“Save me your pity, Bryce,” she said, wiping away the tears that had fallen despite her best efforts. She truly hadn’t meant to cry and not in front of him, for heaven’s sake. But he’d found her out and what was she truly to say. “You asked me a question and I shall answer it.”
“Very well, then.”
Audelia sniffled and moved about the room, her figure a radiant sight within the burning torchlight. Ulric watched her patiently, willing away the headache that threatened to reach his temples. With all the things he’d discovered in the last couple hours, he hadn’t even the good strength to think.
“Lord Dextrem is my benefactor. Was. Is. I hardly know.”
Ulric walked over to her, turning her slowly to face him. “Your benefactor? But--”
“I have family, Bryce. I told you this. At seventeen, I was taken from the orphanage that I’d grown up and brought to a domicile for young women. Madame de Lucci brought me there.”
Ulric frowned. The name did not ring any bells. “Madame de Lucci?”
“Yes. She runs the house there for dozens of girls like my age. She aimed to pair us with wealthy benefactors.”
“And that’s how you met him?” Ulric’s heart thudded in his throat. He knew Lord Dextrem even though the man must be a decade or so Ulric’s senior. The reputable gent was known to be great company in circles as theirs. He and his wife, both. But Ulric had crossed paths with Lord Dextrem enough times to know that he was nothing but a conniving little snake who frequented too many bars and whorehouses.
“Yes. Madame de Lucci introduced me to him and his wife over a year ago. It was planned that I’d be their ward. I was happy.”
“Happy?”
“Very much so.” She sadly and accepted his hand at her cheek. “I was to have a family. A home. A chance to follow my dreams. They accepted me, a poor orphan girl, as if I was one of their own.”
Ulric could understand that. They’d been her savior. “What happened then?”
“I...” She inhaled a deep calming breath, her lips quivering. “Lord Dextrem... He started to act strangely. He became so...attentive. He--” Audelia closed her eyes, afraid to relive the memory but she had to. “He kissed me. At first I hadn’t thought it meant much and I was determined to forget that it had happened but he wouldn’t. One night, he came to my room, Bryce...” She’d whispered the last part, scared at what Ulric might say.
“What did he do, Audelia?” Ulric squeezed his eyes shut, his vision clouding with red blinding rage. “Tell me he did not...”
Shaking her head sorrily, Audelia pulled from his grasp and tried as much as she could to put distance between them. She could not take the fury in Ulric’s eyes at all. And she was ashamed of it.
“I couldn’t stop him. I tried but I couldn’t. So... I ran away. Before dawn the very next morning I-I ran away.”
“Bloody bastard!” Ulric’s shout echoed throughout the room and he tumbled a few chairs in his rage. “I am going to find the coward and run him through the heart.”
Audelia gasped, swatting at the tears running down her face. “No! You can’t.”
“And why the devil can’t I? He r..” Ulric huffed, hardly able to utter the despicable word. “He raped you. And you expect me to sit idle and do nothing about it? Lord Dextrem will see the gallows of hell straight after I remove his goddamn testicles.”
“You must listen to me!” Audelia grabbed on to his shirt sleeves. “No one will believe me.”
“Perhaps not. But they will believe me.” Ulric squeezed her hands where she grabbed his clothing, making sure she could see the determination in his eyes. He was now a man driven by love, by duty. “Do not try to stop me, Audelia.”
A sharp rap came on the door, followed by a familiar call. “Ulric?”
Audelia glanced up and swallowed tightly. “I--I’ll go.”
“Don’t you dare move an inch. I am not letting you out of my sight tonight.” And he meant it. “I’m in here, Edwin,” he called out.
The door pushed open and Edwin Montagu stepped through it, an uncertain expression on his face but when his gaze finally zeroed in on Audelia, his lips curved with amusement.
“The...um, guard, Gilgallon told me you might be in here,” he chuckled. “How do you do, Miss Rolfen?” Audelia simply nodded once and when Edwin noticed her tear stained face, he frowned. “What did I miss?”
