by K. Lyn
"You're lying." Sir William drew back his hand and hit Cecile over the head again. Blood splattered at the touch from a previous wound. "Tell me, you despicable creature, where Victoria is. What did she last say to you?"
Sadness crossed Cecile's face. "She said she would write to me. She said she would tell me where she is when she got there. That's all I know. I swear it. I swear to God."
More tears poured down her face and mingled with the wet blood. Sir William grinned, stepped forward, and wrapped his hand around her blood and sweat dampened neck and squeezed. Cecile made a soft squeak as he caressed her head, and he could feel her shake, which pleased him. He could smell her fear. Taste it.
"Shhh, now." Sir William shut his eyes as he imagined Victoria on his bed, her thighs parted again. Naked. Blissfully naked and soon to be overpowered. "You did well, Cecile. You did very well. I promise I won't strike you again if you help me with something else."
At least, not until it comes time for me to kill you. He tightened his grip around her neck and she made a mouse-like sound.
"I want you, Cecile, to lure out your dear Dawson," Sir William said. "I have become accustomed to a finer state of living, and I want his house while I await Victoria's sweet letters."
Cecile shook harder and then groaned. "What are you going to do to my daughter?" she asked fearfully.
"I just have a feeling that she is going to be quick to rush to your aid when she finds out her mother and fiancé are kidnapped." Sir William threw back his head and laughed. "I will very much enjoy writing the letter demanding her to come home, or else you and your betrothed shall die."
***
As Leon placed his hand on Victoria's sweating forehead, he frowned and shook his head. Her forehead was boiling hot and covered in a layer of sweat. When Victoria gazed at him, there was a glassy veil over her eyes now, as if she was unsure of where she was or even who she was. Leon pulled the blankets that draped around her shoulders further up around her neck and then released a shaky sigh. Poor beautiful Victoria. He got up but then felt her hand wrap around his wrist and he paused.
When Leon peered down, he saw Victoria gazing up at him with wide eyes and it took his breath away. She was so beautiful, Victoria, even when she was pale and sweaty. The doctor should be here soon. I just hope he can cure this evil inside of her. I hope he can get rid of what horrible curse this wolf has cast upon her.
"Don't leave me," Victoria said, breaking through his thoughts. "My leg throbs and I feel so hot. Please, just stay."
Leon, heart pounding, nodded, and then sat down beside her, holding her frail hand.
"What can I do to help you, Victoria?" Leon asked. "I am afraid there is not much I can do for you now, till the doctor comes."
Victoria sighed and then rolled onto her side and balanced her head on the crook of her arm. With a frown, she gazed at him with an intense spark in her eye and then traced the veins in his hand, causing him to exhale a sigh. The touch felt amazing, sending shots of pleasure throughout his body. Just one touch and Victoria had him completely under his command. He hadn't realized how much he longed for a woman's touch until she arrived.
"Tell me a story, Leon," Victoria said.
"A story?" He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? What kind of story?"
"Just distract me from the pain in my leg." Victoria bit her bottom lip as she continued to trace the veins running under Leon's skin. "Please. If you don't want to tell me a real story, then make something up."
A story. The request surprised him. He had many stories and many memories, but most of them reminded him of his old family and made his heart hurt upon thinking about them.
Victoria changed her focus from his hand to his face and gave him a desperate look. "Please, Leon. Please."
"Oh, all right." Leon sighed. "I had a brother once. The two of us were really close. His name was Devin, and I swear, he was my shadow. We did everything together. A couple of days after Christmas, my family and I ate dinner at my estate. My mother was already dead at the time. She had grown ill and passed a year before, and it was just my father, my brother, and me. I wanted to go play by the lake that's a kilometer away from this estate, but my father said no. He didn't give me a reason, so I took it upon myself to defy him. Naturally, my brother came along too."
"Oh, no," Victoria said, her eyes wide. It was as if he was telling the most gut wrenching story in the world, and not his own memory. "That isn't good."
