MAD MEN - PART - 3

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Rose's stress and mind eased as she gazed into the heavens. London's usual cloudiness had lifted, the night sky was clear, and Rose could see the celestial bodies twinkling above her in the firmament. Her tranquility was broken by an intense, low baritone voice. Rose knew it was Christopher Thorn, and her heart began pounding.

"What are you thinking about, Love?" Lord Thorn asked Rose. He was standing too close. She could feel the warmth of his breath on the nape of her neck.

"Ah, umm... nothing. You startled me. I thought I was alone out here." Rose felt hot and flushed by his presence. She pivoted to face Christopher. "Is there a reason you are here and not in the mansion, Lord Thorn? Shouldn't you be having drinks and smoking in the drawing room?" Her face still held the same impassive expression from earlier in the evening as she spoke.

Christopher cracked a smile, "Yes, I should be, but Rose, you're far more interesting. I would rather be with you and not listen to boring old men talk." The Lord reflexively reached out to touch Rose on her bright pink cheek. His desire to connect with her was overwhelming his self-control. Rose recoiled from his advance. "I will not hurt you, Lady Rose. my apologies if it was too forward. I don't know what's come over me."

The Lord had gone too far this evening. "You should leave now, Christopher." Rose was blunt in her demand and had dropped the honorifics. It was one thing to flirt with her, but it was a whole other story when regarding intimate contact. Nothing gave him the right to touch her freely.

"What if I don't want to go?" He asked Rose teasingly. Christopher had yet to understand that she was done with his silly games.

"Then I will depart, and you can stay. It makes no difference to me." Rose whirled around to head back to the conservatory when Lord Thorn grasped her by her wrist. She went into a defensive posture and kicked Christopher in his thigh.

"GAHH...!" He hissed through clenched teeth. "That fucking hurt!" He let go of Rose's arm as if she had burned him with an iron. Grabbing his throbbing thigh, Christopher bent over in immense pain. Rose realized the stab wound she had inflicted weeks ago with the dagger never healed.

Rose stayed motionless to get a read on Christopher, determining that he was suffering terribly. It was her fault he was in this burning agony. She didn't want to watch the man who had shown kindness to her suffer.

"I can fix your wound, but I have to touch your leg, may I?" She knelt down on one knee in front of him, waiting patiently for his answer.

"What could it hurt? Go ahead." Lord Thorn nodded and looked on as Rose gently touched his thigh, careful not to contact the wound directly and cause him any more anguish. He saw Rose close her eyes and concentrate. His entire body felt warm, and he experienced a strange sensation similar to tingling and itching. Then the pain, without notice, vanished. Christopher breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

Rose saw Lord Thorn's facial features relax. "It's complete. You should have no more discomfort or difficulties with your leg." Rose's behavior had radically shifted in an instant. She was sullen and looked down at the ground while she spoke with Christopher. All that fierce moxie and pride Rose displayed earlier had evaporated. "I'll leave you now. You will be fine."

Rose was ready to walk away when Christopher took her arm in his hand and twisted her to face him. He pulled her body closer to his. She did not resist his hold on her.

Rose's voice cracked as she stammered and profusely apologized to Lord Thorn for wounding him. "I-I'm sorry for what I did to you."

She still had her head bowed and eyes averted. "Look at me, Rose." The Lord said softly and took his finger to raise her chin so he could see her face. What he saw made his heart clench. Christopher furrowed his brows as he watched Rose's lips tremble and her eyes glisten with unshed tears. She was struggling, trying not to cry in front of him.

Christopher whispered soothingly to Rose. "It's alright. I instigated that battle. You just responded by defending yourself. Please don't feel guilty about what happened. I'm the one who is sorry for misjudging you."

Christopher pulled Rose to his chest and clutched her in his arms. "If it comforts you. I accept your apology. Even though it is not needed." The Lord twisted a loose lock of Rose's hair in his fingers. "Listen, Love; there is nothing here to say sorry for. I sense a lot of turmoil in you over this." The Lord embraced Rose tightly as he spoke. He could feel how tiny and frail she still was. "Jackson told me you almost bled to death from the sword wound I inflicted on you that night. Have you healed? Are you doing better?" There was a sincere tenor of concern in his voice for Rose.

"My injury is entirely healed. So you needn't worry about me. But wait, how did Jackson know about that?" Rose asked. She was bothered because Christopher knew such detailed information about her.

"Ask me again some other time, and I promise I will explain. We should both get back inside before we are missed." Just as Christopher released Rose from his arms, he heard Dante's angry voice coming from behind them.

"It's too late for that! What in the hell is going on? Let go of my daughter, now!!! Lord Thorn." Dante was incensed at seeing Rose held so intimately in Christopher's arms. The Count seized Rose by the hand and started marching back to the conservatory with her in tow. As Dante left, he turned his head over his shoulder and addressed Christopher.

"I assume you know your way home? You can go now and don't return. I'll send Jackson out to you shortly. Adieu, Christopher Thorn, don't touch my daughter ever again. I will send hells hounds to tear you apart if you do."

Christopher tried to communicate with Rose before Dante got into the mansion. "How is your headache, Lady Rose?" He saw the look on her face. She perceived where he was going with this line of questioning. He quickly spoke in his mind to her, "Meet me in my greenhouse. I will wait for you."

"My headache is gone. Thank you for your concern, Milord." She yelled in reply. Dante jerked her harder. "Come along, Rose!" She could barely catch up to his pace when she answered Christopher. Quietly, she replied to Christopher's mind. "Yes, If I can get away from this tricky demon."

Christopher busted out in laughter at Rose's reply. It left Dante wondering what was so funny about Rose's headache being gone. "Why is he laughing about your headache disappearing?" Her father asked.

Rose shrugged her shoulders, shook her head, and said, "Who knows what goes through the mind of a madman?"

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