Red

Chapter 6

“Maybe you should get out more often,” I say hopping off my bed and storming out of my room.

“Red wait,” Duncan says. I stop and wait for him to catch up to me.

“What’s your problem?” he asks with the strangest look of concern and fury. I never known the two could coexist so beautifully.

“I just don’t think Lucy is right for you,” I shrug.

“Her family took me in before father found me. They were my parents best friends. Why wouldn’t she be right for me,” he asks brushing my hair behind my ear. Times like these make me think he knows how I feel about him then he crushes every hope I have of him feeling the same.

“I just think she’s promiscuous and she’ll hurt you,” I say in a soft whisper. It gets hard to talk when he’s so close.

“I’m sure she wouldn’t hurt me she’s my best friend,” he laughs at me. And it happens my heart drops in my stomach and is replaced by the angry fire.

“Well, marry the little whorelett don’t come crying to me when she breaks your heart,” I say walking pass him to my dads study and slamming the door shut.

I lane against the door and slowly sank to the floor. I shouldn’t feel like this Duncan’s my cousin and we’re both supposed to be engage by the end of the year. “Why do I feel like this?” I ask the picture of my father hanging over the fireplace. “Why is he such an i***t and doesn’t even know how I feel?” I ask as I get up and sit in father’s favorite reading chair. He would read me bed time stories here and carry me to bed. “I know you’re close I can feel you just tell me where you are.”

***Duncan***

Red is just so infuriating. How dare she try to dictate to me who I can and can’t court. God. I yell in my head. It’s weird how someone can drive you so crazy, and you just don’t have the will power to stay away. “I can’t believe she called Lucy a whore.” I smile to myself as I go back into her room.

Aunt Lotty was still sitting on the bed going over wedding plans with Josie. She looked up from her book when I came in. “Where’s Roselyn?” she asks. She and father are probably the only two people in the village that call Red by her name.

“She’s trying to cool off in the study. I really don’t understand why they don’t like each other.” I shrug. And Josie snickers. “Do you have something to say?” I ask her sitting on Red’s bed with them.

“Well, unlike me and more civilized women,” Josie starts and Lotty and I laugh. She was right Red and Lucy were pretty wild. “Red and Lucy are both you’re best friends and they both are afraid of losing you to the other,” Josie says smiling her sweet smile.

“I love them both I tell them that all the time,” I say not believing her. Girls were too complex to be that petty, or were they that petty and it made them so complex?

“Red’s just picking you to lash out on. You get a catch like Lucy and she gets The Duke of Earl,” Lotty laughs.

“Maybe she’s just difficult, always has been,” I say as my father comes in the room.

“You could only be talking about Roselyn,” he says with a smile.

“Yeah,” I sigh as Aunt Lotty hides something under a pillow.

“You can’t come in here we’re making wedding designs,” she says smiling at him.

He laughs and just smiles for a moment. “I only need to steal Duncan for a few moments to see how today went, and to have some guy talk,” he says gesturing for me to come.

I get off the bed and kiss Aunt Lotty on the cheek. “Be back in a second.”

“Take your time then I’d love to here about your time with Lucy.”

I walk with father through the court yard to the other side of the castle into his office. He locks the door behind us and shuts the window. It’s freezing in the room from the mid- October frost drifting in. “So how did Lucinda like it?” he asks sitting behind his desk like we are talking business instead of having a father son heart to heart.

“I’m sure she liked it, she seemed really eager to go to the ball with me,” I say not sure of how to answer. The truth was I could care less if Lucy liked the date or not, I just wanted to see if Red was okay now.

“That’s good,” he smiles at me and I repress the shiver his icy smile gives me. “I have good news too,” he says getting up to pace. “A hunter spotted Able, but he was in his human form. He informed me that he was so sure it was my brother. I went out to the woods last night and I found him. Able’s back in his cell and I’m hoping he stays there,” he says looking down at me.

“Yes father,” I say. Damn it Able it took forever to get you out the first time how am I supposed to do it again?

“In the morning and evening you are to do nothing more than feed him. Don’t touch his restraints don’t touch him, got it,” he says through his teeth jabbing his finger in my face.

“Yes father,” I say getting up to leave.

“And Duncan,” he says as I turn. “Keep Roselyn under control,” he says.

“Yes father,” I say unlocking the door and leaving his office. I gave Able money and food to go somewhere else why would he do this? How the hell am I supposed to get him out? I ask myself.

“Duncan can we talk,” Red says coming into the courtyard from the study. Her eyes are bright red like she just got finish crying. She was upset because of me. I keep hurting her.

“Yeah, Red,” I say wrapping my arms around her. Holding Red always makes the world disappear. Nothing matters in her arms.

“Um, I wanted to tell you I’m sorry,” she whispers in my ear. The warmth of her breath on my ear makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

“Don’t, I understand and no one could ever replace you in my life,” I say smiling down at her.

“I just really don’t like her,” she smiles at me.

“You’ll have tons of time to get to know each other. I’m sure she doesn’t hate you as much as you think,” I say trying to reassure her.

“Duncan I don’t want to be her friend I just want us to be okay,” she says not looking at me.

“Fine,” I say picking her chin up and meeting her eyes. “Whatever you want,” I smile at her.

“I should go back to my room,” she smiles, but doesn’t move.

“Maybe you should,” I smile back at her. I want to kiss her so bad, but I can’t not while I’m keeping her away from her father. She’d never get over that. “Come on.” I say leading her away.

“Can I be honest with you,” she says stopping me outside her bedroom door.

“I would hope so,” I say making her smile, oh God I love her smile, and making her smile is an added bonus.

“I’ll never think any girl deserves you. You’re too kind, and gentlemanly for any girl.”

If only she knew the truth…