Wordlessly Bella shook her head and as Edward strode towards her she involuntarily took a step backwards. He laughed shortly, seized her by the shoulders and crushed her to him before kissing her hard on the lips.
Releasing her abruptly, he turned and took Toby from Alice's arms and without a further word strode off towards the gates. Toby screamed in terror, and desperately but futilely attempted to wriggle out of his grasp. Bella cried out and ran after him, while Alice followed as fast as she could. They caught up with Edward just before the gates and Bella tugged his arm.
'Give Toby to me!' she demanded. 'It's all right, Toby, don't cry!' she added urgently as she tried to wrest her brother from her husband's arms.
'Where is your baggage?' was the only reply as Edward strode on and turned along the quay.
'Where are you going?' Bella almost screamed running to keep pace with him.
'Home! Where the devil did you expect me to be going, wench?'
There was no answer. Adam was nowhere to be seen, this brute was her husband, and she could do nothing but follow him while he had Toby in his arms. Bella stumbled along miserably until Edward stopped beside a canoe, a strange looking craft which appeared to be hollowed out of a tree trunk.
'Get in,' Edward ordered, and passed Toby down to an elderly man who stood beside it. 'We'll leave the other stores for today, Hal, something better has turned up!'
Bella jumped into the canoe after Toby and took the frightened child into her arms.
'Have you no more wit than to terrify him so?' she demanded furiously. But Edward only laughed and held Alice back as she attempted to scramble into the canoe after her mistress.
'You can show me which your baggage is, and come with me. Take care she doesn't overset you, Hal. She's a wildcat! But might be worth the taming!'
The man had already seized the short paddle and was driving the canoe out into the middle of the river. Edward could be seen, his hand on Alice's arm, forcing her along the quay to where the boxes had been left when they had landed from the small boat. Soon he was following in another canoe, and rapidly overhauled Bella's canoe. By the time Bella arrived he had helped Alice to step onto a small wooden landing stage some way up river.
The small settlement was similar to many others they had seen lining both banks of the James River on their way from the fort. A few small cottages huddled together a little way from the river banks, and a larger barn-like building stood beside them. There were pens for a few animals, and small vegetable gardens surrounding the houses, with occasionally the beginnings of an orchard. Further away were fields of strange looking plants, and surrounding all, both protective and menacing, was the dense forest.
Edward watched sardonically as Bella clambered from the canoe. During the short journey she had resolved that, despite Adam's desertion of her, she would fight for her freedom. If Edward knew how much she held him in aversion he might permit her to return to England. He could have her dowry and the land, and might consider that and her absence a better bargain than the constant presence of a reluctant, antagonistic wife.
She stood on the landing stage, gazing back at him haughtily, not allowing the fear she felt to show in her face or demeanor.
'Well, where do we go? I assume one of these is yours,' she said sharply, waving her arm towards two of the cottages from which thin columns of smoke rose into the clear bright air.
'They are all mine,' he answered slowly. 'Over there, the largest.'
Bella looked where he indicated, and saw that one of the cottages seemed to have two rooms instead of the single square one which was all the others consisted of. It had at some time been enlarged by adding another bay to the original frame. The thatch at one end looked cleaner, and the wooden frame newer, and it suddenly occurred to her that the cottages must have been there long before Edward arrived a couple of months earlier.
'You have not built these?'
'No, some settlers who came here three years ago did that. I – er – acquired them.'
'Who lives in the others?'
'My farm workers. They are out in the fields now, you'll be able to play lady of the manor when they return!' he sneered, and then laughed.
Bella shrugged. There was little point in arguing with him. She began to walk towards the largest house and Alice, who had been watching them in silence with Toby's hand in hers, started to follow.
'You'll sleep in the kitchen, wench!' Edward said to Alice. 'With the brat.'
'I prefer to have Toby with me,' Bella intervened quickly.
