He wasn't alone. My heart outright lurched. I threw myself at the first shelter I could think of: thecloset.
I tugged the closet door shut behind me just in time. A giggle carried into the room. I knew thatsound.
Polly, from the cleaning staff. Nausea washed through me. What were they doing? He couldn’t really be—with one of my family’s employees, in my own home, while I might be right down thehall…?
A rustling of clothes and a sigh filtered through the closet door. Apparently he could. Oh, snuff my spark, no, I didn’t want to witness this. I drew my knees up to my chest, huggingthem.
I’d known Derek couldn’t care much about me, I’d known my stepmother had roped him into her schemes one way or another, but it hadn’t occurred to me he’d flaunt his lack of caring thisblatantly.
"Again?" Polly said. "It doesn't seem completelyright..."
Her protest was cut off by a startled breath and the squeak of the mattress. Then a gasp of what could only bepleasure.
Derek chuckled. “I should be allowed to have a little fun, don’t you think? Have you seen my wife-to-be? My God, you’d think it’d kill her just to give me a kiss. A man hasneeds.”
My face burned. I swallowed thickly, clutching my legsnow.
“And you have needs too, don’t you?” he went on, his voice slyly seductive. More clothing rustled. Polly whimpered encouragingly. “Why shouldn’t we take care of those together? Lord knows I’d rather have a girl with real curves on her than some waifishthing.”
A waifish thing likeme?
Philomena sank down on the floor across from me, her skirts enveloping my feet. “Don’t you dare listen to that bastard, Rose,” she muttered. “He clearly doesn’t know the first thing about what makes a commendable woman. Let’s talk about something else. Did I ever tell you the story of that timeIhad to hide away in a closet? It was all because of Lord Danby’s britchesand—”
Her voice couldn’t drown out the conversation beyond the closet completely. “But if someone sees us,” Polly started. “We have to be careful—oh!”
A zipper hissed down. “Don’t you worry about that,” my fiancé said. “Rose doesn’t have a clue, and anyone else who notices won’t give adamn.”
Anyone else who notices won’t give a damn.Like my stepmother? Because she knew he was committed to her scheme regardless of how often and how far he might stray along the way? I might have vomited if my lips hadn't been pressed sotight.
The bed frame creaked and gasps turned into moans. I pressed my hands over my ears. My palms muffled everything except Philomena, who’d given up on her storytoo.
“We can’t let him get away with this,” she said, her hands balled into fists. “What an utter wretch of a man heis.”
“Maybe I don’t have to,” I said. “Pollyhesitated a little bit. If I bring her to my father when he’s back, I might be able to convince her to confess.” I didn’t need a conspiracy to convince Dad I couldn’t marry Derek if I had the other woman testifying to hischeating.
And then what? Dad would send Celestine out to find another consort for me? Beggars couldn’t be choosers. And I could just imagine who she’d pawn me off to with so little time to argue. Some other scumbag who’d bow to her scheme. Unless I found a way to reveal hertoo.
I bowed my head, leaning my forehead against my knees. Tears scalded my eyes, but the firm pressure kept me grounded. Kept me steady as anger rippled up over thepain.
I’d spent the last week simply trying to figure out how I could survive this, while Derek canoodled with one of our staff right here under the roof of my house, insulted me to her… Laughed about how powerless I was to do anything aboutit.
My fingers curled into my hair. I set my jaw. I wasn’t powerless, and I wasn’t alone. When Dad got home in three days’ time, I’d have all the evidence I needed. Let Derek laugh. Let my stepmother think herself so aboveme.
It took a witch to battle a witch. And I knew how to become one, at least for long enough for it tomatter.
Chapter Twenty-One
Rose
Istood by the side entrance of the scruffy split-level where Damon lived for a full minute after I’d knocked. My heart started to sink. My fingers hooked around the ribbon that circled my left wrist. I’d worn his tonight, the red one. It seemed fitting. When I’d first thought of Damon with that color, it’d been for his unshakeable daring. Now it matched his angertoo.
I could understand anger. Tonight I understood it oh sowell.
Shifting my weight from one foot to the other, I knocked again. The shadows were getting long, the sky turning from blue to gray. I’d slipped out of the house right after dinner. But who knew what hours Damon kept? He might not be home until after midnight for all Iknew.
I could have texted him first to check, but I’d been a little worried if he’d known I was coming, he’d make sure hewasn’there. He hadn’t even given me his address. I’d gotten that from hismom.
A pigeon cooed and hopped down to peck at a few pieces of trash scattered along the fence. The cool evening breeze teased through my hair. Then footsteps thumped on the other side of thedoor.