by Tia Siren
''I can't. Sir Reymond is a gentleman of the highest breeding, nobody would believe me. I have no choice but to marry his brother.''
''But it seems so unfair. It wasn't your fault. He forced himself on you and hurt you in the most intimate place. He is a scoundrel and he deserves something bad to happen to him,'' Georgina said, slamming her tea cup down, almost breaking the saucer.
''Georgina, Sophia, please listen to me. You are my dearest friends and I love you both. I am to be married because fate has dealt me a very bad hand. I must make the best of it, for the sake of my family and the Duke. I will marry the Duke and I will love him. Please do not pity me or think badly of me for doing so.''
''I admire your courage,'' Sophia said.
''Why don't you just tell the Duke what happened? Surely he knows his brother is a bad man, when it comes to his treatment of ladies,'' Georgina asked.
''I will not drive a wedge between the Duke and his brother. I am sure, in time, my steadfast love for the Duke will convince him that I am a good woman.''
''It's all my fault,'' Georgina added. ''If it hadn't been for my ridiculous suggestion, you wouldn't have needed to even speak to him.''
''It's not your fault Georgina, please don't blame yourself. Who knows, I may have spoken to him anyway. He was certainly handsome,'' Alice said.
''But from what you tell me, the Duke is even more handsome. I know you are being forced to marry him, but it could have been worse. He could have been a plain Duke,” Sophia said.
''Thank you, Sophia, that is a very comforting thought,'' Alice said, not quite sure whether it really was comforting or not.
Once Georgina and Sophia had drunk all the tea and eaten all the butterfly buns, they took their leave of Alice. It was six in the evening, and almost time for Alice to get dressed for dinner. Usually Alice would have gone inside after her friends had left, but she was waiting for someone, and he was late.
''Charles, finally. Where have you been?''
''Alice I am so sorry, father kept me. He can't stop talking about naval college and what lies ahead of me in my training. Listen, Alice, I've heard all the rumors, and I don't believe them. What did he do to you?''
Alice had never kept a secret from any of her friends and she wasn't about to do so now. ''He forced himself on me.''
''Oh, Alice. I am so sorry. When I'm a Captain, I'll have him press ganged and keelhauled,'' Charles said seriously.
''Thank you for your kind expressions of concern. What has happened cannot be changed. I will marry his older brother, the Duke of Norfolk, that everyone's reputation be protected.''
''But, Alice. You can't. You of all people deserve to marry for love.''
''He is very handsome and I will be a Duchess. I will never want for anything. My life will be more comfortable than almost anyone in the land.''
''But what is that without love?''
''Charles you are far too romantic to be a sailor,'' Alice said as the first smile she had had for several days crossed her lips. ''I am going to marry the Duke come what may. The reputation of my parents is too important to me. But I want you to do something for me. Something that I will be forever grateful for.''
******
Alice lay in the bath and held her breath as Eleanor rinsed her hair.
''Eleanor, you have been terribly quiet over the last few days. Are you unwell?''
''No, Miss Alice. I am quite well.''
''Then what is the matter?''
''It is not my place to say, Miss Alice.''
''Please, Eleanor. I consider you a friend. Please unburden yourself.''
''Those bruises, on your thighs, Miss. A man of honor does not do that to a lady. I know what has befallen you, and it has upset me more than you could ever know.''
''Oh, Eleanor. You are of course correct. Something terrible has happened. Something a gentleman should never do to a lady. |But it has happened, and I must move on.''
''I understand, Miss Alice, but I want to tell you one thing. Please, before you accept your fate and never mention the deed again, think of the next lady and the next after her. That is all I will say on the matter.''
''Thank you, Eleanor. You are very wise and kinder than is good for me. I wanted to talk to you anyway. I need your help and I hope you will agree.''
