Sylvie chuckled. “That will serve her right. Now, let me take a look at you.”
“Why?” Oasis asked calmly.
“Your knuckles are bleeding and if I don’t bind them now, you won’t be able to hold a pen next time you have to go to those fancy Parliamentary meetings.” She grabbed Oasis’ hand and shook her head at the damage. “I wonder what your mother will say about your new scars.”
“You didn’t,” Oasis gasped. “Please don’t tell her.”
“Then sit down and let me look at your hands.”
A soft noise coming from the bed had them both turning to face it. Marianne had a slight grimace on her lips.
“See, now Marianne thinks I’m some kind of a weakling who fears his mother,” she teased and was glad to her the same sound come from Marianne. She went over to the bed and took the woman’s hand in hers. “Hello, Marianne. I know you can’t speak right now, but you’re at my house and we’ll take good care of you. All you need to do is sleep and get better. You hear?” Marianne nodded. “Good. Now, we’ll leave you to rest.”
They stepped out of the room only to find a sombre-looking Caleb waiting for them in the hallway. Oasis looked at Sylvie. “It seems our time is up, Sylv. Can I find you later?”
Sylvia sniffed. “You better or I’ll have your mother chase you down.” She stomped past them, giving Caleb a curt nod.
“What did you do? You know that she’ll be angry at me also for whatever it is you’ve done?”
Oasis held up her knuckles. “I will go see her later and everything will be forgotten,” she said calmly. “Why are you here?”
“Have you heard anything about Lady Tia?”
“Let’s talk in the library.” They made their way to the library, where Oasis poured them each a drink. “What have you heard?”
“Nothing.” Caleb took a long sip from his glass. “You seem remarkably calm.”
“I am calm, because I have to be. I don’t want to draw any attention to myself.”
“So, what did you hear?”
Oasis took a seat near the fire. “The police and the Queen’s Personal Guard are scouring the city as we speak. According to my estimation, they should find something by tomorrow.” Caleb nodded, his eyes on his drink. “And there are talks of the perpetrators facing the death penalty.”
Caleb looked up quickly. “But I thought the death penalty had been abolished?”
“Not yet, but a bill to that effect was tabled in Parliament a few months ago and the overall response was favourable. However, some factions in the House are hoping to call for it for this specific situation.”
“And that is good?”
Oasis smiled thinly. “It’s very good for what I intend to do.” A short knock on the door sounded. “Come.”
It was the doorman. “Lady Tia’s manservant is here, milord. He asked to see you.”
Burton? Oasis had planned on speaking to the man. “Please send him in.”
She looked at Caleb and found the other man frowning heavily. “This is not going to end well, is it?”
“It depends on what you consider the ‘it’ is, my friend. You don’t have to stay for this.”
Caleb walked over to the table and filled his glass. “I’m staying.”
Burton entered and his eyes went directly to Oasis. For a moment their gazes held before Burton’s slid over to where Caleb stood. Caleb came over and handed the man a drink.
“Burton.”
“Caleb.” He took the glass and drained it. “Thank you.” Oasis saw the dark circles under the man’s eyes and that his hand was trembling as he took the drink. She slowly came to her feet.
“I’m sorry for what happened, Burton.”
“What are you doing about it, milord? I know her well and I’m sure she’s waiting for you to find her.” Oasis picked up on the emphasis on ‘you’ and she studied the man more closely. Did he know something? Had Tia told him anything?
“She told me everything, milord.” Ah, she was right.
“That’s good. It would’ve been difficult for her to keep something like that from you.” She walked over and filled her glass. “Another?”
“No, thank you, milord.”
She turned back to him. “It might not seem like it, Burton, but believe me when I tell you that we are doing everything to find her. Between the police, the Queen’s Guard and my men, we should have something by tomorrow.”