“Did you just get back?” Ulric moved Audelia, silently begging her to sit. When she complied, he sighed with relief.
“Well, yes. Straight off the mount.” Edwin’s gaze swept between his disheveled friend and the weeping girl. “Is something amiss? You look terrible.”
“Yes.” Ulric glanced over at his friend and ran a hand over his hair. He’d been doing quite a lot of that over the past few hours. “We have a situation. Do you remember, Lord Dextrem? Jemison Dextrem.”
Edwin frowned, easing away from the door and approaching Ulric. “You mean the self-important bloke we’d met on our trip in Camden?”
“The very same.” Ulric passed a glance in Audelia’s direction, her pained gaze heartbreaking as she watched them silently. “I plan to murder him and I shall need your support on it.”
“You can’t!” Audelia jumped from her seat, already meaning to plead with him but when Ulric’s face remained set and adamant, she turned her teary gaze to Edwin instead. “You cannot allow him to do this. To kill a man. Not-not at my expense.”
Edwin gulped, glancing at Ulric. The last time he’d seen his friend truly like this, was years ago. Over thirteen years ago, to be exact. While the weeping wench before him came as a sudden surprise, Edwin also knew that Ulric was quite serious about his words and that he truly meant to put the stuffy lord to death. He ran a palm over his face and tried not to look as helpless as he felt. Goddamn it, how much had he missed?
Giving Miss Rolfen the most reassuring look he could muster up, Edwin then pulled his friend to the far side of the room and got right at it. “What in hell’s name happened?”
“She’s not just a...” Ulric glanced over at Audelia, who had sunk back into her seat, and lowered his voice. “She’s not just a thieving wench, Edwin. She’s an orphan who’d been set on hard circumstances and had been merely trying to get by.”
“What does murdering Lord Dextrem have to do what that, though? I never really liked the man, barely tolerated him but murder, Ulric? What has he done?”
The muscles in his jaws ticked wildly and Ulric fought hard to control his temper. “He suffered her a severe injustice that I refuse to allow to slip under the rug. I will not rest until I’ve beaten the life out of the bastard.”
“Injustice?” Edwin scratched at his temple, thoroughly confused but when he glanced over at Audelia and then back at his grimacing friend, his mind finally clicked. “Surely you don’t mean to tell me that he...” Edwin ran a hand over his own hair. “Oh bloody fuck!”
Ulric ground his teeth together, speaking as softly as he could. “Ryia is leaving by mid-morning tomorrow, and I have no intention of letting Audelia out of my sight. She will remain here until I can fully figure out the situation. From what I’ve been told, the bastard has been looking for her and I intend on finding him first.”
Nodding, Edwin looked at his friend. Ulric looked like a mess and rightly had just cause to be. “Whatever you need me to do, I will help you. You know that.” He placed a hand on Ulric’s shoulder and gave it firm squeeze. “But tell me something...”
“What?”
“Have you...lain with her?” He could already tell but certainly still needed to ask.
“Bloody hell, Edwin!” Ulric ran his palm over his face. “Do you have any other questions?”
He shook his head. “No. But I think I’ve got my answer, anyhow.” Edwin smiled slightly. “Hey, whatever you do, try not to terrify her more than she already is. Stay with her tonight and we can go get Dextrem after Ryia’s gone.”
Nodding, Ulric inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowl
y. God knows, he was going to beat the hell out of Dextrem. And after that Audelia was stuck with him, like it or not.
Ninteen
“This feels terribly awkward, Bryce, but I shall not complain. The other part of me, that is not fully skeptic, is thoroughly enjoying this.”
Ryia allowed her brother to crush her into a prolonged embrace until she felt they were both quite satisfied. Although she was somewhat reluctant to leave, she had to. She’d never been this long and such far a distance from her children before. And Ryia also knew that her dear Merek must be suffering from their insistent nagging. Chuckling, she pulled back and looked at Ulric.
“Feel free to come back anytime you want,” he said. “And bring the little devils with you.”
“Of course.” She gave him a small peck on the cheek. “But you must come see us the next time we meet. I’m sure it would help to...ease Merek’s mind a little.”
