Chapter 4

"You didn't know who he is?!!!" Lady Byrne screeched frantically. Magnus had escaped shortly after a little polite talk, leaving Ava to cope as best she might on her own.

"My goodness! He is Lord Magnus Hyde, his family has owned this land for hundred of years. The ruling duke is his cousin. Lord Magnus is third-in-line of this little empire." The lady continued in bold enthusiasm.

"Theirs are one of the leading noble families in England. They are possessors of many estates and rich farming lands. They are incredibly wealthy. My dear Ava, you have caught a prince and you didn't even know it!"

With every word tumbling from the lady's mouth, Ava felt her heart sank. She didn't want a prince, an heir, a nobleman with all the glorious grandeur. She wanted Magnus as a man, either a farmer, a soldier, or another commoner... a man she could lay her hope on, a man she could make her own. Now that she found that he was actually a nobleman, there was no chance for her to have a future with him.

Staring at the night sky with an old shawl wrapped around her shoulders, she let her mind wander to the first time they met and the days they had spent together. A rustling sound from near the fence reached her ears. Magnus came from the bushes.

"I'm sorry, did I startle you?

She shook her head, said nothing in response. Magnus took a deep breath and sat on a worn-out wooden seat near her. For a moment, they didn't talk, only stared at the coal black sky.

"So, it's all you've been hiding thus far... you're coming from a noble family..." Ava spoke without sparing him a glance.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

He sighed, then replied

"I was just ...too tired with women chasing over me all the time, mostly because of my status, my position, my family's wealth... I can't tell which ones really want me for who I am and which ones want me for ... you know, another reason..."

She could hardly blame him for concealing his identity. He did it for a harmless purpose, just as she did.

"When I first met you, I knew you were different. I really wanted to know would you like me if I were just another country man, a common villager? And I was right, you didn't mind my rusticity."

She considered to reveal her identity likewise, but decided it wasn't the right time. Too many revelations at a time, there would be too much to take.

She sighed.

"Magnus, you're a high ranked nobility, and I am just a peasant girl who sells eggs for a living"

"It will not change anything between us." He touched her hand.

"It will, in time." She felt an ache deep in her heart as she said

"We can still be together today, tomorrow, a few months later maybe. But for how long? Sooner or later, you will have to leave me for a woman who is appropriate for you, to be your lady for life."

"You're the one I want to be my lady."

Ava shook her head. "I could never be your woman. I would only be a shame for you and your family."

He rose and stood before her, holding her arms gently, then tilted her chin so she looked at him straight in the eye.

"I will never leave you. Do you believe in me?"

Honesty in his eyes and firmness in his voice touched her. She wanted to believe him. She really wanted to. She nodded.

"You don't need to worry about such matters, love. Have faith. Don't give up what we have so easily. It's far more precious to me than title or wealth or honor. Do you feel the same?"

"I do."

"So don't turn away from me, because I'll never turn away from you."

He lowered his head and captured her mouth, sealed the promise with a kiss.

***

Although her head kept telling her that a happily ever after with him was impossible, his promise grew a little courage in her heart to believe in miracles, to have faith. He was such a great man, he would make a way for them, he would fight for her against all odds.

She had stopped visiting the captain, since the old man had thanked her for her kind attention and said that he didn't want to bother her any longer. Magnus kept coming to her cottage everyday. He even made friends with Polly and Lady Byrne. He seemed quite comfortable around them and soon her two friends became close to him, not hesitated to tease him, mock him and laugh at his jokes like they were old friends.

She always adored his gentle nature and his geniality with people. When he accompanied her to the market, people were drawn to him, attracted by his appealing personality. Everytime they talked to new people, he sparkled the conversations with his subtle blend of wit and charm.

A part of her still worried it wouldn't last long, that soon the time would come to play the role that meant for them. She didn't want to go another day, she wanted to seize their togetherness a little longer. She didn't want it to ever end. Have faith, she reminded herself. Though hope was frail, but faith would not fail. Her life might be no fairytale, but if she had enough faith, maybe she could see a miracle.

Magnus came one day and invited her to a party, a ball that would be thrown by his family.

"I want you to be there." He said. "I want to dance the night away with you."

She hesitated. How would his family react when they see her? She knew nothing about his family other than he had a cousin instead of brother, the duke, who was the dominant in the family. And he had an insensitive father who never stopped comparing him to his cousin. She couldn't imagine there were parents who admired their nephew more than their own child. How strange... She thought she would not like them. And she doubted they would ever like her. She had seen how arrogant the nobility could be to the persons they considered inferior.