'What you want has nought to do with anything! Alice will take care of the brat at night, and by day you'll both work in the fields!'
For a moment Bella stared at him, aghast. This was an indignity to add to the horror of sleeping in his bed.
'The fields? I'm no farm labourer! Nor is Alice!'
'You'll soon learn. Everyone here works for their bread!'
'Even Toby, I suppose!' Bella said furiously. 'Who is going to care for him while we are so occupied? You? Do you soil your hands in the fields? They do not look as though you do!'
For a moment she thought he would hit her and as he moved forward she jumped back.
'Doxy!' he spat. 'I'll tame you yet!'
Bella smiled grimly. He would soon discover his mistake. She was not the ignorant girl he had violated before, and this time he would neither force nor browbeat her easily.
'I repeat, who cares for my brother? He brought you fifty acres too!'
'Mistress Mason, the wife of one of my men. She cooks for us, she's too old for field work.'
Bella shrugged and walked past him into the cottage. It was a bare, dreary room, with no soft hangings to brighten the starkness of rough-hewn wooden furniture and mud-plastered walls. The single window was small, and after the bright sunlight the interior was dark, but Bella could distinguish a wide, deep chimney almost filling one wall, and a small door opposite which led to the other room. A polished chest stood against one wall, and on it were some pewter mugs and wooden platters. A few iron cooking pots were slung over a small fire which was making the room unbearably hot, and in front of it was a long table, two benches and some three-legged stools. On one of them sat an elderly woman who looked at them curiously from small eyes almost buried in a deeply lined face. She went back to stirring the contents of a pot hanging over the flames when she saw Edward following them in.
The door to the other room was open and through it Bella glimpsed a high curtain bed, and a steep ladder apparently leading to a loft above.
She turned as Edward followed her in.
'We'd best talk now,' she said calmly.
'What of? What is there to say? Put your things and the child's in there and help Maggie prepare the supper today. Tomorrow you can start work in the fields with the others.'
'No.'
'You'll do as I say! I'll not have idle hands!'
'You can have my money and land for the three of us. Will that not content you? We will merely be a burden to you. I suggest that you assist us to return to England and we need have no more to do with one another!'
Edward laughed scornfully. 'Not so fast, my pretty one! You don't realize that women are valuable out here! There are too few of you! You can work and more than pay your way. With the new tobacco crops we need everyone. There is no time for fine ladies to loll in their parlours. Besides, we need to establish ourselves and breed new Virginians!'
Bella suppressed a shudder, hoping that in the gloom he could not see her recoil.
'You cannot force me!' she exclaimed, but he advanced on her threateningly.
'Cease this bellyaching! You're here, I own you, and you'll obey me! If you don't it will be the worse for you. There's plenty of men in Jamestown without a woman who'd be glad to sample you. I'll hire you out to them. As for that brat, he'll soon be able to do simple tasks and grow up useful.'
'You are vile!'
'I'm a man and I will be heeded! Now help prepare the supper!'
; There was no purpose in arguing with him, for he was implacable and there was nothing she could do against his brute strength. While Alice tried to comfort Toby, who was plainly terrified of Edward's loud voice, Bella turned towards the woman who had begun listlessly preparing some trout to bake in the ashes of the fire. An appetising smell rose from the cauldron above it.
'What can I do?' Bella asked quietly.
Mistress Mason eyed her apathetically. 'Get the platters, it's almost time for the men to come in.'
'Do we feed all of them? How many?'
'Six of them, as well as ourselves.'
Bella fetched the platters and some roughly carved wooden spoons and put them on the table. She found a half eaten loaf of bread with an old dagger lying beside it in a small cupboard set into the wall beside the chimney. While Toby sat, confused and timid on Alice's knee, Bella hacked off manchets of bread and put them on the table.
