Loving a Forsaken Earl: A Historical Regency Romance Book

by Aria Norton

  "I'll take this one, I think. Don't try to follow us, Brampton, or I swear I will end her. Do you understand?"

  Sarah stood as still as possible, but her eyes flashed. She knew Filmore's weaknesses, better than anyone else Thomas imagined. She flashed him a devious grin. She had a plan. He gave a slight nod to let her know that he was ready, whatever it was that she was planning. He licked his lips and stole a glance at Abigail's eyes. She was frightened but determined not to let it show in front of Filmore. With no idea what was about to happen, he took a step forward. "Abigail, I'm so sorry…"

  "Shut up. Now, sit back down. You're going to let us walk out of here. And if you follow us, I'll…"

  Before Filmore could finish his diatribe, Sarah sprang into action. She kicked her captor in the groin, sending him into a writhing heap on the floor. She then lurched for Filmore, digging her nails into his face. It was enough for him to let go of Abigail and for Thomas to step in.

  "Run!" Thomas yelled, stepping in Filmore's path to allow Sarah and Abigail a way of escape.

  Chapter 35

  Abigail let out a sigh of relief as her mother left the room. She had woken Sarah up when she had slammed the door. Sarah braced herself up on her elbows, giving Abigail a questioning look.

  "I'm sorry. Mother is a little upset, that's all. She'll come around in the light of day," Abigail apologised as she climbed into bed, placing the candle on her bedside table.

  "We cannot blame her. It's been an eventful evening. No doubt things will look better in the morning for all of us." Sarah lay back down and gave Abigail a compassionate smile. "I'm sure she's worried for your safety as well. Mothers are like that."

  "Yes, well, I think she is a bit jealous that she is not the centre of attention in this drama. She likes to play the victim, you know." Abigail rolled her eyes and leaned over to blow out the candle. "I doubt I'll sleep, but we should at least try."

  "Indeed." Sarah let out a long sigh. "Is Thomas comfortable?" Abigail was glad that Sarah could not see her face in the darkness.

  "I think so. As comfortable as one can be with bruised and cracked ribs. I wish the doctor had been able to come and look at his injuries tonight. I'm worried he might have made things worse by riding out here on horseback."

  She heard Sarah turn over onto her side, the bed creaking. "I hate to think what Filmore and his men did to him after we got away in the carriage. It makes me shudder just to think about it. I'm sure you think I wasn't worth the trouble now. I am sorry for all the trouble I've caused you and Thomas - and your family. I should go back to London and speak with my parents." Abigail heard her sniff back tears. "I'll beg them to take me back into the house. Thomas doesn't deserve this, and neither do you. I've ruined everything."

  Abigail sat up, wishing she could make Sarah feel better. However, she doubted anything but time would help her feel better about her situation. What horrors had she endured at Filmore's hand?

  "You've not ruined everything. Thomas is a good man. The fact that he went through all of this to save you speaks volumes about how much he cares about you. You should be proud to hold the affections of such a man." Abigail sank back down on the pillows, tears welling up in her eyes. Why had she allowed herself to fall in love with Thomas? Watching him with Sarah was sheer torture.

  "Yes, he has always been good to me."

  Abigail turned over, facing the wall so that she could have some semblance of privacy. She did not want Sarah to see how much her words had hurt her.

  "Good night, Sarah," she said softly, wishing to be alone with her thoughts.

  "Good night, Abigail."

  She fell into a fitful sleep, only to be awakened by a floorboard creaking outside the room. Her heart started to beat fast, her imagination going to the worst-case scenario. "Hello?" she whispered, thinking that perhaps Thomas was up and in need of something. She swung her legs out from under the sheets and let her toes brush the floor. "Thomas?" she called again.

  She went to the door and looked out, her heart pounding. Nothing. She went back and lay down on her bed, feeling uneasy. "Stop it, Abigail. You're just being paranoid," she whispered and turned over on her side.

  A few moments later, however, her eyes bolted open as a hand clamped over her mouth. Sarah's screams filled the darkness, and Abigail began to panic. Strong arms wrapped around her and yanked her out of bed.

  "Thomas! Help us, Thomas!" Sarah screamed before Filmore clamped his hand over her mouth. Her muffled screams echoed through the house as Filmore and his men dragged them out of the room. Abigail fought with all her might, and she would have escaped had Filmore's man not held a knife to her throat.

  "Move and I'll slice your throat, little missy," he whispered in her ear. She felt the cold steel against her skin and froze. The man's breath reeked of alcohol, and she knew that he would not hesitate to end her in his drunken state.

  Thomas, please be awake, she pleaded silently. The man pushed her roughly from behind, twisting her arm painfully behind her back. She did her best to follow his instructions as they were forced through the hallway towards the front door. She was not ready to die. Thomas, please wake up!

