‘I cannot think why you are so keen to marry me if you hold me in such contempt.’
‘It’s not me that’s so keen, it’s my dear papa. Bought you for me, he has. Wants me to settle down and be a good boy.’ He laughed harshly.
‘I will not be bought. Now let me go at once.’ She renewed her struggle and heard her skirt rip.
He laughed. ‘We might as well have it right off,’ he said, tearing at it.
‘Let me go. I can’t go home with my clothes all torn.’
‘Why not? We’ll say the big navvy did it and I rescued you from a fate worse than death. Oh, your papa will have the time of his life driving the navvies off his land. Moorcroft will be ruined.’
‘Of course he won’t. I won’t be party to such a vicious scheme. I shall tell everyone the truth.’
He was not going to let her go and she was desperate. Her struggle up to then had been silent except for the words she hissed at him, but now she let out a piercing scream. He clamped his hand over her mouth and wrestled her to the floor. ‘Shut up, you little fool, do you want the world in here to witness your deflowering? Or has that already happened?’
With his hand over her mouth, she could not breathe. Feeling sick and desperate, she struggled, kicking and clawing, but he was heavy on her and she could not throw him off. He laughed and lifted her skirts, fumbling with her underwear. And then suddenly he was gone from her. She gulped a huge breath and opened her eyes. Myles was standing over her and Edward lay in a heap a little way off. She sat up, gasping and sobbing, and tried to gather her clothes about her.
Myles fell to his knees and put his arm about her. ‘It’s all right, love, I’m here now.’
‘What a pretty picture!’ Edward’s voice was scathing. ‘Pity you’re too late, Moorcroft. She’s mine.’
Myles was sickened. He looked at Lucy. ‘Lucy, did he…? Did he…?’
She shook her head, unable to do more than sob, but her distress was such that she could not speak.
‘I waited to see you safely home and heard you cry out.’
‘Yes, how did that come about, Moorcroft? You’re banned from coming anywhere near the house. Spying on us, were you? Tickle your fancy, did it?’
Myles turned to him. ‘Get out, Gorridge. Leave now or I won’t answer for my actions.’ He helped Lucy to her feet and tried to draw her torn skirt about her. ‘Run indoors, my love. I’ll take Midge to the stables. Tell your mother what happened. We’ll talk later.’
Nodding, she wrapped her cloak about her and darted outside, into the snow, but she hardly noticed it as she sped down the path and in at the kitchen door. Mrs Lavender, who was rolling pastry at the table, gasped when she saw her. ‘Miss Lucy, whatever happened to you?’ Lucy was sobbing too much to answer, but the cook stopped her from running through into the main part of the house where she might be seen by anyone. ‘Sally-Ann, fetch Lady Luffenham and then tell Sarah to bring some fresh clothes for Lady Lucinda. Now, Miss Lucy, you sit down by the fire and compose yourself and I will fetch you a tot of brandy.’
Lucy obeyed. She was numb with shock. She stared into the flames, feeling sick and ashamed, ashamed because of what Edward had done, ashamed because of what Myles had seen. It must have given him a great disgust of her, though he had hidden it well.
‘Lucy, what has happened?’ Her mother breezed into the room, but stopped when she saw the state her daughter was in. ‘Oh, my darling child.’ She squatted down beside Lucy and put her arms about her shoulders. It was obvious that she had not fallen from her horse nor had an accident. The way her clothes were torn and her bruised lips told their own story. ‘Who did this to you?’
‘Mr Gorridge.’
‘Edward Gorridge! You are sure it was him? Did you see him plainly?’
‘See him!’ Lucy’s laugh was a hysterical cackle. ‘I saw every inch of him. He was naked as the day he was born and he…he…Mama, he tried to…to rape me.’
‘Are you sure? You did not misunderstand?’
‘Of course I am sure. Do you think I would make something like that up?’
Cook handed her ladyship a glass of brandy and she helped Lucy to drink it. ‘Now, Sarah is here with a dress for you to put on. Then we’ll go up to your room and you shall tell me what happened.’
