by Maggie Ryan
She didn't answer as she stomped into the room, the slamming of the door indicating her temper had yet to be tamed. It mattered not to Max, he had the rest of his life to gentle the little woman. After a few minutes she reappeared, her hair again loosely braided—though strands were already threatening to slip free.
"Where do we need go to get your belongings?" Max asked after taking her hand again. When she didn't answer, he gave her hand a squeeze. "Your skirts can be lifted and—"
"The Muellers! I-I mean that's where we were staying. They said we couldn't bring... I-I don't have much. Just my brush, some letters and a..."
"A what?" Max asked, when she stopped speaking. Seeing her shrug, he stopped walking and waited until she looked up at him. "What else, Alexandria?"
She looked away and then met his gaze. "I had some letters and a-a locket. They were all... all I had left of my father. Mr. Mueller said that, since I was the eldest of the orphans, I was the one to pay for our keep. I-I..."
Max's lips compressed into a thin line, his blood pounding as understanding flooded through him. "Are you saying that is where you learned what payment was—"
"No! I-I mean, I wouldn't. He took... I-I gave him the locket."
Max felt his heart pound for a different reason. How dare anyone threaten such a thing? Alexandria had lost not only her parents, but also her home, and could have lost her very life in the fire. He'd heard the catch in her voice as she spoke of being an orphan. Having an item that meant something to her taken away was intolerable. "I see. Come, we'll collect your things."
After leaving the building and learning that the house was just down the street, Max decided the short walk would give him time to calm down. After speaking to Calvin, his driver, he led Alexandria away from the carriage. He quickly slowed his pace when he realized that for every one step he took, Alexandria's small size required she take two. He wanted to bend and pick her up, knowing she'd be no burden to carry. The image of her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs around his waist had his cock stirring and him deciding that it would be best to slow his strides instead. "This one?" he asked, as they paused before a small house.
"Yes, but really, this isn't necessary."
"I assure you that it is," he said, and led her up the steps of the porch. He pounded on the Muellers' door.
"You don't need—"
"Shush." He pounded again, and continued to do so until the door opened to reveal a heavyset older woman.
"Mrs. Mueller?"
"Yes? Oh, it's you," the woman said, giving a sigh as she looked at Alexandria. "I don't suppose I should be surprised that you're back."
"No, I—"
Max's grip on Alexandria's hand tightened as he interrupted her. "Please inform your husband that I wish to speak to him."
"My husband is a busy man. This girl is not welcome here. She just about drove my poor Delbert to his grave; all that screaming and carrying on, drinking his brandy like it was water. No, you can take the little princess to the workhouse for all I care." Ignoring Alexandria's sharp cry, she attempted to close the door.
Max reached out and gripped it. "Madam, it is only the fact that Alexandria is with me that keeps me from forgetting I am a gentleman. That, and the fact that you obviously have no heart, and aren't worth my time." He ignored the shocked gasp of the woman. "Inform your husband that, unless he comes immediately to speak to me, I'll arrange to have both of you answering to the Judge. I'm sure the citizens who pay you would be quite interested to know how you treat the children they put into your care."
"What! Who... who did you say you were?"
Max reached into his pocket and handed her a card. "Give that to your husband—or do I need to fetch the constable?"
The woman fled from the doorway, turning to scream at a servant to fetch Mr. Mueller. Feeling Alexandria trembling beside him, Max looked down at her. Her face was pale and her bottom lip was captured between her teeth.
"I'm sorry you had to witness that, Alexandria. You deserve far better." He might have said more but for the arrival of Mr. Mueller.
"What the hell is going on? How dare you threaten my wife?"
"I haven't threatened her. I've simply promised her a possible course of action should you or she decide to take it."
"What the bloody hell does that mean? Why did you bring that hellion back here? Did no one want her at all?"
