by Nancy Wells
Elliot watched in amazement as the old crone ran away from the chapel like a frightened cat. One threat of the gallows was enough for her to remember her place. The moment her aunt vanished from the premise of the chapel, the girl started to sob. She was looking at the entrance of the chapel, waiting for a miraculous reappearance of her aunt. Either she was really close to her aunt or she was faking all this to gain sympathy from him. He was inclined to believe the second because he did not see any maternal love in the aunt.
“Are you ready, wife?” he asked.
For the first time in her life, Emily wished to return to the cottage. She did not want to go with the duke. She wished to resume her old routine. Emily was mourning the outcome of her bad fortune. Why would life treat her so harshly when she had never harmed anyone? Punishments were for bad people while Emily had the kindest soul in the entire village.
“When I ask you a question, I expect an answer.”
Emily looked at the emotionless face of the duke. She started trembling at the threat in his voice. He was cruel and heartless. She would not survive for long under his roof. Gulping audibly, Emily looked away from him.
“Yes, Your Grace. I am ready,” she said, meekly.
The duke kept looking at her with disdain. She cowered from the disapproving look in his eyes. Emily’s response did not please him.
“You are scaring the girl, Elliot,” one of the men said, cheerfully.
“This was his intention all along, Brother. He wants the poor girl to tremble in fear,” the other man replied.
They guffawed in unison while she saw a ghost of a smile on the duke’s face, but it was probably an illusion because it was said he never smiles.
Emily was puzzled at the behavior of the same looking men. Were they enjoying her misfortune or was there a joke she was not privy to? They were friends with the duke, so it was doubtful that they would be nice people. These same looking men could be his collaborators in his heinous crimes. For the first time in her life, Emily wanted her aunt. She had now bigger concerns than getting hit with a stick.
“Stay out of it. This does not concern you,” the duke said, deadpan.
“Fine. Do as you wish,” one of them said while rolling his eyes. “We are leaving for our home. It is already late.”
The identical men clapped the duke on his back and left with a dip of their heads in her direction.
“We have a long journey ahead of us,” the duke said. “We are leaving this instant.”
Emily followed the duke with a heavy heart. Outside the chapel, his carriage was already waiting for them. Offering her his hand, the duke helped her in ascending the carriage steps. She was grateful for his help because the dress was heavy and uncomfortable. She was not used to walking around in a dress with three layers of petticoats or constricting corsets that made it hard to breathe.
When Emily sat on the opposite bench from him, he pulled out a small dagger. Emily’s eyes widened when he leaned towards her. She shrank in the seat and sobbed.
“Spare my life, Your Grace.”
Ignoring her plea, the duke placed his hand on her head and brought the dagger near her nape. Emily started to whimper when she felt the whisper of a sharp object against her skin. She heard a snapping sound and then her lungs started to inhale oxygen. She gulped copious amounts of air when her chest was free of the confines of the constricting corset. The duke had cut the strings of the corset with his dagger.
“I am not a monster,” the duke said, leaning back in his seat. “Do not judge someone by the opinion of others.”
He tapped on the wall of the carriage and they embarked on their journey to his home in the countryside. Elliot was in a conundrum about the girl. He was saving her from ruin and she did not appreciate his efforts. He saved her from a gambler’s clutches and she was hell-bent on making a martyr of herself. Elliot abhorred pretentious people, who only cared about themselves and gave no regard to the feelings of others.
“Listen to me, wife,” he said, solemnly, “I am warning you beforehand, your tricks will not work on me. If I catch you making a fool out of me, there will be consequences for those actions. Am I making myself clear?”
Emily flinched at the bitterness in his voice. This man was not her prince. All her dreams were squashed. She was traveling from one hell to another. A known murderer who had so many strict rules would make her life a living hell. She was doubtful about her chance of survival.
Emily nodded her head. To her utter relief, the duke did not press her for a verbal answer.
“Emily!”
Emily looked out the window when she heard her name. Willy was running towards their carriage in distress. The carriage was picking up speed while Willy was vanishing from her sight. That sweet child had come to save her from being shipped off to the duke’s place. Tears welled in her eyes as she witnessed her life being snatched away from her. When Willy stumbled and fell, she opened the carriage door without giving thought to the repercussions of her action.
Elliot was deep in thought, mulling over the girl’s behavior. She was bound to make him miserable. His heart stopped beating when he saw her opening the door of the moving carriage. She was escaping him by putting her life in danger. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back inside. She was struggling in his hold while he was still wrapping his mind around the fact that the girl defied him moments after his warning. She did not take his warning seriously when he told her about the consequences of her actions.
“You are stubborn and spoiled,” Elliot said, breathing hard. “You leave me no choice but to teach you a lesson. It will help you remember your place whenever you try to overstep your boundaries again.”
Emily shrieked when the duke draped her over his knees in one quick motion. She kept struggling as he pulled the skirts of her dress and petticoat over her head and her drawer clad bottom became exposed. The slit in the drawers bared part of her buttocks to his gaze. Emily stilled in shock when she realized he could see her lady parts.
“Oh no. No, no, no. You cannot do this to me. Not like this.”
