Chapter 28 #2
The carriage slowed and turned onto a bumpier road. Noting a few familiar landmarks outside the windows, she realized they had passed through Reading and must be headed toward his estate. The carriage jostled and tipped, the roads rutted from recent rain.
Lilly wrapped the ropes so they would still appear knotted and clenched them tightly in her fists.
After what felt like hours, the carriage slowed to a halt in front of a long brick stable and then bounced slightly as the driver jumped off.
When he opened the door, allowing the light from his lantern to shine in, his own eyes opened in horror when the gaze of the dead footman reflected back at him.
The earl scoffed dismissively and took command of the situation. His authority gave the driver no leeway to express his concerns.
“Take care of this mess.” Hawthorne ordered him.
Pausing only a few seconds, the driver removed the lantern and then pulled the dead man out the door. His attempts to prevent the body from hitting the ground failed, and there were several cracking and thumping sounds until it was dragged away.
The earl spoke politely. “My dearest Lady Beauchamp, welcome to Maple Hall, my humble country estate.” He climbed out of the carriage and then reached back in to assist her.
Lilly slid across the bench and poked her bound feet out the door.
Leaning forward, she allowed the earl to pull her weight forward and catch her as she hopped to the ground.
She gripped the rope tightly behind her, not wanting to be discovered.
The dead footman lay a few feet away from the carriage. It was too sad. Did he have a family? Children? She closed her eyes for a moment of respect and then turned away.
“My Lord.” She spoke in refined tones, looking down. “If you would be so kind as to unbind my feet, I give you my word, as a lady, I will not attempt to run away. I wish to arrive upon your doorstep with more dignity than these ropes allow. You have my word”—she repeated solemnly—“as a lady.”
Honor, be damned.
This deluded man believed her gentility would prevent her from lying to him. Bending down, he unwound the ropes from around her ankles. Moving stiffly, Lilly followed him across the drive and over to a large, somewhat dilapidated manor.
After stepping inside, the earl guided Lily up the staircase and down a long corridor.
Thick layers of dust covered the furnishings, and the musty scent of neglect filled her nostrils.
When they arrived at the end, he opened the door to a very large bedroom with a raised bed, dark green velvet drapes, and a canopy.
Again, dust had settled everywhere. The room must have gone unused for decades.
Where were the earl’s servants? He pointed to a high-backed wooden chair and told her to sit.
Not wishing to draw his attention to her unbound feet, she did as he said.
“This will be your chamber for the duration of your visit. If you will excuse me, I have a missive to send. We shall see, my lady, if the duke has any honor after all.” With that, he backed out of the room, closed it, and from the clanking sounds of metal, turned some sort of heavy lock.
Lilly waited for his footsteps to recede before pulling the ropes off her hands and freeing herself.
Unexpected pain shot through her arms.
She’d not considered that having them in such an unnatural position would cause her muscles to cramp. Massaging her hands and wrists, she set her blood to circulating once again. She then stretched and twisted to relieve the kinks she had developed over the long, uncomfortable drive.
Feeling somewhat better, she went to the door and tested the knob. It was locked, as she had suspected. Next, she tiptoed over to the window, quietly managed to push it upwards, and looked down.
A considerable distance stretched between the window and the ground, but a branch from a nearby tree beckoned, just within reach. In a pinch, she thought she could reach it and climb down the tree to safety. She chuckled. If this wasn’t a pinch, she didn’t know quite what was.
But it would be near impossible in her gown.
She pulled her head back into the room. The earl had left the lantern, and she used it to illuminate the shelves inside the large wardrobe. Just what she needed!
She’d located a pair of men’s breeches and a large shirt.
Knowing she would never make it down the tree in her skirts and corset, with somewhat of a struggle, she managed to undress herself and slip into the less cumbersome clothes.
The pants hung loosely, so she tied the waist with the rope that had bound her hands and rolled the bottom of the legs up.
Grabbing a sharp letter knife from the top of the desk, she tucked it into her waistband and then went back to the window.
This aspect of her escape was going to require more than a little courage.
Setting the lantern down on a small table by the window, she tentatively slid her bum onto the ledge and then reached one foot through the window so she straddled it. Clutching the building between her thighs, she reached her arms out as far as they could go.
The branch was just out of reach.
Damn, damn, and double damn!
She leaned back inside but stilled at the grinding of the lock on the heavy door once again. Triple damn!
She didn’t have a choice.