Lucy stood up and the torn dress was taken from her and a clean one slipped over her head. Then the Countess and Sarah helped her up to her room, taking the back stairs so they did not meet Lady Gorridge, who might have wandered out of the drawing room. They were followed by Sally-Ann with a jug of hot water.
‘Ain’t surprised,’ Sally-Ann whispered to Sarah. ‘Andrew told me he’d seen that Mr Gorridge with one o’ them navvy girls more’n once. Shouldn’t be let anywhere near Miss Lucy, ’e shouldn’t.’
‘Shh,’ Sarah admonished her.
Once in her room, Lucy was washed and placed into a nightgown and put to bed. Her mother sat on the edge and took her hand. ‘Now, Lucy, I want you to be strong and tell me exactly what happened. Your father must know about this.’
Falteringly Lucy explained exactly what had occurred. The Countess was horrified. ‘To think we have made him welcome and encouraged him to offer for you,’ she said.
‘Mama, I don’t want to marry him.’
‘No, of course you do not. And you won’t, I can promise you that.’ She paused. ‘But I am mystified by the appearance of Mr Moorcroft. What was he doing here? Had he come to repeat his threats?’
‘No, Mama. He didn’t mean them, anyway. But I am thankful that he was nearby. I should never have got away if he hadn’t heard me scream.’
Sarah was busy tidying the clothes Lucy had taken off. ‘This habit can’t be mended,’ she said, holding the ripped garment up to examine it.
‘No, but I’ll take it. I will show it to his lordship.’ Her ladyship paused. ‘Sarah, there is no need to speak of this to anyone, you understand?’
‘Of course, my lady. But…’ She hesitated.
‘But what, Sarah?’
‘Mr Gorridge. He tried it on with me once. I was in his room, helping Kitty to make his bed, and when Kitty went out to fetch clean towels, he grabbed me. I only got away ’cos Kitty came back. And I’m not the only one. Now none of the female staff will go into his room alone.’
‘Why didn’t you report it?’
‘Who’d have believed me?’
The Countess acknowledged the truth of this. ‘We’ll leave Lucy to rest now, but when the men come back from the hunt, you will tell Lord Luffenham what you have told me. He will deal with it.’
‘Mama, I do not think I can come down to dinner,’ Lucy put in.
‘No, I shall say you are not well and offer your excuses. Now go to sleep, if you can, and everything will be dealt with. That man will not stay another night under this roof and I do not care what excuses he makes or what inducement Lord Gorridge offers.’
‘Papa…’
‘Leave your papa to me.’ It was said with a conviction that surprised Lucy—she had never heard her mother so determined before.
‘And you will thank M—Mr Moorcroft, won’t you?’
‘We shall see.’ The Countess bent to kiss her and then left the room, ushering Sarah out before her.
Myles took Midge to the stables and handed him over to a stable hand, who was concerned about what had happened to the horse’s rider, especially as Lady Lucinda had left a bag on the saddle that she would normally have taken indoors with her. Myles told him that Lady Lucinda had been very cold and had asked him to bring Midge back. He suggested the boy should deliver the bag into Lady Lucinda’s hand himself. The boy didn’t seem satisfied, but young lads did not question the big navvy.
Myles’s thoughts, as he left, were all on Lucy. Poor darling, it had been a dreadful ordeal and he hoped she would not be scarred by the experience and afraid to let anyone near her again. If what Gorridge had done spoiled her for someone who really did love her and would be gentle and tender in his lovemaking, i
t would be a terrible tragedy. His only consolation was that he did not think even the Earl would now insist on her marrying Gorridge. Unless, of course, her ladyship chose not to tell him. Or perhaps Lucy had crept into the house without being seen and would say nothing to anyone. Oh, he hoped she would not do that. She should not have to suffer alone.
He was on his way to collect Trojan when the Countess came out of the kitchen door and approached him. ‘Mr Moorcroft, will you come inside a moment?’
‘Yes, my lady.’
He followed her through the kitchen to a small parlour where she turned to face him. ‘Mr Moorcroft, we are all in your debt. I have just left Lucy—’
‘Is she all right?’ His voice betrayed his concern.