And there was another thing. Going to the party meant she would be seen in public, precisely she would be exposed to the nobility. If somebody recognized her as Roger's betrothed, she would be in a serious trouble.

There was little chance they had seen her in London, for she had only attended a few balls in her short visit there. And the guests in this party possibly were not the ones she had met in London. They were most likely country gentlemen from this town and surroundings, not the city people.

Lady Byrne coaxed her to come to the party, offered to lend Ava some of her dresses but she refused politely. Apart from a huge mismatch between their size, the dress would make her look silly. She would wear one of the plain, dull-colored gowns she had. Besides, she had to be careful, better for her to remain unseen. Magnus would pick her up, so the lady asked Polly to be her companion, which she didn't mind. It would be nice to be surrounded by a few familiar company.

***

Been a long day, and she had prepared too early, now she was waiting for his call. She decided to wear a simple dark blue gown, because the brown one made her look rather funereal. She had been anticipating the whole day, not for the party, but for him.

Today, for the the first time she would see Magnus as he truly was. Not his disguise. She wondered what he looked like in a fancy suit. He was exceedingly handsome in his country outfit, even better without his shirt, she smiled slightly recalling the moment. But would the finery suit him well?

The sound of carriage outside filtered into the room. She peered through the window and saw a fancy black carriage engraved with the Vermont monogram in gold arrived. Lady Byrne and Polly rushed and rattled in excitement behind her, she ignored them and opened the door.

Magnus was standing before her in his noble wear. A slight smile touched his lips, a mischievous spark played in his eyes. His hair was tied with a black silk ribbon. He was fully dressed in a formal white shirt, silver silk cravat and a navy blue waistcoat, with khaki colored trousers that fitted his strong thighs perfectly and a pair of knee-high boots in black. She caught her breath at the very first sight of him. She knew he would always look great no matter what he wore, but this time she didn't expect him to be so amazing. In his regalia, he looked terrific.

"You look amazing, love..." He said as he took her hand and assisted her into the carriage.

"With you in my arms, I will be the envy of all men in the party tonight."

Otherwise, she was certainly the one to be the envy of all women in the party tonight. Watching him leaned back to his seat with the devil-may-care look, she wondered if a fairy godmother had transformed her humble country man into a dashing prince.

***

"Well, here it is." Magnus lent a hand to help her climbed down the carriage. She stepped to the breathtaking, extravagant view of an old manor in the beginning of twilight, extremely grand and beautiful in its classical style. It was definitely a masterpiece of architecture. She would believe if somebody told her it was the king's palace, except for its location in the countryside.

Not so long ago, before she knew Magnus was a nobleman, she always imagined the day when he finally brought her to his house. She envisioned the first sight would be a large farmhouse built from red bricks, with pigs and hens ran about the spacious yard. Never crossed her mind he lived in a grandiose palace like this.

"Impressed?" He gave her a rhetorical question. "Welcome to the grand and glorious Vermont Manor, my lady. Magnus Hyde at your service."

They climbed up the stairs hand in hand, welcomed by a pair of servants as they entered the front door. The lights from dozens chandeliers shining brightly as she walked along the wide, long corridor. This manor held a glorious, powerful ambience. She had attended many parties in fancy houses before in London, but it was nothing compared to this palatial manor. She couldn't wait to see the ballroom.

They arrived at a huge oak paired door, two servants opened it for them. Ava held her breath at the remarkable sight.

A very large ballroom, with a very high ceiling. Dozens of crystal chandeliers hanging, the lights reflecting the glitters in the women's jewels. The guests were dressed elegantly, made her feel a bit intimidated. With her simple, high-neck dark blue gown, she looked so plain, like some lady's companion. She looked around and found that, unfortunately, the servant girls wearing the same color as her. She should be wearing the brown gown.

"Do you like it?" Magnus leaned closer to whisper in her ear.

"Very much"

Some women started to notice them, reasonably because Magnus was beside her. Their observing gaze made her nervous.

"Magnus"

"Yes, my dear?"

"Could you please fetch me some drink?"

"Sure, I won't be long"

He left her side and Ava felt relieved that the women stopped staring at them and turned back. Some of them looked over their shoulder to have a short glance at her once more. Sometimes, being too pretty was kind of tiresome, for people would hardly look away from you. It was pleasant, off course, unless you want to remain unnoticed. They must think she was a pretty maid, she hoped so.

