His Beastly Ways

Chapter 1

Nalia stepped out of the pristine white bathtub feeling highly refreshed. She had always liked baths even though detangling her unruly hair afterwards had always been a challenge. The bath had been set next to the crackling fire. She had soaked in it until she felt the water turning warm washing away her fatigue.

If only- she wished with all her heart-   the same could apply to her emotions.

She saw Christopher, his beautiful blue eyes filled with anguish, when she informed him that she had to leave and take her sister's place to keep the agreement between the families. He had pulled her into his arms and given her a ravishing kiss before mounting his horse and leaving. Her heart ached so much she thought she could not breath.

The ache in her turned to sharp longing. For Richard especially. She longed to throw her names around him and hear his deep baritone drone on, soothing her nerves as he always did. Tears threatened to spill over her eyes and she blinked them back quickly but a drop still managed to slip past.

Moving over to her dresser she  allowed Maria get her ready for dinner,praying it would be a short affair.

On her way,she stopped at the nursery. Ara was calmly sleeping in the little cottage. She looked better now, the grime washed away from her, her face looked pale still but her blond hair was washed,combed and spraying in tendrils across the pearly linens. Her long lashes rested on her cheeks fanning out in a shade slightly darker than her hair.Sighing, Nalia decided she had put off the inevitable for too long. She leaned down and kissed the forehead of Ara and smiled tenderly at her wrinkled face.

At the intersection of the grand staircase she met with Ms.Stockman and she smiled her appreciation to the older woman who was waiting to escort her to dinner. Grasping her hand in hers they exchanged greetings and Nalia smiled again as Ms.Stockmann lovingly teased her.
At the foot of the staircase,Humbert was waiting to direct them to the dining room and for the first time since arriving Nalia took the time to enjoy her environment.

The walls were long and filled with tapestrys and paintings of various men and women.The doors were made of some gleaming wood that she guessed to be mahogany. Everything about the place spoke of grandeur even the way the butler held his back straight and swept his tailcoat behind him.

When the door opened, Nalia was impressed with the large table that seemed cozy despite its length.The duchess quickly stood and directed them to their positions. Gleaming candles hang on the chandelier which gleamed with crystal,setting a floating sense. She was sitted on the opposite of the duke who was  to the right of his mother. Glancing up she saw the impatient look in his gaze. He was apraising her,seeming irritated by his having to wait on her. His gaze skimped over her then his eyes settled on hers,and his lips fell downwards. Shock danced in her veins. Really, for him to disapprove of her so obviously and that too to make sure she knew of it...She had her limits.
Taking her most regal posture she waited for the wine to be poured for her and nodded her head to a pouring of some soup. All the while she held those steel greys. This morning she had avoided him like the plague but now seated across from her, he looked astonishingly like Ara. His hair was the same sun gold ,straight and held back to his shoulder. His nose was straight and perfect, his chin was set and firm with a small little cleft and his jaw line looked as if it were set rather often.
One perfect eyebrow was raised and his lips were quirked to one side as if asking if she found him good enough. She felt blood rush to her cheeks but refused to avert her eyes.She raised her chin and gave him a quick nod before turning the footman who was ranting to her a choice of creamed veal and smoked salmon. She heard him give a strangled sound and gazed up sharply to find his eyes looking at her and his lips tensing on the side. She would have smiled back at him were it not for his aunt's question.

"Child,I know you must be tired and this is not dinner talk but I am ready to expire from my own curiosity, who is the child with you?"

Nalia paused with a fork of veal to her mouth. She could tell the atmosphere in the room had already changed to one of alertness. Even the footmen had stopped their movements. Swallowing she threw a look towards Ms.Stockmann who had stopped eating and was shooting a glare to the poor woman.

"The child , is Princess Arabella Andreevna Romanof,youngest child of the Romanofs, my heir."
Refusing to say any more unsure of how they will take the news knowing she would not tolerate any taint upon her honor but more so any insult to Ara. She dove into her food and took a few extra bites knowing well that she would not be able to stay for the full dinner and she had eaten little since leaving France.

"Will you speak plainly,is the child yours or not?" The words were said harshly with an undisguised impatience,as though she were wasting his time.

Her gaze lifted to the duke's.He indeed seemed ready to throttle the news out of her.
His attitude put her on the defense and she lifted her chin again and glared down her nose at him in the way she knew most hated even as she adressed the room in general.

"If you ask whether Ara is mine,then yes she is my daughter in every sense.I brought her up, lay awake at night when she could not sleep,held her hand as she stumbled during her first steps and taught her mannerism. I have personal knowledge of  how many spoons of icecream make her sick, she enjoys bright colors and salty things more than sugars. She is my child. I however, am not her natural mother. She was born by the Duchess of Hillborne, my sister, Lady Talia and her natural father is... "
she coughed to clear her throat which had been clogged with emotions but refused to lower her head,
"the Earl of Northborne, your brother, your grace,"

With that she pushed her chair back and stopped at the food table to pick up two pieces of cake and a pitcher of juice incase Ara had awoken. Pausing at the door she remembered she had left out something important.

"Before I forget, your grace, if it is your wish to push foward with this alliance, make no mistake that along with my dowry and myself,my child comes to you too. I shall not and do not expect any love or affection from you in all honesty but for my child, you will give both and more. You will love her,spoil her till I complain and dote on her so much so that people will envy it. I will have nothing less. Those are my terms,..you will have to pardon my bluntness,the French seem to have passed some of their traits to us. I could curtsey but my tray would drop. Well, do sleep well".

She did not pause to hear the snicker of the older women nor see the glacier look bestowed upon her by her a fiancé.

The fatigued came crushing down by the time she reached her chambers in the west wing. It was all she could do to remove her gown and get into her nightgown.She went to the nurseey and lifted Ara into her arms. At such times she would rather have the little girl in her arms. Laying her gently on her cover filled bed,she removed her robe and huddled close tothe little bundle in her bed next to her and dug her nose into her hair.The baby scent that she always found comforting wafted into her nose along with the scent of rose water from her bath. Her skin was cold and Nalia checked to see that the fire was heaving in the fireplace. Ara moved burrying her cold nose on Nalia's neck. Closing her armsaround her child she felt the exhaustion pull her under.

Her last thoughts were of protecting Ara even if it meant exile.