Page 14 of Unbound Duchess

Judith looked at her suspiciously.

“You have come to your senses?” she asked.

Ellen nodded.

Judith’s smile was one of satisfaction as she let go of Ellen’s arm and took a step back. She then called for Madame Tilde, and while the two discussed fabrics and buttons and ribbons, Ellen silently began to plan her escape.

CHAPTER FIVE

“Icannot thank you enough, Sarah,” Ellen whispered.

She drew on the plain brown cloak her maid handed to her, covering the equally plain light beige dress beneath. Sarah laid down a pair of simple brown shoes at her feet, and Ellen stepped into them, surprised to find them far more comfortable than the stylish heels she normally wore.

“I want you safe, my lady,” Sarah whispered, drawing the plain brown satchel shut. “And this house? Our new master?”

Sarah shook her head as she lifted the brown satchel and placed the strap on Ellen’s shoulder.

“He is not safe.”

Ellen’s heart trembled at the fear in Sarah’s voice. It was Sarah who had helped blend in the cosmetics over Ellen’s bruises, who had seen her almost fall apart before the party, and again after it. She understood just how dangerous Benedict was.

“Come with me,” Ellen whispered urgently. “We will leave together.”

Gratitude shone in Sarah’s brown eyes, but she shook her head.

“I cannot, my lady. My family lives and works here in London. And Jacob just asked me to marry him. I love him. I love my family, and I cannot abandon them,” Sarah whispered.

Surprise and happiness were narrow shots of light in Ellen’s darkened heart.

“He did? That is wonderful, Sarah,” she said, squeezing her maid’s hand warmly.

“We will be all right, my lady,” Sarah promised her. “And you will be too. Jacob is waiting for you outside in an unmarked carriage. His aunt and uncle own an inn on the outskirts of London. They have already agreed to take you in for the night.”

“Thank you,” Ellen whispered.

“We must make haste now, my lady,” Sarah insisted, nodding toward the door. “The hour of escape is narrow.”

Ellen gave a curt nod, and as Sarah opened the door, Ellen turned and took one last, long look around the room she’d grown up in. She loved her house, loved her feather bed and white canopy, loved how the window could open up to the back lawn and overlook the gardens. She would miss it all, but she knew she could not stay.

In her soft shoes, Ellen’s feet made silent footsteps as she and Sarah hurried down the dark, empty hall, down the servants’ stairs, and then all the way down to the servants’ quarters. Panic laced through her heart as she walked past the quiet hall lined with doors, worried that any wrong move would cause a sound that could stir the rest of the sleeping servants awake.

Sarah was loyal. Jacob was too. The others, at one time, surely were as well, but with their new master leading them, she was not sure she could trust anyone else to keep quiet about her escape.

She breathed a sigh of relief as they reached the side door leading outside. Ellen turned, and without thought of propriety, she threw her arms around Sarah and hugged her tight.

“Be safe, Sarah,” she whispered.

“You as well, my lady,” Sarah whispered back, hugging her close. “Live well.”

Her throat tight with emotion, Ellen could only nod as she pulled away from the only true friend she’d ever had and hurried through the darkness to the stables. As Sarah had promised, Jacob was waiting for her with a small, single-horse-drawn buggy.

“Keep your hood up, my lady,” Jacob whispered as he helped her up onto the seat, “and your head down.”

Ellen obeyed, her stomach in knots as Jacob drove the small buggy out of the stable yard and into the quiet night street. Neither of them spoke as they made their way slowly through the empty roads. She wanted him to go faster, but also understood that higher speeds could draw sound and attention that could risk her escape. So she kept her head bowed and her hands clasped, letting her mind go to that small memory of pleasure.

She closed her eyes and let herself feel the soft brush of her stranger’s lips. Smelled the clean, crisp aroma of his cologne. Her heartbeat slowed, and her shoulders relaxed as she then focused on his hands. Hands that wrapped around her in a way that made her feel an equal amount of pleasure and safety.

“We are here, my lady,” Jacob announced.