Chapter 31
Cam wasn’t ready, that’s what she’d tell herself later when she tried to excuse herself from acting immediately—flattening Pilcher, sending her knee in his groin as Cilly had taught her or smack him like she had Teddy Jewel.
He took her to the ground. He was heavy, lying flat on top of her, and his fists were wrapped around her braids to hold her head still.
She caught her breath and began hitting him on the back, but she had little leverage, and knew it. “Pilcher, stop it! Get off me.”
When she opened her mouth he stuck his tongue in, realized what could happen and withdrew fast.
His hot breath on her face, he whispered, “Hold still, no need to tease me, Camilla. We’ll wed, I’ve promised you that. Let me show you what a magnificent husband I’ll be, just hold still and let me—”
If only she could get her arms free, she could slap her palms against his ears, but she couldn’t budge him.
She had to try reason. He was looking down at her breasts.
She yelled in his face, his eyes glazed.
“Look at me, Pilcher. Listen to me. I do not love you. I will not marry you in this lifetime. Do you understand me? Now let me go!” And she jerked and heaved, but he was strong, determined on his course.
“You don’t mean that, a lady never means that and besides it doesn’t matter.
I will have you and then you’ll accept me, you will have to, but you will not regret it.
But in any case, it will not matter.” He released one hand so he could grab her breast and squeeze.
Her freed arm shot up and she slapped her palm against his ear.
He yelped but he didn’t stop. She slapped his ear again, yelled right in his face, “Don’t you do that, you ass, or I’ll slap what few brains you have right out of your head! ”
He was grinding himself against her, groaning, an occasional grunt, nearly beside him, her smacks against his ears not making a dent.
He panted against her closed mouth, “Camilla, please, accept me, I must have you, I will have you, don’t you see?
I must, I have no choice, you have no choice.
” He ground his mouth against hers, forcing hers open and his tongue was in her mouth.
She tried to bite him, but he was fast. Suddenly, he yelled.
Aunt Deveraux was standing over him hitting him with her griffin-head walking stick.
Whap, whap—She wasn’t going to smack him in the head, she wasn’t stupid, she couldn’t kill him, but the temptation was great.
She shouted even louder than her normal speaking voice, “YOU YOUNG LOUT! MISCREANT! YOU HAVE NO FINESSE, NOTHING TO RECOMMEND YOU AS A LOVER! YOU ARE A DISGRACE, PILCHER GAYSON. YOU NEVER TAKE A YOUNG LADY AGAINST HER WILL, ESPECIALLY ON THE GRASS WHEN IT WOULD RUIN HER GOWN, YOU BLOODY NITbrAIN, REMOVE YOURSELF NOW! GET OFF HER NOW!”
Whap, whap on his arms and back, excellent cane cracks to his buttocks. He groaned, rolled off Cam onto his side, curled up, covered his head. “Please, please, stop. You’re killing me! I didn’t do anything. I only wanted to convince her to marry me, I—”
“HA! STOP YOUR WHINING, YOU PATHETIC LITTLE WORM! ATTACK MY PRECIOUS NIECE, WOULD YOU! I BELIEVED YOU A GENTLEMAN, MORE FOOL I.”
Pilcher tried to get to his hands and knees to crawl away, but Finch struck a poker against his back. “Don’t you try to creep away, you blank-brained knave, or I’ll lay my lovely poker again on your back and next time, with greater vigor.”
Pilcher stopped cold, fell again onto his side, moaned. He wasn’t about to move.
Finch walked to Lady Deveraux, said slowly right in her face, admiration clear in his voice, “My brave lady, I see you do not need my assistance, but would you like me to thwack him again with the poker?”
“MAYHAP IN A MOMENT, FINCH, LET US SEE WHAT THE LITTLE WORM DOES. HA, NOT ALTOGETHER STUPID, THE LITTLE WORM. HE ISN’T GOING TO MOVE.”
Cam looked up at her aunt, her lovely powdered face red with rage. She rolled up to her feet, gave her aunt a bow. “Aunt, you are magnificent.”
“SPEAK UP, GIRL, DON’T WHISPER! EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE STANDING AND YOU GAVE ME A LOVELY BOW—I AM MAGNIFICENT, YOU SAY?
WELL, THIS SCOUNDREL MUST THINK SO. FINCH!
YOU MAY REMOVE THIS ARSE-brAIN. WAIT, FIRST HE WILL PROMISE NOT EVER TO COME NEAR MY PRECIOUS CAMILLA OR I WILL SEE HE’S GOT TWO brOKEN LEGS.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND, YOU BUGGERING LITTLE TURNIP? NOW YOU MAY RISE.”
Pilcher staggered to his feet. His back hurt, his butt hurt, he was humiliated, but at least he was still alive. “My lady, I swear I’ll never come near her again, not that I ever wanted to in the first place.”
Finch nudged Pilcher in the ribs with the poker.
“See you keep your word or her ladyship will break your legs and I will break your head. Now, get you gone, you gutless nettle, else I will hit you again with the poker for attacking my helpless young lady, well, not quite so helpless. You are no longer welcome in our peace-loving household.”
Pilcher tried to pull forth a bit of his beleaguered manhood and shook his fist at them. “You are vicious, both of you!” He yelled at Finch, “And you are a mere servant, and you dare to have the gall to strike me?”
Finch grinned. “I am granted gall by birth and by her ladyship.”
Pilcher looked at Cam, standing, her hand against an oak tree, her hair out of its braids, straggling around her shoulders, staring at him from behind crooked glasses.
He actually hissed, like a snake. “As for you, Camilla Rohman, you’re not a lady, and just look at her, wearing glasses.
I don’t care how great your dowry is, I will not marry you even if you beg me.
I never wanted to marry you.” He waved his fist at her, turned, tried to walk straight down the path leading to the garden gate but couldn’t hide a limp.
“I’M GOING TO TELL YOUR FATHER WHAT YOU’VE DONE, YOU YOUNG LOUT!”
Pilcher paused, one hand on the gate, looked back at them over his shoulder.
“It was my father’s bloody idea. He ordered me to do whatever was necessary to get her to accept me.
He said I could lock you away and forget about you once we were wedded.
But I didn’t want to marry you, you’re too mouthy, you never appreciated me, deferred to me, you never gave me respect.
I didn’t care about your bloody groats, but he did.
Told me my brother needed funds for his lifestyle in London, to impress all those idiots in government, to make all the Society ladies flock to his side and he could have his pick and marry a rich one, like you.
“Curse him, my brother, not my poor father who needs money.” He waved his fist at Aunt Deveraux. “And you’re nothing but a crazy deaf vicious old bat!”
The gate slammed behind him.