‘She is resting. It was a terrible thing to happen, but, thanks to your prompt action, she was saved the worst humiliation. I believe she will recover, given time.’
‘Thank God.’
‘That was said with a great deal of feeling, Mr Moorcroft.’ She was smiling and he realised how much like her Lucy was. The same smile animated her face, the same bright eyes and sympathetic nature softened her features. Did the Earl realise how lucky he was to have found her after his early disappointment? ‘Am I right in guessing you are very fond of my daughter?’
‘I love her more than life. I would marry her tomorrow, but she will not go against her papa’s wishes and he seems determined to make an enemy of me.’
‘Mr Moorcroft, am I to assume that you have talked to her about it?’
‘Yes.’
‘You should not have done that. She is a carefully nurtured young lady, not used to dealing with men….’
‘I know that. We have done no more than talk a little. I am not Edward Gorridge, my lady.’
‘No. I realise that, but the manner of your meeting was, let us say, unconventional, and you have perhaps aroused feelings in her she does not understand nor know how to cope with.’
‘The manner of our meeting was in God’s hands, my lady. I did not choose it and neither did she. I would have liked nothing more than to have met her in what you might consider more conventional surroundings, but that was not granted to us, nor would it have been considering Lord Luffenham’s antipathy towards my family.’
‘No doubt he has his reasons for that.’
He smiled, wondering if she knew what they were. ‘No doubt.’ He paused and then went on, determined to make his point. ‘My lady, my whole concern is for Lady Lucinda’s happiness. I would sacrifice anything for that, go away, never speak to her again, if that is the only way, so long as she is not forced to marry Gorridge.’
‘I do not think that will happen now. Lucy does not wish it and who can blame her? And I will fight to my last breath to stop it. But that doesn’t mean Lord Luffenham will look more kindly on you as a son-in-law. That, I am afraid, will take time. And Lucy needs time, too, to recover from today’s ordeal.’
‘I understand.’
‘Go now, before Lord Luffenham comes back, and, if you can possibly stop your navvies exacting revenge over the invasion of their camp, it will go some way to help.’
‘They will do nothing. I recompensed them and implied Lord Luffenham would repay me, so they are satisfied. And I have given them their usual pay while they rebuild their homes. With luck they will all be snug again by this evening and out of the bad weather.’
‘Good. Do they have adequate fuel, food and warm clothes?’
‘Yes, my lady.’
‘Good. I should hate to think of them in need.’ Instead of calling for a servant to see him out, she accompanied him herself back through the kitchen and opened the door for him. A flurry of snow landed on the mat. ‘Oh, dear, it is getting worse. Do hurry home.’
He did not need that advice. As he left the house, the snow was flying straight into his face and already it was heaping itself up against trees and buildings. But he was warm inside. Hope had not died after all.
Lucy, sitting in the window seat in her bedroom, unable to rest, saw him come round the side of the house and walk along the path that led to the kitchen garden and the glasshouses, where presumably he had left his horse. He did not look back and did not see her.
She stayed where she was, too numbed to think clearly, until the huntsmen returned, cantering into the stable yard covered in snow. They did not spend long in the yard after handing over their horses, but hurried into the house by a door that led to the gun room. Here they took off their boots, hats and the heavy cloaks that had protected their hunting pink and kept them warm. They were noisy and cheerful and the Earl was calling loudly for cognac to warm them. A little later she heard them troop into the hall and come upstairs to their rooms to change. She heard Rosemary’s voice, talking about an incident in the hunt that had amused her, and then Edward’s laugh.
He had come back with them. She opened her door a crack and saw him speak to Rosemary before continuing down the corridor to his own room. Rosie turned and saw Lucy and walked over to her. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement, her cheeks rosy and her hair wet. ‘Oh, Lucy, you should have been with us. It was so exhilarating.’
‘Did you find the vixen?’
‘No, Mr Gorridge was not with us so we had no idea where he had seen her. He met us as we were coming back. He told us he had heard the navvies were going to cause trouble, so he rode over to the camp to reason with them. He said he had managed to calm them down, but what with that and everyone going home and the bad weather, Papa has cancelled the ball. It is too bad. I was looking forward to it.’
