Travis spent a restless night. Every time he closed his eyes, he became tormented by thoughts of Bella entwined with her lover in various intimate poses, plunging him into a state of absolute madness. As the majordomo went about his duties after delivering his master the answer from his unruly and sinful governess, Travis sought out the lady himself. Standing before her door, he attempted to open it without announcing himself, swiftly discovering that it was securely locked. He jiggled the handle and pounded on the door with rising indignation.

 "Miss Ward, I know you're within — open the door! I wish to converse with you as a gentleman with a lady!" 

At first, the only response was the sound of hurried footsteps before Bella retorted, "There's no conversation to be had, Marquess St. Arcey! Depart!"

"Open this door at once, or I shall employ a skeleton key!" Travis thundered.

"How can you act so reprehensible, you despicable scoundrel?!" Bella exclaimed in disbelief.

"How can you act as if you were a woman of easy virtues? Being a Duke's daughter, no less!"

For a moment, an eerie hush settled, but soon the key jingled in the lock, and the door swung open wide. There stood Bella, her fury palpable in every inch of her presence.

"How dare you shout such indecencies throughout the entire house?!" she inquired with a cutting tone, to which he responded with a disdainful snort.

"It's my residence, and I can express myself in any manner I find fitting. After all, it's not I who engaged in dalliances with my lover by the lake – no need to unnecessarily deny it," he declared with a wry smile. "Tell me, what compelled you to flee from me? Was it perhaps a shame? Or perchance regret? Fears of my reaction?"

Bella first blushed, then regarded him with a disdainful expression.

"You hold too high an opinion of yourself, Marquess. Are you some providential gift?! Why did you pursue me, St. Arcey? What did you anticipate, for heaven's sake?!" 

Travis sarcastically retorted, shrugging nonchalantly. "Verily, I cannot fathom my own actions – I was likely taken aback by the revelation that a woman of your stature had found herself a paramour!"

She scoffed amusedly. "I am a beautiful young woman, Marquess. Perhaps I don't wish to marry and bear children, but certainly, I did not wish to wither away as an old maid. In London or Newcastle, I garnered the attention of men everywhere. One, three, fifty... Perhaps you simply did not consider that intimately engaging with others is not exclusively a privilege for men."

On one hand, she relished in his piercing gaze, in which all the darkness of the world seemed contained; on the other hand, she observed him starting to tremble from suppressed... anger? That frightened her, but she wouldn't let it allow it to manifest.

"You're imagining things—"

With a dismissive shake of her head, she interjected, "I'm not weaving fantasies; you witnessed it with your own eyes. And, as I observe you now, it seems to have rattled you considerably. Aye, aye, St. Arcey... picture Captain Hayes' lips upon mine," she provocatively traced the contour of her lips, "his hands enveloping my bosom," she placed her hands on her chest, "his pulsating cock within my intimate embrace," she gestured towards her lap. "By the devil, at this very moment, his semen might still be coursing down my thighs, and you remain blissfully unaware."

His countenance suddenly softened, yet a feral intensity lingered in his eyes. Stepping towards her, he pushed her into her chamber, promptly closing the door.

"What-what is the meaning of this?!" she asked in disbelief, to which he offered a broad smile.

"I surmised that given your experience, you might not object if I were to join in, whether it be one, three, or fifty. Your history is of no consequence to me, madam!"

Travis began to unfasten his shirt, prompting her to hasten towards him, swiftly rebuttoning it. "Have you lost your senses, St. Arcey?! Do you believe that, after so many refusals, I would ever grant you any favour or mercy? I shall be not so deranged!" Bella cried in disbelief.

"But I am foolhardy enough to attempt it nonetheless," he declared, unfastening his breeches. "I care not for how many lovers you've had, as I intend to surpass them all, mark my words!" 

