Chapter 84: Ruined day
Count Raymond lingers longer than I’d prefer, dragging me into pointless, inane chatter. I smile, nodding at the right moments, my responses clipped as he drones on about irrelevant nonsense—the weather, his estate, and even the flowers I’m tending to. None of it interests me. I’m far more focused on the rhythmic snip of my scissors as I trim the roses, finding more satisfaction in the clean cuts of the stems than in anything the count has to say. I keep hoping he’ll run out of things to talk about and leave me in peace, but of course, that would be too much to ask.
Then, he pauses, smiling at me in that insincere way he does, as though he’s carefully crafting his next move in whatever game he’s playing.
"Well, I’m glad to see you’re such a reasonable person. I imagine you’ll get along quite well with Oliver."
His words hit me like a sudden jolt of icy water, sending a chill straight down my spine. The scissors in my hand still, and I whip my head around to look at him, narrowing my eyes. There’s something about the way he says it, something casual and calculated all at once. Alarm bells ring loudly in my mind. What the hell does he mean by that?
"What’s that supposed to mean?" My voice comes out sharper than the blades in my hand, tension creeping into every syllable.
Count Raymond’s expression doesn’t shift an inch. If anything, he looks amused, like he’s been waiting for this moment.
"Oh, come now. It’s obvious, isn’t it? You and Oliver will share a husband, after all."
He says it as if it’s the most natural thing in the world, as though I’m a fool for not expecting this. As though it’s something that should be accepted without question.
Share? The word feels like poison in my veins, burning with anger and disgust. I can practically feel the knot of rage tightening in my chest, winding itself around my heart. I’ve always known Oliver had feelings for Thorne—it wasn’t exactly a well-kept secret. But for Count Raymond to stand here and speak of it so casually, to imply that I should simply step aside and share my husband as though it’s some trivial arrangement—it’s revolting. Insulting. Outrageous.