Emily whimpered when she felt his hand rubbing her bottom. She started squirming on his legs, trying to get away from his touch. It was late in the night but someone might still be outside. Her bottom was bare for anyone who could see through the window.
“Keep still,” he growled.
He smacked one side of her buttocks with a stinging slap, and Emily yelped, more in shock than in pain. He smacked the other side of her buttocks and Emily held her breath. The duke rubbed the sting away with a caress and Emily flushed from the tip of her toes to the roots of her hair. His touch was doing all kinds of crazy things to her novice head. She lifted her bottom up when he raised his hand in the air.
The duke rained steady volleys on her left and right globes, alternately. There was no rubbing between the onslaught of his hand and she started to feel a burning sensation on her bottom. Either his hand was becoming heavy or she was becoming sensitive to the fresh smacks on her bottom. She started kicking and shrieking when the stinging burn on her bottom became unbearable for her. Tears were leaking from her eyes as the duke smacked her bottom in a moving carriage.
“Will you defy me again, wife?” he asked, keeping his hand on her bottom.
“No,” Emily said, sniffing.
He smacked her sharply and Emily cried.
“No, what?” he asked, breathing hard.
She had no idea what he wanted her to say. Following her instincts, she said, “No, Your Grace, I will never defy you again.”
She felt her face getting hot when he dragged a finger through the channel between the globes of her buttocks and traveled to the front channel of her cunny. Her face became flaming red when she heard the sound of his finger dipping into the moisture at her cunny.
Elliot felt moisture at the juncture of her legs when he touched her there. The girl was excited by the prospect of getting smacked on her bottom. It was a welcomed surprise for him. He had a
lways desired a woman that enjoyed a little spice in bed. The simpering girls of society that lay still beneath their husbands never appealed to him. He wanted a woman that enjoyed the act rather than made it feel like a duty. His former wife was perfect in bed until she betrayed him.
“Please. Not here.”
The girl’s quiet plea brought him out of his reverie. He had unconsciously inserted his middle finger halfway into her cunny. Making her upright on his lap, he held her in his arms. The girl did not object when he rubbed her back and held her head to his shoulder.
“You could have died,” Elliot said, puzzled. “Am I that horrible? Do you really prefer death over staying with me?”
Emily was feeling guilty. In her own stupidity, she did not recognize the threat to her own life. If he had not stopped her in time, she might have broken her neck. He saved her life, even though she had not given him any reason to help her. She accused him of attempting to murder her when he was helping her get rid of the corset. He reprimanded her aunt when he saw the mark of a hand on her face. He was not a monster. Apart from thrashing her bottom, he had done her no harm.
“Forgive me, Your Grace,” Emily said, ashamed.
Elliot rocked her against his chest while the girl cried on his shoulder. He could feel her remorse. She was quick to pick up on his lessons. He had to admit, he enjoyed making her squirm on his knees.
When Emily reached his house, she was astounded by the beauty and vastness of it. It was the most beautiful house she had ever seen. The house was painted white on the outside, with a huge oak door as a main entrance. A beautiful garden with a water fountain, fruit trees and exotic flowers was in front of the house. It was near dawn, but she could still admire the beauty of the garden flowers as they passed through the stone pathways of the garden towards the oak door.
A burly man in a black coat received them at the entrance. He looked surprised at her presence but schooled his expressions pretty fast.
“Should I wake up the maid, Your Grace?” he asked, bowing at his waist.
Elliot looked at the girl. She was clutching the skirt of her dress. Elliot decided not to overwhelm her so suddenly. They were both tired and needed some rest. She had just left her home, there was no need to make her adjust so quickly. She did not have a maid in the cottage; she could manage for one night on her own.
“Escort the lady to the duchess chamber and bring her trunk inside.”
The duke bid her goodnight and left her in the care of the butler. Emily sighed, relieved that the duke did not insist on consummating their marriage the very second she stepped foot in his house. Emily was willing to give him a chance, but all her life she had heard nothing but bad things about him. It was hard to believe that someone with a reputation for cruelty could have a bone of goodness in him.
Emily looked around. The whole house was as quiet as a tomb. There was no one awake at this time except for the servant who had gone out to fetch her trunk. The inside of the house was as beautiful as the outside. The white pillars and woodwork on the walls were complementing each other. The burgundy sofas in the parlor room and the glass chandelier were positively regal.
“This way, my lady,” the butler said.
Emily followed the servant upstairs. He held the door of a room open for her. This room was feminine. It was decorated with pink drapes, white upholstered chairs and orange ottomans. There was a bureau, a wardrobe and a dresser in a corner of the room. An orange canopy bed was placed in the middle of the room.
The servant cleared his throat and Emily looked back at him, embarrassed for gawking at the décor of the room. She did not fit in this place. She was feeling like an imposter amidst the finery of the room. She had slept in a small cot all her life. She never had the privilege of sleeping on a soft surface. This house was for the mistress of the house. Emily felt sad when she realized that the former wife of the duke had lived in this room. It was highly likely that she was the one who chose the furniture for the room.
“Do you need anything else, my lady?”