  Just as they made it to the foyer, she heard a crash behind her. They all turned in tandem, Filmore's man coming dangerously close to cutting her. She cried out in pain, and he moved the knife away from her skin slightly. "Shut up," he hissed through gritted teeth.

  Thomas appeared in the hallway, his voice booming. "Let her go!" Abigail was not sure which of them he was talking about. Her captor loosened his grip on her when he saw Thomas, and Abigail used the opportunity to flee. But the man grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She landed hard against his chest, and they both almost toppled over. The knife again pressed to her throat, and she let out a yelp as he twisted her arm again. "Do that again and I'll kill you," he threatened.

  She stopped struggling and watched with a pang of despair as Thomas met Sarah's eyes. All her hard work, all their scheming, had only proven to bring Thomas and Sarah back together. Thomas then looked at her, and she thought her heart might shatter. She had never told him how she really felt about him. Now, she wouldn't have the chance.

  If they got out of this alive, she would walk out of his life - leaving the way open for Sarah. She watched a secret look pass between Sarah and Thomas. It was then she realised that she would always live in Sarah's shadow. She should never have expected anything different. Thomas gave a silent nod and braced himself. Whatever they were planning, Abigail resigned herself to her fate.

  "Ahh, so it's the other wench that you're really concerned for, is it?" Filmore walked over to her and took Abigail's arm, trading her for Sarah. Thomas's eyes filled with fear. Filmore was wrong, of course. Abigail breathed a sigh of relief. At least Sarah would have a better chance of escape. Filmore had shown that he didn't actually care about his wife. He was angry that she had dared escape him. It was a matter of pride, nothing more.

  Abigail wished she could get her hands on a sword and fight for herself. Filmore's breath also smelled of alcohol. He would be no easier to reason with than his men. Apologising silently to Thomas, she tried to convey how much she had cherished their time together with one look. She mouthed a silent goodbye and closed her eyes to await whatever would come.

  Suddenly, Filmore erupted in a scream of pain and let her go. He knocked her to the side, and she nearly lost her balance and fell to the floor.

  "Run!" Thomas yelled. Sarah sprang into action, pulling Abigail away from Filmore. Sarah had given Thomas the window he needed. He dove for Filmore's knife, which had been dropped in the confusion. Abigail saw blood streaming down Filmore's face from where Sarah had scratched his face. She did not have time to look back for more than a second, though. Sarah pulled her down the dark hallway and out of danger.

  Abigail seemed to wake as if from a deep sleep. She snapped into action and took over, leading Sarah into the garden. She knew a place where they could hide and wait for Thomas to come and find them
when it was safe.

  Abigail pushed Sarah behind a bush, kneeling down next to her. "Are you alright? Are you injured?" she whispered, panting for breath.

  Sarah gulped, "No. I am not injured. Are you?"

  "No. Thanks to your quick thinking, we are both safe. But what about Thomas? Was he able to get Filmore's knife?" Abigail thought about going back inside to see if Thomas needed help. After all, it was three against one.

  "I didn't see it. It was too dark, and I wanted to get out of there as fast as possible." She wrapped her arms around her middle, shivering in only her nightdress. Abigail noticed the chill for the first time, her blood cooling after the excitement in the hall. "I hope Thomas is going to be alright. Should we try to find the stable boy to help him?"

  "There is no stable. The hall boy is only twelve and would be no help against three grown men. We must pray. And wait." Abigail wrapped her arm around Sarah's shoulder. She was shaking with the cold and with silent sobs. Abigail tried to comfort her, rubbing her back to try to give her some warmth. However, she could not offer much heat, dressed to match Sarah in only a thin nightgown. Her teeth began to chatter, and Sarah laid her head on Abigail's shoulder.

  "How could I have been so blind?" she whispered. "Ezra never cared about me. He only wanted my money. Do you know he's already spent the bulk of my dowry? I overheard him talking to one of his cronies last week. I was just about to go in and tell him..." Her voice broke, and she covered her face in her hands.

  "There, there. It's alright. Thomas will come out of this just fine. He'll see that Filmore makes reparations."

  "I don't care about the money. Oh, Miss Abigail! What am I going to do?" Sarah sniffed, looking away as if she was ashamed. "Filmore probably wouldn't have cared anyway."

  "Cared about what?" Abigail had a niggling suspicion of what she was going to say.

  Sarah met her gaze and sniffed again, regret filling her eyes. "I am with child."

  Abigail felt all the air leave her lungs. It was happening all over again, just as it had to Lady Elisa. At least she had been married to Filmore when she had become pregnant. But she would most likely be raising her child without a husband nevertheless. Not that she would mind being away from the monster. However, she had no family now, and no connections. She would have to make it on her own merits and work for her living - something she had never had to do before.

  Sarah didn't need to face all the hard realities right then. Abigail took her hand and gave a weak smile. "A child is a blessing, no matter the circumstances leading up to its birth. Lord Brampton will be accepting, I am sure."

