In the Shadows the Devil Waits

As a nobleman’s bastard, Elain lived with her aunt’s family, the Blythmors, without carrying her father’s surname and was always referred to as a ‘distant relative.’ In exchange for food and a roof over her head, she was required to live by certain rules: keep a low profile, keep the truth of her birth a secret, and never cause trouble for the Blythmors. Avoiding trouble came easy for her… Until one rainy night, when she met a wounded stranger and tended to him in a cottage where she was alone. What she thought would be a one-time encounter soon became something she was not prepared for. Attending the ball at Greyford Manor, the estate of the nation’s wealthiest family, was a dream come true for Elain. But she soon realized that trouble had come looking for her, clad in a dashing suit and armed with devious silver eyes. - “Looks like someone has lost her way.” Elain nearly yelped as the voice came from behind her. Her eyes widened the moment she realised who it was. She lowered her head at once, offering a bow as her heart faltered in her chest. “I would have offered to show you the estate myself, had you expressed the desire for a tour,” he said, watching her with silver eyes gleaming in the shadows. It made him look more sinister, like a devious being waiting for the perfect prey. The rumours came back to her about the Greyfords not being human, and a shiver ran down her spine. She was alone with him, far from the others. “I apologise if I have taken such liberties,” she replied, straightening her back, though her gaze remained lowered. “My apologies, milord.” She could feel his stare on her, yet she didn’t dare lift her eyes. “I shall return inside—” “Are you acting so tame now that you know who I am?” Elain resisted the urge to mutter a curse under her breath, the sort she only ever allowed herself in secret moments of frustration. Why could he not simply leave her be? Did he truly take such pleasure in provoking her? “If I have offended you during our previous encounters, then I offer my sincerest apologies, Mr. Greyford. I hope you won’t take it to heart.” “Look at me when you speak to me, Lady Elain.” Warning: Mature content.