She found a safer, less-seen corner nearby and stood there. She wished she were invisible. While enjoying the view and the elegant atmosphere, she recalled some of the stories Magnus had shared about his family, especially his rivalrous cousin.

She was wondering what he possibly looked like. She doubted there would ever be a man who could put Magnus in the shade. She gazed over the entire room, passing hundreds of pretty faces in their glamorous outfit. Under the light of a thousand candles, everything looked muted and radiant. Suddenly her eyes were riveted on a man standing among the crowd.

Without the slightest bit of doubt, Ava knew immediately who he was. As soon as people saw him, they would know he was no sort of ordinary man.

Heaven had been most generous to this man, bestowing him with tremendous enviable feature. He had such a handsome face with a pair of dramatically beautiful eyes. Striking in their rare gunmetal blue color, they were shielded by thick, long lashes. His straight, perfect-shaped nose made him look aristocratic. His lips had a natural shade that would make the prettiest women jealous, along with a firm jaw that balanced out his refined features.

Of all his glorious features, one that distinguished him the most from the other men was his silvery locks, highlighted with strands in a darker shade. He was apparently among a few men whose hair went gray prematurely. Gleaming under the chandelier light, his hair was cut fashionably short. A locks of silver covered his forehead just above his eyes.

He was unusually tall, broad shouldered yet his whole figure was lithesome. He dressed in a simple, black well-tailored suit. There was nothing extravagant in his clothing, yet he looked unmistakably regal and elegant in the understated apparel.

He was truly a sight. A mind blowing one. But all his physical riches were not the most significance that made him so conspicuous. He possessed an inherent power and dominance that radiated all over him, along with a natural grace. Surrounded by good looking, dandy gentlemen, he stood out among them all.

It was the way he gazed nonchalantly over the crowd. Or it was the way he held his head. Ava didn't know why she just couldn't take her eyes off of him.

"Ava, dear! We finally found you!" A familiar voice interrupted abruptly. She turned to find Lady Byrne and Polly approaching her. "Where is Magnus? Oh, look!!! The duke is over there. He looks exceedingly handsome, doesn't he?" Lady Byrne babbled cheerfully.

"Smug blueblood" Polly snorted with a strong dislike. "His conceit is insufferable. He couldn't touch Lord Magnus' charm, could he?"

Ava wished she could agree with Polly, unfortunately she couldn't.

"I heard somebody called my name." Magnus came with a glass of champagne.

"Well hello, ladies. I should bring more champagne. But, will you excuse me sweetheart," he winked to Ava. "I shall give this one to the most beautiful lady first" he handed the glass to Lady Byrne.

"Thank you, darling." Lady Byrne said elegantly as she took the glass and gave him an appreciative smile.

"I'll get you another one soon. Both of you." He corrected quickly as Polly glared at him.

As he left, Ava turned to see the duke again and found his gaze on her.

Her heart skipped a beat as she met those beautiful eyes. They were cold, freezing like the frosty breath of the Northern wind. They reminded her of an arctic wolf in a frozen land, the glimmering snow in winter, glacial mountain and sculpted ice. On the instant, Ava discovered that there were no warmth in those eyes, not the very least hint of kindness or tenderness. They were beautiful yet ironically dull. She wondered if they had ever been light with joy.

His gaze lingered on hers for a second more, his expression unreadable. If he thought she was lovely to see, he showed no outward signs. He looked away and moved to another direction.

Being used to outright admiration in men's eyes, his indifference made her amused and offended at the same time.

"Your champagne, my sweet." came Magnus' deep, sexy voice. Turned to face him, she managed a smile and took it. He gave another one to Polly. A moment later, they were listening Lady Byrne's enthusiastic chatter.

Suddenly Lady Byrne cried in shock "Ooohhh! It's almost nightfall! There's something I want to show all of you! Quick!!!" The lady rushed to the open door led to the garden, practically dragging Ava in the process. Magnus and Polly followed behind them.

"Where are we going?" Ava nearly stumbled, the old lady was unbelievably fast.

"The fountain, you don't want to miss it. Now is the magic hour."

"Magic hour?"

"Yes, the time in the evening when the sun dissapears and the daylight fades. It's the magic hour when your wish shall be heard by the universe. Oh, you should cast the magic spell too! I will tell you later. Quick! We don't have much time."