  Sarah screwed up her face at that comment. "Thomas? Whatever do you mean by 'he will be accepting?'"

  "I only meant that he is a kind and honorable man. He will accept your child as his own, when you are married. I know it shall take some time to separate yourself legally from Filmore..."

  Sarah began to laugh through her tears. "Thomas? Marry me? You are quite mistaken, Miss Abigail."

  "I don't understand. I saw the way he looked at you. He loves you still."

  Sarah shook her head. "He cares for me, for the sake of all the years we spent together as children. Yes, he cares for me like an old friend. But he loves you, Miss Abigail." Sarah took her hands this time. Abigail did not know what to say. Dare she believe her words were true?

  They had no time to continue their conversation, though. Abigail heard a crash as something was pushed over in the house. Her heart leapt with fear. "Thomas..."

  Chapter 36

  Thomas had stepped in between Filmore and the ladies as they fled down the hall. He dove for Filmore's knife, but he kicked it, and it went sailing under the parlour door.

  "Don't just stand there, get him!" Filmore screamed at his men. It took them a moment to spring into action, shocked that a woman had bested them. They started for Thomas but he swung the sword out in the front of him, the steel making a swishing sound as it sliced through the air.

  Filmore stood near the front door, holding his face with his left hand. His charming face was ruined now.

  "Leave now, and I shall be lenient." Thomas nodded toward the door, asking them to leave peacefully. He was not sure he could take all three of them at the same time. Not in his condition. They had already beaten him once that night, and he was sure they would finish him if given a chance.

  "You think we're just going to walk out of here? You are daft, Brampton." Filmore took his hand away from his face. He looked as if he'd been in a fight with a bear with the amount of blood that was smeared across his face.

  Thomas did his best not to smile and rile the man even more. He backed away down the hall towards the parlour. If he was going to have to fight all of them, he needed some sort of advantage. Having a sword and a knife would help. "This is your last warning, Filmore. Leave now. You and your men are in no condition to fight."

  "You're stalling, Brampton. Where did Sarah go? I'll take her now, and we can have done with this whole business."

  Filmore and his men stepped towards him menacingly, following him into the hallway. Thomas backed into the parlour door and turned the handle. He searched for the knife, all the while keeping one eye on Filmore. He spotted it wedged under the edge of the sofa. He glanced back up at Filmore, who had followed his gaze and seen where his knife had landed. "Very well then, I suppose we'll have to do this the hard way."

  Thomas dove for the knife, grabbing it just as Filmore tackled him and pushed him off his feet. His ribcage exploded with pain, but he ignored it. His life depended on it. He slashed the air with his sword, catching Filmore on the arm. He growled in pain and backed away from Thomas.

  Thomas gripped the knife's handle in his left hand, springing up from the sofa. He held the sword and the knife out, waiting for Filmore and his men to make their moves.

  "Get him!" Filmore screamed. His men sprang at him like great bumbling cats. Thomas struck the first man on the back of the head as he came careening towards him. The man fell, slipping into unconsciousness before he even hit the floor. Thomas spun and was able to parry a blow from the other, his knife skills less than expert. They fought for a few short seconds before the fight was over, his knife clattering to the floor as Thomas cut his attacker’s hand. Thomas dropped Filmore's knife and punched the man in the jaw before he was able to react. He fell over one of the chairs, joining his partner on the floor.

  Filmore let out a growl and dove for the knife Thomas had dropped. Filmore bumped into a china hutch, sending it over on its side. Thomas shielded his eyes from the shattering glass as the hutch hit the ground. Filmore didn't even seem to notice. He stepped towards Thomas, waving his knife madly in the air. "You're going to pay for stealing my wife away, Brampton."

  "You don't even love her, do you? You only used her to get her money," Thomas said, trying to anger him. If he lashed out in a rage, he would be more likely to make a mistake.

  "No, I never loved her. She is beautiful to be sure, but so was her money."

  "Am I right in assuming it's all gone?" Thomas asked as they circled each other around the room.

  "That's none of your concern, Brampton." Filmore's eyes gleamed with murderous intent. He raised the knife over his shoulder and threw it at Thomas' head. Thomas sidestepped and then used the full force of his body to ram into Filmore, knocking him off his feet. Thomas scrabbled back to his feet and held his sword to Filmore's chest. Filmore spluttered for breath and then froze when he realised Thomas' sword was poking his chest. Thomas raked his hand through his hair and took a breath, wincing in pain.

  "Dare move and it will be the last thing you ever do," Thomas threatened through gritted teeth. His ribs were killing him, to the point he was near fainting. However, he could not allow himself to do so for fear of what Filmore would do to Sarah and Abigail. Filmore's cohorts started to come to, and Thomas stepped closer to Filmore. "I shall carry no qualms about running your leader through. Now, unless you wish that to happen, I suggest you stand aside!" Thomas yelle
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