Burton pierced her with an intense gaze. “And what if you don’t find her or if she’s…”
Oasis eyes narrowed. “That’s not going to happen. I won’t let it happen.” The thought of Tia getting hurt was too much for her. She swallowed hard. “I’ll find her, I promise.” She drank from her glass. This had been going on long enough.
***
Tia exhaled loudly as she regained consciousness. She carefully opened her eyes. Unlike the first time, the headache and the thirst were gone. She was slightly disoriented as she glanced around. Her eyes widened in horror as she took in the sight. She was lying on a filthy mattress in some decrepit warehouse. But that was not what had made her blood chill. Two men, both seemingly intoxicated by the sight of the empty bottles of rum present, were slouched over a table. She felt a scream forming in her throat as she noted that one of the men was in his underwear.
“No!” She sat up and noticed that her dress was halfway up her thighs. “Please…” She tried to pull the skirt of her dress down, just as the door to the warehouse burst open and a number of police officers piled into the room. One of them came directly to her, but he was unceremoniously pushed away as a familiar-looking man leaned over her.
“Your Grace, let me help you up.” He didn’t wait for her to respond, but swung her up into his arms. The light outside was bright and it hurt her eyes, but Tia ignored it as she swept the many faces surrounding her, looking for one in particular. She wasn’t here. Why had she thought that Oasis would be here? Because she is always near, her inner voice whispered. She was placed in a carriage and whisked away from the scene.
“The queen asked that you be taken to the Palace where the royal physician will inspect your injuries.” He smiled warmly. “We are glad to have you back with us, Your Grace.”
Tia gave him a bland stare and he blushed. She, too, was happy to be alive and back where she belonged. But she was well-aware that this was only the beginning of a rocky path ahead for her. If only she could see Oasis and speak to her. “Could you do me a favour, sir, and ask Lord Benedict Pope to come see me, please?”
The man’s smile faltered a little and he looked slightly confused. “I will send one of my men to find him, Your Grace.”
Much relieved that she would be seeing Oasis soon, Tia leaned back into the seat.
Her reception by the queen was almost boisterous and the two friends embraced long and hard.
“Oh, Tia, I thought I would never see you again. You have no idea how many times I blamed myself for talking you into taking me to the slums. Had I not, you would…”
Tia squeezed the other woman’s hand. “I do not blame you, Your Majesty. On the contrary, I admire your zeal in wanting to help your subjects.” Tia smiled. “I pray that what happened to me, would not be cause for you to withdraw your support of them.”
The queen looked unsure. “To be honest, I have thought of discarding the whole idea.”
“I pray you would reconsider, Your Majesty. Unscrupulous characters are everywhere, even amongst our peers, but they are not a true representation of our individual values as members of the peerage.”
The queen gazed at her long and hard, before a small smile began to curl around her lips. “You’ve just been through hell and back and yet you still find it in your heart to fight for the people. If only we had many more like you, Lady Tia, Britain would be the greatest country in the world.” The door opened and a thin, moustachioed man was ushered in. “Now, let my physician take a look at you and then we can talk some more.”
Tia allowed herself to
be led over to the love seat and the doctor came to kneel before her. His eyes were warm as he looked at her. “It truly is great to have you back in one piece, Your Grace.” She nodded her thanks and leaned back as he began his examination. The queen, Tia was aware, was hovering over the man’s shoulder. Tia stifled a laugh when she would enquire about every little test the doctor was doing, to the man’s frustration. At least she still enjoyed the friendship of the queen.
But she wanted Oasis here.
***
Rocheline rolled her hips, taking him deeper and she grinned when her husband let out a soft gasp. Truth be told, she would always want Benedict, but Henry was not a bad second choice. He didn’t have a title, or money, but he was respected by his peers and his employer, the queen. He was also gentle with her and she loved the fact that many of the ladies found him to be quite handsome. He was also quite good in bed and incredibly responsive.
“Ah…” The deep moan reverberated through her and she leaned down to kiss him hard.
