Mr. John and his hefty bodyguard lunged into the club, searching for her. This could only mean one thing, Mary thought. They must have found out that she had escaped immediately upon leaving the mansion and followed after her. It was likely they had seen a glint of her maroon dress entering the club.
"Oh God," Mary breathed, searching for a way to hide. The burly men who had cornered her were making it difficult for her to escape. She needed to find a way to hide from Mr. John's sight. How could he be so agile for his age to come in search of her?
A few days ago, after staying as a guest in their mansion, he had been making advances towards her that irritated her. It was no surprise he had come looking for her on the night before the wedding. Perhaps he suspected she would flee.
This was all her father's fault. If he had not been so obsessed and more caring for his business than his only daughter, she would not have run away from home so late at night. She would have to find a more suitable man than Mr. John to tarnish her image before the old peer would have her.
"Dear, I would treat you better than your husband would," the man who had cornered her spoke.
Marybeth glared at him, her red hair twirling with her movements. "My husband is here," she said, pointing to Mr. John, who was now searching every woman with his men beside him. "He is a prestigious peer. You know what would become of you if you mess with his wife." The thought disgusted her, but it was her only escape. Mr. John was a well-known real estate owner, incredibly wealthy despite his old age, and it was no uncommon news that he had tons of young mistresses. God forbid she would become one, but right now, using Mr. John with his huge influence was her way to escape.
The man's face turned slightly pale as he followed her gaze. The old peer had a great reputation, and if she was right, it was unwise to mess with his wife.
Seeing his rather confused and unfocused demeanor, Marybeth decided to use this to her advantage and escaped. "Now, pardon me, sir, but I would like to go to my husband," she said, flashing him a wide grin and dashed off. Thankfully, the bulky men did not stop her.
The club was thankfully filled with a bit of density, with a little space amidst the loud chatter and clinking glasses of the wines. With its crowded atmosphere, every corner teeming with either kissing, entangled couples (consisting of both prostitutes and wealthy lords) or men at various spots playing cards and sipping drinks, it would be challenging for Mr. John to quickly locate her.
This was actually a good thing, but she knew it wouldn't be long until he did, and she hadn't yet devised a plan. She needed someone - not the stench of a drunken alcoholic or a man with ulterior motives to seduce her. It wasn't as if she expected to encounter a gentleman here, but at the very least, someone with a modicum of dignity; not the men with hoarse voices and raucous laughter playing cards, or those with missing teeth smoking tobacco. She longed for someone a bit more... respectable..
Mary paused in her step, finding herself at a corner where a man was holding onto a girl with a snugly fitted bodice, drawing her close. However, her attention was diverted to someone else - a lone figure seated at the bar, his gaze sweeping across the club as if he were committing every detail to memory. He exuded a refined aura, like an eligible, well-mannered man who had stepped into the club only for a drink.
Clad in a finely tailored grey suit with subtle white lines accentuating his appearance, one could aptly describe him as insanely handsome. With dark hair cascading down to cover his temples in a slightly boyish manner, a well-defined nose, and a mouth so enticing it seemed to effortlessly curve into a smile, he held a glass in his hand, savoring each sip while his eyes remained fixed on the club's surroundings.
Marybeth was nearly taken aback by his striking features, but she shook off her admiration swiftly; now was not the time for such distractions. "Ah!" she exclaimed, hastening towards him as if he were her savior. It was hard to discern whether he was there to solicit prostitutes, but based on his appearance alone, he appeared to be the epitome of decency and gentlemanliness in a place like this. "There you are," Marybeth exclaimed joyously, hurrying towards him like a squirrel
It was at that moment Mary was running towards him when she caught sight of Mr. John, whose eyes locked with hers.
'Dear God,' Mary thought frantically as she hurried towards the fine man, 'This was her only chance; she must not miss it, or she would be sent away to become one of Mr. John's many mistresses.'
A glint seemed to flash in Mr. John's eyes as he and his men began walking towards her. Mary thought about her reputation; it must be tarnished if she wanted Mr. John to lose interest. No man would desire a woman who was considered ruined. She had to come up with a plan to convince him that she was somehow ruined.
As Mr. John and his men approached her, with just two tables between them, Mary reached the handsome man first. Her heart was pounding in her chest, knowing the risks of what she was about to do. This was her last chance before the wedding scheduled for tomorrow.
Moving closer to the man, she blinked back surprise as he did not acknowledge her presence, which was unusual at such close proximity. Despite feeling the fabric of his suit against her skin, the man continued sipping his wine, seemingly searching for something in his surroundings.
Mary turned to see Mr. John and his men nearing her. Mr. John's wrinkled face gleamed with mischief as he stared at her, slowly closing in on her.
Realizing that she needed to act quickly before Mr. John intervened, Mary turned back to the man and spoke loudly enough for nearby patrons, including Mr. John, to hear. Placing a hand on the man's shoulder, she felt him stiffen under her touch.
"Honey," Mary began with a wide smile. To the man's horror, she then sat on his lap, locking eyes with him, ignoring the intensity of his darkened gaze and visible frown. "Why did you leave me alone in the room, dear? We were having so much fun," she grinned, noticing Mr. John's surprised expression from the corner of her eye.