~ {7} ~

"My Lord..." I acknowledged still bent over holding back the sick rising up. But under his intense amber eyes I felt myself straighten up while the others backed away a little lost. Or just awed by his lordship. His blond hair is sleeked back neatly with not one single hair out of place, his face clean and shaven, a long navy blue tailcoat, gray petticoat buttoned up over a white shirt, tight cream coloured trousers and knee high polished black boots. Compared to the rest of us who look grotty he looks just so out of place. And to be completely honest, I find him annoyingly perfect. In a way it's almost threatening.

"Miss Allure." He held out his large pale hand expecting me to take it. "Come with me."

"Why?"

"Look at the state of you." He said and I gazed down at my cream coloured dress I wore the first time I had met him. But I don't remember it ever getting this muddy. Great if mother ever found out he had seen me like this she'd probably burn me alive. Since I now must look pretty every time I see him which is all the time. Now I see him all too often because mother keeps inviting him over. Again and again and again ah! It's exhausting trying to impress a man whom you know nothing about. I grimaced gazing up from my muddied dress up to his piercing gaze.

"Who are you?" Malcolm questioned rudely and some woman slapped him upside the head making Adam snicker.

"Excuse him." I whispered but I'm sure everyone can hear us anyway because they're all just staring at us. Lucas noticed then snapped his fingers and a carriage appeared from around the corner. The horses look like they're charging at us. Big black stallions pounding powerfully on the road like thunder. Everyone yelled and screamed jumping out of the way and it froze suddenly in front of us. The same dark carriage driver turned his head awkwardly to stare down at me. Still with the same top hat with the crow feather sticking out of it and as he glared down at me blankly I knew he didn't really seem to care for me at all. I'm just in his sight for the time being until... until... he finds something even less interesting to stare at. Lucas opened the carriage door then leaned on casually grinning down at me.

"Miss Allure I have a nice fitted dress waiting for you back home." He said then head gestured at the carriage.

"Home? I'm going to your house? I don't think..."

"Your mother won't mind and your father won't care for what he doesn't know." He said almost sinisterly. I can't just jump in the carriage and let myself be taken to Lord Thorne's... mansion? He has seen my house plenty of times to remember every crack and unstable floorboard. Would it hurt to see the mansion mother boasts about to me when father isn't around? She'd love me a whole lot more if she knew I Rose Allure the daughter of a simple farmer was in Lord Thorne's mansion. I don't really care much about it but I can't help being curious. A house can strongly represent who a person is.

"Rose?" Adam came up beside me standing almost protectively close to me. "What about your horse?" Della! I can't believe I had forgotten about her. Lucas sighed in annoyance then called out to his driver. "Castor!" The dark man jumped down immediately off the carriage obeying his master's orders and Adam took this chance to grab my wrist and tug me gently a little away.

"Rose I can take you home. You don't know this guy he's probably just trying to..." Adam started but I just interrupted. He must be upset about me freely choosing to go off with a Lord then with one of my friends.

"I do know him Adam; I am not just going to accept a ride from some stranger." I assured him but he glared at Lucas then stared back at me almost sick with worry.

"You, you know him? Who is he?" He asked bewildered.

"Lord Thorne. And you must be Adam Barkly." Lucas appeared out of nowhere offering his hand to Adam but Adam didn't accept he just stood there hands stuck behind his back.

"It's Burkley." Adam corrected.

"As if that's any better." I gawked at Lord Thorne when he said that and if I could I would slap him upside the head for it. "Come Rose."

"Are you still coming tomorrow night?" Adam quickly asked and I nodded.

"Of course I am why wouldn't I be?"

"I'm just making sure."

"Goodbye Adam." I said but I stared at the carriage door. It's closed?
"Up here Rose." I looked up to see Lucas holding the reins of the horses and the dark man no where in sight.

"Where's the da... Uh Castor?" I asked him then searched around for Della. What? No where'd she go? "And where's my horse!?"

"Castor is taking her back to your farm now come on." He reached down grabbing my arm and hauled me up.

"Ouch, Lucas!" I snapped helping myself sit next to him and ripping my arm from his strong grip.

"Finally you call me by my name."

"Yes but by anger. You didn't have to haul me up here like that I could have just climbed up myself."

"Look who has turned suddenly so confident. Remember I'm a Lord Rose."

