Chapter 27

While I could only hear the pounding of my heart against my rib cage he continued his words. The cold breeze made his hair flutter about.

"You know Isabelle. I truly envy your love for Angela", his words made me double take.

"You… envy my love for Angela?" I repeated breathlessly.

"You gave up everything for her. If she wanted something you had you would give it to her without hesitation. Even if you liked- "loved" it.", his emphasis on the word love made me frown.

"Is- Is that a bad thing?" I asked, confused at his words.

"No". He replied as he gave a look stare full of an emotion I couldn't place. It wasn't a positive one was all I could say. "But I always hated that. Even as a kid. Even now."

"I apologise my Lo- Cain", I corrected quickly. Feeling my palms sweat.

"No. Don't be. A little jealousy is normal in children. It's healthy", he smiled forcefully, "you should try it sometimes. It's like a pill that's hard to swallow, but you have to anyway. I doubt you've ever felt the pain", he concluded rather abruptly.

Have I ever felt jealous?

Of course I have. When mother would ask me to care for Angela I would get Jealous. But, besides that… which was years ago…

"I guess I've been rather lucky… but I'd rather be jealous of someone… then miss people", the words slipped out of me subconscious as I thought of my mother, the duchess and… Justin.

Where did he go? Would he really come back? Is he okay? Has he found another person?…

At the last question I felt a pang of pain and realised that must've been jealousy. It was annoying, but it wasn't overly painful.

"Those are true words. But I must confess, I'm quite intrigued if you could ever seeing yourself being jealous of someone", he broke me from my thoughts with his curtly voice and his curious ruby eyes.

"Being jealous of someone?…"

"Someone you love whose being taken by another", he said in a low voice.

Again, the image of Justin spending time with another woman flashed through my mind. It really did feel like a big painful pill.

"No". I answered instantly.

I would not put him in harms way.

"No?" Cain replied mockingly.

"I don't have the right to get so attached to someone as a slave", I thought that was the right answer.

Cain gave me a look of dissatisfaction. He even looked a bit disgruntled.

"You can't forget for a moment that you aren't a slave", he almost complained.

"I could never".

"Then what if you had a slave lover too? Then would you get jealous?!" His voice rose angrily.

I jolted at his temper. Unable to understand why he was angry when I hadn't done anything wrong.

"I- I don't think"-

"Just forget it. This was a pointless conversation to have", he sighed in an exhausted manner as he sat against a bench outside.

The rest of the afternoon was painfully slow. I was forced to stay by Cains side and felt constricted by his occasional glare. It was worse when I stood beside him as he gulped down a glass of wine. He must've drunk three over the afternoon.

When he reached for his fourth I had to say something. Something I thought maybe would help his mood after hours of contemplation.

"I got jealous as a kid when you and Angela would play together. It was irrational, but I disliked seeing you two play without me", I had said the words so fast and nervously that I thought he may have missed them, but he stopped the glass that neared his lips and turned to me.

"You… you really took your time answering that one", he smiled at me.

Maybe it was because of the alcohol that he was smiling, but the genuineness of it made my heart do a strange jump. He looked beautiful when he smiled.

"You look better when you smile", again as if there was something wrong with me the words slipped off my tongue.

I didn't expect a laugh. But that's what I got.

He didn't drink the fourth glass.

Somehow, we lulled into the occasional peaceful conversation. I even found myself relaxing around him here and there, but every time I met his eyes, his face that looked down at me from above I found myself flinching and tensed up.

We weren't at equal status even if we pretended…

The wedding ceremony was something that was alien to me. I had to stand beside the bride alongside other family from her husbands side. We aided in her getting ready, though I can't say I was much help except maybe emotional.

"Bella, I'm scared", Angela spoke when she was finally ready.

There seemed to be a tradition that the father of the bride would walk her down the aisle, but since Angela didn't have any male figures in her life I was given the job.

"You look beautiful. Just look straight ahead at Alex and thing of nothing else", I tried to console her as she slipped her arm around mine.

"It's not Alex that I'm scared about".

"Then who?"

"Will you try to be nice to Cain so he can at least let you visit", her words which made no sense to me made me furrow my brows.

"How can I be kind to him?" I was basically his slave. I couldn't be unkind to him?

"Just act like how you did as kids", her suggestions made me recall her air-headed personality.

"You do realise, that with all that's"- I cut my scolding off when I saw her quivering lips and desperate gaze, "I'll- I'll be kind".

"Thank you", she smiled thankfully.

And then as the grooms family instructed, we headed towards the ceremonial place. Everyone stood as we entered, all oozing warm faces and happiness, but the one that seemed happiest was the groom who looked like he was in near tears when he caught sight of his soon to be wife.

At the sight of all the happy families and the groom, I knew instantly that Angela would be safe here. She would be happy and I wouldn't have to worry about anything.

As we walked I felt a pair of eyes drilling into me and turned to meet the source. It was the young duke. His gaze seemed glued to me, his cheeks strangely pink and his eyes full of innocence.

It was such a strange sight I had to look away.

I stopped right before the dais and watched two meet with a smile. They only had eyes for each other as the vows were spoken and they placed their rings on each other fingers.

I moved to the side, jumping when I felt a voice whisper by my ear.

"Are you the brides family?" It was an unfamiliar voice belonging to a young boy. Someone who probably reached his teens a few years ago. Though despite that he leaned a head taller than me.

I nodded in hopes he would stop talking so I could enjoy the sight of my sister and her now husband-

"Are you her only family?", he continued much to my dismissal of him.

"Yes. I'd like to watch"- I started to feel myself getting very annoyed, but my words were cut off as I was pulled away from the boy by a firm hand.

I turned in alarm to the person who pulled me away and found myself looking at the duke. He didn't look strange like how he did earlier instead he wore his usual annoyed face.

"If you find someone annoying just tell them", he said.

"Oh… thank you for helping me", I couldn't help but find it unbelievable that he had just helped me. Someone who found me to be an object of their hate not so long ago.

"I'm your date. Even if you leave me you should at least stay by my side when you can, otherwise I appear as a lonely man", he was… joking?… his lips tilted in a small grin as he looked down at me with that strange warmness.

"I- Yes I'm so sorry", I stuttered.

He looked fondly towards the the couple and I found myself turning towards them. They had began dancing together. It was a slow song, emphasise on the romantic tension as they fell into each others gazes. Sometimes one of them would grin and the other would start to laugh.

So that was love…

I recalled what Angela said just before she came here and turned to Cain who I found staring right at me. He looked caught by surprise when I turned and his face once again pinked in… embarrassment?

I concluded he must've drunk a fair bit while I was gone.

"Cain… is there any way I can visit here?" I asked him.

"Visit here?" He asked slowly and when I nodded he replied, "we can come here together every other month, or more frequently if that's what you wish".

"We can?" I blinked a few times to make I understood what he was saying.

"I plan on doing so myself and if you…appease me I'll allow you to come along", he answered almost awkwardly.

"Appease you? As your personal maid?"

His face dropped.

I almost cursed when I realised I kept bringing up the fact that I worked for him.

"Let's just say that", he turned away from me and back towards the couple, "you should try to get along with me from here on out. After all, just like those two we'll be together till death do us part", he spoke the words as if they invited laughter, but all I felt was an awakening dread.

He was right…

"Till death so us part…" I repeated like a parrot.