Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
“Icannot thank you enough, Sarah,” Ellen whispered.
She drew on the plain brown cloak her maid handed to her, covering the equally plain light beige dress beneath. Sarah laid down a pair of simple brown shoes at her feet, and Ellen stepped into them, surprised to find them far more comfortable than the stylish heels she normally wore.
“I want you safe, my lady,” Sarah whispered, drawing the plain brown satchel shut. “And this house? Our new master?”
Sarah shook her head as she lifted the brown satchel and placed the strap on Ellen’s shoulder.
“He is not safe.”
Ellen’s heart trembled at the fear in Sarah’s voice. It was Sarah who had helped blend in the cosmetics over Ellen’s bruises, who had seen her almost fall apart before the party, and again after it. She understood just how dangerous Benedict was.
“Come with me,” Ellen whispered urgently. “We will leave together.”
Gratitude shone in Sarah’s brown eyes, but she shook her head.
“I cannot, my lady. My family lives and works here in London. And Jacob just asked me to marry him. I love him. I love my family, and I cannot abandon them,” Sarah whispered.
Surprise and happiness were narrow shots of light in Ellen’s darkened heart.
“He did? That is wonderful, Sarah,” she said, squeezing her maid’s hand warmly.
“We will be all right, my lady,” Sarah promised her. “And you will be too. Jacob is waiting for you outside in an unmarked carriage. His aunt and uncle own an inn on the outskirts of London. They have already agreed to take you in for the night.”
“Thank you,” Ellen whispered.
“We must make haste now, my lady,” Sarah insisted, nodding toward the door. “The hour of escape is narrow.”
Ellen gave a curt nod, and as Sarah opened the door, Ellen turned and took one last, long look around the room she’d grown up in.
She loved her house, loved her feather bed and white canopy, loved how the window could open up to the back lawn and overlook the gardens.
She would miss it all, but she knew she could not stay.
In her soft shoes, Ellen’s feet made silent footsteps as she and Sarah hurried down the dark, empty hall, down the servants’ stairs, and then all the way down to the servants’ quarters.
Panic laced through her heart as she walked past the quiet hall lined with doors, worried that any wrong move would cause a sound that could stir the rest of the sleeping servants awake.
Sarah was loyal. Jacob was too. The others, at one time, surely were as well, but with their new master leading them, she was not sure she could trust anyone else to keep quiet about her escape.
She breathed a sigh of relief as they reached the side door leading outside. Ellen turned, and without thought of propriety, she threw her arms around Sarah and hugged her tight.
“Be safe, Sarah,” she whispered.
“You as well, my lady,” Sarah whispered back, hugging her close. “Live well.”
Her throat tight with emotion, Ellen could only nod as she pulled away from the only true friend she’d ever had and hurried through the darkness to the stables. As Sarah had promised, Jacob was waiting for her with a small, single-horse-drawn buggy.
“Keep your hood up, my lady,” Jacob whispered as he helped her up onto the seat, “and your head down.”
Ellen obeyed, her stomach in knots as Jacob drove the small buggy out of the stable yard and into the quiet night street.
Neither of them spoke as they made their way slowly through the empty roads.
She wanted him to go faster, but also understood that higher speeds could draw sound and attention that could risk her escape.
So she kept her head bowed and her hands clasped, letting her mind go to that small memory of pleasure.
She closed her eyes and let herself feel the soft brush of her stranger’s lips.
Smelled the clean, crisp aroma of his cologne.
Her heartbeat slowed, and her shoulders relaxed as she then focused on his hands.
Hands that wrapped around her in a way that made her feel an equal amount of pleasure and safety.
“We are here, my lady,” Jacob announced.
Ellen’s eyes flew open, and she looked around.
The sprawling mansions and manors of Mayfair had been replaced with single-floor, thatched-roof dwellings on the opposite side of the street.
Before her stood the two-story inn, its sign and the single lantern below it swinging slightly in the breeze.
There were no words on the sign. Just three symbols.
A bed. A bowl. A mug. An inn that served food and ale.
An inn that served people who were not raised in good enough circumstances to be taught to read, so they relied on symbols to tell them what place it was.
How long had they been driving? It must have been well over an hour that she became lost in her thoughts, she surmised as Jacob helped her down.
She started to feel embarrassed over how quickly she’d fallen into the memory, but then Jacob began to speak as he opened her bag and put a small sack inside it.
