He began to claw his way out of the dark nightmare and straight into another one as the soft sobs came from a familiar voice. He slowly opened his eyes. Gritty and still hazy he looked around and slowly sat up.

A sick sensation settled over him, his head felt as if it held rocks. His heart slammed in chest when his eyes settled on Eva struggling and crying in Reynaud's hold.

He tried to move but then he noticed he had no clothes and that he was in bed beside Alicia. He shot her a murderous glare then to Reynaud watching that Reynaud forced Eva to look at him. The hurt in her eyes told him that she believed what the deceitful son of a.... plotted.
He sat silent. He said nothing. It was evident that from her eyes he was guilty as the day she found him in this same position a long time a go.

Oh! God Eva....

In that instant Reynaud pulled her head back and whispered something to her before she cried out and left with Reynaud following her.

"Eva!!!"

Adrian shouted trying to stand to get to her but he was still dizzy under the effects of whatever Alicia have him. Out of the corner of his eyes he watched Alicia begin to gingerly climb off the bed.

He was enraged. So enraged that he clenched his jaw and with all his might and strength he reached for the mass of blond hair in a death grip and yanked her back.

The shrill shriek of Alicia did not deter him from throwing her on her back and climbing above her straddling her with all his weight.
The look of stark fright stared up at him as he wrapped his strong hands around her neck and squeezed.

"You bitch, what have you done?" He cried as he began to shake and choke her furiously.

Never in his life has he ever put his hands on a woman but at that precise moment there was nothing that he wanted more than to just squeeze the very life out of her. Good judgement left him immediately as he lifted his palm and slapped her hard.

"Why would you do this? What did you think you would gain from such a vile act?" He yelled.

She cried and began to fight back but he was not going to let her get the satisfaction. He climbed off the bed and dragged her along.

She never in her life thought to ever see Adrian this way. The look of pure fury and hate held her frightened gaze as she tried to pull away.
"Where the hell did he take Eva,?" He grabbed her neck and pulled her closer.

She didn't answer.

His grip got tighter and her eyes grew bigger. "Answer me," he yelled.

"You better pray he doesn't harm her. Because if anything happens to my wife so help me God I will kill you," he slammed her against the wall then turned to retrieve his clothes.

She lay hovered on the floor crying. He quickly threw on his breeches only and stormed out in search of Eva.

*~*~*~*~

In no time he arrived at the manor and stormed through the doors. He yelled her name throughout the whole house and walked into every room frantically searching for her. A frightened Rosie caught him storming out of the Sitting room into the foyer in rage.

She gasped at his current state. Dishelved, bare foot and with nothing covering his chest. His eyes ablaze with fury and red. He stopped short of her and looked at her.

"Where is Eva?" He shouted.

Not able to answer him she shook her head now in tears at the sight of him.

At that instant Caroline and Arlington walked in from the rear entrance of the garden. Shocked at the way he looked Caroline gasped and ran towards Adrian.

"Adrian what happened why are you like this?" She took in his appalling state.

"Where is Eva?" He shouted.

Distraught and angry he could barely stand. He staggered. Caroline began to cry with confusion as she shook her head not knowing what happened.

"We thought you two went out," she whispered her fingers trembled as she reached up to caress his cheek.

She spoke softly trying to calm him.
"Brother speak to me. What happened?" she sobbed.

Arlington watched in shock as Adrian broke down. He looked like a defeated caged animal.

"I lost her," he crumbled into her arms.

Enraged and in pain he lay in Caroline's arms shouting and crying out for Eva. She lowered her head to his and wept with him.

Immediately, Arlington knelt before him and looked at him.
"Adrian look at me, what happened?"

They knelt beside him unable to understand what happened.
"I need to find her," he blurted out in panic, struggling to stand.

He felt so weak and disoriented at that moment.
Caroline looked to Arlington with an anguished stare.
Adrian tried to stand again as he called desperately for Eva before he fell to his knees once more.

His vision began to blur and darkness was threatening to cloud his vision in his panicked state.
"That son of a b&tch took her," he shouted with so much anger before loosing the fight. Crumpled on the floor cradling his head Caroline held Adrian as he passed out.

She wept and watched as Arlington and Penniford carried him to his room. They frantically sent for a physician and sent for Brandon.

They stood vigil over him and took care of him not leaving his side. Caroline sobbed endlessly at the situation.

She begged Arlington to help find Eva.

~°~°~°~°~

Two days had passed since Adrian had awoken from his unconscious state. He related the horrid day he passed to Arlington and Brandon. Stricken with shame and guilt for falling to the sick antics of Alicia. She had over done it with the Laudanum and could have killed him.

