by Meg Buchanan
“Sounds good.” Finn gave the reins a flick. “See you then.”
Courtney watched the carriage go along the road and then turn into the driveway that lead to the club grounds.
There was about half a mile of drive. It went through bush, then at the stone wall surrounding the club’s grounds, it passed the gatehouse at the entrance.
The six of them rode through the trees to the stone wall. It was only about three feet high and would be easy to climb over. Further along, they could see the tents and braziers standing ready for the Bacchus night. A stream of waiters and other staff carried trays of plates and glasses and tables and chairs over to the tents.
“Looks well organised,” said Declan quietly.
Courtney limped over to the others. “Charlotte knows how to plan a spectacle.”
John swung his leg over the wall. “All ready to go?” The horses were loosely tied to bushes.
Courtney nodded. “You four are checking the coach house, dog kennels, stables and the house the girls are kept in?”
“Yes. You do the rooms in the main building. Be careful,” said William. “We’ll meet you back here in an hour. If anyone doesn’t turn up, we’ll come and find them.”
William, John, Dom and Declan hurried to the coach house.
Courtney followed Eugene around the main building. “The fire escape is along this wall.” Courtney turned and there watching him and Eugene, were six of Charlotte’s men.
The men moved towards them. “Take them down,” ordered the leader. “But Miss Pryor wants them alive.”
They fought. Hand to hand. Two men against six. Courtney and Eugene inflicted some damage, but not a lot. They finished up held tightly, on the ground, bruised and battered. Their arms were tied, they got hauled to their feet then pulled towards the side door entrance of the main building and pushed through the alcove that led to Charlotte’s office.
He’d never been in the office but had seen Charlotte sail out fully rigged.
Tonight, she sat behind the huge dark stained desk. “Good evening Eugene and Courtney, I’ve been expecting you. Sit down.” She waved at the two chairs lined up in front of the desk, but they stayed standing. “Shut the door,” she ordered.
When the door was secured, she turned back. “You escaped my men, Mr Samuels, but I was sure you would come for the boy, so I waited. My patience has been rewarded.” The gaslight flattered her, giving her face a worn beauty. “You’re limping. My men thought they’d winged you.”
“Where’s Seth?” he asked.
“He’s in a room,” said Charlotte, indicating upstairs with a nod of her head. “He tried to steal one of my children like you did. Tonight, he will be punished.”
“Punished?” asked Courtney, heart sinking.
“The punishment is always the same. Boys are no different from girls. We have never had such a spectacle at the Bacchus night. And it will serve as a warning to others.”
“Where’s Lucy?”
“Upstairs waiting for her punishment too, she disobeyed me and tried to run away again, and she knew what would happen if she did that. The boy will watch my men with her first, then it will be his turn later,” said Charlotte as if this was reasonable.
Horrified, he said, “Charlotte don’t do this. They’re children. We’ll pay whatever debt you feel Seth owes you. Whatever debt Lucy is paying off.”
Charlotte thought about that for a moment and then shook her head. “No, Seth will learn, and he will pay his own debt this time.” She sighed, soft as a whisper but her eyes were hard. “He’ll become one of my children and it is important children learn right from wrong. A good mother never lets them buy their way out of trouble. And as for the two of you,” Her eyes glittered with hurt and betrayal, “you were my friends and you have betrayed my trust and friendship. I have given you everything you wanted without asking for payment.” She sighed sadly and turned to Eugene. “You took advantage of my generosity, then you helped Courtney steal from me.”
There was a pause as she changed gear. “Would you care to sit down?” She indicated the chairs again in a strange approximation of a hostess at a dinner party. “You both need to learn, if someone breaks the rules that someone gets punished.”
Courtney leaned forward and spoke gently. “Charlotte don’t do this. I will pay you what I owe you, for Sophie’s time and more for Sophie’s freedom. I will pay her father’s debt, anything you want. Eugene will pay for his room and his meals. You know we can afford it.”
