"Good. Perhaps you will begin to learn."
Laura continued to shriek as Maria's hand landed on her rear again and again. She did not stop until she was quite breathless and by then Laura could do little but slump to the opposite seat, wincing as her battered posterior pressed into the thin cushion beneath her, little protection from the hard wood underneath.
She began to weep as her stepmother sneered at her. "You are pathetic," Maria said. "Do you know that? Cannot even take the spanking you deserve without whining like the brat you are."
Laura glared back at her but said nothing. All she could think about was Mr Westall. Her papa would make it all okay, she knew that. But would he come for her after she turned down his proposal of marriage? Her body hurt but her mind was in agony. She felt that she was in the thrall of a thoroughly wicked woman, like the stepmother from the old fairy tales. Could she win out against such a villain? "I hate you," she said as her tears finally stopped falling.
"I care not."
"I will tell my father what you have done and he will want nothing more of you."
"I doubt you will be telling anyone anything."
Laura felt suddenly terrified. Something in the coldness of Maria's tone of voice was far more threatening than the beating she had just doled out. "What do you mean?" she asked, afraid of what the answer might be.
"You will see soon enough. Now you will be silent and sit still like a respectable woman. I have a headache."
Laura sat in silence, her fingers trembling with fear and cold, her flesh white as a draught blew through the edge of the carriage door seemingly headed straight for her. She had no idea how much time had passed since she last spoke but as the sun began to set, she grew increasingly afraid. They should have reached Rothsfield House by now. Where were they?"
Maria looked up and smiled, a cold smile that lacked any warmth. "This will do," she called out and the carriage stopped.
"What is this place?" Laura asked, glancing out into nothing but darkness.
"The place I shall forever remember," Maria said, opening the carriage door. "The place where I got rid of you for good."
Laura gasped as a pair of rough hands reached in and grabbed her. She caught a glimpse of the carriage driver's face as he dragged her out and tossed her to the ground.
She fell into thick mud and as she rose to her knees, she saw the driver climbing back into place. "What are you doing?" she cried, already beginning to shiver.
"You freeze to death," Maria called back as the carriage rolled away. "I gain your inheritance. Isn't marriage a wonderful institution?"
The driver lashed at the horses and the carriage raced away leaving Laura alone in the darkness. "Come back!" she screamed but only the wind heard her, taking her words and whipping them away into the night.
She wrapped her hands around her body which was shaking uncontrollably. Her teeth began to chatter as she looked around her for any kind of landmark. She could see nothing beyond the road the carriage had raced away along. She attempted to follow its tracks but as she set off it began to rain and within minutes the wheelmarks had faded into the thick mud of the poor quality trackway. She stopped, her feet numb, her hands burning with cold. "What do I do now?" she asked out loud.
Chapter 14
Edward rode as fast as he could. He had expected to catch up with the carriage containing Laura and Lady Rothsfield but he had not done so by the time he reached Rothsfield House. He cursed his stable boy for the time it had taken to prepare his horse. They must already be inside.
By the time he had set off, he was worried. It was not just the fact that someone had provided Lady Rothsfield with detailed information as to his teaching methods. That was a concern and something to be dealt with at the first opportunity. But far more importantly was the fact that Laura was being taken from him, perhaps never to return. He could not allow that.
All his life, he realised as he rode, he had wanted a perfect little to be his wife. Someone who would submit to him willingly but keep their spirit, a paradox he felt no one could ever reconcile. His last partner had tried but her defiance had led her to cheat on him. But with Laura, he felt, it was different. She would not cheat. He could see it in her eyes. She loved him. He knew she did.
Once he reached the house, he tied up his horse and ran up the steps, pulling at the bell several times before it was answered by an ancient butler. "Yes sir?"
"I must see Lord Rothsfield at once."
"I am afraid his Lordship is not seeing visitors at the moment. If you would like to leave your calling card, I shall … "
"Oh, to hell with you!" He shoved the butler aside and marched into the house. Striding through the hallway he found his quarry in his study, writing at his desk.
"Lord Rothsfield," he said, stepping inside. "I must speak to you."
"If it is about my daughter, she is your problem now. I have paid for the treatment and it is your concern if she rebels, not mine."
"No," Edward said, shaking his head. "It is nothing like that. I will be blunt sir. I love your daughter. I would respectfully like to request her hand in marriage."
Lord Rothsfield leaned back in his chair. "Good God sir. Do you know what you are letting yourself in for?"
"I do."
"Then I accept. There will be those that grumble but none of them would want her so they can whistle as far as I am concerned. I thought no one would ever take her on. Now, I suppose you will want to get back and give her the news that I have accepted?"
"Get back?"
"To Laura."
"She is not here?"
Lord Rothsfield blinked in surprise. "Here? Of course she is not here. She is with you."
Edward reacted quickly, doing his best to keep his expression under control. "Of course she is. Well thank you my Lord for your consent in this matter. I will let you know once her treatment is finished."
"Good man."
Edward shook the outstretched hand of Lord Rothsfield before walking out of the house, passing by the butler who still appeared to be recovering from being pushed out of the way. Once the horse was untied, Edward climbed on and rode away, thinking hard. If Laura was not at the house then where on earth was she? Lady Rothsfield had given him to believe she was going home. Where else would she go?
Turning his horse out into the countryside, he rode back home, arriving shortly after nightfall. He walked into the house and called for Mrs Flanders, asking if she had seen Laura.
"No Mr Westall, I assumed she had returned home."
"As did I. I must go look for her. Tell the littles there will be no bedtime story from me tonight."
"Of course."
As he left the house it began to rain, his horse grumbling as it was pulled away from its evening meal. "Where to go?" he said out loud as he rode out of the grounds. Where would Lady Rothsfield have gone?
He spent half the night searching the surrounding villages, calling into each tavern he passed to see if any had seen her or the carriage. It was all to no avail. The rain grew steadily heavier as he travelled further into the countryside until not a single pinprick of light could be seen.
He was slumping down in his seat, the rain running down the back of his neck, when his horse stopped dead. He flicked the reins and nudged its sides with his feet but still it did not move. "What is it girl?" he asked, looking around him. "Come on, get moving."
The horse whinnied but made no attempt at motion. Cursing it, Edward stepped down and glanced at its feet. Was it injured?
"You are the most stubborn of creatures," he snapped as he saw no sign of any injury.
At the sound of his voice a moan rose up behind him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he turned, wondering if the ghost stories about the moors were true after all. The moan came again and he sought out its source. "Who's there?" he called out.
"Papa?" a weak voice replied. "Is that you?"
He ran to the side of the road and there in the mud was Laura laid on her side. He knelt beside her as she lifted her head. Touching her cheek he exhaled heavily. "You are like ice," he cried, pulling off his coat and wrapping it round her.
"Is it really you?" she replied, her voice weak.
"It is," he said, lifting her onto the horse, no easy task as she was coated in mud. "What happened? No, do not speak. Let us get you home first. You will freeze to death if we remain here any longer."
He held her in place in front of him as he turned the horse and headed home. He shook in head in wonder. His horse had known. Lord only knew how but the beast had known she was there.
When they reached the house, he carried her inside, yelling for Mrs Flanders. "Prepare my bath," he said. "She needs heat at once."