Domination (standard:drama, 2280 words)
Author: Honor Alisha DeMandoren	Added: May 17 2002	Views/Reads: 3412/2319	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Celeste (fifteen year old orphan) is forced to marry Alexander, a complete rake. But when he shows up after five years of desertion, she forces him to sign an anullment and disappears with her inheritance, changing her name so that he won't ever be able t

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She rather thought that the blonde curls over the light blue made her 
look older and more mature. Perhaps my new husband will think so too. 
Finally, they arrived. Celeste managed to contain her impatience as the 
footman came and opened the door, offering a hand to help her down. She 
took it gladly, for the shoes that she was wearing were not designed 
for comfort. The high heel in the back made climbing in and out of 
carriage a hazardous venture. Smiling at him in gratitude she gathered 
her courage, squared her shoulders and walked up to the house. Before 
she could knock it was opened by the butler. He looked so much like the 
beau ideal of a grandfather she relaxed slightly. 

“You are Miss Harrison?” 

“Yes. I am here to see Mr. Fantel.” There, that had sounded quite
confident. 

“Of course. If you will follow me?” She handed him her bonnet and gloves
before following him obediently into the drawing room. There she 
finally saw the man that she was meant to marry. 

He wasn’t overly tall, but far from being short. She noticed with
delight that he had the same shade of blue eyes that she did, but there 
the comparisons ended. Black hair cut in the latest fashion, a solid 
build that didn’t—quite—look like muscle and a sullen twist of his 
lips. By no means could she claim that he was without appeal, but from 
the set of his face he looked more like a schoolboy being reprimanded 
than a groom on his wedding day. She curtsied to him but received only 
a curt nod in acknowledgement. At that brusque gesture her heart sank. 
He doesn’t think that I am old enough. He’s only marrying me because he 
has to. 

The rest of the afternoon passed in a haze. Looking back she barely
remembered exchanging the vows with him before she was swept into a 
waiting carriage, facing the man that she was married to. London had 
passed before her sightless eyes, yet she dare not look anywhere else 
for fear of her gaze landing on her husband. One look at his black rage 
had convinced her to remain silent. Not daring to even glance at him 
she clenched her gloved hands together and wept silently. 

They rode on for eternal minutes before Alex thumped the top of the roof
with his cane. “Stop here!” 

Obediently the carriage pulled over to the side of the street and
stopped. Climbing laboriously to his feet—the brandy that he had 
consumed earlier still was affecting his judgement—he stumbled from the 
carriage and straightened his waistcoat. With a loud sniff he ordered 
curtly, “Drive on.” 

The two drivers immediately exchanged startled glances. “But my lord—” 

“Are you deaf? I said drive on!” 

The tears came harder as they pulled away. Celeste didn’t bother to lean
out the window for a last look at her husband. As far as she was 
concerned, she never wanted to see him again. 

She knew that he was coming. Lord Fantel had written and told her that
his son had experienced a change of heart and was coming to reconcile 
everything with her. She didn’t believe it for a minute. After four 
long years of marriage of not seeing—or even hearing from—him, she knew 
that it was a lie. So when the door to the library burst open she did 
not leap to her feet but finished the last stitch in the embroidery and 
raised her head calmly. 

Alexander had expected a number of things, but the vision of his wife
framed in firelight was not it. My God, she’s beautiful. His eyes 
ranged hungrily over her, taking in every detail from her honey-kissed 
blonde hair to the delicate slope of her neck and the sight of her 
matching blue slippers that peeked from underneath the skirts. Then he 
caught her gaze—had any woman had such large blue eyes? —and froze. 
“Celeste.” 

“Well at least you remember my name. That is something. You even
remember where your country estate is—which is nothing short of a 
miracle. Or did your father remind you where it was?” 

Her tart words snapped him out of the spell of her beauty. Frowning
severely he stepped inside and slammed the door behind him. “You have 
no right to speak to me like that. I am your husband.” 

“No, not really.” 

His whisky ladened brain took a moment to decipher that. “You were a
child, Celeste. Did you really expect me to bed you?” 

“You could have at least stayed with me. I had just lost both parents. I
didn’t need to lose a husband as well.” 

The face that many women in the past had praised turned ugly in rage.
“Stop. I don’t want to hear another word. I’m here now, and ready to 
make you my wife in fact. Now, come with me.” 