Mistress Mason, after her first responses to Bella's questions, had relapsed into silence, busy with the contents of the cauldron and turning the fish. Bella sat on one of the stools at the end of the table and rested her chin on her hands, staring unseeingly into the small fire as she pondered on her strange position and tried desperately to think of a way of escape.The image of Adam was never far away from her thoughts, however firmly she tried to banish it. He had deserted her, and had never intended doing anything else, she reflected. Like other men, he had lusted after her body, and like a fool she had permitted him to enjoy it, trusting that his desire would be great enough to make him want to keep her with him. Now she was back in the power of her husband after submitting uselessly to Adam, and she raged inwardly, feeding her fury as she recalled the sensuous delights her treacherous body had indulged in.
*
She had no intention of remaining a mere field hand in the place that should have been her home, and which had probably been bought with her money. But for the moment she had to submit. Soon, she vowed, she would find a way of escaping from her detested husband and returning to England. Her reverie was interrupted by the sound of footsteps outside the cottage, and several men, talking loudly, entered the kitchen. The first one stopped suddenly as he saw Bella, who had risen to her feet.
'Ma'am!' he muttered, touching his forelock and looking enquiringly at Mistress Mason.
She ignored him, stooped to retrieve the trout from the fire, and brought them to the manchets of bread. Without further ado the men sat down at the table. Edward, who had followed them in, picked up the bread and munched greedily at it, glancing from time to time along the table at Bella.
Bella tried to ignore him. A lad younger than herself was seated beside her and she tried to converse with him, but he was either shy or embarrassed at her presence and mumbled incomprehensibly in reply to her questions. Since none of the other men were talking she soon abandoned her efforts and ate in silence.
When they had finished the fish Mistress Mason made to rise, but Edward ordered her back onto the bench.
'Sit down, my obedient little wife can play hostess. Bella, get the cauldron, serve out the stew and do it quickly!'
Bella's head flung up at his tone, but she suppressed her anger and rose to her feet. The cauldron was heavy and she had difficulty in lifting it from the hook, but none of the men volunteered to help her. She was trembling, both with the effort of carrying it to the table and fury at their lack of manners, by the time she thumped it down onto the table. Some of the liquid slopped out of it.
'Clumsy idiot!' Edward exclaimed. 'You'll have to learn we cannot afford to waste food here!'
'Then you'd best see to it yourself!' Bella flung at him and stepped away from the table.
'Serve it out!' Edward shouted at her as she glared defiantly at him.
'Do it yourself since I cannot do it to please you!'
He rose and took a step towards her. Willing herself not to flinch, Bella stood her ground, but she gasped and involuntary tears came into her eyes as his hand shot out and caught at her hair. He twisted his fingers into it and pulled viciously until she was forced to lean towards him.
'Serve it!' he snarled, pushing her head down almost into the cauldron.
The rest of the men sat as motionless as blocks of wood, and Bella reached blindly for the ladle. Edward relaxed his grip slightly, but it was still excruciatingly painful for Bella as she ladled the appetising smelling stew of venison and herbs onto the platters which were held out to her in silence. When she had filled every platter apart from her own Edward suddenly thrust her away from him.
'Get out of here. You will soon learn not to defy me!'
Bella almost ran into the bedroom. She was shaking with mingled pain and anger, and redoubled her resolution to repay Edward for his humiliating treatment of her. Yet she knew it would be difficult, if not impossible, to escape from her loathsome husband without help. From what she had seen tonight none of the men Edward employed would lift a finger to aid her.
She was attempting to calculate the distance they had travelled in the canoe from Jamestown, and wondering if she could steal one of the strange craft, when Edward entered the bedroom. Bella was still fully dressed, sitting on the bed. She stood up as he came in and stared at him with a mixture of fear and defiance in her eyes.
'So you waited to give me the pleasure of disrobing you, did you?' he sneered, beginning to unbutton his shirt.
'I'll not submit to you, Edward Sutton!'she cried.
'What of it? I'll have you in the end, and you'll just get hurt. Take off your gown!'
