A/N: Thanks to Snape1918 and OMGSS for reviewing the last chapter! You made my day. I'm happy that you like my story.
The wedding of her niece would be in less than a week and nothing had really been prepared, not even the wedding dress was ready. Slowly but surely Lettice was growing nervous. Not only seemed her niece be constantly daydreaming, but Mr. Lindsay was more out the house than at home for the past days.
Lettice assumed that he was doing serious business and would've been horrified to know that he was spending the time with another woman.
"Don't look so grim, my dear," Roger spoke up to Miss Lygia, who was sitting beside him on the bed. "I won't do anything to you that you don't want," he said knowing right away he would have to break his promise.
Mrs. Pearson had left them alone a few minutes ago. Still Roger remember Lygia's fearful look in her direction. She had been silent ever since they had met. Roger asked himself why he was spending so much time with a little prostitute, who, despite all beauty, was only there to serve him and other men.
He had paid well for her.
Couldn't he expect a little in return?
Something however was holding him back from just claiming what was rightly his. The girl had a certain ladylike manner inside her, which a normal prostitute wouldn't have. There was something mysterious around her, some secret she was covering.
Roger had fallen for her, the minute he had first laid eyes on her. She wasn't just pretty, she was dazzling in a way he never thought a woman could be.
"I noticed you staring at Mrs. Pearson's necklace. Surely you must envy her, "he began watching her from the side.
Still there was no reaction, Lygia simply playing with the strains of her hair apparently as she didn't know what else to do.
Roger looked at her. God was she beautiful and so young, not much older than Ella. But unlike her a real woman, a lady, someone…exactly what he had wanted and dreamed of for so long…he wanted her, he needed her…now.
Her lips were blue, she was shivering, most likely not from the cold.
Tenderly, but growing urgency Roger moved up his hand to her cheek, caressing her face, forcing her to look at him and then he pushed his lips on hers steading her back with his left arm, while the other was still on her face, pulling her towards him.
What a kiss. He had never felt anything like that. The room had been spinning around.
Lygia's trembling increased as he was drawing back. She looked ashamed, but not in a way as he thought she would. Her eyes showed her fear, but also her sorrow, like she was afraid of betraying someone. Roger didn't care.
She was too gorgeous not to admire her.
"I'm not…," she started her sweet little mouth forming into a frown, before Roger stopped her with another kiss.
He didn't want to hear anything now. He just wanted her. Forgotten was the necklace, forgotten Mrs. Pearson and her seeming hatred against this girl, forgotten Ella and her aunt, everything, all that was real was this wonderful angelic girl, who was carrying the burdens of a whole century so it seemed and yet so innocent like a child on its birthday.
With rising determination he began to move towards her, opening up her blouse. Her breasts were covered by layers and her skin was white like a feather, as if she had never been in the sun.
Much like a woman from high society…
He started to move his lips up and now her neck, kissing his way down her arms.
Finally he pushed her down on the bed.
Ella had tried to avoid her aunt the last days, but now, as her wedding dress had finally arrived, she couldn't ignore the fact any longer that she would soon be a married woman. A thought that frightened her not because of the wedding, but of what would follow it...she shuddered at the thought that someone like Roger would claim her as his.
Her heart raised to a point that Ella feared it would show bump out of her chest as she was trying on the wedding dress. At least she had something to say in it.
How Rose must've looked like in hers? – She wondered, looking at her image in the mirror.
Was her mother just as proud of her heritage as her aunt?
Jack had described her as harsh woman, but had also told her that he hadn't got to spend much time with her and probably wasn't charging her rightly.
'I've never really talked with her.'
It had sounded like a very bad excuse to Ella however.
Someone like Ruth Dewitt Bukater would never be fond of a man like Jack Dawson, or of the prospect that he would be marrying her daughter regardless of how much time in would be spending with her.
"My…look at you…you look like a real lady. Roger is going to love that dress," Lettice called out smiling. "The dress only needs to be fitted a little tighter…Grace…," she shouted for the governess.
"Yes, madam?"
"Please see to it that it will be done."
"Of course, as you wish, Mrs. Mansfield," Grace spoke up bowing her head.
Ella had trouble not to break out laughing as she watched her. After hearing Mr. Dawson's story everything else around her now seemed so silly. She wanted to help him. She needed to, but now she had to try on that silly dress for a wedding that as far as she was concerned would never happen.
"Not if I can help it," she mumbled.
"What dear?"
Ella quickly shut her mouth.
"Oh nothing…I was just admiring my clothes," she made up an excuse.
"I see," Lettice spoke up, not quite believing her. "Grace, assist her in getting out of it, please, we don't want to see the dress spoiled…and of course your groom isn't allowed to see it before the great day…"
Then he might very well not see it at all.
"I've some errands to run for the wedding. I'll be back in the afternoon and I expect you to be here, when I return," Lettice said. "Grace will watch you."
Ella nodded.
"Miss Mansfield…," Grace came up to her unfastening the upper garments of her dress.
"Oh and Ella…"
"Yes?" the girl looked at her questioningly.
"I would appreciate it, if you wouldn't spend so much time with Mr. Dawson. He isn't a proper company for a girl in your position."
"Of course, aunt Lettice…I will be thinking of it," Ella said careful not to promise anything.
She knew right away that she would break any promise of that kind as soon as she had given it. Lettice was still relieved.
His body was covered in sweat, his heart pounding. It had been so long since he had experienced that pleasure. And Lygia she was…oh she was more than he would've ever wished for. Despite her passiveness throughout the whole time, he wasn't angry at her.
She had acted just like he had expected her to do.
When he looked at her, she was shedding tears.. Unsure what to do at first; he finally took her hand in his. He had never been good with woman even less so with crying ones.
"What could've happened to a girl like you to make her so sad?" he asked both of them knowing that he was only trying to be nice and not really interested in the answer. "I surely enjoyed this evening and I hoped you had too," he added reminding her of what he was really here for.
Slowly she was sobering trying to cover her naked body with her sheets. She felt so ashamed of herself.
What would her mother think of her, if she could see her now? And her former fiancé…? He would slap her for what she was…indeed now she had become a real whore.
Now as it was over and she didn't need to pretend anything anymore…finally she could cry out her despair as she had intended to do from the beginning.
"I've noticed your looks at her…Mrs. Pearson…"
The girl observed him, still not understanding what he was referring too.
"If you should consider becoming my mistress…officially I mean…you're surely better of…I'm going to protect you from her, you don't need to fear her anymore…," he told her. "I've never met a girl like you and I've no desire to give you up after having come to know all about you…"
She gulped obviously not knowing what to say.
Could she really throw over board everything she had learnt from childhood on…just to…just to…survive?
People are doing much more evil things even not to die…
But that thought wasn't comforting her either. She had felt his body next to hers for over an hour, wanting to throw up every time he had kissed her, pushed himself into her…deep inside she knew that she couldn't do it again.
"You don't have to tell me your decision right away. I know you need some time to think about it. I'm going to go now, but I'll be back tomorrow by noon and I accept to hear your answer," he said stroking her cheeks.
Afterwards he stood up, getting dressed again.
"I'm a kind-hearted soul, but remember I don't like being rejected," he began, laughing out.
The girl wasn't sure, if this was a good or bad sign as she saw him walking out of the room.