Before she could draw a breath to respond, he pressed her against the wardrobe with his presence, grasping her hips tightly in order to keep her in place. At that very moment, she felt the proof of his agitation in her loin, and the realization that only delicate layers of her dress separated her from him made her face flush crimson from ear to ear. The sensation of desire that washed over her in an instant was so potent that whatever she had experienced with the captain paled in comparison.

It was a longing, yet mixed also with the disappointment of its unfulfillment, a yearning she had harboured for years... when her treacherous heart and mind simultaneously desired that Travis take her here and now, causing a pulsating ache in her intimate parts. 

In those very parts where she still bore the fresh evidence of intimacy with another man. 

Travis gazed at her with his hazel eyes, and just from that look, a shiver ran down Bella's spine. The beast held her firmly in its grasp, ready to ensnare her with its desires... and the most challenging part was that, despite everything, she was tempted to acquiesce! 

The dread!

"What troubles you, Bella? Is it perhaps the fear that the pleasure you would experience with me might render those fifty lovers inconsequential?" he teased, all the while holding her delicate form in his strong hands.

She sighed inwardly. "By no means," she forced herself to retort, "you should be the one afraid that all your flirtations will meet their end with me!" 

He chuckled briefly, commencing to lift Bella's skirt slowly. "My flirtations?! I haven't been with a woman for so long that I would undoubtedly make you with a child if I were to fill you." 

At the mention of a child, she recoiled. "Release-release me!" she exclaimed, pushing him away. 

Travis looked at her with chagrin in his eyes, but she turned her back on him, crossed her arms over her chest, and then glanced at him askance. "Pray, do you comprehend what drove me into the embrace of Captain Hayes? It stems from the absence of trust, St. Arcey. Your words hold no conviction for me—I sense you toying with me, much akin to a cat toying with a mouse; you're being insincere...! I constantly remind myself to banish thoughts of you, to resist any allure you may cast, for I shall not be ensnared by you in any manner. Never again, it is decided."

Her words cut through the Marquess like a blade, and he scowled at Bella, resembling an ancient deity of retribution.

"Is it due to those unresponded letters? The rejections you received from me? Or is it the memory of that denied kiss?" he inquired in hushed tones.

She yearned to exclaim the unbridled truth, to express vehemently what she thought of him, his dreadful conduct and Mrs. Gilchrist's admissions. However, this time, Bella desired to witness his torment. 

She wished to witness his suffering at least as intensely as she had endured during his soirée.

"Aye, and more," she replied, regarding him with a ruthless smile. "Yet, such matters are of no consequence now. The captain has harboured an interest in me from the beginning, and today I revel in him entirely, including all that is his, even his intimate affections. As for you, Marquess, you can only lament—I won't entertain the idea of lifting my skirt for you, leaving you to trust my words alone, acknowledging that he has graced me thrice with his cock today. Now, I implore you to vacate my chamber."

His countenance twisted with hurt in response to her words, for he could discern from her expression that the young lady was conveying nothing but the unvarnished truth... 

Someone else had once again precluded him with regard to the lady of his interest. Eventually, he mustered a disingenuous smile, despite an inner desire to shatter the immediate surroundings. Swiftly, he fastened up his breeches with urgency, though Bella certainly observed his hardness, albeit briefly, sensing the treacherous blaze in her loin anew. 

As Travis passed by Bella, he whispered softly, "Our interaction is far from concluded, Lady Price."

With these words, he departed, leaving her to finally recline on the bed. She aimed to inflict pain upon him, and evidently, she succeeded. Yet, why, for heaven's sake, did she now find herself assailed by a sense of hurt?!

When Travis stepped into his chamber, he felt the need to draw a few deep breaths. Subsequently, he tightly clasped his hands into fists, driving his nails into the flesh. And in an unguarded moment when emotions overwhelmed him, he struck the wall forcefully with his right fist, resulting in bloody and swollen knuckles.

Well, well, look at who, once again, succumbed to the sway of emotions, his treacherous mind intimated. 