Max had had enough. Dropping Alexandria's hand, he reached out and pulled the man out onto the porch, shoving him against the wall. "You're a despicable excuse for a man, and I shall ensure you never receive another shilling from this city. God help those children who have spent even one minute in your presence." He released his grip but held his ground. "You will return Alexandria's belongings immediately."
Brushing off his coat as if removing any trace of Max's hands, the man shook his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You took my locket," Alexandria said, finding her voice.
Mueller glowered down at her but as Max moved, he shifted his attention to him. "She's not only a hellion, she's a liar." He swept his arm towards the doorway. "Go! Go and look for yourself."
Wanting to smash his fist into the man's face, Max took Alexandria's hand instead and led her into the house. "Where's your room?" She could only point. Max could feel her trembling and put his arm around her. "Where is that little tigress? Come on, the quicker you look, the faster you can be away from this place."
When she nodded and led him through a door covered only by a thin curtain, Max had to clench his jaw to control his reaction. Surely Jacob had had no idea as to the conditions the girls had been forced to tolerate. Max had never seen the orphanage, but it had to have been better than this. The room was dark and crowded with furniture. Three small beds took up most of the space, a washstand was the only other piece of furniture. Where had the girls hung their clothing or kept their meager possessions? Hooks above the beds provided one possibility, but surely they had more? He'd never known a female who didn't have wardrobes bursting at the seams and still claimed they needed a new frock or two.
He forced his mind away from the dismal reality to see Alexandria on her knees, her arm stuck underneath the mattress. Stepping forward, he lifted it easily, and watched as she gathered up several singed and filthy envelopes. God, she'd saved these from the fire, they had meant that much to her.
"Thank you," she said, as he lowered the pitiful mattress back onto its frame. Turning, she picked up a brush on the washstand. "That... that's all."
Max drew her to him. "I'm sorry, little one. I'm so sorry you had to endure such a place." He kissed the top of her head and turned to lead her from the room, only to find an older woman in the doorway.
"He sold it. I'm so sorry, Alexandria," the woman said, her eyes darting down the dim corridor. "I t—"
"Get to work!" Mrs. Mueller screamed from the end of the hallway.
As the woman turned to flee, Alexandria called out her soft thanks. "Goodbye, Mrs. Hudson."
"God bless you, child," were the last words they heard before the woman slid around her employer.
Max tightened his grip and led Alexandria past Mrs. Mueller, determined to get her away from these people.
Mueller looked down at the card in his hand, ripped it two and allowed the pieces to fall to his feet. "I might not have fancy cards, but as I told you, Hollister, the girl is a liar. Though I do admit, she does have a certain… shall we say, appeal? I'll keep your secret. No one need know you bedded her before you go back to your fancy house and your frigid wife." His laugh was pure evil as he leered. "She'll do well to thank you for breaking her in. I'm sure you'll get a fine price at any brothel even when they discover she isn't as pure as they'd prefer."
The man never saw the blow coming. He was standing in the doorway one moment, and lying prone on the porch the next. Max turned to look at Alexandria, whose eyes were wide in her pale face. She looked as if she might collapse at any moment.
B
ending, he lifted her into his arms, cradling her to his chest. "I'm sorry, Alexandria. I never should have brought you here." Seeing the carriage coming down the street, he stepped over Mr. Mueller, ignoring his wife as she rushed to her husband. The carriage stopped and the door opened to reveal Peter.
"What happened? Is there a problem here?"
"No; the bastard disposed of Alexandria's locket. There is nothing left here."
Peter held out his arms to take her. Max joined them inside and took Alexandria back into his arms. He realized she was crying softly.
"Shh, little one. You're safe now. I know it doesn't feel like it now, but I promise you will be okay. I'm so sorry about your necklace."
"I-I... he said I was a-a, I swear I'm..."
"Lexie, it doesn't matter what he said. He's an evil man." Her distress had him wanting to step from the carriage to knock the man prone again, but he knew she needed him with her.
