Maria sat on the Victorian king size bed staring at the luxurious bedroom endowed to her by Nathaniel. The bedroom was spacious with beautiful details. The ceiling was decorated with drapes, a crystal chandelier hanging on it. The rug was soft grand and divine. The choice of furniture was classic like the cushioned headboard, upholstered king size bed that has pendant lights of crystals on both sides, ottoman, wingback chairs and the sunburst mirrors on the wall giving the bedroom a luxurious look. The fascinating part of the bedroom was the the door that stood mightily beside it. The door led to the palatial bathroom which consists of a shower and a jacuzzi with striking designs and pendant lights of crystals on both sides and the magnificent closet filled with the latest designs of Fendi , Chanel, Jean Patou , Karl Lagerfield and the rest.
She yawned and looked at the small clock on the side table indicating 6am. Even in a luxurious bedroom, her night was still the same, sleepless. She rubbed her red swollen eyes with her hands and sighed staring at the room again, the bedroom many would dream of possessing. Her first reaction when she saw the room was placid, she just stared at it and nodded at the royal maid in approval. She stretched to the side cupboard and opened it taking out the black nylon, she unwrapped it taking out the bottle of tranquilizers. She poured the pills in her hands and gulped it, she wrapped the nylon and placed it back in the side cupboard, her hands quivering.
Yes, the pills were her best friend at crucial moments. Moments she was unstable, days she wished she could bury herself or during those awful sleepless nights and nightmares that tormented her just like the one that kept her awake all night. She stood up from the bed and turned to the door hearing a hard knock.
She exhaled. "Come in"
A young maid stepped in. "You are requested to go to the dinning room in the east wing". She pronounced her head high
Maria nodded at her dismissively. "You can go"
"Why don't you leave? Whores aren't accepted in the palace"
Maria looked at the maid suddenly stunned by her words, 'so the maids also can call her names?'. She suddenly burst into fits of humorless laughter, Laughter she found also puzzling. 'The drug really had its effect'.
The royal maid stared at her perplexed at her sudden laughter. "Like I said whores aren't--"
Maria advanced towards her, her eyes darkened. "Why don't you run along, maid? Before I break that baked face of yours and stuff your vituperative mouth with poop. And I assure you, the outcome won't be pretty".
The maid glowered at her before scurry from the room.
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Tension filled the dinning hall, only the clatters of the spoons and the sound of munching was heard. Maria played with her food, her attention on fixed on her plate.
"Don't you like the food, sister?". Aubrey said sarcastically
'Sister', the word pricked her skin, pierced her heart. She had no sister, mother or father in Westernfield. She ignored her, her gaze still on her food.
"You shouldn't pretend not to like the food. It's surely the best among those scraps and dumps you have been eating".
Maria averted her attention to her pissed. "Of course, you will surely know the scraps and dumps since you particularly sell them".
The once tension finally was covered with light chuckles and giggles. "So what do you do for a living, Annamaria?". Lady Penelope countered.
"I own a club". Maria said nonchalantly. Instantly all eyes were on her, eyes that has already passed their judgement.
"As excepted". Lady Penelope smiled taking a sip from her glass of wine. "Club filled with strippers and whores like yourself. So do you strip for young men or old men? Since the old ones are your specialty".
"Maybe you should come see for yourself. I will drop the address to one of the maids". She mused leaving the hall.
Maria strolled the palace in deep thoughts. She had expected to see Lord Alexander at the dinning hall. His presence always seemed to allure her into something....... She paused and all the breath rushed out of her lungs as she stared at him advancing towards her with a malicious glare . She just stood her unable to move as her eyes ran over his enticing features, her eyes landed on his cold icy ones.
"Lord Alexander"
"Where is she?!". He demanded rather harshly
Maris quirked her eyebrows in discombobulation. "Who exactly, my lord?"
"Don't you dare act in pretense. You know fully well exactly what I am talking about?!"
She shrugged her shoulders meeting his hard clenched fists and rigid face. "I swear, if you don't disclose where the hell you hid Lucia, You will be very very sorry". He snarled, a thunderstorm roiling his cold hazel eyes
Ha, 'he finally met up'. she thought. To say she was appalled on his discovery about Lucia could be an ironical effect. She was rather exhilarated. One of the reasons she fortified Mercedes' decision to leave Westernfield was because of the sixteen words that came out of her mouth.
"Whom exactly? For I guess you have so many 'Lucias' since your familiarity with women is indescribable".
In a flash, he cornered her to a wall, his hands on either sides restraining her movement. He leaned forward until they were only few inches apart. Her brain went numb at the proximity, It was the first time she had ever been this close to a man. His cologne of mint hits her like waves leading to a soft moan evaporating from her lips.
Lord Alexander smirked to himself. She was like the rest, ineluctable to his touch. He closed the distance between them hearing the thumps for her heartbeat. He leaned towards her ear and whispered, his cold demeanor returning.
"My familiarity with women does not concern Watson. Do well to ensure Mercedes and Lucia are returned unless I will do everyone and that family of yours that so much despises you a favor by sending you faraway, to a whorehouse probably in Italy or so. And I ensure you, no one will question me or know about your disappearance not even Nathaniel. You will be wipe out from the surface not that any one really cares though. This is not a threat, it's a warning and I plan to do all that I have mentioned. They must be returned unharmed not even a scratch on their flesh or hair". He took a glance at her face satisfied his message got through her and strolled away leaving a numbed Maria.
She shivered terribly, her hands quivered , hot tears prickled through her lids as she let herself slide down to the ground. She wasn't scared of his threats. No, what erupted the fear in her was the mention of that place, Italy. Being called a whore!. Every memories she spent in Italy came rushing back. Her four years of tribulation. She clutched her chest tightly remembering the devil's face till his last breath. She choked gasping for air, blood rushed her face. She closed her eyes, feeling the need to stop the pain. The pain was still raw and the memories too vivid.
"Are you alright?"
She opened her eyes and looked at the person in front of her. The last person, she was expecting to see......
YOU ARE READING
Beyond A Scorned Heart
Romance*Genre winner* Gold awards 2017 Depressed, Despised, Humiliated , Isolated and Scorned. Maria never wanted to come back to the town that caused her so much pain, suffering and humiliation. But what happens when she is pulled back in to that same t...