"What are you talking about?"

"We're almost there... Look! That is what I'm trying to tell you, my dear. The Twilight Fountain!"

Before them a beautiful fountain in its quiet grace. Somehow, the fountain's surrounding held a magical ambience.

"So, this is what you're going to show us? I have been here for all my life since I started to walk. This was one of my favorite place to play." Magnus grinned at the old lady.

"What are we supposed to see in this... fountain?"

"Do you know its legend?" Lady Byrne replied in a dramatic tone.

"Legend? Ah, the 'make-a-wish' thing, something like that... nobody remembers it again since the last time people do it here was probably one or two hundred years ago"

"You are wrong, young man" Lady Byrne glowered at him, "Now, listen to me..." she gave them all an unarguable look.

"There is an old tale about this fountain. It is said that if a girl wishes for true love wholeheartedly in front of the fountain at twilight, the first man she sees after saying her wish will be her future husband. Almost two hundred years ago, it was a tradition at Vermont Manor's party, young ladies bring their lovers and preferably suitors here and make a wish. It is said that it never fails. However, as time goes by, the tradition had been forgotten. But the magic remains."

"Wow" Polly arched her brows. "Interesting"

"Now that you know it" Lady Byrne focused her gaze on Ava and Magnus. "I want you both to relive the tradition."

"What?" Magnus laughed "It's ridiculous... I don't believe it, not even a bit, not at all..." Magnus halted at the lady's lethal glare.

"All right" he sighed. "Besides, all I have to do is just standing behind you" he smirked at Ava "and do nothing but waiting"

"Exactly!" The satisfaction in the old lady's voice was unmistakable. She turned toward Ava, drew her hands and held them in her chest. Instantly her expression changed, her voice slightly trembled when she said

"I really want you and Magnus to be happy, to be together at last. I know it seems impossible, my dear. But if you believe, there can be miracle... Promise me you'll never give up on hope..."

Felt her eyes heavy with tears, Ava nodded then hugged the old lady.

"Now, here is the spell. You cannot make magic without the right spell. Listen carefully, my dear..."

Lady Byrne whispered the spell in her ears, repeated it three times to make sure she already memorized it. Then he pushed Polly with her, leaving just Ava and Magnus by the fountain. Soon the two women disappeared from their sight.

"Well" Magnus shrugged as Ava turned to him. "Maybe we should give it a try."

"Stay there" Ava turned toward the fountain. "Let's see if magic truly exists."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She contemplated for a while before she started. Suddenly a tingling sensation ran along her spine. She cast the love spell.

"By this fountain I do pray

May my true love finds its way

Bless me to be brave and wise

As I turn and open my eyes

Make the first man whom I see

Be the one to marry me"

Done. She did it perfectly well. Feeling glad she didn't make any mistake or forget a word, she turned around to see him, the love of her life. She really wanted to look into his warm and loving eyes.

She opened her eyes to meet... no one. Only the lush scenery of the garden. He was gone. No signs of his presence around here.

She nearly called him, but she held her tongue. What was the point of calling him when he was not in sight. He might have gone far. Silly Magnus. She gripped her skirt and started to walk along the garden. The garden was quiet and serene in the dusk. Soon she was embraced by the tranquility of the surroundings.

Instantly a sudden awareness struck her, made her alerted as if someone was watching her from somewhere unseen. Her eyes chased relentlessly in alarm to find the stalker, over the scene and up high...

She froze as her eyes met him, a distant high above in the balcony. Their gazes locked and she could hardly breath. It was the duke, the master of the manor. His eyes beheld her without the least sparks of amusement. Yet her heart was beating wildly.

Ashton Hyde, the fifteenth Duke of Vermont was observing the latest potential trouble his reckless cousin would throw himself into.

Of all the young women of nobility across the country, even some foreign princesses, Magnus chose this one. An infamous, scandalous chit known as an offspring of the Duke of Livingston and his mistress. So typically him, to be such irresponsible and senseless.

Once again, it was his duty to stop his cousin before everything went too far.

He knew this woman. He had seen her in London before. One evening in a soiree, he was sitting in the corner in a weary mood, surrounded by some gentlemen fellows. The dull conversation was getting tedious when a vision caught his eye.

