Fall From Grace (Slater #1)

by Sammy King

  “Come on Laura we need to get you out of here” she said quietly with an air of nervousness etched into her voice.

  Laura frowned and took the outstretched hand of Nurse Alice who wrapped her fingers tight around Laura’s. She stood and with shaking legs under the weight of her emotional release she followed the nurse into the darkened hallway. Nurse Alice seemed to be skitterish as she crept through the halls of the asylum. Laura could hear the familiar sounds of moaning and screaming that she had become accustomed to, but she could also make out the clanging sounds of pots and dishes, sounds that she hadn’t heard in the asylum before. She looked around and realised that she didn’t recognise where they were. Laura didn’t know where Nurse Alice was leading her, but it wasn’t to a place that she had been before. With a quick look over her shoulder, Nurse Alice led Laura to two big heavy wooden doors. Leaning her shoulder into the wood, Nurse Alice shoved open one of the doors and Laura was met by the cold fresh breeze of the outside world.

  Laura couldn’t remember how long it had been since she had seen the outside world, she tried to remember, but the days had melded into one long month or even year. The scents that assaulted her nostrils and the breeze that swept around her bare legs, the way her hair danced in the wind all filled Laura with a sense of freedom and hope that she had thought was lost. Laura paused and breathed in deep, closing her eyes, lifting her face to the moon. Nurse Alice tugged on her hand, dragging her through the small grassy clearing and into the spattering of woods that enclosed the asylum. Once they were in the woods, it came crashing down on Laura what the nurse meant by getting her out of there, they were escaping. Laura pulled back on the nurse’s hand, bringing her to a sudden halt. Terror filled her body, fear of the unknown.

  “Laura please; we need to keep going or they will find us here” Nurse Alice spoke.

  “Please, we can’t, I’m scared” Laura said just barely above a whisper.

  Alice stopped tugging on Laura’s hand and turned to face her; she put her hands on either side of Laura’s face and brought her lips to Laura’s. Laura could smell the sweet scent of her breath and the warmth of Nurse Alice’s lips on her own. Laura felt an overwhelming desire to feel loved and to be comforted. Laura felt Nurse Alice’s tongue begin to intrude her mouth and she instinctively opened her lips and entwined her tongue with the nurses. It was the first passionate kiss Laura had experienced since being with Porter and although Nurse Alice’s kisses were more gentle and different somehow they still filled Laura with that same wanton desire. Nurse Alice pulled Laura close, tangling her fingers through her hair and Laura moaned at the comfort it brought. She was breathless when the kiss finally ended.

  “Will you let me take you away Laura?” Nurse Alice asked, her forehead pressed against Laura’s.

  Laura nodded as Nurse Alice entwined her fingers with Laura’s and lead them through the woods. They continued to run for what felt like hours. Laura’s body screamed with exhaustion and the muscles that she hadn’t used for so long wanted to stop running, but the fear of what might be coming behind them spurred her on. With a sharp and sudden turn to the left, Laura saw a dark shadow looming above them in the woods. As they got closer Laura recognised a house nestled into the woods. A small stone cottage hidden under growth of ivy and mistletoe, Nurse Alice lead Laura to the house and opened the front door quietly. Inside it was simple, only one room containing a large bed, a small wood stove and a chair. Nurse Alice reached to the stove and lit the candle that sat atop of it. In the light of the candle she watched the shadows dance across the walls.

  Nurse Alice led Laura to the bed and guided her to sit on the edge. She took Laura’s head in her hands and brushed her hair from her face.

  “You’re not hurt are you Laura?” Nurse Alice spoke gently.

  Laura shook her head as she looked into the soft green eyes of the woman that had cared so well for her in the asylum but had also kissed her so tenderly in the woods, she had managed to kiss away any trepidation Laura had. Laura felt safe in the arms of Nurse Alice.

  “Where are we?” Laura asked looking around.

  “This is my home” Nurse Alice spoke.

  “Nurse Alice?” Laura said, watching her face. “Why did you take me away?”

  Nurse Alice took Laura’s face in her hands again.

