Fortunately Heidi had made a quick trip to her room to use the bathroom before joining all the important guests at the table. She sat next to Warren and a lady from the council who was a human like herself. Lord Nicholas, instead of taking his usual seat at the head of the table, he had taken out the seat today to join them for a regular meal. The unfortunate part was that he sat right in front of her at the table. She avoided the lord at all cost, busying herself by conversing with the council lady and asking her about the work she did.

The first course of the meal finished and the second course was brought in by the maids. Smiling at the maid who picked her plate whom she had got used, she took hold of the silverware and began cutting the chicken with the knife and fork. Just as she finished almost cutting the meat she felt her ankle being caught between a pair of legs, making her cough.

"Are you alright?" Warren asked concerned as Heidi had turned red, misunderstanding that the food must have stuck in her throat, "Here, drink this," her fiance handed over a gla.s.s of water which she took to take few sips. Seeing her cough stop, Warren went back to eating his food and listening to one of his far relative talk.

Heidi looked up at Lord Nicholas discreetly who was talking to a beautiful woman next to him. Looking at the man next to him, she met the man's gaze who smiled at her. No it couldn't be that man, thought Heidi in distress. What was wrong with him?! Had he no shame doing something like this when they were surrounded by so many people? She tried to pull her leg again but it was of no use. If she used too much force, she would only end up knocking either Warren or the lady sitting next to her or the table. She coughed softly to get his attention but the lord was least bothered with her cough.

She only hoped n.o.body would notice what was happening under the table. She had thought getting engaged to Warren would make things better but instead it had turned worse. The lord when finally turned to look at Heidi, didn't speak a word. He leaned back with ease, taking the gla.s.s of water in his hand and drinking it. She wanted to glare at him but with a room full of vampires at the table, she couldn't do it, knowing there would be people having an eye on her.

Until the entire meal had completed, Heidi sat with one of her ankle being locked between lord Nicholas' legs. She couldn't be anymore thankful when he finally let her feet free under the table when he got up from his seat.

Most of the guests were invited to stay at the Rune's mansion for the night and one of the couple who were included was Lettice and Rhys Meyers. Her family had left right away after having brunch and it was taken as they weren't fond of the vampires. She was glad that the Duke wasn't around anymore and she felt a heavy stone was moved from her chest.

She was on her way to her room after meeting Venetia who wanted to talk to her about the wedding date when she caught sight of the lord walking. Quickening her steps she caught up with him.

"Lord Nicholas," she called his name and the lord turned around to look at her.

"Didn't I ask you to drop the t.i.tle," he said, seeing the frown between her brows deepen.

"I need to talk to you. Right now," she said looking him in the eye to which the man stared for a few seconds before he spoke,

"Alright. Let's go to a safer place, shall we?" he suggested with a smile on his lips.

With the amount of guests who had occupied most of the rooms, there was no saying who would listen to their conversation and it wasn't something Heidi wanted. She followed him to his room as it was the only sound proof s.p.a.ce in the entire mansion. Opening the doors to his chambers, the lord stood aside so that she could step inside the room before he closed it shut. This was the second time her being in the lord's chambers, the first being when she had fallen sick.

"What is the pressing matter?" Lord Nicholas asked with his hands in his pocket while looking at her.

She had intended to confront him on his behavior at the table and in a heated moment she had agreed to talk it out with him so that she could put an end to whatever which was going on between them. She was someone's fiance and she had to learn to be responsible. And playing cat and mouse with the lord wasn't right. But now that she did come to his chambers, she felt as if she had walked right into a wolfs den willingly to be killed.

Unlike her, he had changed his clothes from the suit which he had worn in the morning. Gathering her distorted thoughts together, she took a deep breath ready to speak.

"Take your time," she heard him say, the smile had disappeared and he now stared at her, waiting for her to speak.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked him.

"What are you talking about?" he tilted his head in question.