1 month later....

"I can't marry him?" Tempest echoed feeling faint.

Her mother paced back and forth; had whispered it with conviction weeks after she had met Justin. Tempest thought it was due to him being unknown to the peerage. A new face with a newly acquired title seemed at times to run the gambit with their fortune only to squander it mindlessly until they turn penniless. She figured her mother did not want that for her as she argued it will not happen to him.

She had thought her mother would change her mind and reconsider. But it was not so. She adamantly stood by her decision and warned Tempest to not utter a word of it to her father.

She had broken into a cold sweat after her mother insisted on her forgetting about Justin. Sadly, her mother will never accept their union. Her gaze blurred with tears as her ears grew hot with her mother's words, her vulgar opinion of Justin, and it appalled her.

"You do not know him," Tempest shook her head in protest.

"I know enough. I know of his kind and I will not see you involved with him," her mother stepped forward.

Blue-green eyes as cold as ice mirrored her own that was filled with disbelief and pain.

"Mother...please I beg you to reconsider. I want to marry him," she pleaded.

"My decision is already made."

"But he is returning to post the bans for the wedding you have already agreed to it," she dashed away her tears.

"Arrangements can be broken," agitated, her mother turned to face her.

"You are to gather your things. You leave tomorrow night."

Her head lifted in shock to stare at her mother. "Where am I going?" her throat tightened.

Frantically, her mother searched for the words in her head. She had not thought it through but she was determined to get Tempest out of London.

"What about father, has he agreed to this as well?"

"The less he knows, the better. He does not need this type of worry during his voyage. I suggest you keep that in mind," she stopped to give a warning glare at Tempest.

"Please mother!, If you would discuss this with father, maybe--," she began.

"There is no discussion necessary," her mother came back swiftly. "Mayhap if we are quick about this, we may find you another suitor. Someone worthy of your station." her mother paced with contemplation burning in her eyes.

"You can not do this. I will not-," Tempest shook her head, aghast, her aqua green eyes filled with disbelief on her pale face.

"I am your mother and you will do exactly as I say if you know what is good for you." her mother turned to face her.

Her mother looked at her, completely unmoved by the pain she could see on Tempest's face.

She dashed away a tear, her throat moving conclusively before she spoke again. "My father will never agree to this."

"The choice is not your father's but mine." She snapped dismissively.

"If you refuse to do as I say, I will do everything in my power to destroy Justin O'Shae." Her mother's voice was casual. Implacable.

It was not an idle threat. The cruelness of her mother's words held their weight because it was her mother who spoke them after all. Her cruel, ruthless mother.

"I expect you to be ready for when we depart."

She took a long-lasting hard look at Tempest and departed.

That next evening a coach came for her and her mother and with alarming swiftness, they were gone.

They had made their way not far out of town where they could still attend to the social scenes of the ton. Her mother had secured the well-furnished dwelling of her cousin, Elanor, who was now residing in Mayfair with husband number four. Scandalous at best the thought but convenient all the same for her mother.

Shortly after they were greeted by a puckered-face Butler by the name of Gyles, that introduced them to the staff.

That very night she lay in bed with the very cold feeling of her happiness slipping away for good.

********

The few weeks that followed proved to be challenging at best. It wasn't simply just the tediousness of her mother trying to shove every suitor in her direction, but the sudden fatigue, nausea, and sadness that assailed her as well.

Her melancholy was little provocation for her mother because she insisted that with time, she would learn to forget Justin.

Her mother was adamant in her task and it wasn't until they had attended Lord Benningtons Fall Soiree, she realized just how far her mother was willing to go.

A sense of alarm had been building within her throughout the night of the ball the moment the presence of Lieutenant Thomas Haines was announced.

"I heard the most intriguing bit of news," a feminine voice from beside her spoke. She turned slightly to glance at Olivia Greenly, Viscount Dartmouth's daughter as she laced her arms around another girl's arms and pulled her close.

"I hear, from what mother's circle is whispering, that the Lieutenant has come into a very prestigious title left to him by his late uncle Percy, along with a minimal fortune."

Intrigued, another girl urged. " Go on."

"He inherited the title since the poor Viscount had no heirs." She said blandly.

Tempest, with feigned interest with the dance before her, listened to the girl's gossip as her gaze warily roamed the ballroom, training herself to hide the dread of his encounter with her.

It was well known how London's circles embraced newly titled Lords with considerable wealth and how every mother from there to Christendom would not hesitate to get their claws on them for their daughters. So it came to no surprise that he would be invited to this soiree.

F

or the next several hours, she tried very hard to ignore the lingering uneasiness and dread of the knowledge that he was at the same ball as she. The memories of their last encounters only ebbed the fear in her gut to be confronted with him again.

But she had to remind herself that she was safe here. Knowing her mother and her tediousness, the very idea of her even exchanging polite words with an unwealthy Lieutenant was ridiculous. That thought set her at ease some as she reluctantly continued to enjoy the dancing couples and sipping some champagne.

After some time she gathered an interest of some of the offerings on the buffet table. She slowly made her way disappearing through the inebriated crowd of dancers to get to it.

Clearing the other side of the dance floor she smiled politely at the throng of eligible Bachelor's that rose their flutes to her in a graceful salute.

She finally turned in time to spot the flurry of skirts in the distance. Most of all the elegant shimmering one of her mother's as she stood smiling and talking with a tall male figure.

For a long intimidating moment, she watched her mother's delighted smile and flurry of her fan wave in interest eagerly peering up at the face of Lieutenant Thomas Haines.

And then her unpleasant past collided with her now uncertain future with brutal force the moment he turned in her direction, and his gaze landed on hers. Her mother's own smile of confidence and satisfaction added to her turmoil the moment she whispered something to the Lieutenant. Then his lips curved up in one corner.

She truly wanted to believe this was a simple nightmare and that at any moment she would wake up and be laying next to Justin. She wanted to believe that the scrutinizing glare of her mother was only due to the 2 glasses of champagne she had and it was playing with her mind.

She has a good life. She swallowed. The denial of anything but that was naturally lurking in the background.

Then his tall domineering figure turned to take careful forceful steps towards her.

She wanted to run. But she couldn't.

Finally, after 2 more deplorable steps, he was before her, staring down at her with a sharp gaze, focused on her face and an unreadable expression.

Then...her comfortable life shattered.

********

Here we go my peeps and the drama begins...

Forgive me for the late posts I've tried different ways to restructure this scene until finally I had the breath through (Standing online at Walmart) can you believe it. So I rushed home to type this up and low and behold I forgot my Salami...

Back to the store I say.

Hope you enjoy this update.

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