Snippet #1674521

Clarice was shocked when the angelic man replied. It was what she wanted, but at the same time it was not what she expected. She kept her composure as she held in a breath of air for a moment then released, attempting to know what to say.


“You..disapprove of this?” he asked interested. “I thought every woman likes fairy tales and other fantasies about soulmates and happily ever after.” He drew closer, just a few paces away from her.

The duchess scoffed. Fairy tales? There were no such thing. Nobody ever lived happily ever after and despite the fact that was what she wanted, she knew it was just a silly wish. Clarice just wanted to survive and get away from everything she had endured as a child. What that entailed was simply not up to her.

"I am not like most women if you have not been able to tell. I believe that every girl has a desire to have a family on an estate with all those petty things, but the difference between me and the other women, is that I grew out of that fantasy a long long time ago," Pain raced through her eyes just for a moment, "and I do not desire it to return in this lifetime." Clarice met her eyes with him, unafraid of the man he presented himself as. For a lady, she was not shy and most likely did everything in the wrong order but for her it worked.

“Under what circumstances have you met my father, Miss?”

"My name is Clarice Phaedra. You can call me by whatever suits your lips. I am the Duchess of Versailles, France, through my late husband Duke Irvine. I know your father through my husband's business, though your father did have a tendency of coming to see me and me alone." Clarice meant nothing by this comment, but in fact, his father had came to see her asking for her advice. She was one of the only people, let alone women, that truly tried to understand his notions in society and Clarice being the educated woman she was had no issue advising him behind closed doors. "I do believe he and I first met when I studied at Oxford. He mentioned having a son a few times and that he would much fancy me meeting him, but I never showed an interest." The woman stepped a tad closer to him, angling her body towards his but leaving a good distance between them, "funny how things work out, is it not? Also, very clique that you and I should be talking right now. It seems Lady Genevieve's little tricks worked."

Clarice licked her lower lip ever so slightly. Sir Damon was not a nice man and neither was she. It was perfect.