*****
All the servants at Stanley Hall lined up to wish Miss Alice well on her wedding day. As she left the house on her father's arm, they looked at her beautiful white dress and the veil that hid her face. They burst into applause. Eleanor was unable to prevent a tear running down her cheek as Alice nodded at her. Alice's father looked dashing in a black morning coat, gray waistcoat and blue cravat. Thomas had spent days polishing Lord Ashmeer's shoes, and when Lord Ashmeer looked down, he could see the clouds reflected in them.
''Are you ready, my dear?'' he asked Alice
''Quite ready, father,'' she replied. Lord Ashmeer banged on the inside of the coach, and they set off with a jolt. Lord Ashmeer had hired the coach specially because it was capable of being drawn by six horses, and he'd wanted to make a good impression. His daughter was marrying a Duke, and he had to put on a good show. He had even hired a marquee, and had it erected on the lawn for the wedding breakfast.
As was the fashion, the wedding was to be a small family affair only attended by family and close friends. Alice had chosen Georgina and Sophia to be her attendants, and when the coach stopped outside the church, they were standing ready to greet her. Alice’s father helped her down, and Georgina and Sophia, dressed in white dresses adorned with embroidered daisies, fussed around her for a short time.
Lord Ashmeer held out his arm for his daughter and they entered the church. When Alice was almost at the altar, she saw him standing next to the Duke. It had never crossed her mind that he would be the Duke's best man, and that she would have to stand so close to him, on the day of her wedding. She felt trapped.
After the vicar had pronounced them man and wife, Alice and the Duke walked out of the church into a guard of honor. Georgina and Sophia held up an arch made from Yew branches, and when they walked under it everyone clapped.
The Duke and Alice climbed into the grandest carriage Alice had ever sat in, and they set off back to Stanley Hall.
''Alice, are you alright? You looked like you had seen a ghost when you arrived next to me in the church,'' Philip said.
''I am quiet alright. It was just something of a shock to see your brother again.''
''I understand, but you will see him more often from now on, he is, after all, my brother. The affair you and my brother had almost cost me my reputation, and certainly cost me any happiness I might have found with a woman I loved. I would therefore, ask you to behave normally around him.''
There were thirty five people in the marques when the Duke and Alice cut the wedding cake. Alice smiled, and the Duke looked somber as the knife slid through the cake. As everyone tucked in, Reymond walked around the table and bent down next to Alice. ''You look lovely, my dear, and congratulations on your marriage to my brother. I didn't get a chance to kiss you at the church. It is of no consequence, however, there will be plenty of times when my brother is away on business. I visit you then and we can continue where we left off.''
Alice almost fainted. Despite the Duke's best efforts, she would never be rid of his detestable brother.
*****
When Philip and Alice arrived in London at the Savoy, they went straight up to the honeymoon suit.
Alice had changed after the wedding into a salmon pink gown and bonnet. On the way to London, Alice had tried to put the Duke's brother out of her mind. She was married now and surely her husband would protect her. She wanted to concentrate on her wedding night and give herself to him, in a way that he would enjoy.
The suit consisted of a regal bedroom, a lounge, and a bathroom. The floor was bedecked with a navy blue carpet in the lounge and bedroom, and gold and gray striped wall paper. The bed was a four poster covered with crisp cotton
bed clothes.
The Duke sat and read a newspaper in the lounge as Alice busied herself in the bathroom. When she came out she was wearing a beautiful silk nightgown that clung to her breasts and hips. Her blonde hair was swept back and tied with a ribbon and her long smooth legs shone in the candle light. When Philip looked at her he saw her nipples pointing through the material, waiting for his touch. She was a picture of beauty, the like of which he had never seen before. Alice walked into the bedroom and lay down on the bed in a seductive pose. The Duke followed her and sat down on the edge of the bed.
''Alice, I have to talk to you,'' Philip said. ''You are beautiful and the most seductive lady I have ever seen. But I am not in love with you. What you and my brother did together is still fresh in my mind, and I find myself unable to touch you. I do no mean to be cruel or unkind, but those are my feelings, and, until they change I will not be able to touch you, let alone make love to you.''