She does not belong to me. She does not wish to belong to me; she has chosen another, Travis thought fervently.

Indeed? And what did you anticipate? After enduring so many rejections, spending years without a single word from you... and truthfully, since your arrival, you haven't exactly been the most amiable host.

During that time, I was uncertain whether Miranda was expecting my child – how could I burden that young woman with such a cruel condition? Travis pondered, fraught with frustration.

Your constant search for excuses is becoming rather awkward. You witnessed her countenance by the lake with the captain, understanding the demeanour of a woman in the height of passion. You are well aware that she welcomed his intimacy and dismounted only upon spotting you descending that hill. His essence could indeed be lingering between her thighs, and yet you sought to possess her. 

What if she were to conceive with him? Would your desire for her suddenly wane? Why should Bella cease desiring you, especially if Miranda tried to compel you into siring a child with her against your wish?

"Silence yourself, refrain!" Travis growled into the quiet of the room. "She may no longer harbour any desire for me!"

You know well the answers to those inquiries, as you're straying further into madness for battling with yourself so fervently. And you must comprehend that a feeble apology won't suffice for her to be yours— for it to be your cock that brings her joy and your seed that flows from her.

The Marquess strolled toward a tall escritoire, where he opened one of the drawers and retrieved a piece of pristine white fabric, using it to bind his injured hand. However, he applied pressure to his knuckles, momentarily enabling the physical discomfort to deal with the tumult of jealousy and torment stirring within.

Indeed, melancholy, ire, and pruriency have been his steadfast companions since youth; it was no surprise that Travis sought solace in their embrace.

The following morning, Bella, with a reticent demeanour, made her way to the dining chamber to collect Teddy from Travis. Their shared time now extended beyond mere luncheons to include breakfast and dinner. Yet, as she ventured into the hallway, her gaze caught the Marquess on the opposite end. She halted, and took a deep breath, while he unreservedly began his stride toward her with his hands discreetly positioned behind his back.

In his countenance, a wild glint surfaced – she could practically perceive the creature charging toward her defences. Her heart quickened, and she sensed the tension rushing to her fingertips, followed by the sensation of goosebumps on her arms. Nevertheless, she held her position, poised to accept whatever Travis might unveil with his words. At that moment, Lafferty intervened, veering him off course with a hushed conversation. The Marquess visibly cursed, briefly locking eyes with Bella, silently pledging a return, and promptly retreated into the drawing room.

"And what in the devil compels you to be here at this ungodly hour, Lady Kendall?!"

He exclaimed too loudly for Bella not to pause in front of the doors leading to the chamber.

"Marquess St. Arcey, I'm also very pleased to see you," she replied sarcastically, putting on her feigned smile, "since I haven't seen my grandson for months, I would like to spend at least one day with him."

"Nothing gives you the right to demand any time of day with my brother," Travis retorted, barely containing himself from shouting.

Lady Kendall inclined her head with a subtle air of disapproval, and a discernible disdain graced her countenance.

"I am perplexed, St. Arcey. We formerly enjoyed an excellent rapport; you graced every one of my assemblies, never absent from a single event. My nephew Evan was undoubtedly not without faults – I concede that point. However, we remain family, you and I. As such, I maintain the prerogative to establish the conditions for visitations with the Earl of Darlington, considering he is my designated heir."

"That was before I recognized the peril you pose to society and the unfortunate nature of your less-than-nothing accomplished nephew," thundered Travis.

At that moment, Lady Kendall noticed Isabella by the door, disregarding his words wholly. "Ah, Lady Price—how well I know you; you surely have something to say on the matter. Mayhaps you can soften the Marquess' stony heart that he has cultivated in his dark interior over the years."

Bella, as if in a daze, walked all the way to Lady Kendall. She was as pale as a wall, her eyes widened in astonishment, and her lower lip trembled. Her gaze unsettled Travis and even the old lady, whose smile froze on her face.

