"I told her to stay put, Matt, but you know Mandy."
"Yeah. Let's go find her, son." Matt was quickly mounted, and Rob led the way.
Amanda was furious and her green eyes reflected her anger and agitation. "You won't get away with this, Ted Fox!" The man had abducted her and dragged her kicking and screaming to one of the line shacks on the property. Her only hope what that Rob would come looking for her before the deranged man could carry out his threat to rape her.
"Once I have you, sugar, your Daddy will beg me to marry you... and that snooty Englishman won't give you the time of day."
"If you touch me I will see you dead."
"Is that any way to talk to the man you're going to marry, sugar? I won't put up with any of your sass, you know. I'll teach you your place and you'll do exactly as I say, when I say. When I want you to spread your legs for me, you'll do it, too!"
"I would rather die!"
Ted slapped her hard across the face. "You'd better learn to be careful what you say, girl."
"I don't take orders from you!"
"You will. You'll do what I say, when I say. If you say one word to your Pa about me, I'll see him dead. Do you hear me?"
Amanda just glared at the evil man. "I can't imagine what Helene sees in you?"
"I thought I wanted her Uncle's gun shop until you showed up. Why settle for a gun shop when you can have the largest ranch in the territory?"
"I guarantee you will never have this ranch, Ted. I promise you that. I will see you dead first." Amanda realized her instincts were right all along about the man.
"After I take my belt to you a few times you'll change your tune."
"You are out of your mind. My father is going to kill you!"
"Not if I kill him first, and I promise you I will kill him if you don't do what I tell you to do, starting right now." His hands went to the buckle of his belt. "Your Pa was too soft on you or we could have settled this before now."
"My father loves me and cares about me."
"He's too soft. If he'd let me take a strap to you a few times we'd already be married and you'd know your place."
"What did Helene ever see in you!" Amanda demanded, shaking her head. She was going to keep him talking.
"At least she didn't argue and sass like you do. Once we're married, I'll see to it she comes out here to stay, and I'll have her, too." He pulled his belt slowly through the loops on his pants. "Now you're going to pay for telling Helene to write a love note to me and pretending there was nothing between us. I've told you all along that we were going to be married when the time was right, but here you've been carrying on with that Englishman. I'll take care of him, too, when the time is right."
"You'll be the one taken care of," Amanda told him, her voice filled with derision. "My father and Rob are looking for me right now!" she predicted.
"You'd better hope they don't come here! I'll kill them if they do."
Amanda's green eyes opened wide when Ted doubled the belt in his right hand. He slowly approached the bed, where he had her hands tied above her head.
"You can make this easy or hard," Ted sneered. "Either way, you're getting' a licking with my belt for encouraging Helene and letting your Pa think I'm interested in her when it's you I want."
"I don't want you!" Amanda declared.
"Too bad." He suddenly reached out and flipped her on her stomach, crossing her arms as he did so. In the next instant he brought the doubled belt down across her butt. "I want you to scream, sugar."
"Never!"
"That is a long time!" he pointed out, giving her a second stripe across her bottom.
Amanda refused to cry out. She was not about to give the sick man the satisfaction of hearing her beg. Rob and her Papa would find her! They would! And the longer Ted spent beating her, the more time it gave them to get here and rescue her before the vile man forced himself on her. She prayed they would hurry!
"I have a bad feeling, son. A real bad feeling." Matt paused to think a minute. "It sounds to me like someone fired those gunshots hoping to draw you away from Mandy. Only someone on the ranch who saw you two riding out would know to follow you out here. And there is only one person who would have the nerve to kidnap my girl. Let's go find her." He headed his horse in the opposite direction that Rob would have taken, but Rob trusted Matt to know what he was doing.
They rode to a line shack, and Rob felt rage consume him when he heard screams of pain coming from inside. Matt's expression was deadly, and if it was Amanda in that cabin, whoever was harming her was going to die.
Chapter Seven
Martha sobbed in genuine distress. Each time the Master received a telegram it put him in a bad mood and he summoned her into his study and punished her. The messenger boy arrived half an hour earlier and she was tiptoeing about the large house, praying he would not send for her as he had twice before. The last time he doubled her punishment and then demanded she continue her duties as if there was nothing wrong. She could barely walk, and the housekeeper, an elderly woman who ruled the staff with an iron hand, took her into her private rooms and applied a salve to take away most of the pain, clucking in disapproval at the harshness of the beating. She also gave her something to drink that numbed Martha's senses, but left her able to polish the silver in the dining room. The Master had checked to be sure she was working several times, and Mrs. Coddington seemed to think he was hoping to find the young maid shirking her duties, or crying and whining about her predicament. Martha said nothing of the incident to her parents. Her father had so little time left to live, and Martha needed her wages to pay for the medicine that kept his pain to a minimum.
"Martha, you shall present yourself in my study in fifteen minutes sharp." The Master's sharp voice cut through her reverie, and she felt fear course through her body like a sharp knife. Part of her wanted to run out the door and never come back, but the practical part of her knew that her father would suffer immensely if she did not do as she was told. It was with a heavy heart that she tapped on the door of the study exactly fifteen minutes later.
"Come in, Martha," the Master said in his sharp voice. "Close the door, please." He waited until she did his bidding, and then motioned for her to approach his desk, where he sat studying her. "Do you enjoy working here, Martha?" he asked quietly.
"Yes, sir. I need my job," she replied truthfully.
"Yes, yes. You have said that your father is very ill and needs medication."
"Yes, sir. My Ma can't work right now because it is all she can to do care for Pa and the little ones at home."
"I think it is commendable that you are willing to work so hard to provide for your family, Martha."
"Thank you, sir."
"However, a young girl your age needs constant supervision and someone to monitor her behavior and see to it that she is disciplined. Since your father is unable to fulfill his role as your guardian, I feel I would be remiss if I were to neglect to offer this guidance."
Martha felt her blue eyes fill with tears and she bowed her head so that the Master would not see how upset she was. She feared another beating with his cane. He was a harsh man.
"Tell me, Martha, have you told your parents that I have found it necessary to punish you on two separate occasions?"
"No, sir!" She looked at him in horror. Her Pa would do his best to get out of bed to deal with the Master, and he was too ill for that!
"I see. You do not wish to upset your father while he is ill, am I correct?" he asked thoughtfully.
"Yes, sir."
"Too ill to deal with a young girl your age, and at a time when discipline is most important." He appeared to be deep in thought, but Martha knew the man was simply stalling. He was going to punish her again! "You have done nothing for which you deserve punishment; is this correct?" he asked, surprising her.
"Yes, sir. I have worked hard and tried to please both you and Mrs. Coddington."
"This is good, and I wish to ensure such good behavior will continue. I think a mild spanking will help you keep your mind on your duties and will prevent misconduct. Since your father is unable to guide you at this time, I will offer my help with this matter as your concerned employer. Do you wish for me to ask your father's permission, Martha, or shall you accept my offer willingly and turn up your skirts and lower your drawers for a spanking?"
"Sir, I have no need of a spanking!" Martha pleaded with the tall man. "I promise my behavior will be above reproach."
"Arguing with me over the matter is hardly above reproach," the Master frowned. "Will it be necessary to take out my cane after all?"