When her lips touched the older man, Alex lost himself. He stood awkwardly, dumping Chantal onto the floor. He reached for Minnie. She was his, damn it. Voices protested, hands tried to hold him back and the earth spun around and around until he was sure he would vomit. Through the confusion, faces and voices transformed into the sounds of the asylum and he knew he must leave. He struggled from whoever held him back, weathered the punches to his body and the screams. Phantom pain ripped at his wrists as he staggered out of the room and into the hall. He thought for a moment he was back in the asylum, surely, because none of this made sense.
“You have to leave,” Minnie said, her face suddenly in front of him. Masks circled around behind her, their voices hushed.
“They’re married,” a female’s voice shouted. It sounded like Chantal. Like the cat with blue eyes. “He called her his wife, his darling. I saw him leaving her room this morning.”
“Be quiet, Chantal,” Minnie said, spinning around. Alex didn’t want her to move away from him now that she was with him. “Monsieur Marwick isn’t feeling well.”
The room quieted as if they all agreed.
“Bring him upstairs,” Peprin demanded.
“He is not feeling well,” Minnie repeated. And she stepped closer. “Someone fetch him a glass of water.” She handed Alex a glass. It was cool against his palm.
She crowded him against the wall, leaning in as she lifted the glass to his lips. “It is best if you leave and forget me. You will have your theater but not if you cause scenes like that. I’m not yours,” she rushed out on a low whisper.
When he wrapped his fingers around her wrist, noticing the bruises on her body and blood on her ear, he thought she should be his because he would never treat her like the others. He would never hurt her.
“Not anymore,” she whispered.
If he could think clearly, he would have an answer and know what to do. Alex wanted to pick her up and walk out the door and leave the rest of them all behind. She was too good for them. But Alex could barely walk. Then the panic struck as her words set in, as he was ushered upstairs and brought to his room without ever having the chance to say the words he needed Minnie to hear.
§
Minnie stood at the foot of the stairs and watched as the servants dragged Alex up to his room. Her body felt cold, a nervous sweat breaking out over her brow. She wiped it away and forced a coy smile as she turned to Peprin and D’Ambreious. “Let’s continue, shall we?”
She walked by the inquiring crowd, back into the party. She needed something stronger than champagne if she was going to carry through with Peprin’s demands. She eyed the sideboard and discovered the opened bottle of whiskey and swiped it before she circled back and hung on D’Ambreious’s arm.
“They are married. I swear it,” Chantal proclaimed again to Peprin. “I have seen them together. They are a couple, monsieur. She is a fraud. Evangeline has been lying to all of us. She’s not a virgin.”
“Shall I perform for everyone?” Minnie asked, speaking over Chantal. “And then,” she said, leaning closer to D’Ambreious, “perhaps it is time we leave the party for our own entertainment.”
For an older man, he wore his glee like a little boy who happened upon a candy shop. “I’ll make you very happy, Evie.” He squeezed her bottom and she let out a surprise shriek for his delight but she felt as if she were going to be sick.
Not anymore.
She’d lied to gain her freedom from Mrs. Robards those years ago, but that lie hadn’t felt as if she had cut her heart out. But that was the truth now. Things had grown too complicated for them to continue on with their secret relationship. They could be together no longer. He needed his theater and therefore Peprin’s favor, and she wanted that for Alex.
She took a biting swallow of the whiskey and stepped up onto the dining table and sang and danced, feeling Peprin’s marionette strings moving her, forcing her to perform. She hated it as D’Ambreious lifted her skirts and slid his hand up her leg in front of the others to snap her garter. His touch made her stomach turn sour.
She could do this. She must.
He carried her up to his room, depositing her on the bed in a heap of silk and jewels. He stood over her and demanded that she undress him, which she did dutifully.
“Peprin has assured me that you’re a virgin.”