"He was not without faults?! And what else won't you say, perhaps 'have us honour his memory'?" Bella asked incredulously, shaking her head. "Evan Kendall was one of the greatest devils this realm bore on its bosom!" she exclaimed.

The intensity of disdain in her voice was almost palpable, and this time, even Lady Kendall's eyes widened, taking two steps back in surprise.

"I do not comprehend, what—" the old matron began, but Bella cut her off.

"You fail to comprehend?! It is a veritable riddle to me that you always possess knowledge about everyone in society, yet remain ignorant about your own nephew!" 

Travis suddenly sensed himself an unwelcome addition to the mounting tension between the two women, unable to assert himself in any manner. Thus, he chose to remain silent, listening to Bella's growing ire.

"That is not true," retorted Lady Kendall, "but indulging in games of chance, debauchery, and imbibing does not necessarily cast him as a realm's greatest devil!" 

Certainly, the seasoned matron held knowledge far beyond what she divulged, but reviving the past misdeeds of her departed nephew would yield nought but decay and worms—difficult to be rid of. Bella laughed, yet it was the laughter of a wounded soul, accompanied by two teardrops tracing down her face. 

"Why all this deception, Lady Kendall?! You are well aware that your nephew despicably violated my sister Aileen!" 

The revelation fell upon the souls of those in the room akin to a colossal stone. Lady Kendall gasped, placing a hand over her mouth. She was acquainted with her nephew's indiscretions at the university and later in London, but that he dared commit such an act against a member of the aristocracy, the Duke's daughter no less...

"Nay, that cannot be true, it cannot...," she lamented softly. 

"But it is, it is true! And you even published a vile pamphlet to protect him!," distressed Bella continued. 

The old lady began shaking her head wildly. "What pamphlet, Lady Price?! I know nothing about any pamphlet!," she defended herself. 

Bella wanted to express her frustration but felt a strong cramp in her lower abdomen. All the emotional strain of the past few days likely brought on her feminine days much earlier than expected. She sighed, closed her eyes for a moment, and replied: 

"Your deceitful charade, Lady Kendall, has reached its conclusion. I bid you farewell, and may you not grace these premises again."

Lady Kendall glared at her in disbelief for a moment, then spoke again with a stern voice: "This can't be true. Why are you conjuring things up, Lady Price?! I would never say such things about you, especially when I've been protecting the secret of your heart regarding Marquess St. Arcey. I would never harm you nor your family, and this is to be your repayment?!"

"Everything I have just disclosed, Lady Kendall, is the unvarnished truth, and your refusal to acknowledge it won't alter the facts. Your nephew is the primary cause for Aileen's absence from her family today," Bella concluded with profound resentment.

Then she swiftly turned on her heel and departed the drawing room. Travis intended to follow her, but first, he had to deal with this unwelcome visitor. It wasn't straightforward, as the concerned matron resisted. However, as soon as the entrance doors closed behind her, the Marquess immediately went in search of Isabella.

Meanwhile, she headed first to her chamber, where she intended to employ a suppository made of fabric to soak her flow. However, she realized it might not be the best course of action, given her lingering discomfort from the intimate encounter with Christian. Instead, she swiftly adorned herself with a muslin fabric with an embedded pad, tied around her waist, and hastened to study – or at least she presumed she would find Teddy there. 

Trembling akin to a leaf in the autumn wind, she suppressed tears because she didn't want the young lad to witness her so profoundly distressed. Indeed, she discovered him playing alone in the chamber, for which, in her mind, she reproached Bethany for taking such a risk – for the young Earl was still unpredictable. She approached the boy and took a deep breath, as another unpleasant spasm passed through her body.

"Isabella!" Teddy exclaimed cheerfully, "The soldiers are sleeping after a long journey to the front, but we can still play with the toy horses."

