Seduced By the Devil Duke (Completed)

Chapter 8. 1855 

Julian was seated at the dining room table, enjoying a glass of blood wine. He still couldn't fathom what Vivian had said about Rosalie. The poor woman had been forced to become the mistress of Viscount Olivier simply because she hadn't found a husband during her debut. He shook his head. What the bloody hell had Thomas François done to her?
Benjamin. "Your grace?"
Julian turned his attention to Benjamin. "Yes?"
Benjamin. "I'm sorry to disturb you sir, but a young lady has arrived to the house. She has asked to speak with you."
Julian felt his heart give a jolt. Rosalie was here, at his home? He stood up, drinking the last of his blood wine. "Thank you Benjamin, I will be there shortly."
Benjamin nodded and left the room.
Collecting himself, Julian made his way to the parlor and stopped when he noticed Rosalie staring at him. Her gorgeous amethyst eyes were filled with determination. And, he noticed, a little fear. He walked toward her, taking her hands. "What are you doing here?"
Rosalie. "I need to speak with you, to tell you everything that my mother, or should I say my stepmother, neglected to tell you."
His heart pounding, Julian escorted her upstairs to his room, closing the door behind him. He took her face between his hands, his gaze intent on hers. "What happened?"
Rosalie swallowed hard. "Let me first tell you that Vivian isn't my birth mother."
Julian stared at her. "She isn't?"
Rosalie shook her head, moving to sit down on his large and luxurious bed. "No she isn't. She is my stepmother, as well as Richard's stepmother. She has been for the last 14 years."
Julian took a seat next to her, still holding her hand. "What happened to your birth mother?"
Rosalie took a breath. "My mother, Elizabeth, was killed when I was seven years old. I found her lying in bed unresponsive. No one knows how she died."
Julian. "And where was Vivian during this?"
Rosalie. "Vivian was my father's mistress, but he didn't love her like he loved my mother. Vivian became jealous of Elizabeth, trying to drive her and my father apart. My father, Charles, told Vivian that he didn't want her in his house. So she left. But then she returned after my mother died, and she's been Viscountess Blanchett ever since."
Julian. "Please don't tell me that she treated you poorly while you were a child."
Rosalie. "She did, every single day. She resents me because I look like my mother and not her. We both have dark auburn curls, but I have my mothers amethyst eyes. Vivian made sure I was a proper young lady by the time I was 11 years old."
Julian. "And what happened while you were with Viscount Olivier?"
Rosalie felt her heart squeeze. Her eyes traveled to the floor. "It was the worst three months of my life. The viscount treated me as if I was a dress up doll and not a human being. As I'm sure you are aware, I am not a virgin."
Julian felt his body become tense. "I suspected that. Please tell me the viscount was gentle with you at least."
Rosalie shook her head, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. "I was raped our first evening together."
Julian felt his stomach drop. Rosalie had been raped by Thomas. The bastard hadn't been gentle with her at all for her first time. His voice was hard. "What else did he do to you?"
Rosalie took a breath, the tears flowing down her cheeks. "He made sure that he was satisfied and not me. He tied me to the bed on multiple occasions with silver chains. He took me from the front and from behind. He whipped me and beat me. I was so frightened, I had no idea what he was going to do every single night. Our last evening together, I was forced on my hands and knees and..."
Julian was becoming nauseous by this point, not wanting to hear what the poor young woman before him had gone through. And yet he wanted to know so he could help her. He took her face between his hands, his eyes fixed with hers. "What did he do to you Rose?"
Rosalie swallowed hard before rising to her feet in front of him. "Unlace my gown."
Julian's eyes widened. "What?"
Rosalie. "You must see what I cannot describe."
Confused, Julian obeyed, beginning to remove the silk strings of her gown. As her back became exposed, a strangled gasp escaped his lips. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes as he saw a jagged scar along her back. "How... how did you receive this?" His voice was shaking.
Rosalie started trembling as those terrifying images came back to her. "It was our last evening together, and by this point Thomas had made it perfectly clear that he wasn't going to expel himself inside me. I told him he had no heart, no love. He became furious and used a silver rod on my back. I was struck with the rod for over an hour before he finally left."
With trembling fingers, Julian gently caressed her scar. "And Vivian did nothing when she found out?"
Rosalie shook her head. "She doesn't care about me or Richard, or even my father. The only thing she cares about is having a title and the wealth that comes with it. She wants me to have a protector again, just so I can be out of her life. But I don't want to be with another protector who is going to treat me the way the viscount did."
Julian brought her against him as she broke into pieces, holding her close and rubbing her back. His own tears started flowing from his eyes."My beautiful rose, I feel your pain. I know what it's like to be used and then abandoned by someone who you thought loved you."
Rosalie sniffled, pulling away to look at him. "What do you mean?"
Julian. "I was abandoned by my wife after six months of marriage."