Minnie nodded at the claim, lying as she felt his skin beneath her fingers. His body wasn’t that of a young man, but of someone who had softened a little around the edges. Images of Alex and their first night together flashed before her eyes, and she closed them tight, savoring that memory. She had given herself to Alex on her own free will and he had shown her tenderness and love.
Love.
Was this how someone acted when they were in love with another? She remembered straightening up in D’Ambreious’s lap as Chantal kissed Alex, and the rage that roared through her. Those were her lips to kiss. Chantal had no claim over Alex. But did Minnie?
D’Ambreious’s hands moved over her body, stripping away the fabric in angry tugs. His breathing grew ragged, his eyes bulging. He spoke lewd words to her as he stripped her bare, pushing her to lay down on the bed.
She was crying. She only noticed as he yelled at her for it, complaining that she was suffering from virginal fear. But it was nothing to do with that. Everything grew cold and the world suddenly seemed far away as his hands moved over her body. His touch wasn’t tender—he was rough and demanding. He grabbed at her greedily and grunted, stroking himself as he groped her body and spoke vile words.
This was nothing like what she had shared with Alex and she was afraid. She had heard of men like this and what they would do.
D’Ambreious hauled her up on the bed and tied her hands with his silk scarf, kissing her harshly, for only his pleasure. This wasn’t what she knew of sex. This was foreign and rough and he was hurting her. He dragged her off the bed and she stumbled. He pulled her upward by her hair and shoved her hard against the wall, her head ringing from the impact.
Minnie struggled, fighting back as he slapped her, enjoying the sight of her distress. She scrambled onto her feet, her hands still tied, and tried for the door. Everything sped past her as he hauled her back, laughing at her escape attempt.
“It won’t be so bad as that,” he said. It was a lie, of course. She didn’t trust him by half to respect her body.
In one last attempt to escape, she darted to the washing stand and lifted the bowl with her tied hands.
“I knew you were the right choice. Peprin said you were too valuable to him, but I admire your spir—”
Minnie somehow managed to crash the giant porcelain bowl over his head, tumbling him to the ground. She kicked him to be sure he was unconscious, then tore away her ties with her mouth, tying him up.
She wrapped the sheet from the bed around her body and fled the room, rushing to her own to find a dress and gather a few things for her bag. Minnie ran to Alex’s room next, frantic to escape before someone noticed.
“Alex?” she whispered into the dark room. There was no time to waste. She was sure he was in the room. “Alex, we must hurry.”
A soft moan came for the corner of the room, the moonlight streaming in from the window, falling upon bare feet.
“Alex?” She edged toward the sound, unsure what was she would discover.
Alex held his knees and rocked back and forth, his shirt drenched in sweat.
“Blast it,” Minnie said, sinking to the floor in front of him. She could not leave him behind. Certainly not like this. “Alex, listen to me,” she said, reaching her hand out to cup his face. “We must hurry. They will be after me soon and I can’t—”
“I’m losing my mind,” he said on a small whisper. “Don’t send me back.”
“Darling Alex,” she dropped a rushed kiss to his wet forehead. “I don’t know what dark place you’re in, but we have to leave. You have to stand up and follow me. I’ll find us somewhere safe. You will be safe with me. Do
you understand?”
He seemed so very far away.
“Alex, I need you to come with me. I can’t leave without you. You’re everything I have left now.” Her voice cracked. He must follow her. Everything would be well if he followed. Minnie feathered his face with kisses, running her hands through his hair and down his arms, touching him in hopes of shaking him from the dark fog consuming him. “Alex. Please, Alex.”
“I don’t want to stay here.” His voice was rough and far away, a mere whisper compared to her racing heart.
“No, I don’t want you to stay here either. We are going to leave together. Grab my hand and we will go. But we must hurry.”
Alex stopped rocking and held his hand out into the light. “Can you see them? How are we going to get them off?”
Minnie narrowed her eyes at his outstretched wrists, unsure of what he saw.
“The chains,” he said.
