Remember When

Chapter 22

The music came to a crescendo and I cursteyed politely to the man in front of me in anticipation of turning on my heel and making a run for it. Before I walked more than a couple of feet, however, I was met by someone dressed in a navy blue suit. I mentally cursed myself before daring to meet his eyes.

"Elizabeth," Arthur Jones smirked down at me. "Care for a dance?"

Not particularly.

"Sure," I took his hand, seeing that Duke Mason was only a few yards away, watching my every move.

"You look exquisite tonight," Arthur said, his eyebrow raised, as his eyes wandered rather low by gentleman standards.

"Is that why you asked me to dance?" I asked, unimpressed.

He laughed easily, brushing off my comment.

"My family is one of the wealthiest in the world," he stated, as if I didn't already know that. "Aside from the royal family, of course."

"And you are making a point of this, why?" I asked, highly suspect of where this was going.

"Not only will I be the Duke of Willsborough but also the Duke of Kentshire," he stated smugly. "My riches and power will exceed almost every man in the realm."

"How astute you are for only just coming to that realization," I said sarcastically, looking elsewhere, already regretting the decision to dance with him.

Arthur regarded me for a few seconds, as if deciding whether or not to say something, before he spoke.

"Your fiance's personal affairs have not gone unnoticed," he said, referring to Gwendolyn. "If you should ever find yourself bored or unhappy, rest assured I will be more than capable of taking you off his hands."

My jaw dropped on its own accord. Wait, was he really implying what I thought he was implying? Did he really think me to be that kind of woman?

"What exactly are you saying?" I asked slowly, willing myself to be wrong.

He smirked, "If your future husband neglects to keep you satisfied, I would be more than willing to send for you. It would be a shame if your beauty went to waste. Nobody will have to know. It can be our little secret."

"Ugh!" I stepped away from him, "you're disgusting."

"It may be in your best interest to finish the dance, Elizabeth," Arthur declared darkly, nodding toward Duke Mason. "We still have an audience."

I hesitantly glanced at Duke Mason who was gouging me with a glare that said 'you better not make a scene'. So I forced myself to finish this dance with Arthur, albeit a large gap between us.

"If you decide to change your mind, I can offer you riches, fine dresses, jewels. Anything you desire is yours to take," he contended, his eyebrow raised in a devious smirk as if he was making an offer I couldn't refuse.

"That dangerously resembles prostitution, don't you think?" I sneered, glaring at the pig of a man.

He shrugged in nonchalance, "call it what you will. You know where to find me should you reconsider."

The song came to a close and he bowed before me. It took all of my willpower to curtsey as I bit my lip, the taste of bitter metal on my tongue.

Not only did his actions confirm just how much of a cad he was, as he clearly had no qualms sleeping with several women, but it also reaffirmed that a man of his status believed he could possess anything that he wanted. Including women. As if I was an object to be sold. Men like him sickened me. How Constance could marry such a vile individual was beyond all logic.