Depravity, A Beauty and the Beast Novel(24)

“I’m teaching in my father’s place today,” I said with an amused smile. “I hope that’s okay.”

She nodded enthusiastically.

The day went quickly with only a handful of students in attendance. I followed my father’s lesson plan and enjoyed the children’s wit. It felt odd thinking of them as children when only a few years separated us.

Finally, I dismissed them and closed the schoolhouse doors. A steady rain fell outside. Walking the path in the evening light didn’t bother me as much as the rain did. I jogged along the path, reaching the cottage quickly. The kitchen felt cool and damp since the stove had gone out. I relit the fire and warmed my fingers before searching for something to eat.

A slight scrape on the floor alerted me that I wasn’t alone. Spinning, I watched Tennen take another step closer to me, having just come from Father’s study. His dry hair and cruel leer told me enough of his intentions that I knew I needed to run. Again. The door leading to the backyard waited to my left and the door to the front of the cottage to my right.

Frozen, we eyed each other. One chance. I cursed my dress, steeled myself, and feinted to the right. Tennen bolted into action, moving toward the front door as I shifted my weight and sprinted for the back.

Behind me, I heard him slip and curse, but I didn’t stop. The back door banged loudly against the outside wall as I shoved it open and flew into the rain. I hiked my skirts high to free my legs. North. Refuge. The rain-slicked ground slid easily underfoot as I tried to run. The sound of Tennen’s close pursuit set my heart racing. I’d never make it. I danced around the sparse trees and ducked under the occasional branch, panting and struggling to keep my footing while hoping Tennen wouldn’t.

A wall of mist stood before me, and I shouldered into it, losing myself for a moment.

The skirts grew heavier as they soaked up the falling rain, and my arms burned with their weight. I slid and fell forward, too late dropping the skirts as the ground rose to meet me. I landed hard on my stomach and my face hit the ground with enough force that it bounced. Thankfully, hitting the spongey ground didn’t hurt much.

Tennen, who’d been on my heels, tripped on my skirts before I could scramble to my feet and landed heavily atop me. The impact drove the air from my lungs in a great oof. We lay like an X on the ground, his torso crossed over mine, effectively pinning me.

He laughed above me.

“You never had a chance.”

I couldn’t answer. I could barely breathe with his weight on me. I tried struggling, but the mud that cushioned my fall made it impossible to do anything more than flail.

“Ho, ho! What’s this?” he said, touching one of my bared legs.

I struggled harder, but his hand just slid over my mud-coated skin, inching its way upward.

He put his free hand in my hair and pulled back hard, forcing me to arch off the ground. He leaned in toward my ear, never stopping his exploration. “No stockings? Naughty, Benella. Maybe I had the wrong sister.”

His hot breath fanned my cheek, and my anger boiled. I arched further back, trying to hit his head with my own as I’d done before. He laughed.

“Not this time.”

His fingers found the edge of my covering and slid underneath to stroke my buttocks. I screamed in fury, twisting sharply. The move pulled out some of my hair. He tried to hold me tight, but the mud and the rain made me too slippery to grip. I struggled further, clawing a handful of mud and decaying vegetation. Twisting, I slapped my handful of glop across his face, effectively blinding him. He grunted and pushed my head away, releasing my hair.

As he shifted to the side to wipe at his eyes, I took the opportunity and scrambled out from under him. Full of mud, I struggled to gain my feet and when I did, I slid more than I walked.

“You think you’re any different from the rest of us?” he cried.

“No,” I yelled back at him while looking for something I could use to bash him over the head. “How can I possibly be any different? Look at me.” The frustration over his blind, illogical hatred pooled in my blood.

“We all look at you,” he said. “You’re too good to look back. And when you do, it’s to look down your nose at us.”

He climbed to his feet, towering over me, hate plain on his face. His statement stunned me, and I stared at him with a frown. I’d never looked down on anyone. Had I? I gave what I could to the butcher to help those less fortunate. I’d even helped Tennen’s mother. How could that be looking down on anyone? I opened my mouth to protest but stopped when I felt something circle my waist. Tennen laughed as I looked down. Vines looped around me and began tugging me backward. Were they here to protect me and give me refuge? With the estate, I never knew what to expect.