“I have a key,” she lied. If nothing else, she could act and talk him through this evil dream he was trapped in. Whatever they used to poison him was addling his brain. She moved her hands over his and said, “There, now we can go.”
Alex gazed up at her and gave her a strange, empty smile. Leering almost. The handsome face she loved looked haunted. But there was no time for doubts. She would see them both safe and then she would figure out what was next. She refused to give up now.
“Grab my hand, sweet.” She helped him to his feet and looked for the wardrobe. She grabbed a change of clothes and threw them in with her own. She led them both down the back stairs and out into the night, holding his hand tight, determined not to let go.
Chapter 15
“We’ll be safe soon,” she said, the words sharp and stabbing as the breath crushed from her lungs. Alex panted behind her, his eyes still wide and glazed over. If only he were well and awake, free from the hell he was languishing in. Perhaps then, they would have a chance of escape.
Minnie stopped, bending over to retch onto the sand by the surf. Everything felt beaten and bruised, her eyes burning as a sob tore from her throat and she struggled for another breath. In that moment, all she wished for was to be held by Alex.
With her hands braced on her knees, she looked behind and watched as Alex stood tall, his gaze fixed on the dark horizon. Her heart broke a little more, even when she thought she couldn’t handle any more pain. And then there was the small part that was furious at him for leaving her. She had told him they were finished and he hadn’t put up a fight. His stricken look hadn’t been protest enough.
“Alex,” she said, her voice hoarse. Her stomach roiled in another painful cramp and she turned, retching until she collapsed to her knees. The sand dug into her skin, the sheet fluttering in the ocean breeze. At least they had put some space between themselves and Peprin. If only her nerves would settle.
The beach was a small alcove, the rock cliff towering above, cushioning the night’s sounds into a soft murmur.
Minnie swallowed again, her throat raw and sore. Then, so was the rest of her. All she felt was that disgusting touch. Just the thought made her stomach twist, again but she forced herself to focus on Alex and his strange stare.
She rose and edged closer, titling her head to examine him. Everything about Alex was otherworldly. She raised a hand to his face but drew back as he winced. He moved his eyes to her, staring at her and looking through her all the same. It was a hollow look, deep and lost.
“Alex,” she whispered. “Come back to me, darling.” Minnie leaned in for a quick kiss on his cheek. It broke her heart when he wrestled out of her grip as she tried to hug him close. “Come back,” she pleaded. Her voice was shaky. She was terrified and she needed Alex. Damn it, she needed him and he couldn’t do this to her. Not now.
They couldn’t stay the night on the beach. They would need to travel further to ensure their escape, but for now...
The waves lapped the shore in a sleepy cadence.
“Follow me, Alex.”
He looked up as she untied the sheet from around her body. His grin was still not his own.
“The water is very nice. We should take a swim. Don’t you think?”
He looked close to speaking but only nodded.
“Very good, then.” She was thankful he had agreed. Perhaps if she could get him in the water, it would be enough of a shock to shake him awake once more.
She walked backward into the water keeping her focus on Alex, fighting the urge to turn around and dive into the icy depths to erase D’Ambreious’s phantom touch. “That’s right,” she coaxed. She wanted to touch him so desperately, but he withdrew from her reach. “The water is very nice,” she said again.
He looked down as the water crashed around his pants and scowled.
She sank into the water, her body bobbing with the waves as she waited for Alex to come back to her.
§
Alex was getting wet, though he didn’t understand why. Minnie was before him in the dark, her pale shoulders floating stark against in what looked like a sea of diamonds. Floating before him like some evil mirage.
She had gone. At least, he had thought that she had left him. He remembered some trouble and a very ugly man with his hands on her and that had made Alex upset. So why was he getting wet?
He looked down at his feet and blinked. The ground rolled under him in an uncomfortable sway.
I’m not yours.