Emily was feeling out of place as the servant looked at her expectantly, ready to do her bidding. She was always the one who was expected to do others’ bidding. This was a huge change for her. She fidgeted from one foot to another, nervous and embarrassed.
“No, sir,” Emily said, softly.
The butler looked at her, perplexed by her behavior. His master had asked him to escort her to the duchess chamber. He had assumed the duke had brought a mistress to replace his wife, but the girl did not seem like a courtesan or a trollop. There was innocence in the girl. She seemed afraid as if she did not want to be here. He was afraid the girl could be an unwilling captive in this house. He was also suspecting that he had seen the girl someplace before, but he could not place her face. Her attire was of fine ladies, but he was sure he had not seen her among the people of the ton.
“My lady, forgive me for overstepping my boundaries… are you here against your will? Has he abducted you from your home?”
Emily burst into tears. She had come here of her own accord, but it was still against her will. She wanted to go back but she had nowhere to go. Her aunt made her marry the man of everyone’s nightmares. Her life was going to end at his hands. He despised her. She would not be alive for long.
The butler closed the door and poured her brandy from a flask sitting on the mantle. The brandy helped in calming her nerves. Emily looked at the concerned face of the butler. He was waiting for her response. She felt embarrassed for crying like a child before him.
“He married me. I came here willingly,” she said, sniffing. “I am sorry for making you worried, sir.”
The butler remembered the girl. She was an orphan from the village. He was feeling sympathy for her. The duke had killed his last wife. She was a lady of high society while this girl had no one. The butler shuddered to think what the duke might do to her.
“Look, child.” He put his hand on her head. “You are not alone in this house. If you need anything, I will be more than happy to assist you.”
No one had ever called her a child so lovingly. Emily was an orphan who had craved paternal love all her life. She searched for a mother in her aunt but was gravely disappointed there. Her own blood had never patted her head with honest emotions and yet this strange man who had never met her before was showing her kindness.
Wiping her tears, she smiled. “Thank you, sir.”
The butler took the glass from her hands and placed it back on the mantle. Bidding her goodnight, he left her alone in her room.
Emily removed her dress, stockings and the heavy petticoats. Draping her dress on the back of a chair, she opened her trunk and took out an old chemise. She was not aware how much she needed rest until she fell on the bed. Closing her eyes, she slept in her chemise and drawers.
Chapter 3
When Emily woke up, the fire in the hearth was extinguished. The room was dusted clean and her wedding dress was gone. Someone had taken her dress. Opening her trunk, she looked mournfully at her possessions. Her three gowns, quilted stays, hooded cape and few rusty hairpins were all her worldly possessions. Taking out the least worn out dress, she wore her old stays and the gown. The gown was green at some point but now it had turned into a fading gray. Braiding her hair, she wrapped it on the top of her head.
She waited in her room until late in the evening, but no one came to check on her. She was hungry and her tummy was aching. When she felt no one was coming to her room, she decided to look for the butler and ask for some bread.
Emily opened the door of the room and peeked outside into the corridor. Finding it empty, she stepped outside. Silent as a cat, she approached the stairs. Emily did not want to disturb anyone. She was hungry and was searching for the butler.
Emily stood against a wall when she saw a middle-aged woman coming her way. Making herself as small as possible, Emily prayed the woman would leave her alone. The woman scowled and stood directly in front of her.
“Who allow
ed you inside the house?” the woman said, peeved. “Leave this instant, filthy beggar.”
Emily looked down at the floor, embarrassed by her attire. The maid was dressed in better clothes than she. Emily noticed threads coming out of the seams of her dress. The dress was torn near the sleeves too.
“His Grace brought me last night,” Emily said, timidly. “He married me.”
Emily could feel the disapproval oozing out of the maid. She was making her feel worse than a beggar. Emily was close to tears. No one wanted her in this house and yet she was forced to live here.
“You are the new duchess?”
Emily flinched at the bitterness in her voice. Emily was repulsive to her. The maid was looking at her the way one looks at garbage. She was inspecting her dress with disdain.
“Yes, madam,” Emily said, obediently.
Emily did not want to make her angry. She reminded her too much of her aunt. She had led a life where she was thrown around for small transgressions. Emily was afraid the woman would hit her at any moment. She was treating her exactly like her aunt used to. A situation like this never boded well for her. She was always punished whenever her aunt was annoyed by her and judging by the scowling face of the maid, Emily’s presence was not welcomed here either.
“His Grace is waiting at the dinner table,” the maid practically shouted the words at her face. “Follow me.”
Emily followed the maid as she turned around without waiting for her response and descended the stairs. Emily went past the parlor room until they reached a room where a large dining table was placed. The duke was already waiting at the head of the table for her. A plate with a fork and a knife were placed for her near his seat. She stood for some time, unsure of the mood of the duke and then went near the chair by taking small steps. Dragging the chair herself, she sat quietly while the maid served their food. The same maid who was so rude to her a moment ago was now kind and docile towards the duke. Emily snuck a look at the duke and found him watching her intently. Under his intent gaze and the presence of the maid, she started to feel small and uneasy. Despite the chill in the air, she was perspiring under her dress.