“Right, my lady. This is where I must leave you,” Jacob said, the sack in his hands clinking as he placed it inside her satchel.
“This was your father’s private coffer. I know it formally belongs to the new Earl of Highcastle now, but I thought God would forgive me if I gave it to you instead.
Use it well, and you should be able to afford a small cottage when you get to the coast of Clacton.
You will most likely have to find some sort of work at some point, I am sorry to say, but this should at least pay your way for a little while. ”
“Jacob,” Ellen breathed, overcome with gratitude and fear for him. “You should not have done that! You risked so much! If the lord finds out you took this, he could have you severely punished!”
Jacob shook his head.
“He has taken up residence in your father’s quarters for over a week now. If he had known about the secret cache, he would surely have taken it before today. He will never know,” he assured her.
Movement stirred out of the corner of Ellen’s eye, and she turned to find a kind, middle-aged woman waving at them from the inn’s side door.
“That is my aunt,” Jacob said, nodding to her.
“She is allowing you to stay free of charge tonight. She will have a driver arranged for you by tomorrow evening, but I am sorry to say that it will not be free. Allow my aunt to haggle for you for the best price. As I said, you will have to stretch your father’s coffer as far as you can. ”
From behind them, the sound of distant hoofbeats emerged.
“Go now, my lady,” Jacob urged as he bowed his head. “Be happy if you can.”
“Take care of Sarah,” Ellen whispered, stepping back.
“With my life,” he swore, and without another word, he climbed back into the buggy and snapped his reins, sending the horses into a trot and back onto the road.
Jacob’s aunt was kind but quiet as Ellen hurried toward her. She put a hand around her shoulder as the older woman hurried her through the tavern, where a few peasants still lingered and drank their wages away. She led her up the creaky steps to the second floor.
“I do apologize for the plainness, my lady,” the woman offered as she opened the last door at the end of the hall.
Ellen stepped into the room and took in the small bed and table, sparse walls, and small lamp. She shook her head as she turned around.
“It is perfect,” she said, reaching into her satchel. “Please, allow me to pay you for your generosity.”
She held out a coin, but the woman put her hands up in refusal.
“I was where you were once,” the woman whispered, an old pain flaring in her eyes. “I had to rely on the kindness of others to escape. We must keep that circle going, you and I.”
Understanding flooded Ellen’s mind, and she bowed her head in respect.
“I know it will be difficult, but try to sleep,” the woman urged. “This might be your last night in a bed for quite a while. I shall bring you up some wine shortly; it will help calm your nerves.”
Ellen watched the door to her room close, then listened to the sound of fading footsteps. She turned back to the room, and for the first time in nearly a day, she drew in a deep breath. She had done it. She had escaped.
Out of nowhere, a small laugh burst from her lips. She cupped her hand quickly over her mouth, not at all sure why she’d done so. Then another laugh rose, taking over her body as a tear escaped down her smiling face.
She would miss her home and the comforts it had provided, but she knew without a doubt that her father would be proud of her.
A soft knock came to the door as she let out another giggle, and she shook her head at her own strangeness as she went to answer it, thinking it was Jacob’s kind aunt with the wine she had promised.
She opened the door, still smiling, and was greeted by a harsh slap that sent her stumbling backward.
“You dare run from me?!” Benedict snarled, rushing toward her as fresh pain bloomed in her cheek.
“Let go of me!” she screamed, digging her nails into his fists that were wrapped tightly around the edges of her cloak.
He let out another feral snarl as he shook her so hard her teeth snapped together, sending more pain scurrying through her already bruised face.
“You do not get it, do you?” he asked through gritted teeth as he dragged her from the room. “You are mine now.”
“No!” she cried, struggling with all her might against his grip as he forced her down the stairs.
“You will learn,” he said, with a dark chuckle as he hauled her past the curious drunkards in the tavern. “One way or another, you will learn to obey me.”
“Benedict, please!” she cried as he shoved her into his carriage outside. “Let me go!”
“You just need a fresh perspective, little Ellie,” he replied, his tone biting as he shoved her down hard into the carriage seat. “You will see soon enough just how kind I am compared to others.”
Ellen froze, her tear-filled eyes going wide with fear and confusion.
“What do you mean?” she asked, her voice trembling. “Where are you taking me?”
Benedict’s sneer was wide and triumphant as his cold, blue eyes glittered with excitement.
“To the auction,” he answered—the words sending a chill down her spine. “I will teach you a lesson tonight.”