The words played over in his mind, growing distorted and revolting until his stomach rolled too, like he was about to be sick. Alex clamped his eyes shut. It must all be a dream, but when he heard splashing, he saw her in front of him again and it confused him.
It didn’t make sense.
Alex lifted his hands, examining his wrists. His stomach churned again painfully, the ground beneath him giving out. He could feel the chains but his flesh was inked. He remembered the chains when his skin was pale and unmarked. He remembered her voice talking of selkies and green, of a man who had loved her and one who had sent her away, but had given her the gift of a son. My darling boy, my precious son.
He stumbled, a strange weight pulling at his feet as he reached for Minnie’s haunting form. If they were to lock him up, he would keep her close. They couldn’t steal her away from him then. He would commit her to his heart. That was his to keep.
Her skin was so white and he thought she might be crying, but why would a ghost be crying? As her figure retreated further, a feral growl ripped from his throat. The ground shifted again. He fought against being knocked down by an invisible enemy.
I’m not yours. Not anymore.
He watched her face, but the words were only phantoms of his mind, because her lips didn’t move. He hated her for even saying them, because now he’d be damned to hear them the rest of his tormented life.
“Don’t cry.” He drew back, not recognizing his voice. His mouth was dry and uncomfortable. He reached for her again, but she drew further away. Alex swatted at the water.
He was too young to be trapped in this hell. He had spent half his life living it. He deserved more than a few years of freedom from the screams and rat-infested rooms. And the blood. That maniacal laughter that set the hair standing on the back of one’s neck. He had lived that once and he had been free, so why was he suddenly trapped again?
Alex made another desperate grab at the air and fell, falling until he was slapped in the face with something cold and salty, and soon he couldn’t breathe. His lungs burned for air as he struggled, lost in some strange tide. He heard something faint and he thought he was dying, but he didn’t think it would feel this way.
An icy grip pulled at him, jarring him awake. He struggled to find a way to stand, finally bursting through some surface so he could breathe. Air. Salty air that made him shiver as he sputtered, desperate for it as his lungs burned.
Hazel eyes, big as orbs, stared back at him.
Alex reached out, stilling as Minnie flinched with the threat of his touch. He steadied his hand and cupped her cheek, his Mi
nnie. He drew in a painful breath as she leaned into his touch, a real fleshy form, not some taunting dream. And she had tears in her eyes.
He thought back, struggling to sort out what was real and what had been a dream. “You’re not mine anymore.”
She looked so sad, even as she framed his face with her shaking hands and kissed his lips, soft and tender. Her lips tasted salty.
“Sweet Alex,” she whispered into his ear.
He wrapped his arms around her, crushing her against his body, not caring if she was his or not. When she started sobbing, he realized there was more to be accounted for than why he was in the ocean with Minnie in the middle of the night.
“What happened?” he asked, circling her back with his hands as they bobbed in the gentle waves by the beach.
She dropped her head to rest between his neck and shoulder and took a shuttering breath. “We’re in trouble.”
Minnie had said that before, and the following day he had been beaten by her uncle. To hear the words again made him uneasy.
“Peprin gave me to D’Ambreious in exchange for funding for the theater. And D’Ambreious...”
She tensed beneath him and he knew. She didn’t need to say any more. It put the night’s events in perspective.
“Did he touch you?” If only he could break through the remnants of fog clouding his mind, he would see them both leveled to the ground.
“Oh god,” she cried, pulling him tighter. “He tried, Alex. He tried and I...”
He didn’t want to hear the truth as he kissed her cheek.
“I knocked him unconscious before anything could happen and I ran. I found you, but you...oh, what a dark place you’ve been in. Are you back? Have you come back to me now? We’re in trouble and I’m scared.”
That word scared wasn’t part of Minnie’s vocabulary.
He let go of her and dropped below the waves, pushing himself to move below the water and swim. He must wake up. He had to wake up because he would see them safe. He would not let her down again.
A Proper Scandal Page 16