Charlotte ignored the offer, turned to the men standing in front of the door and then nodded at Courtney and Eugene. “Disarm them. Search them, but don’t hurt them, when you are sure they have no weapons, take them upstairs.”
The searching was done with more kicking of ribs and punching of heads than necessary. “Don’t hurt my friends,” said Charlotte again, belatedly. Her staff took little notice of that order either. Every opportunity to hit or kick was taken.
“Please don’t hurt them,” pleaded Charlotte again. Eugene’s pistol was confiscated. “Is that all they’re carrying” The man holding the gun nodded. “I thought they would come more heavily armed; I’m disappointed they take me so lightly. Now, take them upstairs to the room next door to where the boy and girl are waiting.”
Courtney watched as Eugene struggled against two men forcing him through the door and up the stairs. The men got Eugene to the top of the stairs. Courtney was forced to follow, but he made it as slow and difficult as possible. It would be an hour before William and the others realised they were in trouble and an hour was a long time, they needed to slow this down.
At the top, there was another door. Three men pushed Eugene through that; then threw him down on the floor in a hallway. Courtney was thrown down too and hit the floor face first. He recognised the passageway. They were directly outside Sophie’s room.
They were dragged towards the door to the next room. Charlotte opened it while giving orders and asking questions. “Where would you like to sit, Eugene?” She sounded unbalanced. “Put him there.” Eugene glared at her.
The men got Eugene through the door and forced him down onto a chair, he went for an awkward off-balance head butt and one man fell onto the floor but the other put him in a headlock until his partner recovered. The partner tried to tie his legs together. Eugene’s boot loosened his teeth. The man went to get some revenge and hauled his arm back to punch Eugene.
“Don’t hurt him,” Charlotte ordered, and the arm went down.
Charlotte pointed at the other chair, as if she was directing the seating at dinner party. “Courtney will sit there, then he’ll be able to see Lucy’s punishment. He’ll see what he caused.”
Courtney flung himself hard against his captor. The man angry and winded after a shoulder had crashed hard against his chest punched Courtney in the stomach for his trouble. Ignoring the action on the other side of the room, Eugene still fought but it was nearly over once his legs were tied to the chair.
“Take that rich boy,” his attacker muttered. Courtney got another punch in the gut.
“Be gentle with my friends,” Charlotte instructed angrily, glaring at the mutterer.
He muttered again at Courtney. “This time you’ll be watching us, pretty boy.”
“I said, don’t hurt them,” Charlotte reiterated. Her staff paid very little attention to that instruction, there was a flurry of punches and kicks from all sides as Courtney was dragged towards the chair facing a curtained wall. He kept fighting; throwing his body from side to side, as his arms were released then held in front of him, being used like handles to manoeuvre him into the chair.
Courtney kneed the man holding him, trying to ensure he wouldn’t be watching him later. The man recovered, threw another punch, Courtney felt his lip split, the resulting stagger got him seated.
“Are you comfortable?” Charlotte asked when they were so bound by rope they couldn’t move. As if she cared. She was completely insane.
Her staff were
standing around with self-satisfied smirks on their faces, bruised and bloodied but triumphant
Charlotte went to the curtain Courtney was facing and pulled it back. He was right, it was Sophie’s room. It had been rearranged slightly, so the bed was to one side, two tables and eight chairs were sitting near the door. Wine and glasses sat on the tables.
Lucy sat perched on the edge of the bed dressed in clothes similar to the ones he first saw Sophie in, a white lawn dress with lace. She looked terrified, her fear and horror rolled over him in a wave he could almost taste. He saw her bite her lip, rub her palms together, then put her hands between her knees and lock them there. Seth was sitting beside her, arm around her shoulders, as if trying to comfort her. He looked bruised around the edges again and as frightened as Lucy did.
Chapter 25
COURTNEY PULLED AGAINST the ropes holding him in the chair, but they didn’t move. “Charlotte don’t do this,” he pleaded again. “Please let them go.”