  “Oh Laura, just call me Alice and I took you away, because you are too beautiful to keep in such a place. I love you Laura” she spoke. “If I had left you there god only knows what that disgusting piece of filth psychiatrist would have put you through”

  Laura frowned. She got the feeling that Alice had been put through hell by someone. But Laura didn’t know what love was. She had loved her mother and her father, but both had left her. She had loved Porter, but he left her. She didn’t want to love Alice only to have her leave her too. Laura felt tears drip onto her cheeks. Alice reached up and wiped Laura’s tears with her thumb, before running her tongue over the salty water that dripped from the nurse’s finger. She pushed Laura’s shoulders gently, laying her back on the bed and lifting her legs under the heavy woollen blanket.

  “Quiet now Laura, sleep, I will be here in the morning then we will talk more” Alice spoke gently.

  Laura felt the exhaustion hit her hard and the darkness enveloped her mind, sending her into a dreamless sleep.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Porter.

  He was furious. Porter wanted to follow his father into the house and pummel him for not telling him about Laura. But he knew that it would be of no use, it wouldn’t serve any great purpose and it wouldn’t change the past or bring back his child. He was a Slater, a family filled with secrets and deception, all to save the image that had to be portrayed by their kind. The Slater family sat at the grand table eating a meal fit for a king, over indulgent opulence, it made Porter feel sick at the ridiculous show. Richard and Hannah sat at the head of the table smiling at one another and making a great show of discussing wedding plans for their youngest daughter Marion. He and Cole sat beside one another quietly while Richard ignored the elephant in the room. The huge glaring elephant that was the discovery that Laura’s child, that had died, was his flesh and blood and that Richard had simply thrown her away. Porter watched his father gnaw at a thigh of a turkey, feeling his stomach churn with nausea. He threw his napkin on his plate and stood abruptly.

  “Where are you going?” Richard bellowed from the head of the table, grease and bits of turkey strewn through his beard.

  Porter clenched his hands into fists and rested them on the table; he narrowed his eyes at his father, feeling a growl building up in his throat. He chewed on his lip, to prevent his anger from boiling over.

  “I need some air” he spat through clenched teeth.

  He heard his father sputtering indignantly and his mother trying to calm him as Porter swung the heavy door of the dining room open and headed to the front porch. As he marched down the steps he saw the carriage coming up the dirt path leading to the house. The driver brought the horses to a halt in front of him and he saw Stefan step out of the carriage, a look of concern etched over his face.

  “Ah Porter, we have a problem” Stefan spoke very fast as if not able to take a breath.

  “What is it?” Porter snapped, not interested in ministering and just wanting to be alone.

  “Laura” Stefan said.

  Porter snapped his head up to stare into Stefan’s eye.

  “What about her?” Porter asked, his brow pulling into a frown to match Stefan’s.

  “She escaped” he said, threading his hand through his hair, the look of disbelief and confusion on his face.

  “How? How the hell did this happen?” Porter practically shouted.

  “I don’t know, it’s impossible” Stefan spoke quietly as he leaned into Porter’s side.

  “Did you touch her?” Porter said narrowing his eyes.

  Stefan shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair.

  “No not at all, I know that you
had claimed her as yours. She was yours to have Porter” Stefan said emphatically.

  Porter could hear movement coming towards the door and knew that his father would be on the step soon. Porter didn’t need his father to know about Laura’s escape, he would hunt her down like a fox. He had done enough damage to her already; he didn’t need his father running off half-cocked trying to find a lunatic girl. Richard didn’t share the same love for the womankind that he did. Porter waved towards Stefan and ushered him back into the carriage telling the driver to take them back to the asylum.

  Once they reached the driveway, Porter could see his father on the front step of their home. Porter bent forward and put his head between his knees.

  “Stefan” Porter said as he looked up, tears filled his eyes “Laura’s child, was my child” he spoke quietly.

  Stefan frowned and brought his finger up to his mouth chewing on his nail. He leaned forward and pet Porter on his knee.

  “Now is not the time to dwell on this, now is time to find the girl, so that you can have what seems was always yours” he spoke calmly.

