“When can we stop? I’m starting to cramp.” She asked, and the driver told her that it’d be only a few minutes more before they pulled off the path. She smiled as the carriage started to roll to a stop. She could hear the horses, as they seemed to be happy as well. Soon enough the carriage seemed to come to a full stop, and her door was opening.
“You needed to stretch Ms. Lauren?” The driver said, offering her his hand so that she could get down.
They day looked bright, and there was warmth radiating all around. Lauren smiled as she looked at the horse which was being led to a distant stream to get some water after the driver told her that he’d be back. She felt bad for just a moment thinking that she couldn’t remember his name. Rufus Allens. She thought to herself, smiling brightly as she remembered. It made her feel a little better.
She went back to stand by the carriage for a moment, knowing that they’d be going soon. She sighed a little, but that’s when she thought she heard men coming up the path. She was sure that she heard the pounding of hooves. Lauren shook her head as she looked from right to left. No one is coming. She thought, but there was no doubt that she heard it, and that’s when she realized that it was coming from across the beaten path. There were four horsemen, riding right towards them.
Her driver was shouting at her as he tried to bring the horse back quickly. She looked at him confused, but there was panic written all over his face. She shook her head, but that’s when it donned on her. She knew that she should be afraid just by the look on Rufus’ face. She went to get back in her carriage, but the pounding of hooves got much stronger. By the time she turned around they were already there.
“Sack the carriage.” Was the only thing she could understand of the long thing that was said. She just shook her head. Lauren couldn’t wrap her mind around what was happening. A knife was at her driver’s throat, and she was standing there. Someone grabbed her wrist, but it was all happening too fast. All of her things came out, one after the other, and she looked at the man that was sitting on the horse beside her, but he wasn’t there. He was now the one holding her wrist. His eyes met hers, and she couldn’t help but to gasp.
“Can’t leave a pretty lady like you abandoned.” He said with a grin, and with that he picked her up, pulling her onto the horse with him as he tipped his hat in a mocking manner to her driver. The man’s knife went far too close to his throat, pressing into it. She was riding off with them before she knew it. Looking back, the carriage was getting smaller and smaller.
“I demand you let me go!” Lauren shouted after things had quieted down. When she seemed to snap out of it and reality came back in sharp clarity. It was not just the pounding of hooves, but also the pounding of her heart.
“I don’t think you have too much room for demanding.” The man said with a small smirk, and the horse picked up its pace. She couldn’t help but to yelp as she was nearly tossed off it wasn’t for his firm hand holding her to him. He leaned in closer to her, making her shudder at the contact as she bit her bottom lip.
“So just be good and stay quiet for now. This is going to be a long ride for you if you aren’t used to horseback, Miss.” He said, and there seemed to be amusement in his voice.
She didn’t realize how right he was. She soon become sore, and it was only the pounding of her heart and the pounding of hooves that seemed to keep her awake. She sat there in shock until the horse came to a stop, as she tried to process how her life was changing. Lauren couldn’t seem to process it. She could only keep moving as he helped her down from the horse.
Chapter Two
The next morning was something from her nightmares. She woke up to a place she couldn’t quite remember how she got there until it call came flooding back, and when she did, she realized that everything was spinning. Trying to get ahold of herself, she dressed and started to mount her horse. She ignored the looks around her, and she tried to think, but thought wasn’t coming easily. There was beauty all around her, but she couldn’t appreciate it. Her body ached, and the sun that was just starting to rise seemed to make her squint her eyes and shake her head.
Lauren knew that she just needed to wait. She needed to try to rationalize. They don’t want me hurt. That’s something, but what’s going to happen to me? She thought, and worry continued to settle into her chest. She felt as if it was almost hard to breathe, but with a few deep breathes, she centered herself like every English woman should.
She had no idea how much time had passed before someone came in. she thought for a moment that it was a woman to bring more water, but when no one moved further than inside the door she looked that way to see polished leather shoes with perfect laces, as if they didn’t have a spec of dirt on them. Lauren looked up with her heart hammering all over again, and everything she had did to calm herself just flew out the window.