It was her, walking down the grand spiral staircase in a perfect grace, dressed and bejeweled as fine as a princess. She was such a vision. A sight to tempt the most jaded appetite. The next thing he knew was Roger Irving took her hand and swept her away to the dancefloor. Now that she dressed humbly like some lady's companion, Ashton could still recognize her perfectly. Hers was not a face a man would soon forget.

At that time he had heard about this woman. Her recent engagement with Roger Irving had been talk of the town in London. People rattled on and on about her beauty, and as soon as he saw her, he knew it wasn't exaggerated. But to fall into blind attraction based on physical beauty was intolerably stupid.

Apart of her indecent lineage and her family's disgraceful name, she had gained her own reputation as well. A trusted source said that she ran off from Irving for unknown reasons and stole his family's heirloom.

Her betrothal to Irving was already a shocking scandal, rumour had it Irving was in a terrible financial straits as a result of his gambling habit, and the Duke of Livingston offered him a solution that came with terms and conditions. So the betrothal was simply a bargain. Whatever made this chit broke the deal and ran away was none of his concern.

Looking down at her from the balcony, Ashton could not deny her innocent beauty. From all the stories he heard, at first he envisioned her as a seductress with blatant sexuality. Instead, she was all the opposite. Her expression, her gestures showed no signs of wickedness. She looked like a young girl freshly graduated from women's boarding school.

But he won't be deceived by illusion of innocence. He had seen many of her likes before, face like an angel, yet they were the most cunning, beguiling females existed. She was no different from them. With his credulous nature, Magnus had been easily taken in by her convincing look.

She was walking alone in the garden, gazing around like she was looking for somebody. Suddenly she looked up at him, her eyes met his. She looked even more enchanting. It evoked a surge of anger within him. How a woman of her sort, the worst kind of woman, was generously endowed with such great beauty and charm. How easily she could allure any men without even trying to. She was a perfect manifestation of the unfairness of life.

A moment seemed eternity before distant noises interrupted, awakened Ava from her trance. The guests started to flow into the garden. The moon flowers started to open their white, trumpetlike flowers. It was the end of the twilight, the sky was getting dark.

Ava forced herself to turn away from the duke's spellbinding gaze. She walked away with an odd feeling of uncertainty, careless about her direction. Her unsteady legs led her into a maze, safe from the curious eyes that attracted to her beauty. Unable to get her mind off the master of the house, she tried to unravel the bizarre feeling that suddenly rushed over her. His Grace Duke of Vermont was a very handsome young man indeed. To be particularly impressed by a man like him was natural. Any other woman of her age would have the same reaction. Nothing was wrong with it. It was pure admiration.

All of a sudden, somebody arose at the junction, she startled and gasped. Magnus stood before her, hiding his right hand behind his back.

"Magnus! You startled me!"

He smiled "That's exactly what I intended to do. To surprise you."

He brought his hand out, surprised her with a bouquet of beautiful wild flowers.

"I hope you like it."

"Very much. Thank you." She took the bouquet and brought it to her face, breathing the intoxicating fragrance.

"Magnus, where have you been? Why did you leave me by the fountain?"

"I don't believe the silly story at all, darling. Not even a bit. So I decided to do something more interesting, like this..." he picked a pink rose from the bouquet, smelled it for a moment before slipped it to her hair, right above her ear.

"It looks great on you..." his voice became low and husky, his gaze lingered on hers. Abruptly, he dragged her by her waist until her body pressed hard against his. Without warning, he settled his mouth on hers. His silken tongue slid through her parted lips, twisting with hers, sucking hers impatiently. She felt a sudden rush of blood to her loin as he licked her palate. Warm, intoxicating pleasure dwelled down below, in her most intimate place. Closing her eyes, she indulged her pleasure in his sweet little invasion. She wanted to savor every second, she wanted to taste every drop.

In the meantime, Magnus' rough hand brushed the bare skin above her decolletage and travelled lower. She opened her eyes abruptly and pushed him away. God, why? Men tended to do to her more than it was appropriate. The intimate touch reminded her of Roger instantly, the way his filthy hands trailed across her body.

Magnus was startled by her sudden reaction. He ran his hand in his hair, breathing hard as he smirked awkwardly.

"Sorry, love. I hope I didn't scare you... I got carried away..."

She looked into his eyes and saw honest regret. Feeling a little remorse that she had been too harsh to him, she nodded, then rested her hand on his elbow.

"Let's get back into the ballroom. I think some refreshment would be nice."