"It wasn't." A small smile crossed Leon's face. "The two of us went down to the lake. At first, I was perfectly happy pelting my brother with snowballs and watching him squirm, but then I naturally set my eyes on the frozen lake. I started to walk and skid on the ice, and as my brother followed, I got more and more daring. I went all the way to the center and spun around. My brother followed too. One second I was standing on the ice laughing, and the next, there was the sound of cracking and I remember the ice giving way beneath me. I plunged into the cold water. I managed to get up to the surface for just a second and then air was like acid in my lungs because it was so cold. I remember hearing my brother scream for a second and then there was nothing. I thought, What have I done? Just before I was dragged under."
Victoria quivered and stopped caressing his hands. Both of her hands gripped the bedspread as she stared at him, appearing hypnotized. He couldn't help himself. He chuckled.
"How did you make it out?" she asked.
"Well, I was very lucky." He smirked. "A hunter had wandered by and managed to break open the ice with his axe and pulled me out of the icy water. He brought me, shivering, to the shore and then ran back onto the ice after my brother, who was now stuck beneath an even bigger hunk of it and couldn't breathe. That was the worst part, I think. My brother meant the world to me, and knowing that he could die because of me made me sick. I prayed he would make it out and that he would be okay. When the hunter pulled out my soaked, pale brother, I started to cry, I was so relieved. I leapt to my feet and ran over to him and hugged and kissed him. The hunter brought us home and yelled at us the entire way. My father just stared at us when we came home, wet and cold, shook his head and walked away. He never mentioned the fact that we had disobeyed him. Maybe he knew we had gotten our just rewards. I don't know. But what I do know is that I never deliberately led my brother into danger again."
A smile crossed Victoria's face. "Thank heavens you were all right."
"What did you think happened?" He chuckled and shook his head. "I'm sitting right here, so it's not like I could have died."
"But your brother…" She paled and did not finish her sentence.
Pain filled his heart. When he had talked about the memory, it almost felt good. Now he remembered why he didn't think of his brother. It was the aftereffects, the remembrance of Devon's blood soaked corpse upon his bed, which made his heart chill. He sighed.
"May I ask…" She glanced at him somberly. "How did your brother die?"
"He was killed," Leon gulped. "Killed by a deranged beast."
Shock crossed Victoria's face, and she clamped her mouth shut.
"He was killed. Killed by a deranged beast." The words echoed in Victoria's ears minutes after Leon had said them. She could tell by Leon's saddened expression that he spoke the truth of what had happened to his brother. Poor Leon. No wonder he appears so sad. I too know what it is like to lose somebody important. Tears filled her eyes at the thought of her gentle father, who had never tired of her spirited personality.
"I lost somebody too," Victoria whispered. "My father."
A shocked expression crossed Leon's face. She tried to hide how ill she felt, but she couldn't. The tears crawled up her throat and threatened to spring free from her eyes. Leon squeezed her hand and gazed at her with sadness, and the look in his eye only made her faster to weeping because there was something about him she trusted. Maybe it was the fact that he too knew pain that made her less hesitant to weep.
As tears poured down her cheeks, Leon leaned over the b
ed and gathered her in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his back and held on tight, bunching the material between her fingers. Leon's steady breathing calmed her aching heart at the thought of her father.
"How did he die?" Leon asked quietly.
"My father died from illness, like your mother." Victoria shuddered. "One second he was fine, the next he was pale and his eyes were glazed and dead. I remember because he died in our home. He lay in bed, rolled onto his side, and then vomited up pork stew and stale bread all over the sheets. My mother called the doctor and I stayed with him. He held my hand as he died and I remember thinking, no, not him. When the doctor came, it was already too late. The hand of God had already taken him."
Leon grunted, "I see."
Though he did not prompt her, she wanted to continue. Victoria had never talked about what had happened after her father died. All of her friends abandoned her after what she had done with Sir William, and her mother had left her in the throes of grief. It had just been her, all alone, until her mother found Dawson and she suddenly got well again.