‘There will be other balls.’
‘Yes, but it was supposed to be your engagement ball. Everything will go very flat now with just the Gorridges here.’ She did not seem to notice that Lucy was not dressed or that she had little to say.
‘Perhaps they will leave, too.’ Oh, she hoped they would! She could not bear to be under the same roof as Edward Gorridge. She was astonished that he should be behaving as if nothing had happened, as if he were still welcome. And pretending that it was he who was responsible for keeping the peace with the navvies was the last straw. She began to wonder how he would excuse himself when tackled over the insult to her.
‘Why should they? Viscount Gorridge is Papa’s especial friend and you have yet to announce your engagement to Mr Gorridge.’
‘That isn’t going to happen.’
‘You meant it, then? You really are going to refuse him.’
‘I have already done so.’
‘Does Papa know that?’
‘He will, when Mama tells him.’
‘Oh, dear, I wouldn’t like to be in your shoes. It will put Papa in a terrible mood.’
‘I can’t help that.’
‘You haven’t told anyone about the navvy, have you?’
‘There is nothing to tell.’
‘Thank goodness for that. There’s no sense in making Papa angrier than ever. I’m going to change for dinner. And you had better do the same unless you want to be in even greater disgrace.’ She went off to her own room, leaving Lucy to go back to bed, but rest was impossible. She paced the floor, listening to people coming and going in the corridor as they came up to change for dinner. She did not think her parents were among them. She imagined Mr Gorridge being asked to go to the library, which was almost certainly where her father would interview him. Lord Gorridge, too, perhaps. It was very quiet. And then she heard raised voices and a door bang and the next minute Sarah was sent to fetch her.
‘Mr Gorridge isn’t with my father, is he?’ she asked.
‘No. He returned to his room. Lord and Lady Luffenham are alone.’
Sarah helped her dress and tidied her hair, and with some trepidation, but even more determination, Lucy went down to the library.
Her father was still dressed in riding breeches, but had changed his boots for slippers. Her mother was sitting on an upright chair near the hearth. She smiled encouragingly, though she did not speak.
‘Lucinda, what’s all th
is about young Gorridge?’ the Earl demanded.
‘He tried to rape me, Papa.’
‘Nonsense, you don’t know what rape is. He says all he did was try to steal a kiss and that you misunderstood his intentions and panicked.’
‘I know the meaning of the term perfectly well, Papa. He wanted to steal more than a kiss—it was my maidenhood he was after. He tore my clothes and said some vile, disgusting things.’ She tried to sound calm and reasonable, but having to recount the episode was making her tremble uncontrollably. Her mother rose and came over to take her hand. It gave her the courage to go on. ‘I found him lying with a young girl in one of the hothouses. He was completely naked.’
‘Good Lord!’ Edward had obviously not seen fit to tell him that and it gave him pause for thought. ‘Is this true?’
‘Yes, Papa, it is.’
‘Who was she? One of the servants?’
‘No, not one of ours.’ She thought she had recognised the girl as one from the navvy camp, but decided not to tell him that. ‘She ran away and he turned on me.’
‘This is astonishing. Incredible. Edward Gorridge has been represented to me as all that is admirable in a young gentleman—clean-living, chivalrous, affectionate, a worthy husband for my daughter. If your mama had not been so sure herself, I would have said you imagined it.’ He obviously did not want to believe that he could have been so thoroughly taken in.
‘I did not imagine it, Papa. It was a very real and very frightening experience.’
‘Did he…?’ He paused, struggling to put his fear into words. ‘Did he touch you? Intimately, I mean.’
‘No, though it was not for want of trying. Papa, I know it will displease you, but I cannot marry him. I never want to see him or speak to him again.’
He stood looking at her, his affection for her doing battle with the knowledge that, if he sent Gorridge away, he would lose the financial support he had been counting on from the Viscount. There was also the problem that if Gorridge had really had his way with her, they would have to marry. ‘Do you swear you are telling the truth?’
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