Chapter 7 Departure For Lancashire

• Luna’s heart hammered frantically against her ribs, the sheer panic threatening to drown her. Does he know? Can he sense something that I cannot even hide?
• Then, abruptly dismissing the heavy tension in the air, Rex stepped back. “Get dressed. We must depart for Lancashire this very afternoon.”
• Deeply relieved by the distance, Luna immediately crouched down to retrieve her discarded garments from the floor. But before her fingers could even graze the fabric, the heavy heel of Rex’s polished leather boot slammed down, deliberately pinning her dress to the rug.
• “Mr. Rex…” her voice fractured, caught somewhere between a frustrated growl and a desperate plea. “Could you please—”
• “Do you honestly still wish to wear such rags?” he interrupted smoothly. “Is this not the usual moment where you throw a tantrum and whine for an entirely new gown?”
• Luna yanked the trampled fabric free from beneath his boot. The delicate material was now tragically wrinkled and dusted with ash. The harsh, dark outline of his sole had severely stained its soft, pristine color. Her trembling fingers rubbed uselessly at the blemish, foolishly hoping the dirt might just vanish.
• “I will do exactly as you say,” Luna whispered wearily, clutching the ruined silk to her chest. “So please… just do not bother me anymore.”
• Throughout the lengthy train ride, Luna sat in suffocating silence, her eyes firmly fixed upon the passing scenery blurring outside the small, rattling window. Rex sat rigid beside her, occupying his time by reading a broadsheet newspaper, a small stack of leather-bound books resting on the table before him.
• The air inside the cabin felt impossibly stifling to Luna, a tension made infinitely worse by Rex’s massive, intimidating presence seated right next to her. She was now garbed in a highly formal gown specifically chosen to meet her formidable mother-in-law—an elaborate, light blue masterpiece heavily adorned with layers of ribbon and intricate lace. Chosen meticulously by Marie, the outfit was far more ornate, rigid, and painfully heavy than anything she was accustomed to wearing.
• Their journey had been grueling and long; they had departed the estate around ten in the morning, and now the sun was rapidly sinking below the horizon, bleeding fiery streaks of orange and purple across the sky. It was nearing five in the evening, and yet, Luna still could not see any indication that the rumbling train was preparing to halt.
• “Prepare yourself—we will be arriving very soon,” Rex stated evenly, his eyes never leaving the printed page, though he could clearly sense his wife's radiating anxiety.
• Luna merely nodded in defeat. She possessed absolutely no fight left in her spirit, especially considering she had violently woken up completely stranded in a remote, dangerous, and unfamiliar era. She had absolutely no one in this dark world to rely upon, except for the terrifying man seated beside her.
• “Remember well, Lyra: watch your behavior closely and do not do anything foolish,” Rex warned sharply, snapping his newspaper shut with a crisp flick of his wrist.
• “What exactly is that supposed to mean?” she asked nervously.
• “Exactly what you usually do,” Rex replied dismissively, clearly unwilling to go through the tedious trouble of explaining himself. His cryptic words only served to twist Luna’s confusion into a tight, sickening knot.
• As Rex meticulously packed his books away, Luna peered out the window and noticed the train's tracks merging alongside a pristine, elegantly paved cobblestone path. Looming ahead of them was a breathtakingly magnificent, colossal stone castle. Luna had always believed she would only ever see such staggering medieval architecture in her wildest, cinematic dreams, yet here it stood, terrifyingly real.
• Moments later, as they transferred to a local coach, the heavy carriage jerked to a sudden, violent halt. The sharp motion sent Luna pitching forward, causing her to nearly lose her balance completely before Rex’s lightning-fast hand shot out, wrapping securely around her waist to catch her.
• “Thank you…” Luna breathed, her wide eyes locking with his dark, unreadable gaze for a few tense, electrifying seconds.
• “No matter what happens next, you are to remain absolutely quiet,” he commanded softly, yet leaving absolutely no room for negotiation.
• The heavy wooden door of the carriage swung open. A liveried guard stood at attention, bowing deeply as he gestured for the Duke to alight first. Once Rex had stepped out, the guard politely extended a gloved hand toward Luna.
• Ignoring the guard, Luna immediately reached for Rex’s waiting hand instead, allowing her husband to slowly and securely guide her down from the high step of the carriage.
• A vast legion of impeccably dressed servants and armed guards stood lined up in perfect rows across the courtyard, bowing deeply to welcome their formidable Duke and his Duchess back home. However, an icy chill crept up Luna's spine; there was something profoundly, deeply hostile and strange about the way the entire household stared at her. Their collective glares felt like physical blows, especially as Rex guided her forward to approach a stern, middle-aged woman adorned in a severely elegant and outrageously luxurious silk gown.
• “My beloved son…” the aristocratic woman’s voice rang out, greeting Rex warmly as she stepped forward to embrace him. It was Rosaura, the Dowager Duchess. The moment she pulled back, her warm smile instantly vanished. She narrowed her sharp, icy eyes, glaring daggers of absolute revulsion at Luna. “You actually dared to bring this wretched woman back here?”
• “Actually, there is a very pressing matter I must discuss with you, Mother,” Rex stated, his tone freezing over into absolute, aristocratic ice.
• “Whatever could it be, my dear son?” Rosaura asked, her tone dripping with sudden, cautious suspicion.
• Rex stood tall, his grip subtly tightening on Luna's trembling hand as he dropped the devastating lie. “Lyra is pregnant.”