“No.” 

“What did you say?” 

Setting the embroidery hoop to one side she stood to deliver her words
coldly. “I said no. You are familiar with the word, are you not?” All 
thoughts of forgiveness were wiped from his mind. He would take her, 
and then she would see that he was not going to play games with her. 
“You arrogant little whore, if you think that I am going to—” He 
stopped abruptly as a cocked dueling pistol appeared from behind her 
skirts. 

“I should warn you that I am an excellent shot. And at this range—what
would you estimate that it was, five feet? —I am hardly able to miss.” 
Celeste kept her tone exquisitely polite as she raised a brow in query. 
“Now, you were saying?” 

For the first time in his life Alex restrained his temper. “Put down
that gun.” 

“And let you rape me? Tsk, tsk. I’m afraid that won’t do at all.” 

“I’m your husband. It wouldn’t be rape.” 

“I’m not willing to go to your bed, wife or no, so yes actually it would
be rape.” 

A horrible suspicion dropped into his brain as he stared at that gaping
muzzle. “You knew that I was coming, didn’t you?” 

“Of course.” 

“Then why in the devil did you stay?” 

“Just one reason.” Gliding to the desk without dropping her gun from his
chest she turned a sheet of paper for him to see. “This. An annulment 
for our marriage.” 

“You want me to sign it, I suppose.” 

“Quite frankly, yes.” 

Alex stared at her, this girl that was his wife. No, not a girl but a
woman. A woman of fire and spirit. Never before had he seen such a 
creature but he was married to her. And he refused to let her go. Pride 
dictated that much at least. “No, I don’t think so. I want you too much 
to sign that thing.” 

“You mean that you are letting your sex dictate your actions.” 

Alex only leered at her, determined not to be cowed behind her empty
bravado. 

Celeste saw the shift from fear to smugness in his eyes and groaned.
<Why can’t he make anything easy?> “Very well. Let me put it in a 
different way. You have five seconds to sign this or I will shoot.” 

“And kill me? Nonsense. Not even a woman could be that stupid. You would
be hanged for murder before the week is out.” 

“Who said anything about murdering? As I have already said, I am quite
an excellent shot and at this range it is rather hard to miss. Which 
shall it be husband? The leg or the shoulder?” 

“That is quite enough from you. I refuse to be threatened in my own
home—” Celeste overrode him by raising her voice slightly. “No 
preference? As you wish.” Taking aim she calmly fired at his shin. 

Alex didn’t feel anything for a moment. That respite lasted as long as
it took the ringing to leave his ears. Then a flash of pain hit him 
before his whole leg started to burn. Screaming shrilly he collapsed on 
the rug, clutching the bloodied hole in his leg. “I don’t believe this. 
You actually shot me.” 

“Of course I did. I am a woman of my word. Now, are you going to sign or
do I have to put another bullet in your shoulder as well?” She 
fervently hoped that he would regain his senses. The sight of all the 
blood on the carpet was making her feel queasy. 

“You’re mad. A raving lunatic.” 

“Perhaps. Do you need a pen?” 

Alex stared at her, but was not going to press the issue. She had
already demonstrated that she was not to be pushed too roughly. He 
accepted the documents with a trembling hand and scrawled his name 
across the bottom line. 

“The bottom sheet as well, if you please.” Casting her a black look he
flipped the first page over and signed that one too. 

“Thank you.” Carefully she edged closer to him and picked the documents
up before retreating to a safer distance. “Now, I would suggest that 
you have someone fetch a physician. You are losing a good deal of 
blood.” 

“Curse you.” Alex gritted out. “Where do you think that you’re going
anyway?” 

“As far from here as possible.” Giving him a mock curtsy she swept
regally from the room. The footman, primed by the shot that he had 
heard earlier, already had the door open and the carriage waiting 
outside. “Is all of my luggage aboard, Jeremy?” 

“Yes, milady.” 

“Not anymore.” She corrected cheerfully. “It is plain Miss Harrison
now.” 

“Yes, <ma’am>.” 

Laughing her approval she bounded down the steps and into the carriage.
As the carriage lumbered down the winding drive she cast one look at 
the moldering estate that she had lived in since she was little more 
than fourteen. “Farewell, dungeon. And may we <never> meet again.” 


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