"Justin?"

She flinched, visibly. Removing her hand from his by gently prying his fingers away, she pulled down her sleeve and tucked her hands together in her lap.

"Justin Haddock."

Theodora nodded, looking down at her hands tearfully. She was ruined. Her family would find out; his family would find out. The betrothal called off.

"I can't believe this," he fumed, "How dare him touch you without permision, how dare him mar your beautiful skin," he seethed.

She shook her head quietly, "Please don't, don't." She didn't want to hear about it, didn't want to think about it. Her eyes lifted, beseeched his to stop talking.

"I will take care of this, Theodora. Mark my words, he will get what is coming to him, the slimy, slithering little snipe will not get away with this." Matthias said, his anger and frustration apparent. "I'll kill the bastard."

His words confirmed it; he was angry. She knew he would be, and it was because of her. "Do you want to notify the families, or should I?" Naturally, he was going to call it off, now. "It's probably best that you separate your name from mine as soon as possible."