"That means nothing to me." I stated staring dead so I didn't have to look at his smug smile. He looks ten times the handsomest man when he smiles like that. "There's no excuse for being rude. And since you are a Lord you should know better." I have no idea what's gone over me but I am just all over the place today. I'm probably going to regret talking to him like this later. Although as I look into his amber eyes I can see that he doesn't really care and he finds me behaving this way interesting. Maybe even amusing...

"Maybe once we head home you can punish me for my wrong behaviour." He suggested in a low voice almost seductive in a way and I stared at him confused.

"Pardon? I don't think I understand..." He laughed loudly as soon as I spoke then he cupped my chin in his hand.

"Such an innocent mind." He said then caressed his very big thumb over my bottom lip so I slapped it away on instinct which made him chuckle. Then I noticed some people still just standing around whispering and watching. Adam and Malcolm stood together with blank expressions so I mentally shrank away. Then Lucas snapped his fingers and the horses started bolting. Swivelling around almost and I mean almost hitting Annette. Don't think evil thoughts, don't think evil thoughts... too late. "Hold on tight."

"To what?" I looked at him frighted and then the horses charged off again and I held onto Lucas's arm. I think the wind might be stretching my face out. "You're not going to tell my mother about everything are you?"

"The little brawl over your lips will probably spread around town and that I cannot help. The dress however I can remain silent on. I particularly do not want to explain the blood stain at the bottom." What? I gazed down then felt like I was about to fall of the carriage so I pushed myself closer to Lucas. Hang on what was that about my lips?

"Brawl over my lips? What no theyweren't fighting over me." I declared and he just chuckled.

"You're so naïve. It's so adorable. And what else would they be fighting for when the Burkley boy tried to still a kiss?" His theory makes sense but there's just no chance that Adam purposely try to kiss me. I'm beneath him in the social class.

"I don't believe that ridiculous statement for a minute." A second maybe but not a minute.

"Would you believe that when you go to Adam's home for dinner he will propose to you in front of his entire family?"

"What? I can't believe you just said that!"

"Why because it's true? Come on Rose you know deep down that what I'm saying explains everything that has happened to you." He said then whipped the horses to go faster. So I used this chance to change the subject.

"Must you go so fast!?" I yelled and he laughed up at sky.

"Hold my waist."

"Excuse me?"

"Hold my waist so you feel safer!" He shouted moving his arm up and actually pushed me right into him so his arm was around my waist.

"Lucas!" I growled at him really steaming up. Then suddenly the world slowed down a little and Lucas let go of the reins. He leaned over me and his mouth almost smashed onto mine but I moved my head so his lips pressed onto my cheek. He found a spot in the crook of my neck to suck on painfully. As if he's actually trying suck blood through tiny holes of my skin. My hands are trapped between my chest and his. And one of his hands tried to pull down the dress to reveal my naked shoulder. I tried with all my might to push him away and then one of my hands slipped out. I pulled back and slapped him hard across the face so he let me go which caused me to fall down right off the carriage. I screamed the whole way down before colliding with the gravel.

~🌹~

I woke up suddenly slamming my head into someone else's.

"Ouch!" the person and I shouted at the same time and I groaned irritably finding myself staring at a turquoise ceiling.

"Thank you maid now leave... Rose are you alright?" I turned my head at the sound of Lucas's voice and so I pushed myself further into the white cushioned couch hoping it could swallow me whole. Lucas kneeled down right beside the couch taking my hand but I whipped away. "Rose? Dear one be careful you hit your head badly."

"All thanks to you." I snapped venomously.

"Pardon? Oh Rose all I said was to hold onto me so you wouldn't fall but you were mad at about the whole marriage proposal accusation from Adam. I didn't think you would just jump off the carriage like that because I wouldn't stop it."

"Wait stop for a second." I ordered processing this through my head. "But I fell off because you..." I paused. Was that just a dream...?

"I what Rose?"

"What you just said makes more sense than what I think I dreamed about." I think... It was a dream... I don't know. It felt real but it also seemed blurry...
"What did you dream about?"

"You kissed..." Stop it! Oh God Stop!

"I kissed? Were you dreaming of us kissing Rose?" He asked smiling at me ready to laugh.

"No... No! Never mind just forget about it."

"Was I any good?"

"Oh shut up!" I snapped going red in the face and he burst out laughing.

Author's note:

Anyone confused?

Also who likes the new cover? Does it suck? Is it nice? Do you prefer the first one?