  Porter felt relief at the calmness that exuded Stefan; his nerves were beginning to mount that something might happen to Laura that she might get hurt, that seeing him had been the final straw to push her over the edge. That perverse demon that had gone and was now replaced with an overwhelming love for her, one that he had never experienced with any woman, not even his own mother or sisters, this love was unexplainable. Stefan spoke with Porter about a scheme that he had going on with some of the girls at the asylum. Stefan knew many aristocrats across the country that weren’t able to conceive and would pay good money for a child of their own. He told Porter that he impregnated women in the asylum, women who no longer had contact with their family. Women whose pregnancy wouldn’t raise suspicion, then when they delivered he took the baby and sold it like a piece of property to the highest bidder. Laura was eyed to be one of these women. When Porter discovered that she was one of the women Stefan had picked to become a surrogate he laid his claim. Porter didn’t want that so called doctor to touch her. Laura was his.

  “How did she get out Stefan?” Porter asked watching the man’s face.

  “We don’t know, it’s like she vanished, she was locked in a solitary room and I went to see her. The door was locked and she wasn’t inside. Nobody saw her leave, nobody heard anything, she simply vanished” Stefan explained shaking his head in disbelief.

  They continued their travel to the asylum in silence. There were so many questions that filled Porter. How can a woman simply disappear from an asylum? Could he trust that Stefan was telling him the truth? He just couldn’t understand it.

  When they arrived at the asylum, Stefan took Porter to the room in which Laura had been held. Together they searched for any way to escape, but it was just like Stefan had said, it was as if she had completely disappeared. Together they went to her cot to look through her things to find any clues. Apart from the occasional letter from a man named Thomas there was no clues as to her disappearance.

  “Is everything alright with Laura” one of the young nurses asked.

  Porter turned to face her, her red hair pinned under a white hat, her crisp white uniform hung about her body. She was beautiful but didn’t hold a candle to Laura, well at least to who she had been.

  “Ah Nurse Alice, well yes there seems to be a problem with Laura, it seems that she has well simply vanished” Stefan spoke.

  Porter watched Nurse Alice’s face, she didn’t flinch or even seem to be all that surprised by the disappearance.

  “That can’t be possible; someone must have let her out perhaps? Could she be in another room? A mix up” Nurse Alice spoke, her eyes fluttering between Porter and Stefan. “Or maybe some doctor took her for some extra activities” she spat.

  Stefan’s eyes widened, his face started to blush red.

  “No, no, that’s not possible, we have checked everywhere and there are no extra activities going on here” Stefan spoke with agitation and what seemed like fear in his voice. “You were the closest to her; did she say anything about escaping?” he asked changing the subject quickly.

  For the first time Porter noticed the nurse flinch and something crossed her eyes, was it panic? Or disgust? She shook her head, before quickly excusing herself and dealing with the patient in the far corner playing in their excrement. Porter stood watching Nurse Alice. She seemed to genuinely care for her patients, but something didn’t sit right with him. He got the feeling that she knew more about Laura’s disappearance than she was letting on and her face was so familiar.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Laura.

  When Laura awoke, she could see the sunlight beginning to filter in through a small grimy window. She stretched in the small bed as the memory crashed into her that she wasn’t at her home. A movement caught her eye and she looked over to see Alice coming quietly through the door. When Alice looked over at Laura awake her face lit up.

  “Good morning Laura, did you sleep alright?” she asked.

  Laura nodded and smiled. She had such mixed emotions over what was going on. On one hand she was excited at the prospect of being free, but afraid that the asylum would find her. Alice came and sat on the edge of the bed, resting her hand on Laura’s leg through the heavy woollen blanket.

  “Good. I’ve spoken with Stefan and Porter the minister, they were looking for you, but they don’t know how you got out” Alice stifled a giggle under her hand “they think you just up and disappeared like some kind of witch” she giggled again. “That will teach that filthy old fool” Alice laughed.

  “Porter was looking for me?” Laura asked.

  Alice narrowed her eyes and nodded, her body seemed to stiffen with Laura’s question.

  “Yes, why? Do you know him?” she asked suspiciously.

  Laura closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath, before sighing.