“Sit still, Courtney,” Charlotte ordered. She studied his face and her voice softened. “Poor boy,” she said. “You’re bleeding.” And took a handkerchief from her sleeve and gently dabbed at his lip. When she was satisfied, she’d tidied up the wound, she stood back and studied her two prisoners. Then shook her head. “No, it is important a mother teaches her children right from wrong.”
Nothing she did or said made sense to Courtney. She was living in another world, one where she made up the rules. And none of those rules made any sense. From when he first met her again a few weeks ago she’d been over caring and over helpful. Everything she said to them suggested a greater familiarity than really existed as if they were really friends, Now she was talking about how a mother should behave towards her family.
He tried to work out what she was thinking. The logic of the world she was living in. Then a few pieces dropped into place. Fitted together, they made a little more sense. An idea started to take nebulous shape. A clue to what she might be thinking began to form, and he tried to work out how to use Charlotte’s delusions to save Seth and Lucy.
Charlotte was still doing her hostess at a dinner party act. “Go downstairs and get the guests,” she said to two of her staff. She waved at the tables in both rooms. “They will need to be seated. You two,” she said to two of the other guards, “Stay in the corridor and guard the doors until they get here.”
Four guards left the room. Two remained.
If he and Eugene could work together, use the friendship and mother fantasies, they might be able to convince Charlotte to change her mind. Courtney watched as she told the last two men they would be helping administer Lucy’s punishment and instructed them to get ready.
One surreptitiously rubbed his groin. But disappointingly instead of saying he couldn’t do it, he put his pistol on the sideboard and smirked happily.
Courtney leaned towards Eugene. He whispered to him in French “She thinks she’s their mother and a friend of ours.”
Eugene watched Charlotte for a moment, considering the idea, and then nodded as if it made sense to him. “How do you want to play it?” he asked.
“Follow what I do,” he said, then concentrated on Charlotte. “Charlotte, dear friend,” he tried.
Charlotte turned back to him and smiled sweetly. “Yes, Courtney?”
“Please don’t hurt Lucy, I’m sorry.” He tried to sound full of remorse, not angry and desperate. One of the men at the door looked puzzled and moved towards him to stop him talking.
Charlotte waved him away. “I have to, you all must learn to obey the rules,” she said.
All of them? He’d use that. “Punish me then, not Lucy, I took advantage of your friendship and took Sophie from you. I stole one of your children and talked Seth into helping Lucy run away.” He bowed his head. “I’m sorry.”
“Yes,” she said dreamily.
Eugene raised his eyebrows as if he didn’t expect this to work. “Millicent taught you well,” he said in a whisper.
Courtney shook his head at his friend. He didn’t want anything to interfere with the fantasy world Charlotte was living in, and he didn’t have time to discuss the tastes or skills of his old mistress. He was sure the guests booked in for the spectacle only needed to walk up the stairs.
He concentrated on Charlotte. “I will do anything if you don’t hurt Lucy.” He made the offer in a voice soft and pleading. Courtney saw Lucy stand and walk nervously around the room. She stared at the mirror then looked away quickly. This was taking too long; the guests must enter the room soon.
Eugene joined in. “Punish Courtney, dear Charlotte, Courtney is the bad one,” he said it like a ten-year-old trying to talk his way out of trouble. “Don’t hurt Lucy or Seth. It was Courtney who was bad first, he made Sophie run away with him.”
“How would I punish him?” asked Charlotte sounding puzzled but as if she was considering it.
“Beat him,” Eugene said gleefully.
“I have nothing to beat him with.”
“Use a whip,” Eugene said as if to hurry things along. “There are whips in the drawers. Untie me and I will get one for you.” Charlotte looked doubtful. Eugene encouraged her. “You can beat him, and I’ll take Lucy and Seth back to the house.” Now Charlotte looked puzzled, and then she made the adjustment as in a dream when something illogical happens.