"Th-thank you," she said, wiping her eyes. "Thank you for not believing what they said. I-I don't lie... I mean, I did, but—"
"I know, little one. Just rest, I've got you." The carriage pulled away and its sway, combined with the rocking of his arms, soon had the exhausted girl's body relaxing. Within moments she was asleep, the envelopes and her mother's hairbrush clutched in her hands.
After several minutes, Peter spoke from across the aisle. "You were right. You need each other. Though how you knew and decided so fast—"
Glancing at the girl in his arms, Max interrupted. "I decided the moment I recognized her. It's as if I've reached the end of my journey and found a prize far grander than I could ever imagine."
Chuckling, Peter shook his head. "I fear your journey has just begun, Max. It's not an easy path to follow. I just pray you don't regret your choice." When he heard his client give a soft growl, he held up his hand. "You can't frighten me, son. I remember my promise, and I'll make you another." He made sure Max was looking at him instead of at the sleeping young woman. "You've wed a girl who is different from any you've known. Your Lady Hollister isn't some spoiled princess who was simply biding her time until her comely form captures some man's eye. This girl has spirit and has shown her willingness to fight."
"I'm not unfamiliar with battles. So what's your promise?"
With another chuckle, Peter continued. "My promise is that you will most likely discover you've set your heart on a lioness. I promise she'll give you cause to wonder who exactly is in control. Max, I promise this will be a battle beyond your realm of experience."
"Ah, but to the victor goes the spoils, Peter."
"That may be true, but the victor has yet to be determined."
Max shook his head. He knew without a doubt that he would enjoy every moment of any battle as long as he battled with Alexandria Bannister. He had never desired a woman without spirit and strength. She'd need both to allow her to find happiness in the life she would be leading. Alexandria might not realize it now, but he had meant what he said. She had belonged to him, had become his, the moment she'd lifted her head and met his eyes.
Chapter Four
When she opened her eyes, Alexandria was aware of two things. The first was that she had no idea of where she was, and the second was that some girl was standing over her.
"Oh, you're awake," the girl said, and smiled. "I'll go tell Miss Summers." Turning, she was almost to the door when Alexandria spoke.
"Wait!"
The girl turned but didn't move.
"Where am I?"
"You're in bed, silly. Your Papa put you here when he brought you in. You must have been really tired; you've been sleeping for hours. They've been waiting for you to wake up."
Alexandria pushed herself into a sitting position. "I don't understand," she began, rubbing her hands over her face. "My father died..." Lowering her hands, she realized she was speaking to an empty room, the girl having disappeared. Sighing, she pushed the quilt and sheets down and discovered yet another thing. Gasping, she pulled the covers back up to her neck as her eyes darted about the room.
It was a very nice room. She was sitting on the most comfortable bed she'd ever slept in, the mattress was soft and the covers warm. It felt strange to see only the one bed in such a large room, as she had become accustomed to not only sharing a bed much smaller than this one, but sharing a room with several other girls as well. Continuing her perusal, she saw a large wardrobe standing against one wall, a washstand sharing the space. A chair sat before a set of windows, a large ottoman before it. A ticking sound drew her attention to her other side. A clock stood on the bedside table. Leaning over, she gasped as she read the time.
Surely it wasn't correct! The hands stood at the eight o'clock position and she could glimpse daylight behind the curtains. Had she really slept through the entire night? The last thing she could remember was the awful Muellers. Shuddering, she amended her thoughts. No, the last thing she remembered was being held on Lord Hollister's lap as she'd cried at the loss of her necklace. She felt her face heat at the memory of those arms and how they had made her feel as if the man truly cared for her. That couldn't be the case, he didn't even know her and yet… hadn't she heard words of marriage? Hadn't she been referred to as Lady Hollister? No, she had to have heard that only in her dreams. He had simply been offering her comfort when he'd failed getting her possession returned. Her letters! She had retrieved her letters—where were they? Almost in a panic, she pushed the covers down and swung her legs free. Before she could get out of the bed, her gaze landed on another table at this side of the bed. Her letters were stacked neatly and tied with a blue ribbon! Grabbing them, she held them to her chest and then counted each one. She swiped her fingers across her cheek to brush away the tear that had fallen. They were all here; she might not have her locket, but she did have some possessions remaining.