“Yes, Captain, do you like it when I do this?” She pinched and twisted his nipples and hissed when he thrust deep. “Or do you like this?” She clenched the muscles of her sex. Henry’s eyes rolled back and he came furiously inside of her. She leaned forward and pumped her hips hard and fast until she came, too. She rested on his broad chest, listening to his heartbeat. After a while, Henry lifted his head and looked at her.
“To what do I owe this afternoon ambush, dear wife?”
She grinned and raked her nails down his flat stomach. “I’m your wife, that’s why.”
He chuckled, the action vibrating pleasantly through her own body. “In that case, I hope to remain your husband forever.” He gave her a quick kiss and gently rolled her off him as he sat up. “But I need to get back to work now. I would hate for one of my men to storm in here and find us like this.”
Rocheline laughed. “He would probably die of envy,” she quipped as she began to right her clothing. She gave Henry a warm kiss. “I’m so proud of you. I knew that you would find Lady Tia.”
Henry shrugged. “It took some doing, but we managed to find her.” He sighed as he pulled on his shirt. “I feel sorry for her, though.”
She stopped her grooming and turned to look at her husband. “Why? She was saved and from what I’ve heard, she was unharmed.”
“Yes, that’s right.” He pulled up his pants and fasted them. “Maybe it won’t come to that.”
“What are you talking about?”
Henry frowned as he looked at his wife. “I’m not sure I should tell you, knowing your propensity to share things with your friends.” He lessened the sting with a warm smile and a kiss.
“Now you’ve got to tell me, Henry,” she pleaded. “I’ll let you know that I’ll die if you didn’t.” She pressed herself up against him. “I promise to make it worth your while, Captain Masters.” She knew she had won him over when his hand came to rest on her derriere. “Yes, even that, my dear husband.”
He smiled. “Fine, but I beg you not to repeat it to anyone.” At her eager nod, he sighed. “We found Lady Tia in the presence of two men, both drunk and one half-dressed. She was resting on a mattress nearby.”
Rocheline’s eyes almost bugged out. “Are you saying that…?”
“I’m saying nothing,” he interrupted hastily. “I’m just telling you what we found when we entered the place where she had been kept.” He pulled on his jacket. “It could be that nothing had happened, but there were so many people there and already a few rumours are making the rounds.”
Rocheline blinked in shock. This was so good. She was happy with Henry, but she had always wished that she could find a way to get back at the duchess for stealing Benedict from her. “That’s terrible,” she murmured, even as her mind was racing with who she was going to tell first. “I can’t imagine what it must be like for her.”
“Nor I, my dear. She didn’t say anything, except to ask me to call Lord Benedict Pope.”
Her hands balled into fists as she watched her husband where he was sitting, pulling on his boots. She had the gall to call for her lover so soon after she had been rescued. The woman was shameless and she thought her rank would protect her?
Well, she was going to make sure that Lady Tia disappeared from the London scene forever. Maybe then, she could entice Benedict back to her bed. She wasn’t against having her bread buttered on both sides.
With a small smile, Rocheline went to assist her husband with fastening his laces.
***
Oasis stepped into the Gentleman’s Club to find it crowded. She shrugged out of her jacket and handed it and her cane to the doorman. “Are you hosting an event?” she asked as she accepted the token for her belongings.
The man smiled, not showing any teeth. “No, milord, but the gentlemen are in deep discussion over a current matter.”
Oasis snorted. What a way of speaking and not saying anything useful at all. She made her way to the cigar lounge where she could hear a heated debate going on. The lounge was almost fully occupied and she made her way over to the bar.
“…suicide mission and I’m not a fool to tempt fate.”
She received her drink and turn to look at the man speaking. Lord Harold Moore, fourth Earl of Glanville, was at the centre of the discussion. His pinched face was irate as he spoke. “First, she is bartered off like a cow and now that she’s considered a soiled dove, we are expected to sacrifice our lives for her hand. That, I say, is quite disrespectful to everyone, the lady included.”