Ulric smiled despite his throbbing headache. He’d scarcely gotten any sleep throughout the night. Even when he’d felt the tension ease from Audelia’s body and her breathing had settled, he’d lain wide awake and listening to the sounds of the night, trying to calm his nerves.
“It’s a deal then. I’ll write to you.”
“Thank you,” she sighed, blinking back tears. “Thanks for being...you.”
“I’ve always been me, Ryia.”
She reached a hand up and massaged his cheek. Her dear brother was returning, and she could not wait until she could see his full glowing spirit again. “No, you haven’t. But I’m glad you’ve come back to me.”
Ulric nodded, now becoming aware of the presence of his stable-man, Gilgallon, Edwin...and Audelia, who stood nearby. “Send me a notice as soon as you get home. Save travels, Ryia.”
“Stay well until I see you again.” Ryia smiled, took a deep breath and then turned to face Edwin. “The next time I see you, Ed, I shall bring you a lovely maiden to capture your heart.”
Edwin grimaced and clutched his chest. “Why not poison me instead?” He grinned and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Save travels, Ryia.”
“Of course. Now, where is..?. Ah, there you are.” Ryia spun and grabbed hold of Audelia’s hands. Chuckling, she pulled the girl into a tight hug. “I shall miss you dearly, Lia. You’ve been a good friend to me over the past days. I could not have asked for a better lady’s maid. But don’t you worry. I’m sure Bryce will find a pleasant place for you here at Chastelle Manor.”
“Thank you, milady.” Audelia nodded and smiled in return. She knew that everything would change after this very moment.
Ryia’s carriage was off within the next two minutes and Ulric remained there a while, Edwin next to him, watching it until the vehicle was but a dot in the distance.
“We know you’ll miss her, Ulric,” his friend said. “She’s matured well. And she loves you.”
“Well, she’s my sister. She’s supposed to love me.”
Snorting, Edwin slapped him hard on the back. “The agreement is off, isn’t it?”
Ulric swallowed and glanced over at his friend. “It had been off for some time now.”
“Good. We set out for Camden soon. I thought maybe we could--”
“We’ll go in the morning. I have to speak with Audelia.”
Edwin nodded and stared out past the wide open lawn. “Try not to be too rough about it. For the time being, I’ll start preparing some supplies for the journey.”
A few minutes later, Ulric found Audelia in his study where he’d told Gilgallon to watch her. Her composure was cool and almost austere but he knew better. She was in pain, emotional pain and he had no idea how to ease it.
Dismissing the guard, he walked up to her were she stood by the window.
“I cannot dissuade you, can I?”
Ulric swallowed, unsure of how to go about things. He was not sure she would permit him to hold her or if she would push him away. But he needed to console her somehow. He needed to reassure her that she could trust him, that he would not see her hurt. Not anymore.
“I’m afraid not, Audelia. I...I care about you and you can only be safe here, under my protection.”
She turned to face him at that point, her eyes blotchy and nose swollen. She had been crying. Pain tugged at his heart and Ulric pulled her close, thanking God that she did not resist him. He feathered soft kisses across her face and sighed. He would not allow that bastard to roam free. Not while Ulric knew what he had done. Not while he was still breathing.
“I’ve been thinking,” she muttered, voice cracked and a it hoarse. “About everything. Are...are you certain he had been looking for me?”
“Yes. When I went to Thornea I found someone who’d been questioned by him just a couple weeks ago, Audelia. He’s searching.”
“But why?” She’d thought Madame de Lucci would be the one looking. Not...Lord Dextrem. “I’m just a....” She shook her head.
“By law, he is your guardian so he will search for you out of obligation. For a while, he will continue until the courts declare it is a waste of time. Until they...decide all hope has been lost.”
She knew what that meant. “Until they presume I’m dead, then?”
Ulric nodded. “Please do not fight me on this. I need you to stay here until I have a talk with the man.”