He stood by the mantle in his study with his back turned to his friend and his sister trying to gain some control on his anger. She left him.

He was in a state of anguish because he knew nothing of her whereabouts. Where could she be? What is he doing to her? All of these questions rolled in his mind.

By the days end he looked a mess. He wanted to go out in search for her but Arlington would not let him leave.
"She is my wife," he raged pushing out of Brandons hold before twisting away from his saddened gaze.

Or was it pity? He looked away.

He stormed off to the opposite and of the study pacing like a caged lion.

It wasn't until that evening when Arlington returned with a grim look on his face.
Impatiently, Adrian bombarded him with questions. Questions Arlington hesitated to answer.

"She gained passage on a ship that very day to France with Reynaud," Arlington said.

Adrian's mind swirled with confusion, shock, then understanding, then rage. Pure Rage.

He curled his fists into Arlingtons lapels and pulled him close until they were eye to eye, nose to nose.

"What. Are. You. Saying?," he growled between clenched teeth.

Arlington explained it again looking for a way to calm Adrian down. Swallowing the lump forming in his throat he was slowly lacking reason as he listened to Arlington explain what the men at the docks told him. He omitted their off hand words that they were lovers or looked involved.

There was no indication she was forced to board the ship.

The awkward silence that fell amongst them worried Caroline. She slowly stood and carefully approached Adrian. She touched his arm but he jerked away.
"I want to be alone," he whispered.

"Adrian," Caroline tried to get closer.

"Please....go...I..I need to be alone.,"his voice could be barely heard.

Reluctantly, they left him. Giving him his space.
Adrian turned rigidly towards the table that held a carafe of wines and spirits.
He pulled the stopper off the bottle of whiskey and downed it in large swigs straight from the bottle. Welcoming the burning sensation as it glided down his throat. After a while, his mind along with it's slowly inebriated haze toyed with thoughts. Dangerous ones of how Evangeline left. Just like that.

Why couldn't she trust in him? Why did she leave with Reynaud? To spite him?

Adrian just stood there, staring into space, with the almost empty bottle of whiskey in his hand. He rubbed his thumb against the shiny crystal as he continued to stare at nothing.

She was upset and instead of facing him and believing in his love for her, she ran off to France with Locksley. She was being consoled by that bastard.

She was in his arms.....

Suddenly, he gritted his teeth, his eyes flared a bright-silver color glazed with a tint of red from shedding tears and he hurled the bottle against the wall. It shattered into a thousand pieces, scattering to the floor around him.

Fury and bile crept up his throat as he slumped to his knees on the floor. He covered his face in his hands and wept.

~°~°~°~°~°~

Adrian was ripe with so much rage by the time evening came, Penniford, Caroline and Rosie feared insanity had claimed his mind.

Behind the closed doors of the study, glass shattered, things were tossed as he bellowed with curses that threatened to bring down the wall's of their home.

Hours had passed and suddenly quietness was behind the doors to his study. It was late in the night when Caroline finally decided to enter the inner sanctum of her brother. She glanced wearily at her brother tossed passed out in his chair and the scene before her.
The room was in total disarray, papers everywhere, chairs overeturned and glass shattered across the floor.

She approached him slowly. He was asleep slumped in the chair by his desk.
His face ashen, his shirt rumpled and hanging agape. His hair a tossled mess. He looked so forlorn and vulnerable that her heart twisted with sadness for him.

She gently rubbed his hands and slowly his eyes fluttered open. Glossy red rimmed eyes held her gaze. Silently he raised his hand and caressed his sisters cheek. Hurt and pain mirrored their silver depths.

"She left me Caroline," he croaked.

Caroline searched for words of comfort but she could not find any as she watched him slouch forward and burry his face in his hand to let out a torrent of tears again.

~°~°~°~°~°

A week had passed, and Adrian wasn't himself. He was spiraling out of control. He drank nonstop and his appearance slowly was worrying Caroline. He was falling slowly into the abyss of depression and was struggling with Eva's absense. They still heard nothing of her. And feared she wouldn't return.

Two months later....
Adrian was in a deplorable state as far as Caroline was concerned. He drank and gambled to no end. He rarely ever stayed home. He was adamant that his behavior was justified because it was all Eva's fault. She left him.
She didn't love him enough to trust and believe in him. Instead, she chose to believe Raynauds lies and Alicias' deceitful act.
Caroline argued with him but got nothing.

A total of Four months have passed....
He awoke with her on his mind. She was a constant reminder of his pain. He wept during the nights and drank himself into a stupor during the day. Between Arlington and Penniford they fought to drag his drunk unconcious body to bed in the mornings.