''My Lord is wise, and I bow to your superior knowledge in matters of the heart. I understand, and I hope one day you will come to see me as I really am. Not a woman of a promiscuous nature, but a woman who is kind and loving and who can make you happy. You will come to love me, and one day you will desire me. I will wait for you patiently until that day.''
They slept in the same bed but did not touch each other. Alice didn't cry. She had cried all she could in the last weeks, and now it was time to stop and concentrate on her marriage and future happiness.
*****
Alice started her married life in Winthorpe Hall, the Duke's summer residence. The Duke owned three houses in all. A summer residence, or rather palace, a winter residence in London, and a house in Scotland that he used to entertain guests during the shooting season.
Winthorpe Hall was a massive house. Far larger than Stanley Hall, or any house Alice had ever been in. It reminded Alice of pictures she had seen of the Palace of Versailles. It had a beautiful raised terrace at the rear and a large ornamental garden.
Georgina and Sophia came to stay, and they had looked with open mouths at the opulence of the place. During their stay they had talked of old times and the future. Alice had been very sad to see them go, but she was a Duchess now, and she had responsibilities. Her husband still hadn't touched her, but she had a household to run and to a small degree it took her mind off the Duke's stubbornness. The household she reigned over included thirteen maids, six footmen, five gardeners, four coachmen, a cook, and innumerable kitchen hands.
The summer was drawing to a close, and Alice had decided what she wanted to do. When Philip came onto the terrace and sat next to her, she opened the conversation.
''It is time for me to reconcile my differences with your brother.'' Philip raised his eyebrows at her suggestion before she continued. ''It was just a moment of lust and silliness, and I really feel it is time to put it behind us. What do you say?''
''It would indeed be a step in the right direction, but it will never take away the fact that you did something very hurtful to our families.''
''Yes, my Lord, you are right. I realize I may never win your trust, but I would like to do all I can to do so.''
''So what do you propose?''
''I would like to invite you, and your brother, to Stanley Hall for a picnic by the lake. We will sit, talk, relax and eat to our hearts content. It is a lovely place and it will be a great opportunity to smooth things over. I will invite Georgina and Sophia. They will be most agreeable company for your brother, and, who knows, he may even take one as his wife.''
''Excellent idea. Yes, splendid, let's get him married off. It's more than time.''
*****
It was a lovely late summer’s day when Alice, the Duke, Reymond, Georgina and Sophia walked over the lawn, to the specially erected tent at the edge of the lake. The tent was open at the front and faced the lake. It was full of large cushions that they could lie on, and a thick carpet. Thomas had arranged for the champagne to be put on ice, and the food delivered when Alice gave him the signal.
''Isn't this lovely, everybody?'' Alice said. ''Thank you all for coming. It means a great deal to me. As you all know, Reymond and I got off on the wrong foot, and managed to cause a bit of scandal. I would like to use today to put that right.'' She glanced at the others as they stared at her.'' I want to make a toast if you would charge your glasses.''
Alice waited until everyone had a full glass. ''I want to toast Reymond and say how sorry I am that things happened as they did. To Reymond.''
The others lifted their glasses and toasted the Duke's brother. Alice looked at him. He still had those shining blue eyes and strong looking body, and he was still very handsome.
After they had eaten and finished the Champagne, most of them snoozed a little. Alice remained wide awake and looked over the lake. It was the place she knew and loved, and a place that had never let her down. Here, she felt at home.
''Oh, I see everyone is awake, why don't you take Reymond for a walk, you two,'' Alice said as she looked at Georgina and Sophia.
''I'd love to walk with Reymond,'' said Georgina
''Yes let's,'' said Sophia enthusiastically.
''Well, if you ladies insist, then who am I to refuse. It will be a pleasure to walk around the lake, with not just one, but two beauties,'' Reymond said.
''Then let's go,'' said Georgina and she got up.
''Don't forget to show Reymond the wood, will you girls? You know, where we used to climb trees when we were young.''
''Now, excellent idea,'' said Sophia. ''I would very much like to be in the woods with Reymond.'' Reymond looked at her and smiled. It seemed to be his lucky day.