  “Yes. We were lovers” Laura stated dryly.

  Alice removed her hand from Laura’s leg as if it had burnt her. Laura flicked her eyes open to see that Alice visibly paled as she slowly shook her head.

  “When?” Alice asked.

  Laura was confused by Alice’s reaction, she couldn’t understand why she would be concerned by Porter and felt like she had done something to make Alice mad.

  “When were you and that so called minister lovers?” Alice suddenly shrieked.

  Laura sat up in the bed and brought her knees to her chest, climbing back against the wall. Her eyes were beginning to fill with tears and her hands trembled with fear.

  “Before my mother died, the child, my son, it was his” she spoke quietly just over a whisper.

  As if Alice had been punched in the stomach she seemed to physically crumple and exhaled a deep breath. She looked up to see the terror that she was causing in Laura and wiped her hand down her face. When Alice took her hand away, Laura could see that her eyes had softened.

  “Oh Laura, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you afraid. Come closer” she said, reaching out a hand for Laura and pulling her to the edge of the bed.

  Laura suddenly wasn’t sure that she was any safer with Alice than she was at the asylum. Alice reached up and began to stroke Laura’s hair as she lowered her head onto her lap. Alice continued to coo to her as Laura tried to control the violent trembling that shook her entire body.

  They didn’t speak again about Porter for the rest of the day. Alice made a lot of small talk and spoke of plans to take them away from the cottage, to go to the sea, to see the world. Laura couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that had settled into the pit of her stomach, the gnawing feeling that something bad was going to happen. Laura wanted to run, maybe her father would have her back, maybe he wouldn’t send her away again and maybe she could convince him that she was better. As if Alice could read her thoughts, she snapped her head up to Laura.

  “Don’t try and run away Laura, no one will care for you like I will, they will tell Porter and you wil
l be put back in the asylum or even worse gaol.” She said bluntly.

  Laura’s eyes filled with tears as any hope she had of freedom seemed to be snatched from her. Laura tried to muster up a reassuring smile to tell Alice that she wouldn’t run, but her lips faltered and her bottom lip trembled. Her tears that had only been threatening to spill flowed like heavy droplets down her cheeks. Alice walked to where Laura sat on the bed and pulled her tightly into her arms.

  “Come now, it’s not time for tears. You are safe here with me, I will care for you, you will soon forget about Porter” Alice said.

  Laura looked up into Alice’s face; her green eyes weren’t as bright as Laura’s, her red hair hung down about her shoulders. Alice put a hand on either side of Laura’s face and started to cover her lips with light kisses. As she brushed her lips on Laura’s, she moved her hands down to Laura’s shoulders. Then through the light material of her nightdress, Laura felt as Alice cupped her breast, brushing her fingers over her nipple. Laura felt wrong, she knew what the church taught and what they were doing, the church said wasn’t right, but her body betrayed her and she felt her nipples stiffen. Laura closed her eyes and the memory of Porter touching her the same way flooded her mind. Alice’s hands were far gentler than Porters, but it still elicited a desirable pleasure.

  Alice began to kiss down Laura’s neck, grazing her teeth over the sensitive skin just under her ear and Laura heard a moan escape her lips. Spurred on, Alice moved her head down her chest and kissed at her nipples through the thin material. Laura instinctively arched her back. Alice reached down to the hem of Laura’s nightgown and lifted it up over her head, Laura’s nipples were hard. Alice reached forward cupping the rounded mounds, lightly tracing the nipple with her fingers. Laura couldn’t hold back the surge of pleasure she felt at being touched so gently.

  “Oh Laura, you are so beautiful” Alice murmured into her chest.

  Laura closed her eyes tight, she didn’t want to hear Alice’s voice; she wanted it to be Porter as her imagination showed her. She could feel Alice’s fingers on her thighs, digging into the pale flesh and pushing her legs apart. Alice shifted down the bed until she was kneeling on the floor. Laura’s sex was spread before Alice. She could hear the hitch in Alice’s breath when she took in the view, Laura’s blonde hairs coated in a slick glow from her juices. With one hand Alice pushed Laura back onto the bed as she kissed up and down her thighs.