Page 26 of Unseen

THE WEDDING

T he only satisfaction I felt as I walked down to the carriage was that it was raining. The sky was dark and bruised, and rain fell in an unrelenting downpour. Had it been brilliant and sunny, I am sure I would have screamed the manor down.

Mary informed me that Azriel had spoken to the staff and told them of our nuptials.

George resigned on the spot, leaving within the hour.

Two of the stableboys and one of the kitchen maids had done the same.

The others agreed to stay, or had at least not decided to leave in the face of their master.

Or perhaps, like me, they simply had no other choice.

And still, knowing that the servants now knew, that now my secret was out, my cheeks burned as I passed furrowed brows and quickly averted eyes. My periwinkle blue dress almost stung my eyes, so bright was it compared to my widow’s garb. The clothing I had worn for a mere fortnight.

My hair was half-coiled on my head, half hanging around my shoulders in curls.

White flowers stood out against the darkness of my hair.

I looked like a bride, certainly enough to have the remaining servants gawping at me as I passed them by.

I held my head high, despite the fire in my cheeks, and took Azriel’s hand as it was offered to me, helping me up into the carriage.

“You look beautiful, Evie.” He took his seat opposite me, banging his cane against the roof of the carriage. “Not as beautiful as you did last night, but then, there is plenty of time for that.”

I glared out of the window at the sheets of rain that lashed the carriage at a harsh angle. “Do not even speak of it.”

“There is no shame in what you did.”

I scoffed out a harsh laugh. “There is plenty of shame in it. It is vile. Filth.”

“Pleasure is not filth.”

“Stop talking,” I snapped, inhaling deeply through my nose as he chuckled to himself. “This day is bad enough without you excusing your deviousness, and acting as though what… what I did was in any way normal.”

“Very well. I shall not try and convince you of it.” He smiled as I glanced back at him. “You shall have to learn from experience.”

“Does it thrill you? Having control over me like that?”

He turned the cane pensively back and forth in his fingers. “You still do not seem to understand that it is you who has control over me, Evie.”

“Oh yes, silly me, I own you, of course.”

“But my beloved, you do.” He leaned forward, his icy eyes flashing as his mouth shifted into a crooked grin. “You think I would watch a woman through the cracks of the walls for my own ends? To serve my own purpose?”

“You abused yourself watching me, do not even pretend I had any influence over you.”

“But you did.” He reached out, stroking a finger along the lace neckline of my dress. “The moment you walked into the manor, you owned me. Your presence possessed my every waking moment.”

“Even when you were with a whore?” I laughed, clasping my gloved hands harder in my lap, feeling very much like Hendridge surely must have. “Even when you were telling them to shut their mouths and pleasure you?”

He snatched up my hands, moving closer still, his eyes boring into mine. “Why do you think I told them not to speak?”

“Because you are a vile monster who thinks of nothing but his own pleasure, and who hates women.”

His eyes wandered over my face, reaching out to take one of my curls between his finger, twirling it slowly.

“Because I am your servant, Evie. I worship at the altar of your cunt, of these perfect breasts, and only while those harlots serviced me in silence, could I imagine it was you I was fucking.” He leaned forward, attempting to kiss me, and I jerked my lips away from his.

But he was not at all deterred, running his lips along my jawline, and down my neck.

“You are my sin, Evie, and one I never wish to be absolved of.”

The fire lit within me again, and I knew certainly that I was destined for the depths of hell. How could I let this man, this man who had violated me, had taken me against my will, who had lain me out to do the most wicked things to myself, how could I let him make me feel this way?

“Did you touch yourself again, beloved?” His hand moved around my waist, stroking up and down the sides of my bodice. “Last night, when you returned to your room?”

“No.” I shook my head, closing my eyes to stop him from seeing the lie that lay within them. “I did not. I would not.”

“Did you press your fingers inside yourself, soaked in my seed?” His tongue darted out, licking my cheek bone, and I gasped. “You looked so beautiful with it, all over your face. ”

I sagged a little against him, sighing as my hands came to land on his chest. “Stop it.”

“You don’t even sound convincing anymore. Are you giving up?” He cupped my breast, and sucked in a breath. “My god, I should take you now, in the carriage.”

I gasped, pushing my hands against him and struggling to get as far away from him as I could manage. “Don’t you dare!”