"After my father died, I felt so cold and alone. It was like God had taken my mother as well. She just stared straight ahead with this blank look on her face. My family was not wealthy and we scraped by with my father and his job, but without him, we were doomed to starvation. I panicked. Though some of the townspeople occasionally brought us food, they too had trouble getting on, and soon their gifts waned." She sighed into his shoulder. "A wealthy man who lives near the city came and said he could feed me and my family if I would…if I would…give up my virtue for him, so I did. I got food and money and everything else, and I was able to save my mother and myself from starving to death. Unfortunately, I lost so much in the process – my old friends took me for a whore, as did the townspeople. A few even refused to sell food to me, even though I had good money. I still feel guilty about what I did."
Leon sucked in air and she wondered, horrified, whether she had gone too far in telling him her past. Why did I say that to him? Why did I let him know everything? He'll think I'm a monster when I'm through. When he gazed at her at that moment, though, she saw nothing but pity in his beautiful eyes. It was a much welcomed sight after years of ridicule for being a "lady of the night."
"What happened to you?" he asked slowly.
"My mother came back to life eventually. She met a man named Dawson who finally made her smile again. He is not wealthy but they could get by. Blissful happiness. I would only have to worry about feeding myself, and I saved some coins out of what Sir William gave me each time just in case something happened." She glanced down at her shaking hands as more tears welled in her eyes. "I came to his estate to tell him I would no longer be his. I did not love him. He nearly killed me and threatened to do so if I did not return. I ran away. That’s why I am here. That was why I went up your mountain that day."
His mouth tightened. "I see."
"You think I'm awful, don't you?" She sniffled and wiped her nose on her hand. "I think that’s why I was struck down with this awful curse. I think I got it because I was immoral and now I’m being punished for my actions. This is what a woman gets for breaking her virtue."
"You aren't awful, you're strong," Leon said.
She blinked in shock. No one had ever called her that before.
"What?" She shook her head. "No, I'm not. If I were strong, I would have found another way to save us."
"You made a choice to save your family no matter what it cost you." Leon shook his head. "I think it makes you strong, even though you had to…"
Once again, she shook her head and moved her gaze to the right.
Strange feelings filled Leon after hearing her story, but jealousy was the primary one. Victoria had been with another man. Yes, Leon had no intention of marrying her because of what he was, but he still felt intense anger all the same. He also felt respect for Victoria and for what she had done. Leon sometimes wondered whether the world was as cut and dry as the townspeople made it out to be. Could anyone truly condemn Victoria for trying to save her mother and keep herself alive? He knew he couldn't. There were definitely much worse sins in the world, ones that the other townspeople appeared to have forgotten about, sins like gossiping and greed during a time when someone needed help the most.
He shook his head and gripped Victoria closer. As he felt her quivering against him, his heart went out to her, which confused him. He should not feel this close to Victoria when he knew he would make her leave. He should not want to offer her the servant job so much that it caused his heart to ache.
"Victoria," Leon said into her hair.
"Yes?" Victoria asked, her voice soft.
"You are the most amazing woman I have ever met." Leon curled his fingers into her hair. "No matter what others say, don't you ever forget that. You deserve so much more than what you have been given."
She squeezed him closer and the two of them silently embraced for hours.
Chapter Seven
Sir William sat outside of Dawson's house with a frown on his face. At his side, Cecile had her hands bound and her mouth gagged. Though her feet were unbound, he was not worried. He knew she would be as likely to get away from him as an arrow struck duck would get away from the hunter. He also had a bag over his back which held rope for binding.
"Where is your beloved fiancé?" Sir William barked, turning to glance at Cecile in annoyance. "He should be here by now."
Instead of responding, Cecile shook her head. In his rage, Sir William drew back his hand and hit Cecile across the face, just for the fun of it. He enjoyed the agonized expression on her face as well as the soft cry she let out as she hit the ground and curled up into a ball. Chuckling, he prepared to kick her, but then he heard the sound of a carriage bouncing along the dirt path.
Sir William crouched again and gazed at the carriage. The carriage was drawn by two bay horses and was being controlled by Dawson, the man he had seen in the inn. Dawson's face appeared pale and there were sweat stains on his clothes.
