back, took his hand off her throat moving it down to her breast. "Take off your clothes; leave the pearls on so I may admire them."
"No." She said with her own jaw clenching. She expected him to be angry.
"Why must you fight me?" He asked. "Your body enjoys our time together, why waste it?" Before she could answer an urgent tapping was at the door. The Master moved off the bed and went to the door; he listened to the frantic words from the other side and gave a quiet order. Moving back toward the bed he sighed. "You must leave now, Green eyes, I have urgent business that must be attended to."
Sarah rose from the bed, feeling relief and disappointment all at the same instant, confusing her terribly. "I won't be back." She said as she walked past the man.
He grabbed her arm, yanked her back and with the other hand anchored in her hair brought his lips to hers, bruising. "Yes you will." He said as he released her.
Sarah went to the peacock room and gathered her belongings. She found Sophie petulantly awaiting her at the main entrance of the great house. They exited together.
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Jareth moved from the second floor of the house down to the bowels of the building. There he went though a passage that was hidden. He passed though the portal and entered the Goblin Kingdom, as he did he changed his garments. "What is the emergency?" He asked the old man.
"The traitor Hoggle has escaped." The hat cried out before the old man could get out a word.
Jareth cursed under his breath. "He'll try to warn Sarah if he can." He paced. "And what of the others?"
The old man answered. "They remain captive."
The Goblin King frowned. "I've come too far to allow that dwarf to thwart me now." He shouted, "Guards, find the traitor Hoggle! Bring him to me." He drew a crystal from the air. "Show me where the traitor hides!"
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Sarah let herself in the front door of the house. The hall light was the only lamination, as she locked the front door. She went quietly up the stairs and entered the refuge of her room. She removed the coat and hung it up. Standing before her mirror she looked at herself in the black dress and pinkish pearls. Sighing deeply she moved toward her bathroom to remove the dress and change for bed.
Had she but stayed a moment longer she'd have seen the desperate face of her old friend in the mirror. "Sarah!" he cried out. "Sarah you're in danger!" Hands reached out to seize him. He struggled but was dragged away.
Sarah hung the dress in the closet, and put the pearls on the vanity. She pulled back her bedding, slipped between and turned out her light. She was falling asleep, and began to dream of Hoggle. It was a troubling dream; he was calling out to her, trying to warn her.
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Jareth was seated in his throne when they brought Hoggle before him. "You really are such a little pest, Hogwart."
"Hoggle!" the dwarf shouted as he struggled to free his arms from the Goblins holing him.
"Yes." The king lounged back. "Now what did you think you'd accomplish?"
"I'm going to warn her, I'm going to stop you!" Hoggle spat venomously.
"Warn her?" The king teased. "Warn her of what? That I intend to force myself on her…oh but I've already done that. "He looked down at the shocked face of the dwarf. "Surely you knew I'd have her one way or the other. And it didn't take nearly as much force as I'd have thought it would, Hogbrain." He taunted. "So what else can you hope to warn her of? "
"She'll never let you win." Hoggle moaned. "She'll fight you."
"Poor poor Hoggle." The King bemoaned, and then stood up. "Still losing your head over that girl."
"She's my friend!" Screamed the dwarf as he kicked his legs out struggling to get free.
Jareth laughed as he watched the dwarf being dragged off to the dungeon again. "I'll give her your love." He taunted.