My Bratty Wife
Chapter 199 - Hundred And Ninety Nine

Chapter 199: Chapter Hundred And Ninety Nine

Not long after they reached the bottom of the grand staircase, the sound of carriage wheels crunching on the gravel of the courtyard reached their ears. Ryan glanced towards the large windows overlooking the entrance. "That should be Byron," he murmured.

True enough, a moment later, a well-maintained carriage bearing a familiar crest pulled to a stop. A footman hurried to open the door, and Lord Byron, Ryan’s younger brother, stepped out. He was dressed smartly for travel, but his eyes immediately scanned the entrance, finding Ryan and Suzy waiting just inside the open doors.

Relief and worry warred on Byron’s face. "Brother!!!" he exclaimed, his voice carrying across the courtyard, full of genuine concern. He strode quickly towards the entrance stairs, his arms already opening wide for an embrace.

Ryan gave Suzy’s hand, which was still resting on his arm, a gentle, reassuring tap. She understood immediately and released her hold, stepping back slightly.

Ryan moved forward to meet his brother on the top step. Byron rushed forward and enveloped Ryan in a tight hug. The well-intentioned force of it, however, pressed against Ryan’s bandaged waist, causing him to let out an involuntary groan of pain, his hand instinctively going to his side.

Byron pulled back instantly, his face etched with alarm. "Ryan! I’m so sorry! Did I hurt you?"

Ryan managed a tight smile, waving off the apology even as he took a careful breath. "It’s fine, Byron. Really. Just caught me off guard." He clapped his brother gently on the shoulder.

"Duchess," Byron bowed, " nice seeing you again."

" Lord Byron " Suzy curtsied, a small smile spread across her face. " nice to see you too."

" You can go in with him, I’ll welcome Evan myself." Suzy whispered to Ryan , her voice soft. Ryan nodded. "Come inside. Let’s go to the study where we can talk properly." He guided his concerned brother into the castle, leaving Suzy standing alone in the vast entrance hall for a moment.

Only a few minutes passed before the distinct sound of another carriage arriving broke the relative quiet. Suzy smoothed the front of her emerald dress, composing her features into a polite but serious mask. She knew this arrival would be more difficult. She walked back towards the open entrance doors just as the second carriage, grander and perhaps slightly more ostentatious than Byron’s, rolled to a halt.

Brook got down and hurried to open the carriage door. Lord Evan, Ryan’s cousin, emerged. He paused for a moment, adjusting his cuffs, a picture of aristocratic confidence. Then he looked up towards the castle entrance.

His eyes landed on Suzy, standing there alone, framed by the massive doorway, the morning light catching the rich green of her dress. He stopped dead in his tracks. His usually calculating eyes widened almost imperceptibly, and he seemed to hold his breath for a split second. She looked, quite simply, stunning – composed, beautiful, and radiating a quiet strength that seemed to draw all the light in the courtyard towards her. He was visibly awestruck, his gaze sweeping over her before he seemed to remember himself.

With a newfound purpose in his step, Evan ascended the stairs, his eyes never leaving Suzy. He stopped directly in front of her.

"Lord Evan," Suzy greeted him formally, sinking into a graceful curtsy, her expression carefully neutral despite the unease stirring within her.

"Duchess Cassandra," Evan returned, executing a low, smooth bow that perhaps lasted a fraction of a second too long. His eyes remained fixed on her face as he straightened.

"My husband is currently occupied in his study with Lord Byron," Suzy stated coolly, maintaining perfect etiquette. "If you would follow me, I will show you the way."

A smug smile touched Evan’s lips, a slight, unpleasant curl that didn’t reach his eyes. "Lead the way, Duchess," he replied, his voice smoother than silk.

Suzy felt a wave of disgust wash over her. His arrogance, the way he looked at her... it made her skin crawl. I wouldn’t be walking you anywhere if it weren’t for formalities, she thought fiercely, keeping her spine straight and her face impassive. She turned her back on him, the rustle of her silk dress the only sound for a moment, and began walking into the castle’s main hallway. Evan followed close behind her, his footsteps echoing hers on the polished marble floor.

They walked in silence down the wide, portrait-lined corridor. Suddenly, Suzy felt a movement beside her, a hand reaching towards hers. Before she could react or pull away, Evan’s fingers fumbled against her own, catching not her hand but the edge of her white glove. With a slight tug, the glove slid off her hand completely, leaving it bare.

Suzy stopped dead in her tracks, spinning around to face him immediately. Anger flashed in her eyes, bright and hot. "What is the meaning of that?" she demanded, her voice sharp and low, vibrating with fury.

Evan didn’t flinch. Instead, his smug smile widened into something predatory. He looked utterly smitten by her anger, his eyes alight with inappropriate appreciation. "Ah, Duchess," he purred, his gaze flicking down to her bare hand before returning to her furious face. "You don’t know how much I love it when you’re angry. That fire in your eyes..."

Revulsion coiled in Suzy’s stomach. "I am your cousin’s wife, Lord Evan," she snapped, her voice cutting through his suggestive tone. She raised her now-ungloved hand, pointing a finger directly at his chest. "Watch your mouth, and keep your hands to yourself!"

But Evan wasn’t even listening to her warning. His gaze had dropped back down, completely fixated on her bare hand. He stared at it as if mesmerized. It suddenly struck him – he had always seen her impeccably gloved, even at dinners or less formal occasions. This was the first time, the very first time, he had ever seen her hand completely bare. The smooth skin, the delicate shape of her fingers... it seemed impossibly intimate, a forbidden sight. I want to kiss those fingers. He thought to himself.

He slowly lifted his gaze from her hand back to her face, a challenging, almost insolent glint in his eyes. The earlier awe was gone, replaced by something much darker. "Or what?" he asked softly, his voice a low challenge, deliberately provocative.

Suzy stared back at him, her anger momentarily frozen by the look in his eyes. As she held his gaze, she saw past the smugness, past the inappropriate admiration. She saw something raw and consuming flicker there, something possessive and hungry. It wasn’t affection. It wasn’t respect. It was lust. Pure, unadulterated lust, directed shamelessly at his cousin’s wife. The realization sent a chill down her spine despite her anger.