Chapter 20 #2
“What were you thinking?” Cedric hissed, his gaze wrenching toward her eyes. “We were supposed to listen and watch tonight. I told you what Godric discovered about the other auctions!”
Deborah immediately grew indignant at his harsh tone, and she wrenched her arm away from his grasp.
“So?” She whispered angrily.
Cedric’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“So?” He repeated sarcastically, “So he could make you disappear into one of those auctions. So he could find a moment to take you from me and make you pay for trying to humiliate him tonight!”
Hurt and fear had Deborah tensing and feeling defensive.
“What do you care if he would do so? It is obvious that there are many women who miss you. I am sure they would ease any pain you might feel from my disappearance,” she snapped coldly.
Cedric’s mouth dropped open so quickly that if she were not so mad at him, she might have found it comical.
“Are you…jealous?” He asked, cocking his head to the side as he took a step closer.
Heat bloomed in Deborah’s cheeks, but as she hastened to take a step away, she felt her back hit the stone railing of the balcony.
“No!” She snapped. “Why would I-”
Cedric’s kiss was bold and sudden, cutting off not just her words but her train of thought. When he pulled away, it left her breathless and dizzy- and wanting more.
“Do not get distracted from your plan by such silly notions,” Cedric whispered vehemently.
She immediately hated that he was right.
“I was playing a part by speaking to those women,” he went on, his forehead pressed tight against hers, “When they compete, they try to out-gossip one another; I was trying to discover if any other noblewomen in poor straits have gone missing. My next step was to speak with their husbands and speak of mistresses. I am helping you, Deborah.”
Deborah winced, feeling foolish for getting so caught up in this new possessive side of her and letting herself lose focus on her ultimate goal. She had nearly fumbled everything. Again.
“Allow me to take the lead on this,” Cedric said.
Deborah leaned back away from his forehead and glared at him. His tone suggested it was a request, but she knew it was more of a command.
And why would he not give you such a command? You have already failed so many times. It is clear you cannot avenge your sister’s reputation.
Deborah flinched at the negative thought as she kept her gaze to the ground.
“You do not think I can do this,” she said bitterly.
Cedric’s gentle grasp on her chin had tears itching to spring from her eyes as she allowed herself a moment of misery.
As if he would not stand for it, Cedric forced her chin up, and when she met his eyes again, she was immediately annoyed at how his gaze had those tight knots in her stomach uncurling and transforming into butterflies.
“I think that we should do this together,” he stated calmly, “And I mean that literally. I do not want you near that man alone again. You stay by my side, where I can see you at all times.”
Deborah huffed in annoyance. Everything was becoming too jumbled. Too messy. She began to wonder if it was because she was trying to take on so much alone, and she had to find out if that was true.
“I feel as if these parties we are attending are leading us nowhere,” she said at last when her anger had cooled, “All they seem to do is provide me opportunities to make things worse. Besides, Sylvester will not do anything nefarious in public. He acts like the perfect gentlemen.”
“I do not necessarily believe that you are making things worse,” Cedric replied, “But I do agree about the parties. I had thought that we would catch him slipping, but we this is our fourth party in a month we’ve watched him at, and he has not mis-stepped once.”
Deborah pressed her lips together and nodded, her mind whirring for a solution.
Through the glass pane on the balcony door, she caught sight of the women Cedric had been talking to, chatting and giggling.
Her annoyance with them began to rise once again- then suddenly it stopped as an idea dawned on her.
“We need to go to one of his auctions,” she said, turning back to Cedric.
He looked at her as if she had gone mad, shaking his head vehemently.
“One, I would never put you in a situation to be sold again,” he stated firmly, holding up one finger.
“Two, as I said, you are to stay by side at all times now,” he went on, holding up a second.
“And three, we do not know the locations of his auctions. They move frequently and are invitation only. The only we are aware of is the one where we met,” he finished, holding up a third finger.
“Then we do not put me in a situation to be sold again,” she answered, holding up a finger of her own.
“We go together,” she added, holding up a second finger.
“And we go back to the auction where we met,” she said, holding up the third finger.
She then waved them near his face, causing him to wrinkle his nose and bat her hand away.
“See! All problems solved!” She went on, pestering him some more with her hand.
“Stop that,” he scolded, snatching her hand and sending jolts of lightning through her fingers as she smirked, “And how do you suppose we get you in if we are not posing you as a woman to be sold?”
Deborah’s smirk widened into a grin.
“Simple. I will not be going as a woman.”