Magnus had no difficulty leading her out of the maze. Soon they were strolling in the garden, among the other guests. Some curious eyes began to follow them. Ava sighed desperately. With a man as handsome as Magnus in her arm, she could never be unnoticeable.

Suddenly Magnus took a halting step.

"Excuse me, my dear. I have just seen an acquaintance I would like to greet. Do you mind if I leave for a second?"

Getting a chance to get rid of undesirable attention, she nodded quickly.

"I'll be waiting for you at the ballroom."

A second later, she walked in to the ballroom alone, blending with the guests, she looked around to find Polly and Lady Byrne.

"Excuse me, girl" said a voice behind her. She turned around to see an old lady with a cane.

"Could you please fetch me a drink?"

Apparently the old lady had mistaken her as a servant girl. Possibly because of her dress had a very similar look with the maids here. After a moment's thinking, she moved to the nearest servant. Feeling a slight embarrasment, she took a glass from the tray and handed it to the lady. To give a little help to a thirsty old woman would do no harm.

"Thank you."

The lady gave her an appreciative smile. Such a nice lady.

"You're welcome, my lady"

"Girl" Suddenly a cold masculine voice startled her. The haughty tone in the voice was awfully irritating. She had a bad feeling that it was addressed to her.

Slowly she turned around to see the man that called her with such impudent manner. She froze instantly as she met a pair of blue eyes. So cold and piercing she felt like she was looking into a frozen lake. To her horror, she was standing before His Grace, Duke of Vermont.

"Yes, you" he motioned in impatient gesture to her like she was some servant. "Go fetch us some champagne."

Stunned, she didn't know how to react. She recognized some men were standing around him, probably the ones he referred as 'us'. The men were staring at her now.

The duke arched his brow in annoyance.

"Now" he said impatiently.

"Do you understand what I'm saying? You'd better be quick. I don't like waiting."

Bewildered, Ava stared at him blankly. The duke had mistaken her as a maid. And such an arrogant brute, how badly the way he treated a maid.

Seemed irritated by her unresponsiveness, he glared at her.

"Have you gone daft? Or are you totally incapable of doing such a simple task? I'm afraid I'll have to dismiss you."

"I beg your pardon" she heard her own voice rang in her ear.

"I'm afraid you had been quite mistaken, Your Grace. I'm not a maid." She looked back into his eyes.

The little scene started to draw attention of some other guests. Soon they went silent, anticipating what was about to happen.

Their gazes locked. A slight sparks gleaming in his eyes.

"Good Lord" he said as if he was surprised, but she suspected a mockery in his tone.

"I should offer you my apologies, Miss... what should I call you?"

Ava sucked in her breath. She didn't want anybody here to know her name, her identity. She was running away from Roger, from a binding contract that couldn't be broken even by the king. Nobody may know she was here. Blood drained from her face as panic attacked. If her father or her betrothed ever found her, it would be the death of her.

"It is absolutely not neccessary, Your Grace." She made a quick curtsy. "Now excuse me, I should be leaving." Not bothering to wait for his response, she turned back and hurried away.

Her heart racing in panic as she paced fast into the garden. Avoiding the people, she moved to a dark, quiet corner hidden from the crowd. She leaned to a large glass window and rested her head on its surface, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. Going to this party was a bad idea. She remained still with racing thoughts and unsteady breaths for some time.

A full moon rose, sending ghostly shadows to dance through the branches. The night was so quiet, there was nothing but the sound of wind in the trees and rustling of leaves. As her heartbeat got back to normal, she opened her eyes and drew back from the glass surface. An image flickered before her, reflected in the window. A ghost! Scared and shocked, she jolted and screamed, turning to run away. She slammed something tall and solid, and a blinding spark tumbled over her vision. She nearly fell down to her feet.

But she didn't hit the ground. Something held her still. The first things filled her senses were a warm body heat and a subtle blend of a man's natural scent with a slight touch of expensive cologne. As her vision slowly returned, she was looking up to a face she could hardly cast off her mind the whole evening.

The duke was standing with her, his hands gripping her elbows, keeping her from falling. The moonbeams gleamed on his hair, turning it to white. Even in the dark, the blue of his eyes were shining brilliantly as if they held their own inner light. Suddenly he released his grip with a jerk, forcing her to step back.

"I know who you are." Unlike before, his voice was calm and smooth now, yet she felt the hair on her nape rose.