“So, will you consider it then?” a voice asked.
Lord Moore snorted. “No, my friend. As lovely and alluring as the dear Lay Tia is, I am not willing to forfeit my life for her.” The crowd laughed at that and Lord Moore sat down. A young lord stood up.
“I might consider the offer,” he said in a slurred voice.
“Sit down, Ian, and keep your fool mouth closed,” an elderly man said to the younger man. “You can barely stay on your horse after you’ve had a few, you would never survive the frontline.”
Oasis took a sip from her drink. So, that is the plan the king has devised after his master plan was foiled. Lady Tia’s hand for a time spent on the frontlines. She took another sip from her glass to hide her anger at the humiliation that Tia had to endure. She drained her glass and left. More was going to be said and the drunker the men become, Tia would also be vilified in this whole saga.
She wasn’t going to stay for that.
***
Tia looked up expectantly when there was knock on her door. The queen had insisted that she stay here for the time being until she was rested enough to return to Alcott House. At the time, she had been too tired to argue with the queen. As the days went by, turning into a week, with no sign of Oasis, she was glad that she was here and not alone in her big house, crying her eyes out at Oasis’ blatant refusal to see her. She was well-aware of the rumours doing the rounds. In fact, she had expected them, but it still hurt to walk into the drawing room and be met with fake smiles. The worst were the sympathetic looks. That rated a little higher than the ‘sudden silences’ that greeted her as she passed the groups of so-called friends. A few stalwarts were on her side and she made sure to only seek them out when she made a turn through the drawing room. The queen had advised her to not cower in the face of these rumours, urging her to make at least two visits a day to the drawing room. She hated it, but if there was someone who had more experience having had rumours and evil looks directed at her, it was the queen. It was never easy for a foreign queen to establish herself in a tight-knit English society. The queen managed to do not only that, but also won the hearts of her subjects. So, Tia would follow her advice to the letter. She couldn’t help but realize that this was exactly what she and Oasis had been doing these past months. Expose and exile. What were the odds of her going through the same rites?
“The queen requests your presences in her private sitting room, Your Grace.”
Tia nodded and droppe
d the book, she had attempted to read, on the bed and followed the courtier down the hall to the queen’s private wing.
“Tia,” the queen exclaimed when she saw her and rushed over. “Come, my dear, sit. Would you take some tea?”
“That would be nice, Your Majesty,” Tia accepted gracefully, intrigued by the queen’s obvious good mood.
“Good.” She glanced at the courtier before she moved to sit next to Tia and taking her hands in hers. “I have really good news for you, my dear.”
Tia blinked. “Good news, Your Majesty?”
“Yes!” The queen was smiling wildly as she got up to stand before Tia. “The king has received a marriage proposal for you.”
Tia felt her heart plummet at the news. Her undesired notoriety had caused the archduke’s emissary to retract the wedding proposal and Tia had been relieved that something good had at least come from her ordeal. Only now, she was to be traded off to another man.
The queen was looking at her with a broad smile. Tia offered her a lacklustre one in return.
XIX
‘All good things come to an End’
Oasis looked at the number of carriages in the line before hers and sighed. The annual Spring Ball had brought everyone out in their most splendid wear and Oasis gave herself a once over. Her mother had travelled all the way from Trenton Hall to help her choose an outfit for the ball and after seeing how excited the older woman was at getting Oasis ready, Oasis had allowed Floure to pull and prod her all she liked. The end result was a dark blue, suit over a crisp white shirt. Her curls had been brushed until they were shiny and then brushed back to expose her broad forehead. She had smiled at her reflection in the mirror. For as long as she could remember she had tried to rein in her curls and they had stubbornly disobeyed her every time. But it would seem her mother’s hand was all they had needed.
Now here she sat in the carriage, eager to see Tia again and scared that the woman would tell her off at first sight. She wished she had a drink. A flask appeared before her and she looked up and smiled.
Worlds Apart Page 27