The man is obviously concerned that his fiancé is gone. Sir William's grin widened. Good. This will be easy for me.
As Dawson pulled back on the reins, he said, "Whoa!" hoarsely and his animals drew to a stop. After Dawson climbed out of the carriage, walked up to his front stoop and unlocked his door, Sir William withdrew his sword from its sheath and seized Cecile by her arm and hauled her to her feet. She groaned and then glanced at him in worry, her eyes large. Sir William grinned at her and then began to haul her forward, toward Dawson.
"Is this who you are looking for?" Sir William asked, deliberately keeping his voice mockingly cheerful.
Dawson spun around and gasped when he saw his battered, bruised, and bloody fiancé. When Dawson rushed off the stoop and headed toward them, Sir William yanked Cecile in front of him and pushed the blade of his knife against her quivering throat. In shock, Dawson gasped and drew to a stop, his eyes wide with fear.
"Stop." Dawson put up both hands, trembling. "What are you planning to do with her?"
"That all depends on you." Sir William continued to press the knife to Cecile's throat. "I am looking for Victoria, and your bride-to-be informs me that she doesn't know where Victoria is, and is awaiting a letter to tell her. I have decided that it would be a wise plan for me to wait with you. Now what you are going to do is go down on your knees, hold your hands behind your back, and stay very still. If you don't, I'll cut up your wife. I don't necessarily need her alive anymore. I will get Victoria back one way or another. What is your choice?"
With a groan, Sir William's eyes flickered toward Cecile. He then fell to his knees, put his hands behind his back, and hung his head. Sir William chuckled. These people are so easy.
"Good," Sir William said.
Sir William released Cecile who quivered but remained standing. Rolling his eyes, he kicked Cecile's knee and she grunted and fell to her side on the ground. In his anger, Dawson roared but did not move to stand up. After digging in his bag, Sir
William pulled out rope and began to bunch it in his hands. Once he reached Dawson, he leaned over, grabbed the man's work-roughened fingers within his own, and then bound his wrists together. He then did the same to Dawson's ankles. Unlike with Cecile, Dawson could be a real danger to him if he got away. The man didn't appear intelligent, but he was tall and muscular. He was going to have a hell of a time dragging him bound into the house, but he wasn't about to risk Dawson getting smart on him and surprising him with a blunt object to the head the moment he walked through the door. Unlike the hotel keeper, he had the intelligence to avoid that.
The sound of Dawson grunting broke through his thoughts and he straightened and seized him by his collar. Sir William groaned and began to haul Dawson toward the house. Every step he took was painful, but he managed to make it up the stairs of the stoop and he opened the door.
Once inside, Sir William paused to catch his breath and he glanced around in disgust. The house was tiny with eclectic wood furnishings. He swore and focused on the living room. He would get Dawson to the table and tie him to it. Though he managed to drag Dawson, he wouldn't be able to get him onto the chair by himself. He hauled Dawson the remaining few feet and forced his broad back against the table leg. Sir William then took out another piece of rope from his bag, cut a piece of it with his knife, and tied him to the table leg. Now for Cecile.
After straightening up, he spun around and headed for the door. After he had gone outside, he noticed that Cecile was attempting to get away, wobbling toward the forest, limping with each step. Anger and amusement filled him. Did Cecile really believe she could get away? He was sure he had fractured her leg. He headed toward her with a determined walk, and Cecile stole a look over her shoulder, gasped against her gag, and attempted to run. As pathetic as ever, Cecile tripped over the brush and tumbled to her knees. She screamed against her gag in fear, but that only made him chuckle more. Ridiculous woman.
Once he had reached her, he seized her hair and yanked her to her feet again. She screamed and flailed, but her attempts to get away were futile. She was so weak she couldn't bruise him even if he let her pummel him to her heart's content. He ripped Cecile backward by her hair. She wailed and fell to her butt, and he dragged her to the house by her hair and then pulled her inside, slamming the door shut behind him.