She forced a smile and replied, "Teddy, today you'll have to play on your own, alright? I must retire for a bit..." She paused, enduring another surge of pain, "I must lie down right here."

Nothing occurred to her but to recline on the hard ground in the study.

"Is something amiss, Bella? Are you unwell?" the concerned boy asked. He came on all fours to her, gently patted her shoulder, and lay down by her left side.

Tears welled in Bella's eyes in response to his concern. "Fret not, I'm not ailing; in fact, I'm well," she said with a strained voice but only succeeded in startling him.

"But you are! You're going away, Isabella, I know it! My mother spoke the same words, and the next day she perished!"

He hugged her tightly and began to cry as well. "I wish not for it! I wish not for you to depart, Bella! I hold you dear, just as I hold Travis!"

At his cry, Travis appeared with a stern countenance. "What transpires here?! Why are you reclining on the floor, Isabella?"

Before Bella could respond, Teddy preempted her, saying, "Bella is fading, Travis! I know it! She uttered the same as my mother did before she perished!"

Travis suddenly felt a great pang in his heart and his features softened. Bella gently stroked the blond tousled locks of the lad and said, "I'm not perishing, Teddy, verily! I find myself deeply disheartened for a dear sibling of mine, do you comprehend?" 

"Who?" the boy asked, tears in his eyes. 

"My sister Aileen," she replied, closing her eyes tightly as a new surge of tears welled up. She was overwhelmed by pain, both in her soul and form, but she didn't want to weep again. The Almighty knew that Bella had shed tears more than once over her dear twin. 

Then she heard a rustle – Travis had also laid down on the ground beside her right side, which surprised her a lot, but in a way, it also softened her core, even though she resisted any feelings toward him.

"I extend my sincerest condolences for the misfortune that befell your sister," he spoke in a gentle tone.

"I haven't beheld her beautiful countenance or been graced by the melody of her voice in several years," Bella uttered softly as well. She couldn't discern why she confided in him, yet an irresistible urge impelled her to convey it, to impart the profoundness of her desolation. 

"She vowed to stand by my side always," she continued, stifling a sob, "and then abruptly eloped in Gretna Green, wedded a stranger, and embarked on a journey across Europe. The latest missive reached us more than three years past, assuring us of her well-being and imploring us not to pursue her. Since then, her fate and existence remain shrouded in mystery." 

As the words left her lips, tears streamed down her face. "We were so connected, as one soul... I cannot endure the notion that something untoward has befallen her. I am incapable of fathoming why she fled from us. I long for her so profoundly!" 

"Do not weep, Bella," Teddy consoled her with a reassuring tone, "if you wish, you can find a connection with me! Just refrain from weeping, I implore you!" 

She smiled at the boy, gently caressing his plump cheek. At that moment, she sensed a gentle movement on her right hand, her fingers interweaving with Travis'. He clasped her hand, and without hesitation, she reciprocated the grip. 

"Is there any way I may be of assistance?" he whispered. 

"There is no remedy for me," she replied, turning her tearful countenance toward him, "indeed, there is nought more to be done... my family has exhausted every effort to locate my dear sister." 

A comforting warmth emanated from his palm, gradually coursing through her veins from the wrist to the elbow and shoulder, reaching every extremity—from the heart to the abdomen and the tips of her toes. The soothing energy settled her, and she closed her eyes, feeling the weight on her eyelids. Throughout the night, sleep eluded her due to thoughts of the captain and anxieties about Travis. Now, as he held her hand, she felt an earnest desire to rest. In a state between wakefulness and slumber, she felt two strong helping her get up from the ground and carrying her away, convinced it was all but a dream.

In her thoughts, she wandered back to the day when she and Aileen took a leisurely stroll in Hyde Park accompanied by the Rosewells. Coincidentally, it followed Lady Kendall's ball, the very day Eliza first encountered the Magician and fell under his spell.