"Ava Sofia Marlowe, your parents are the Duke of Livingston and Desiree Marlowe. You are betrothed to Roger Irving."

The last name he mentioned unnerved her, he noticed how her eyes widened and her body tensed instantly, though it last for only a second. He was very good at observing, reading the smallest, slightest sign of reaction, of changing emotion. That was what made him invincible. He knew how to use others' weaknesses for his leverage.

"You know me?" Then why he pretended to mistaken her as a maid? She dared not questioning him about it. Although his voice was soft, there was something about it that alarmed her that she was at his mercy.

"I didn't remember inviting you to my party." He said nonchalantly as if he had no particular point, but Ava sensed its implicit purpose.

"I ... I am accompanying a friend..."

"A betrothed woman accompanying a man who is not her fiancé, how inconsiderate..." A tinge of mockery colored his tone.

"If you think I would tolerate such an impropriety in my house, then you've been wrong, Miss Marlowe."

His voice went cold and tart now.

"I'm afraid you have to leave."

This man knew her secret, and she was under his territory at this very moment. To say one word against him would be unwise. The best thing she could do now was leaving rightaway without vexing him further. Her heart ached with hurt and fury but she wouldn't run away with teary eyes to his delight.

She took a deep breath, held her head high and kept her pace steady as she sidestepped him, refused to give him a nod or curtsy.

***

"Good heavens!"

A beautiful, middle-aged lady exclaimed in a low voice as Ashton made his way close by. She snapped her fan open elegantly and glanced around discreetly to make sure nobody heard her.

"Have you seen the country girl Magnus brought here just now? I almost had a heart attack, we can't let him parade her all night long in front of the entire guests!"

Her tone was colored with a little hint of disapproval, yet she maintained her voice low and flat.

"Your uncle will totally blow a fuse at such embarrassment."

"No need to worry, Aunt Cecily" He reached a glass of champagne on the nearby table and settled there, staring idly over the crowd.

"That matter has been taken care of."

"Thank God. We can always count on you, Ashton." Lady Cecily made a soft sigh of relief, then she frowned as if she was thinking about something.

"Anyway, one can hardly believe she is a peasant... such a beauty, her whole look is way too refined for a humble village girl.

Perhaps she is an unfortunate noblewoman falling into poverty..."

Lady Cecily waved her hand indifferently.

"Never mind, I'm glad she has already gone..."

'For now.' He replied in silence. It was certainly not the first time his cousin had a fling with some inappropriate woman, but this time he got a feeling the matter with the so-called peasant girl would last longer than they expected.

*****

Closing her eyes as she pressed her face to the cool and smooth pillow sheet, Ava clutched to the blanket wrapped around her tighter.

Some noises came from outside and the door swung open.

"Ah, you're already here! Why did you leave us at the party? We've been looking for you everywhere for hours!" She heard Polly speaking from the doorway.

"Everything's fine! She's here!" Polly shouted to some people outside without waiting for her response. Seemed like Magnus and Lady Byrne was there.

"Ava, what you've been thinking, leaving us just like that, you made me terribly worried. Magnus is coming with me, do you want to see him?"

"Tell him I'm feeling ill" Feeling irritated because he left her alone unguarded at the party, she refused to see him tonight.

Polly frowned at her response, but obeyed her anyway. Before long, Magnus and Lady Byrne had left her home. He told Polly he would come again tomorrow morning. Polly didn't bother questioning her again about her unexpected leaving afterward. Moments later, as she pulled her blanket beside her, Polly spoke to her.

"The old lady is totally crazy." She grumbled in utter disbelief.

"I was bored to death listening to her boasting about the fountain. She told me a silly story about a lady making a wish before the fountain with her fiancé waiting behind her. When she turned around and opened her eyes, unfortunately her fiancé was bending down to pick up a fallen handkerchief, and the lady saw the gardener instead. Later, the lady left her fiancé and eloped with the gardener." Polly chuckled. "That's a lot of damn nonsense!"

Previously, all the old tales and the magic things got her quite enthralled. She half believed that the local superstition was true, and she was eager to try it. But now, after the evening turned into a nightmare, and a bitter reality was thrown right under her nose just after she performed the ritual, she didn't believe it anymore. She didn't believe it at all. Besides, if the legend was true, the insolent duke would be the one to marry her, for he was the first man she saw after casting the spell. What a jest! 'Well, perhaps it could be' Ava thought wryly. 'When the hell freezes over.'

*****