No longer tentative, she pulled both feet up to the base of the window and crouched on the sill.
One, two, three!
Using all of her strength and sending up a quick prayer, she launched herself toward the branch awkwardly.
As her feet pushed away from the sill, one of them inadvertently caught the edge of the lantern and knocked it off the table.
As she grasped at the branch, she was vaguely aware of the sound of shattering glass.
But she had made it to the tree.
Grasping the branch for dear life, she reached around with her feet until she could steady herself on a few of the lower branches. She’d done it. As she analyzed where she ought to climb next, a few crackling pops sounded from the window and an odd sensation warmed her back.
She looked over her shoulder in dawning horror.
Flames climbed the counterpane of the bed and had spread across the floor. The fuel from the lantern must have saturated the carpet! Even the leaves and the trunk were now illuminated by the golden light flickering through the window.
She’d set the manor on fire!
In the next instant, the earl lurched into the room. Indecision contorted his features. Should he stop Lilly or attempt to douse the blaze?
Not waiting for his decision, Lilly swung herself around the branch and pulled herself closer to the trunk.
Once there, she slipped and clawed her way down.
She was terrified if she took too much time, she’d find the earl waiting at the bottom.
After what seemed like forever, she finally deemed herself close enough to the ground to jump.
Letting go of the rough bark, she pushed herself away from the trunk and once again launched herself into the unknown.
The ground was hard, but she rolled as she landed. As she caught her breath, her gaze was pulled back to the window.
Flames greedily reached toward the branches of the tree where she had just been. Screaming, tortured wails sounded from the open window. He was still upstairs in the bedroom.
Was he trapped in the inferno?
If the earl stayed in that room any longer, he would likely not make it out alive.
Surely he would come after her any moment.
She jumped to her feet and took off for the stables. There did not seem to be any household servants about, and the stable employees ignored her to gawk at the fire.
Not one of them seemed to care that their employer was inside. Lilly shivered. They were going to let him die. It was no wonder. Why would they have any loyalty for such a villain as he?
But would any of them come after her? She needed off this estate! She would ride!
Running into the stable, Lilly located a mare who appeared to be calm and gentle, and yet strong enough to carry her. Good Lord, how was she going to do this? When she’d ridden before, there had been a mounting platform! And she’d had Michael and a groom to assist her.
She was going to have to get her own self onto that horse.
One of the adjacent horses whinnied. And the others sounded restless. The nearest of them stared at her with a vulnerable look reminiscent of Miss Fussy.
She could not abandon them.
Unwilling to leave the animals trapped in the barn, Lilly rushed about, opening stalls and encouraging them to escape. They too, would have their liberty.
Fearing she’d wasted too much time already, she frantically returned to the enclosure holding her chosen mount and unlatched the stall door. Stepping on the slats, she climbed to the top of the wall, took hold of the mane, and then swung one leg over the horse’s back.
She did this as calmly as possible. It had been nearly a decade since she’d ridden. She didn’t wish to spook the horse, for already chaos abounded outside, and she was a strange rider.
“It’s all right, sweetheart. You and I are going for a ride, that’s all. I’ll take you far away from that bad man.” Lilly spoke in a soothing voice and gently allowed her weight to settle on the horse’s back.
Instinctively, she gripped the mare’s flowing mane and urged the horse forward and toward the door. As soon as they exited the barn, Lilly headed down the long drive.
Afraid of being thrown, but even more fearful of someone stopping her, she urged the horse from a canter into a full-out gallop.
“Good girl,” she said, squeezing the mare’s girth with her legs.
She continued talking to the horse. “Let’s get out of here, but please, please, please don’t throw me!
” She hadn’t ridden since Edgewater Heights those many years ago—and that had been with a sidesaddle.
She only knew she must travel as far as possible, as quickly as possible. But to where? She hoped they were headed in the right direction.
Not really knowing what she was doing, she allowed the horse to run freely for what seemed like a very long time. When they finally slowed to a walk, every bone in her body felt as though it had been jarred loose.
But she’d kept her seat. She’d not fallen off!
When a thunderous roar echoed behind her, Lilly glanced back and saw the entire manor engulfed in flames. But that was not all. The tree she had used for her escape had caught fire. It had fallen onto the stables.
Thank God she’d left the barn doors open. The horses inside had fled in all directions.
As the roof collapsed onto the manor, Lilly patted her horse’s neck. “Well done, my lady. Now let’s get out of here.”