“But you’ll--”
“I’m not a murderer, Audelia.” Ulric groaned and rest his forehead against hers. “But I cannot promise you that I won’t break his blasted jaw.”
Nodding, she tilted her head to look up at the man she loved. Audelia could see past the stubborn set of his jaws and the determined depth of his green eyes. He was tired, exhausted, and it was all her fault. But she’d remain at the manor a while longer, for his sake. Perhaps she was tired of running, she did not know for certain. But with Lord Dextrem out there looking for her, Chastelle Manor was indeed the safest place for her at the moment. Afterwards... Well, she would pray. She hadn’t spoken to God in a long time, and she knew that He, at least, always knew the answers. The right answers.
“My dagger,” she muttered after a while, loving the way Ulric’s fingers gently massaged her scalp just now. “May...may I see it? I figure I’d feel a whole lot more secure with it at hand when...while you are gone.”
* * *
Daylight passed faster than Ulric would have preferred it. He’d left Edwin’s company just a hour ago, going over their preparations for Camden on the morrow. It would take them a day, given they did not make any stops, to reach the heart of the district and straight to Lord Dextrem’s home.
“I had a friend there.”
Ulric turned his head to look down at Audelia. He’d managed to lure her into his bedchamber tonight. Though he had wanted it to happen under different circumstances, he was quite satisfied she was in his bed. Ulric ran his fingers twice through her hair as she snuggled up to him, her head against his chest.
“Tell me about her.”
“Your sister reminds me of her. They have the same hair...and eyes. With that kind, warm temperament. She’d been my only friend there.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Hopefully, I’ll find her one day.”
Ulric ran a hand over her back and held her closer. “Tell me about the domicile that you’d been taken to?”
“It’s a large space near the western borders of Camden, I think. Madame...Madame de Lucci told us that we were safe there. That we’d be in great hands. But we were never permitted to leave the property. Not once. Not unless you were to meet your intended benefactor. That was the first time I’d been out since I arrived there.”
“Sounds like a prison to me.”
“That’s what Jocelyn had said.” Audelia sighed and sat up. “We’d have fortnightly check ups, you know. All the girls.”
Ulric followed suit, watching her as she spoke. “What kind of check ups?”
“Madame’s assistant, Miss Darcott, used to always say that it was for our own good. Just a small process in maintaining
our health. The Madame would examine us herself. She’d tell us...tell us to remove our tunics while she took a look.”
Ulric frowned. That hardly sounded like a proper establishment to him. And what did the reviewing of naked girls have to do with finding them benefactors anyways? Something seemed entirely fishy about the matter.
“Tell me about her. This...Madame de Lucci.”
“She’s beautiful. That was one of the things I had first noticed about her. And she’s polite and respectable. It’s...” Audelia wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “It’s almost as if she’s a lady or something of the sort.”
That caught Ulric’s attention and he grasped Audelia’s hand. “Are you certain?”
“I don’t know...but the way she moves and dresses, I guess you could say so. Lord and Lady Dextrem had seemed very familiar with her. Almost as if they were friends.”
Something pricked the back of Ulric’s head. “What does she look like?”
Audelia shifted to tuck her legs beneath her, pulling the hem of her white nightgown lower. “Beautiful blonde hair and hazel eyes. She wore a veil most times, except for when we’d go to Dextrem House. On those occasions, she’d become very nice to me. Miss Darcott, too. I’d grown over the months to admire them, myself. It was the first anyone, other than Jocelyn, had been so kind.” Smiling slightly, she glanced over at him. “She-she told me that I’d finally be able to pursue my interest in Medicine. She said that Lady Dextrem would make sure of it.”
Ulric held her gaze as a questions surged in and out of his head. He could not quite put his finger on it but there was something interesting about that Madame de Lucci. On his journey to Camden, he’d see what he could find out about her as well.
“You did the right thing, Audelia,” he said. “By running away. It was dangerous and you could have been hurt much further...but you were brave. And you survived.”
She sniffed and gazed down at her lap. “I was scared most of the time, Bryce. So scared but I had to get as far away as I could. I didn’t love stealing but--”
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