She stood still, her eyes narrowed, watching him as he shrugged off his shirt and then sat down on the bed to pull off his boots. He ignored her until he had untied his breeches and they had fallen to the floor, then he stood up and came towards her.
Roughly he tore off her gown, breaking the laces that tied it, and although she fought him with all her strength, she was no match for him. By the time he had ripped away her chemise, thrown it on the floor, and was holding her naked to his own body, he was panting and the scar on his face stood out lividly.The struggle had stimulated his desire, and Bella writhed as she felt his hardness thrusting between her thighs. Her flesh seemed to crawl with distaste, but he was holding both hands behind her, in one of his large fists, and with the other hand was holding her buttocks.
Gradually, despite her struggles, he forced her towards the bed, and threw her down onto it, casting himself on top of her, driving the breath from her body.
He employed none of the gentler tactics Adam had used so successfully to awaken her own desire. She cringed from him in loathing, but was too firmly held down to escape. As he thrust into her she bit her lip to avoid crying out from the disgust she felt. For what seemed hours he remained inside her, grunting and heaving until his pent up passion was slowly dissipated. When she tried to wriggle from beneath him as the first fierce onslaught grew less, he slapped her hard across the face, and growled at her to be still.
Once he had sated himself she thought she would be rid of him, and gave a sob of relief as he raised himself from her. But he had not done. Forcing her to submit partly by holding her arms imprisoned, and partly by repeated slaps across the face whenever she moved, he began to stroke her breasts and kiss her, pulling her hair so that she could not avert her face from his wet lips. She shuddered with horror, but he thought she was responding to his caresses, and gave a low triumphant laugh.
'You'll soon appreciate what a man can do,' he said, and let his lips travel across her breasts before cruelly sinking his teeth into the tender flesh. Totally unprepared for the pain, Bella cried out. He chuckled with satisfaction, and bit her again in her breasts and neck, until his desire returned, and he clambered above her once more and sawed away rhythmically until he achieved a second release.
This time he rolled away from her and fell asleep almost at once, while Bella strove to suppress the tears of both pain and degradation that shook her whole body.
It was even worse than she had remembered.
Then there had been the pain of losing her virginity to a violent and careless man. Now she had the memory of Adam as a constant comparison. Even though he had never said he loved her, he had never hurt her, or implied that he scorned her for submitting to him. By contrast Edward's contempt was unmistakable. She certainly did not wish him to love her, but shame and debasement overwhelmed even resentment, and the tears remained wet on her cheeks until long after she had fallen asleep.
Chapter 6
When Bella awoke the following day, bruised and aching, she found Edward standing beside the bed. Instinctively she clutched the blankets about her nakedness, but it proved unnecessary.
'Get up,' he ordered brusquely. 'You're not a fine lady to spend the morning in bed. There's work to be done.'
To Bella's relief, he turned and left the bedroom. She dressed slowly, then went into the kitchen where she found Toby cowering on the pallet in one corner which he had shared last night with Alice. Alice herself was nowhere to be seen.
'Feed the brat, and get some bread for yourself, then you'll come with me,' Edward said coming to the door which led to the kitchen.
'I stay to care for Toby. He cannot be left alone!'
'You'll do as you're told. I need you in the fields. Mistress Mason will look after him.'
Turning away from him Bella coaxed the bewildered child to eat the stale crusts of bread which was all that was available for him, and then ate another slowly.
'Hurry, can't you?' Edward, who had been outside the house, ordered impatiently. 'Leave him.'
Edward strode towards them and grasped Toby by the arm, causing the little boy to scream in pain.
'Do as I say or he'll suffer!' White faced, Bella rose and clasped Toby to her, trying to comfort him.
'You devil, to fight your battles with a baby!'
'You can prevent it by being sensible. I'll not tell you again!'
Fortunately Mistress Mason came into the kitchen at that moment. Bella went across to her, trying to disengage Toby's arms from about her neck.
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