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Madeline drew in a breath of suffocated misery “Why must you refer to me as a ‘pet’ or a ‘kitten’?” she asked in a voice that tres I'm a woman, a person”
Lord Clifton laughed, revealing large yellow teeth, and she winced froainst her face He squeezed her tightly as he replied “I knew that sooner or later you would try to challenge e, I know all the tricks Here is the reward for your impertinence, my spiteful little pet—”
His blubbery lips pressed over hers, s her iven His arht as barrel stays Madeline held silent and still, quivering with revulsion…using all her strength to endure his touch without screa
“You will find that I a heavily, appearing satisfied with his conquest “I don't spout poetry or pander to women's ridiculous notions of what they want I do as I please, and you will learn to like it exceedingly” His pudgy hand stroked the side of her pale, strained face “Lovely,” he murmured “Lovely I've never seen eyes the color of yours, like aolden-brown hair, rubbing the silken strands repeatedly “How I look forward to the day when you'll be mine!”
Madeline set her jaw hard to keep it fro She wanted to screa to him, but the sense of duty and responsibility that had been instilled in her from birth kept her silent
Cliftoncold,” he said in a tone he o inside before you catch a chill”
Relieved, she rose with alacrity and stepped with him into the parlor
As soon as Lord and Lady Matthe the ring on Madeline's finger, they erupted in sratulations—they, whoenthusiasm because they considered it unrefined
“What a generous gift,” Agnes exclai with pleasure “And such an exquisite ring, Lord Clifton”
“I think so,” he said ratification
Madeline watched with a faint, frozen smile as her father ushered Lord Clifton to the library for a celebratory drink As soon as they were out of hearing, she tore the ring fro it to the carpet
“Madeline,” Agnes exclaimed, “retrieve that at once! I will not abide such childish tantru from now on—and you will take pride in it!”
“It doesn't fit,” Madeline said stonily Re the feel of Clifton's wet mouth on hers, she scrubbed her sleeve across her face until her lips and chin were raw “I won't marry him, Mama I'll kill myself first”
“Don't be dra it as if it were priceless “I hope that being married to a man as solid and earthbound as Lord Clifton will rid you of such wild outbursts”
“Earthbound,” Madeline whispered with a bitter smile She found it incredible that her mother could sum up all the repulsive qualities in Clifton with such a banal word “Just the quality every girl dreams of in the man she marries”
For once it was a relief to return to the acade instructor who ca the narrow hallith a hatbox in hand The rest of her belongings would be brought upstairs later Reaching the room she shared with her best friend, Eleanor Sinclair, she cairls settled on the beds and chairs As Madeline was the oldest student at Mrs Allbright's academy, and Eleanor was the second-oldest at seventeen, they were frequently visited by the younger girls, who considered them mature and worldly
The girls appeared to be sharing a tin of biscuits and exclai Madeline's arrival, Eleanor gave her a welco known before Madeline's departure of the plannedwith her betrothed
“Even worse than I expected,” Madeline replied shortly, walking to her own narrow bed, which was placed opposite Eleanor's She dropped the hatbox to the floor and sat on the edge of the irls would leave so she could talk privately with her friend
Soon, Eleanor's friendly gaze proirls continued to huddle in their excited circle
“Just look at hiine what it would be like to actually meet him?”
“I would faint,” soled
“He's the most handsome—”
“He looks like a highwayman—”
“Yes, there's so in the eyes…”
Madeline shook her head at the flurry of fe at?” she asked, her glu curiosity
“Let Madeline see—”
“But I haven't gotten a proper look yet—”
“Here, Madeline” Eleanor brought the colored print to her “My older sister gave it to me It's the most difficult-to-find print in London Everyone wants a copy”
Madeline's gaze fell on the picture The longer she stared at it, the ed to a king, a sea captain, or an outlaw…soerous He was not classically handsome—his features were too bold There was a lionesque quality about his lean face, his gaze narrow and piercing, his wide mouth set with the hint of an ironic smile The color of his hair was indeterminately brown in the print, but it appeared to be thick and slightly rumpled
The other girls waited for her to blush and giggle as they had been doing, but Madeline kept all sign of e “Who is he?” she asked Eleanor calmly
“Logan Scott”
“The actor?”
“Yes, the one ns the Capital Theatre”
A strange feeling came over Madeline as she continued to stare at hian Scott, but she had never seen his likeness before now At the age of thirty, Scott was an actor of international fa the standards set by David Garrick and Edht of his powers A his attributes was a voice that was reputed to stroke the ears like velvet or set fire to the air with its crackling intensity