The Duke and Alice sat and watched as the three made their way around the lake. Alice jumped as the Duke took her hand. ''Thank you for today. It has been lovely, and the girls seem to like my brother. It was most thoughtful of you to introduce them.''
''It was my pleasure.''
The Duke held her hand for longer than he had ever held it, and watched his brother and the two ladies disappear into the wood.
''It really is idyllic here. Did you spent a lot of time here as a child?'' he asked.
''All of it. I was never away from here. When I think of a home, I think of this place.''
''I would like you one day to feel........'' Philip was stopped in mid-sentence by a horrible scream. ''What on earth?'' He jumped to his feet. Alice got to her feet as well.
''In the wood,'' Alice said.
Charles had been on a lot of training exercises in recent weeks and he was more than a match for Reymond. He'd appeared from behind a tree and knocked him clean off his feet. Reymond was strong and had fought back, but Charles hit him in the groin with a savage blow. The pain was so great, Reymond had passed out. While Charles sat on him, Eleanor appeared from behind another tree, with a pair of scissors. Georgina and Sophia ran to her and stood patiently as she made an incision in the breast area of each dress. When she'd done that, she put her hand inside the hole and ripped the muslin material down and away from their breasts.
When Georgina appeared from the wood, the Duke and Alice were half way between her and the tent. When she saw them, she screamed, ''help, please help, he's gone mad. You have to help Sophia. He'll rape her.''
As they got closer, the Duke was horrified to see Georgina standing in a ripped dress with her breasts exposed. ''Cover her up,'' he said to Alice as he ran along the path and into the wood.
When he arrived at the scene, he was deeply shocked. In front of him on the path lay his brother with a man on top of him. To the right, Sophia bent over a tree with her breasts hanging out and her skirt raised.''
''Who are you may I ask?'' the Duke said to Charles.
''Charles Argyle. I am a neighbor. Half of this wood belongs to my property. I was enjoying a stroll after lunch when I saw this man assault two women. It was the most savage attack, and I apprehended him.'' He looked across at Sophia and gestured towards her. ''Just in time by the look of it.''
''W
ait here,'' Alice said to Georgina. ''I'm going to finish this now.'' Alice ran into the wood and stopped next to the Duke. She surveyed the scene, and ran to Sophia. She put her arm around her, and spoke loudly, so that Philip could hear her.
''Oh my dear Sophia, I am so sorry. Please forgive me, I didn't think he would do this again after what happened to me. Will you ever forgive me?''
Sophia nodded. She was extremely embarrassed that the two gentlemen could see her breasts, but she had agreed to do it for the sake of her friend.
As Alice was helping Sophia, Eleanor appeared. ''Please excuse me, my Lord. I am a maid at Stanley Hall, and on Sunday afternoons, I walk in the woods. I saw this gentleman attack two ladies,'' she said pointing at Reymond. ''I was so afraid, I ran and hid behind a tree. It is only now that I dare come out of hiding. If it hadn't been for brave Mr Argyle, I dread to think what would have happened.''
*****
It was late when the Duke arrived back at Stanley Hall. Alice had arranged from them to stay there after the picnic, before traveling back to Winthrop Hall the next day. Alice was lying in her night gown when the Duke came into the bedroom. Alice didn't say anything, she could feel he wanted to unburden his heart.
''Alice, I have been a foolish man. Everything I assumed about you was wrong. He raped you on that evening, didn't he?''
Alice nodded.
''Oh Lord, help me,'' he whispered as his head sank into his hands. After he'd composed himself, he spoke again. ''In the last weeks, I have come to admire you. Not just your beauty, but your kindness and your undying faith that, one day, I would come to love you. Despite what I have done to you, you have remained resolute. You will never forgive me, I know, but I was trying to do the best for everyone under the circumstances, as I thought them to be. Why didn't you tell me, or your parents, what he did to you?''
''Because he is a gentleman, and I a mere woman. Whose word would everyone believe?''