“Standing before that pea-brained clerk, knowing my seed is dripping down your legs.” He growled, low in his throat, taking my hand to stroke his hard length through his trousers. “A perfect start to married life.”

“Azriel!” I wriggled out of his grasp, but was hurled back against him as the carriage rounded a corner. “Stop this depravity!”

“I told you, beloved, I will not stop until the shame that burns your face at this moment is extinguished.” He pulled up my skirts as I fought him. “I will not stop until you are whole, until you are yourself.”

“This is not who I am!” I cried out as his fingers found me, grinding inside me. “You fiend! People will see us!”

“Then let them see!” He grasped my face with his other hand, pushing my cheek against the plush upholstery of the seat, so I was forced to look out of the window of the carriage.

“See them all, Evie?” His breath was hot against my ear, his fingers plunging ever deeper.

“Do you see all those people? I want them to know you are mine. My wife. My whore. Mine to do with as I see fit. And you love it.”

“No.” The word was no more than a breath, lost in a moan as he found that point inside me, the one that his curled fingers stroked and stroked until I was sure I would lose my mind. “Oh god.”

The carriage came to a halt, and Azriel withdrew from me, inserting his fingers into his mouth. I watched breathlessly as he licked my arousal from them.

“It is not as good as knowing you are spilling my juices from between your thighs, but shaking his hand with your cunt scenting it shall have to do.” He laughed wickedly, straightening his jacket as I hurriedly pulled my skirts back into place.

With a swing of his cane, he threw open the carriage door, putting his top hat on, grinning widely as he extended his hand to me to help me down.

“Come along then, Evie. Make me the happiest man to have lived.”

Shame and fury threatened to set me alight as I took his hand.

The driver had climbed down, and held an umbrella over my head as we picked our way across the patchwork of deep puddles that dotted the road.

We entered the double doors of a simple, almost sterile building, with wood-panelled walls, and a faint smell of mildew.

Azriel tapped the rain from his hat as he removed it from his head, and ran a hand through his damp curls.

“There now, we have made it.” He rapped against a door to our left, and was met with a harried Just a moment! “Are you ready?”

I shook my head. “Stop asking me that.”

He took my hand and raised it to his lips.

“Forgive me, beloved, I am merely a bridegroom, embarking on the most wondrous day of his life.” His eyes when they met mine glinted wickedly.

“Do not put up too much a fuss, for fear people may suspect you are here against your will. Imagine the questions that might raise.”

I exhaled heavily, pasting a smile on my face. “Do you even have rings? Or were you planning on simply being economic, and having me use the same one again?”

Azriel laughed jovially, tucking his cane under his arm. “I was rather fortunate to have new rings at hand, so the old may be put to rest. ”

The door to the office flew open, and we were met with a skinny face topped by thinning hair. The man looked busy, if a person could embody such a thing. His movements were short and sharp, his head flicking from one side to the other as he took us in.

“Mr Caine?” He asked, stepping aside and jerking his head over his shoulder. “I did tell you nine-thirty.”

“But it is nine-thirty, my good fellow.” Azriel escorted me into the cramped office, every surface piled high with papers and binders, the desk barely visible underneath a veritable mountain of paperwork.

The man plucked a pocket watch from his waistcoat, looking down at it with a sigh. “It is nine-twenty-seven.” He looked over his spectacles at Azriel, frowning. “You are early.”

“Seeing as you owe me a rather large favour, Mr Barnley, I would hope you would excuse my early arrival and remember why I am here.”

The man’s face dropped, and he tucked the pocket watch away before casting his displeased gaze over me. “This is the lucky lady then?”

“Indeed.” Azriel smiled at me warmly. “The light of my world.”

“Yes, yes, how romantic.” Mr Barnley hurried around the desk and threw open a folder, snatching up a pen from the surface of the desk, and unscrewing the cap. “Now, I assume she has permission to marry?”

“She does not need it.”

The harried clerk sighed loudly. “Mr Caine, you shall not convince me that this woman is older than 26.”

“She is not, she is merely 24. However, she is a widow.”

Mr Barnley’s head shot up. “How long a widow?”

Azriel frowned, rubbing his chin. “How long has it been now, beloved? Two weeks? Three? ”

“Mr Caine!” Mr Barnley slammed the folder shut. “You know full well I cannot marry you, to a widow in her mourning?”