Her pulse quickened, her heart raced, she swallowed hard. She was rendered mute as her eyes met his. His mouth curled into a half smile as he spotted her. “Celine, mon chérie, I see you are, in fact, back. Oh, how I’ve missed you.” His British accent a familiar sound to her despite the time that had passed.
Josie stood speechless, staring at him. He hadn’t changed, his regal look, standing tall with his overcoat cut in the form of a cape, his brown eyes still as piercing as ever. “Oh, come, Celine, have I really left you speechless?” Josie still did not answer.
Michael, Damien and Gray approached the foyer. “Who is that? Josie looks terrified,” Damien said, trying to push ahead of them into the foyer.
“No, don’t. That’s the Duke. Do not let him see you,” Gray said, holding him back.
The conversation continued uninterrupted in the foyer.
“Where have you been, my dear? And why didn’t I realize you were back? Wait,” he said, closing the distance between them, “there’s something different about you, isn’t there?”
Josie mustered the courage to speak. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, yes, there is. You’re not all there, are you? That’s why I couldn’t sense you, couldn’t feel your heart beating as one with mine.”
“You don’t have a heart.”
“Oh, you wound me, Celine.” He held his hands over his heart, giving a pained look. “We are destined to be together. Come back, Celine, come home.”
“Never.”
He paced the room, circling around her. “After all I’ve done for you, Celine, I ask of you this one thing. Come back to the fold. Take your rightful place by my side. Together, we can bring this world to its knees. Then I will stand before it as a king with you by my side as my queen.”
“I will never stand beside you.”
He circled behind her, approaching her, his breath hot on her neck as he spoke. “I urge you to reconsider.”
“No,” she stated turning her head to face him.
“Then you shall pay.”
“Let me guess, with my life?”
“No, my dear, not with YOUR life. THEIR lives,” he said, waving his finger in a circle. Josie looked at him, terror filling her eyes. “Yes, I’ve already started with the children, pathetic really, that’s all it took to lure you back here. I’ll continue on. I will DESTROY them, Celine. And you will watch.” He approached her, looking into her eyes. “I will give you until the end of the day to come to your senses, my dear.” He gave her a half smile, rubbing a finger on her cheek. He leaned forward to brush her lips with his. “Au revoir, Celine.” He chuckled as he made his way out of the foyer.
Josie watched him leave the house. Gray raced to her side, Michael and Damien following him. As the man made his way through the door, Josie grasped her abdomen, collapsing forward with a moan.
“Celine!” Gray said, steadying her. Josie’s face was a mask of pain; she wiped her lips where his had touched her. “Come sit down, let me help you.”
“I’m okay,” she said, visibly shaken. “I’m okay.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “I just need to lie down.”
“Right. Damien, Michael, can you go with her? She shouldn’t be alone and I want to check on the children.”
“Sure,” Damien said, taking Josie’s hand from Gray. Michael took her other arm and together they led her up the steps and down the hall to the wing containing their bedrooms.
“Need anything?” Damien asked her once she was lying in bed.
“No, just rest. You can go, I’m fine.”
“Jos, are you kidding me? I’m not leaving you,” Damien said.
“Me either,” Michael said. “Who was that guy?”
“He’s a very dangerous man. Stay away from him, don’t speak to him, don’t look at him, if you see him coming, go the other way. Promise me, both of you, please, promise me.”
“Josie, we’ll be fine,” Michael said.
“PROMISE ME,” Josie insisted.
“Okay, okay, I promise,” Michael said.
“Me, too, scouts’ honor!” Damien said.
Josie grabbed Damien’s hand, squeezing it. “Thank you,” she said. Exhaustion overcame Josie, the encounter with the Duke had robbed her of all her energy. She closed her eyes for just a moment and sleep overtook her.
Visions and nightmares involving the Duke tainted Josie’s sleep. He haunted every second of her rest. She awoke more exhausted than she was before she had laid down. Gray was at her side. “Hey, how are you feeling?”
“Exhausted, how long did I sleep? How are the children?”
“Only about an hour. Try to get more rest. The children are fine. No worse, although they both had difficulty resting while the Duke was in the house.”
“He will not stop, Gray,” she said, getting out of bed.
“Hey, hey, hey, I think you should rest a little more.”
“I don’t have time to rest. I need to see Alexander and I should talk to Celeste, too. Did you say Teddy was here with her?”
“Celine, wait, I’ll get them, you wait here.”
“No, Gray, I can’t wait. I’m fine,” she said, pulling her hair into a ponytail and grabbing her sweater. She rushed out the door, past Michael and Damien who were waiting in the hall.
“Josie? Hey, Josie?” Damien called as she rushed past.
“No time, D, be back later,” she said still adjusting her sweater as she raced past them.
Gray appeared in the hall. “Celine!” he yelled down the hall.
“Should we be going after her?” Michael asked.
“There’s no sense,” Gray said. “She shouldn’t be running around on her own but she’s stubborn, she won’t listen.”
“Oh, believe me, buddy, we’re well aware of that,” Damien said.
Josie banged on the door of Alexander’s house. “Alexander!” she yelled.
“Celine,” he said, opening the door, “what’s wrong? Is it the children?”
“No, no change with them. Can I come in?”
“Of course.” He stood aside. “You still haven’t told me what’s wrong? You’re