Some days Caroline tried in vain to make him see reason.

Frowning, she proceeded warily to his side. She glanced crestfallen at her brothers state.

"Brother you must stop hurting yourself this way," she pleaded.

"Indeed, and how do you pretend that I cope with my pain?" he retorted with extravagant cynicism.

"Sit and drink tea with you while I relate to you how I am living in hell?" laughed bitterly with glassy red rimmed eyes.

"No...but.." She looked down hurt with his harsh tone.

"She must be hurting as well Adrian, have you not thought of that? The thought of you..." she began.

"Bloody hell, I did nothing," he bellowed back. "She only assumed I did," his clenched his jaw.

"And you did no different when she planned to elope with Brascombe brother. You cannot act this way," She cried out in frustration.

With an incredulous stare he looked up at Caroline. Although Carolines heart ached for her brother, she knew it was not sympathy Adrian really needed now, but a rude awakening.

"Do you not see this is what Alicia wanted all along. It was a ploy she formed with Reynaud to separate you from Eva for his gain," Caroline said.

"He has wanted her this whole time and he finally got what he wanyed, brother." she whispered with tears forming in her eyes.

With a furious curse, Adrian slammed his fist on his desk and swiped a glass tray off his desk. Caroline jumped at the resulting crash, as Adrian gritted his teeth and turned to look out the window.

With defeat evident on his shoulders Adrian paused staring out his window to the vast expanse of the lush green garden's of his estate, resting his trembling hands on the window.
"What must I do Caroline? What is it you want me to do. Search all of France for her?" He drew a ragged breath.

"That won't be necessary." Brendan spoke up.

The velvety smooth voice pulled their attention to the Baron standing by the door to the study. Adrian looked at his friend entering with another man trailing behind him.

Adrian ran his eyes curiously over the feeble man that trailed The Barons heels.
Silence followed.
Caroline stood to acknowledge the older man and gave Brendan a weary look.

"I would like to introduce you to Mr. Wesley Montgomery." Brandon stepped aside beckoning the quivering man forward.

"Oliver Chenoweths solicitor," He said.

Adrian regarded them both silently.
He waited with little patience for the man to begin to speak. But, his appearance seemed to make the poor man weary.

Immediately, Brandon spoke up.
"It seems that Locksley got to him before we have. Seeing he was aware of the dealings Chenoweth had with Locksley," Brendan began.

Brendan looked at Montgomery and gave a reasurring smile.

"Mr. Wesley Montgomery I would like to introduce to you Adrian St. James, Earl of Fairhaven."

"Evangeline Chenoweth's husband."

Montgomerys eyes widened with shock then recovered. With a quick nod he stepped forward to look at Adrian. Weary eyes took in the Earls' current state. The caged lion look sent shivers up his spine. His very imposing height and visage only made him more nervous.

"Mlord, I was located and told of what Locksley has done. I give my sincere apology."

"Your apology for what? For not doing your damn job?" Adrian spat.

Montgomery lowered his head.

"He is very much a victim here Adrian as Eva." Brendan spoke up in Abels defence.

Adrian scoffed shaking his head and turned his back on them.

"What has he come here for Brendan? To show me the tremendous amount of debt Chenoweth is in? By the way, where is he? Does he know or even care about the whereabouts of his daughter?" he spoke harshly.

A silence fell between them. Forcing Adrian to turn around to look at them.

"You are not aware then?" Montgomery stepped forward.

Confused, Adrian frowned. "Aware of what?"

"Chenoweth has been dead for nearly 4 yrs. Months before his wife's passing." Montgomery said.

"The very day Evangelines mother died Locksley took her. She has no relatives here in England, I had no way of finding her after she ran away from him."

"Until...." he trailed off.

Adrian s head shot up to look at him.
"Until what?"

"He went in search of me thinking she was in my care. When...her mother died I was left with all of the families posessions to sort. All of her mothers papers including her father's really nothing of value but one."

"What do you mean? Explain." Adrian bit out.

Montgomery pulled open his briefcase and stepper forward with a document handing it to Adrian.

Adrian turned it over and began to read it. It was a parchment with authentic writing on it. With elaborate and elegant writing. The names on it meant little to him but he remembered Evangelines mothers name. His heart quickened at the words "Duchess" and "Heir Aparent" familiar words in the peerage system.

His eyes scanned over the words and read them slow. He felt so overwhelmed and confused at the end when his eyes caught the upraised seal of the document pointing out it's Authenticity and official meaning.

Slouching to the chair at his desk he took in a shaky breath.

Eva inherited a title from her maternal- grandmother.

Evangeline is a Duchess....

********

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