"You appear quite solemn, sister," Aileen remarked with her lighthearted tone, delicately adjusting her feathered hat.

Linked arm in arm during a moment of privacy, away from the Rosewell sisters who had found other acquaintances to discourse with, Bella, aware that it was a dream, replied, "I miss you dearly, Aileen."

Aileen chuckled playfully. "We see each other every blessed day."

Attempting to add a lightness to her step, Bella remained stationary, prompting Aileen to look at her with a puzzled expression.

"We don't see each other, Aileen. We haven't seen each other in perhaps three years, if not more," Bella's voice broke towards the end, and she had to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat.

Aileen's azure eyes, identical to Bella's, widened in astonishment. "What?! That's not conceivable!" exclaimed the young crimson-haired woman. "I pledged to you, indeed, that I would steadfastly stand by your side! Eternally!" 

Bella sadly smiled."You made a promise, but subsequently, you did not keep it. You are not present with me, and I am utterly clueless, unaware of what has befallen you. Whether you persist to exist," her voice quivered toward the end, and her eyes welled up with tears. 

Aileen gazed at her for a moment, but then she swiftly embraced her in a tight hug. "I am by your side, Bella. And do not doubt for a moment that I am well, alright? I do not wish for you to endure suffering on my account." 

"But I am no longer able to endure it, sister," Bella murmured. "I miss you so profoundly; your absence is overwhelming!" 

"I miss you too, intensely," replied the dreamlike Aileen. 

And so, they stood embraced in the midst of Hyde Park, as pedestrians passed by in both directions. 

Bella shifted in bed and mumbled in her sleep: "I cannot endure it any longer... I cannot endure it..."

Travis gazed at her with a softness in his eyes and delicately traced his fingers over her cheek, prompting a gentle smile from her in her slumber.

"May I bring you anything, Bella?" he asked in a hushed tone, but she merely murmured something and turned to the side.

If he gleaned anything from that day, it was his inability to witness her profound suffering and tears, for he too, sensed something. 

And verily, that something unsettled him!

Nevertheless, as he would have previously avoided witnessing her distress, he now perceived a notable shift. Presently, he realised that he would go to great lengths to offer comfort, even amidst the jealousy, anger, and occasional profound ache that consumed him regarding her intimate involvement with Captain Hayes.

Travis was uncertain which emotion swept over him so strongly, but witnessing his younger brother display more support than he had ever shown anyone... deeply affected him. Consequently, he almost replicated the gesture Teddy made toward Bella, but went a step further by holding her hand, although he harboured significant uncertainty about whether she would accept his innocent touch after the events of recent days. Yet, she responded to the grasp of her hand, stealing his breath for a brief moment, as another sentiment surged within his very core.

Was it her kindness? Or perhaps my tenderness? Or something entirely different?, he pondered briefly.

"Wherefore can you not perceive or sense... I care not how many times misfortune befalls you, or whether you lay with that man... or how often you spurn me; I will always desire you, and I shall be present for you even in dark times. How shall I persuade you, though?" He muttered as Bella shifted once more in her sleep.

Heaving a weary sigh, Travis decided to return to Teddy, opting to dedicate the remainder of the day to the younger brother instead of Bethany. This choice allowed his governess the space she needed to soothe her troubled spirit within the confines of her private chamber.

Teddy was taken aback when he realized that his elder brother would be attending to him.

"I trust you hold no grievances against me or Isabella for this unexpected alteration in our arrangement," Travis reassured him, lowering himself to the boy's eye level and gently grasping his arm. "I assure you she's genuinely well, and once she's able, she'll come to see you, alright?" 

The lad nodded with a smile and Travis once again felt his heart tenderly soften a bit further.

"Now then," Travis continued, "today, I wish to introduce you to another pastime I enjoyed as a child, one that recently came to mind." 

The Marquess soon began sifting through the substantial chest brimming with toys, and the study soon echoed with the laughter shared between the two.