Olivia would have protested when Winston took her arm but strangely enough, she felt at ease and safe with him by her side. And so he let him, oblivious to what he was worrying about. At his next words, she stopped and stared up at him in shock. [color=tan]"Poisoned?"[/color] she repeated. Lord Richard, the man who had spent so many hours telling her stories when she was a child and at that time, the heir to the Duchy, had died of a rare illness and not of poison. She could still remember how devastated she felt upon hearing the news of his passing after so many days of being bed ridden. Why did Winston say that he had been poisoned? Was he misinformed?

"... it was not only Richard who died over the nine years that Lord Paul was absent from Westrock.  Several younger House of Cranston children ... heirs to Westrock in their own right, also passed over the years ... until finally, the Count's own son ... I don't recall his name ... until he himself is now heir to the title of Duke of Westrock."

[color=tan][i]Adam is in line for the throne if Lord Paul didn't return..."[/i][/color] She thought to herself. Should she believe the words of this man or should she dismiss is as, like he had said, unfounded suspicion?

[color=tan]"Lord Richard died of a rare illness that ran rampant in Westrock at that time..."[/color] she said, reciting what she had been told years ago as they stopped near the inn she was to stay in.

---

Paul's hands all over her body wasn't entirely unpleasant but she pasted a look of discomfort on her face. She was, after all, playing the innocent. It wasn't really a difficult task especially since she was not hiding any form of weapon on her. The only weapon she would use against him is that area where his hands was moving towards. A man touching her in her groin was nothing new and she would have grinded against his hand. But instead of acting the way she usually does in this kind of situation, she feigned suprise and embarrassment. Her breath hitched in her throat. [color=lightgreen]"M-my Lord!"[/color] she exclaimed, trying to twist her hands free from his grip.

A look of alarm crossed her face despite the automatic surge of pleasure she felt from his touch. She closed her legs tightly. [color=lightgreen]"I came only to rectify the offense I made earlier and not to be groped like some sort of criminal or accused of carrying weapons I do not have."[/color]