Thinking of her possessions had her thinking about her clothes. Perhaps they had been placed into the wardrobe. Looking down at the floor, she gasped. It appeared to be quite a far distance from her dangling feet. Turning over onto her stomach, she began to wiggle back to slide down over the edge, her feet kicking as they searched for support.
Her squeal was loud as she felt herself being lifted, her arms flailing as her feet kicked out.
"I've got you, little one."
"Put me down!" Alexandria demanded, continuing to wiggle in an attempt to free herself.
"Settle down," a woman's voice said firmly. "Stop kicking and I'll put you down. I don't want you to hurt yourself."
Stilling her limbs, Alexandria waited until her feet were on the floor before whirling around. "Who are you? Where is Lord Hollister? Where am I? Where are my clothes?"
The woman shook her head. "My, for such a tiny thing you certainly have a big voice. We don't scream here, Alexandria. Now, I understand you have questions, and I assure you they will be answered. As soon as you are bathed and dressed, I'll take you to your Papa and—"
"I don't have a Papa! My father died in the war." Breathing hard, Alexandria realized she was shaking. Remembering a name she'd heard in the courtroom, she continued. "Miss Summers, I think there has been some mistake."
"I am not Miss Summers. My name is Juliette Jenkins. You will address me as Nanny Jenkins. Now, no more questions. You slept for far longer than any of us anticipated. I'm sure you must need to potty, and you must be quite famished by now." She smiled as a loud rumbling was heard, Alexandria's stomach agreeing with the woman's last statement.
Embarrassed, Alexandria wrapped her arms around her middle. Looking down she realized she was wearing only a gown, one she'd never seen before—and it was extremely thin. Gasping, her cheeks flaming, she moved an arm up to cover her breasts, her other arm moving down to cover the shadow of her pubic hair beneath the gown.
"I want my clothes, and I demand to speak to whoever is in charge of this... this place. You had no right to take my things!"
Juliette's smile disappeared as she looked down at the small woman. "Little ones do not dema
nd anything. I'll forgive you this once, but if you continue to throw a tantrum, you'll find that breaking the rules will only have me bending you across my knees and applying my hand to your bottom."
Alexandria backed away, only to be stopped by the presence of the bed behind her. She well remembered what had happened the last time she was considered to be throwing a tantrum. Evidently her bottom remembered as well, clenching tightly as if anticipating a repeat of the spanking it had been recently given. Not being a stupid girl, she took a deep breath.
"I didn't mean to-to yell. You... you frightened me when you yank—um, picked me up."
"That's why our little ones do not get out of bed by themselves. You must wait until someone comes to help you. Now, as I said, I will forgive you this once as I understand this is all so new. Come, let's get you ready, shall we? You've missed breakfast with your sisters but I'm sure Mrs. Yardley can be persuaded to give you something to tide you over until luncheon."
Until she had her clothes returned to her, she was in no position to argue. There was no way she'd leave the room dressed as she was. Deciding that cooperation would most likely have her reunited with Lord Hollister, who would make sure this woman understood she had obviously mistaken her for someone else, Alexandria nodded.
"Good girl," Juliette said, and took a step towards her. "Put your arms down at your sides. You are never to cover yourself." Ignoring Alexandria's gasp, she reached out and pushed the girl's arms down. Before Alexandria could protest, the gown was pulled up and off to leave her stark naked. She gave a cry and her hands flew to cover herself again.
Shaking her head, Juliette placed the gown on the bed. "So, you're the type of girl who either doesn't hear well, or chooses to be naughty. Well, whichever it is, you'll learn that instructions are not repeated again and again without consequences."