“You are kind,” she said dreamily, and it seemed they were there. If Eugene was free they had a chance.
But a look of cunning came into Charlotte’s eyes. The dreaminess had gone; she had come back to reality suddenly. She still had some sense of self-preservation. She looked at the men hovering by the door.
“Free Courtney, take him to that room,” she said briskly. “Bring the girl and the boy back here, tie them to the chairs. They can watch.”
Charlotte went to the sideboard, opened a drawer, pulled out a riding crop and tapped it gently on her free hand. She walked towards Courtney. “If you fight me,” she whispered softly into his ear. “The girl will take your place. I will flog her until she’s dead, while you watch, and then the boy will follow.”
She moved back to the centre of the room. “Untie Courtney, take him next door.”
Two staff members stepped forward to do her bidding and Courtney was untied and shuffled out the door.
Out in the corridor, once Charlotte couldn’t see him, he started fighting and kicking again, trying to get away. If he could just get to William and the others, they could all come back and get Eugene, Lucy and Seth out of this madhouse.
The two guards outside the door came to help. They all went along the passageway slowly, exchanging kicks and blows. But he couldn’t beat four men. As soon as they went into the familiar room and Charlotte could see him, he stopped fighting. Seth was standing by the bed looking at Courtney horrified.
One of the men nodded at Seth and Lucy and said to two of the others. “Take them to Miss Pryor.”
Seth and Lucy were bundled out of the room, temporarily safe.
The guards didn’t talk. Courtney’s jacket came off, then his shirt. His wrists were bound together.
He’d been here before; he bunched his fists and held his wrists apart with all his strength to make it difficult for them to bind him properly. After a few minutes, his hands were above his head and tied to the bedpost.
One of the men wiped the blood off his cheek and put the handkerchief back in his pocket. “You may have spoiled our fun for a while but watching this will be satisfying. Miss Pryor is very good at what she does. If you’re still conscious when she’s finished with you, you can watch us with the girl and the boy. She won’t let them off.”
After the men had left the room, Charlotte came in; whip in hand, a benevolent smile on her face. Courtney moved his hands; the bonds were satisfyingly loose. He just needed to wait for a diversion, and then he would deal with Charlotte. But the diversion needed to happen before she got too deeply involved in her plan, he’d prefer to be conscious when he was rescued. Hopefully,
an hour had passed since he left William and the others at the stone wall and they were coming to find him and Eugene.
But Charlotte just watched him; then ran the crop across his back, a benign smile on her face. “Don’t you think the anticipation is part of the fun, Courtney?”
He stayed quiet, let her play this out, and he was all for anticipation. It didn’t hurt as much.
The whip did more caressing. “You were an ungrateful friend,” Charlotte said sweetly. “You took advantage of my trust and corrupted my children.”
With any luck, her employees in the other room were falling asleep from boredom. Keep talking, he thought.
She sat on the bed and smiled serenely up at him. “You were my friend.” She had really bought into the fantasy. It was a long wait, muscles aching, shoulders creaking, wrists chafing.
“I did so much for you. I offered you employment, I found you the perfect companion. I groomed her for you, I dressed her as you asked.” She stood up and raised her arm. “Then you stole her from me.” And brought the crop crashing down on his shoulders. The pain was like a knife cutting in. He gasped and felt the crop trace the line of the blow.
There had to be a cut. He’d seen what a crop could do. The leather ends wandered down his spine to his waist. She hauled her arm back again, and crashed the crop on the soft skin there.
“Fuck.” The exclamation escaped, and he twisted his body to avoid the next blow when he saw it coming. It got him on the hip bone.
She came up close and whispered in his ear.
“Stay still, or the girl will take your place remember, and you will watch.”
She returned to her task. He felt the skin rip with each blow, again and again, and felt the blood ooze down his back.
Then there were two massive, loud, wall-shaking, crashes. Charlotte turned wildly to see what the noise was. He heard the sound of the door in the other room opening and boots running along the corridor.
