The Baroness Misbehaves
Chapter 45: Punishment (2)

Chapter 45: Punishment (2)

The thunder above continued to rumble lightly, then the sounds increased until drops of water began to descend from the clouds ’ atmosphere. It started with little drops of water touching the Earth’s surface, then it increased to a drizzle.

From a drizzle, it increased and began to pour heavily.

Cassian remained under the rain without batting an eye. Fredrick stood at the garden entrance with Adeline by his side. It was difficult to concentrate on anything else knowing that their favorite Lord was receiving such a cruel punishment under the harshness of the pouring rain.

"We have to help him." Frederick made up his mind, adding volumes to his voice so Adeline could hear him better. "Cassian might be aggressive in some situations, but there was always a reasonable reason behind every action of his.

He sighed. "What I’m concerned about is why he didn’t tell his father when he asked. The first Lord should be the one under the rain, and not him."

Fredrick was currently annoyed and concerned at the same time.

"We can blame the First Lord later, we need to get Lord Cassian out of there first." Adeline returned their discussion to the main topic, her eyes displaying genuine worry. "Remember the last time he stayed in the rain? Even a small drizzle is enough to make him fall sick, and the rain tonight doesn’t look merciful on him."

At the slight reminder, Fredrick’s unease elevated. "Where is the New lady?"

In the living room of the Duke’s mansion, Madeline was standing in the presence of Richard who looked grim and always in his own world.

His mood at the moment was calm and unreadable, far from being reassuring. Despite the fact his silence filled her heart with a bit of fear, Madeline didn’t hesitate to speak.

"It’s not right to punish my husband in such a manner without hearing things from his angle, Duke." Madeline referred to him by his title. "If he has done something wrong, then giving him this sort of punishment isn’t going to fix things."

"What are you insinuating?" Richard’s deep brown eyes shifted from the newspaper in his grip, to the young lady who had disrupted his peace.

"He’s not a child." Madeline firmly cleared it out for him. "I’m sorry to say this but you need to stop treating him like one."

"I gave him a choice." Richard’s tone was accurately calm, but his eyes narrowed arrogantly. "He either chooses to apologize for his ill behavior, or remains under the rain. If you’re so concerned about him, then make him apologize for his earlier actions, and don’t come bugging me cause I won’t change my mind."

His deep tone justified that his earlier decision was final, and Madeline was forced to end the conversation to avoid more turmoil.

Madeline might not know Cassian well enough, but after witnessing his relationship with his brothers, she knew Cassian wouldn’t drop his pride and apologize to them.

Turning around, she quickly left the living room.

Richard, who had his unreadable gaze focused on the newspaper in his grip, slowly closed the newspaper after reading about the accident that happened sixteen years ago to the late Baron. His eyes were now focused on the direction where Madeline had taken.

Snapping his fingers, one of his trusted men showed up to stand behind him.

"Find me whatever little details you can get on that.... young baroness." He ordered. The guard behind him bowed his head in response before leaving the room.

"Father." Isabella and Inna, who had shown up in the living room after the guard had left, came to stand before the Duke who was waiting for them to state their mission tonight.

"We have to tell you something." Inna stepped forward.

Still kneeling under the pouring rain, Madeline, who was fed up with seeing him suffer alone out there, quickly brought out an umbrella before stepping away from the garden’s entrance and into the garden.

She came to stand before Cassian who only noticed her presence when he didn’t feel the heavy rain pouring all over him. Looking up to see what had obstructed the rain, his Amber-brown eyes widened slightly, seeing Madeline stand in front of him, holding the umbrella to his head and shielding him from the rain.

"You’ll catch a fever if you stay here for too long." She suddenly went on her knees, shielding both of them under the covers of the umbrella.

"Maddie?"

"I can’t let you suffer this alone." She quickly said before he could question her on what she was doing here.

"You have saved me, and cared for me without having me beg for them. If you have to suffer, then I don’t mind suffering alongside you."

To Cassian’s already dumbfounded gaze, Madeline suddenly closed the umbrella, and the rain began to pour on the both of them. She got drenched in no time and despite how speechless he was due to her unforeseen presence, the crazy woman was actually smiling right now.

"Give me that." He took the umbrella from her grip and opened it once more, but he kept it above her head this time. "I didn’t intend on marrying an oddball, Maddie. I do enjoy your everyday surprises but this one isn’t funny."

He pulled a long face. Isn’t she aware of the fact that she could catch a cold??

"I never said I was joking." Ignoring his unhappy gaze, Madeline equally wrapped her fingers on the handle of the umbrella.

She shifted it to Cassian’s side, shielding him from the rain instead. "I’m only being a concerned wife, remember we took an oath, I’ll always be by your side, for better and for worse."

"Maddie..!!.." He was tempted to scold her when she refused to stop being stubborn, and they kept dragging the umbrella until Madeline reached out to hug the young lad without making him aware of it.

Her startling actions had caught him off guard, and he stiffened when her hands wrapped themselves delicately around his neck, supporting the young lady who sat on her knees to embrace him fully.

His grip loosened, and the umbrella fell to the wet ground.

"Now we’re even." She giggled when she felt him stiffen against her touch, but the sound of her giggling was hidden against the loud pouring of the rain.

"Have you taken your medications?" Was the first thing he asked after recovering, and Madeline shook her head, still holding onto him in her cute embrace.

"That explains a lot tonight." He hissed out, but didn’t make even the tiniest move to push her away from his body. She was.... pleasantly warm.

Madeline tilted her head up to look at him. "You need to give me my medications first, that’s the only way I can take them. What if I sleepwalk and fall off a balcony? Then it would be your fault."

"Silly girl." He gently flicked her forehead.

"Girl??" Madeline blinked in bafflement when he referred to her as a ’girl’. What she didn’t realize was that staying under the rain had smoothed her hair down to the back, and her face appeared delicately small under the lights.

She looked younger with her hair all down. Her dark orbs stood out against the lights of the burning lanterns, and it was difficult to tell that such a young lady was actually 22 years old.

"You’re a moppet." He teased, and when she didn’t understand, he broke it down for her. "You’re a little girl."

"I am not!" She argued and wanted to release him from her embrace, but he stopped her by wrapping a hand around her waist.

"You want to run when the show is just starting?" He whispered seductively under the heaviness of the rain. He looked straight into her eyes which led to Madeline’s gaze widening when he slowly began to bring his handsome face closer.

Her heart drummed frantically at the mere thought that he might kiss her without asking for her permission, but he tauntingly moved past her lips and buried his face against the nape of her neck.

The unexplainable warmth she felt on her neck, spread across her body, straight to her heart. Strands of his wet hair fall from behind his ear, and sweeps the exposed area on her neck, sending butterflies to her chest.

There was another feeling she felt from his actions, and it made her already racing heartbeat drum louder. It was the only thing she could hear banging against her eardrum.

"Ahem!!" The voices of someone clearing their throats awkwardly, interrupted their romantic session under the rain.

Madeline quickly pulled back, and when she turned, Inna and Isabella were standing three feets away from them, holding an umbrella and watching them.

"You’re free to leave, Father has given his orders to let you off for the night."

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