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They marched her to a basement storeroom in the oldest part of the house. It had a sturdy oaken door with a lock, and the tiny window was barred. “Bring her a bucket for her physical needs,” said Lady Prunella. “Sister, do you have the shears?”
“I do,” said Lady Prudence. As the men stood by, she grabbed a handful of Lady Josephine’s long, bountiful hair, and she started hacking away at it.
When she was done, there were just clumps of hair left on Lady Josephine’s scalp. “There,” said Lady Prudence. “That’s what they do to harlots.”
“It will grow back,” said Lady Josephine with dignity.
“Sleep if you can,” Lady Prunella added cruelly. There was nothing to sleep on, not even a pile of rags. “Feel free to call out for help if it makes you feel better. No one at all can hear you from this part of the hall.
“In the morning, someone will bring you bread and water and dump out your bucket. Good night, my dear.” The two sisters turned to leave.
“My lord father will see you and your brother hang for this,” Lady Josephine threatened.
“Oh, my child. I rather doubt your lord father will want the world to know how his daughter has shamed him. He will want to see all this covered up.”
“It’s we who will be telling the sordid story,” added Lady Prudence. “Good night now.”
* * *
Lady Josephine remained imprisoned for ten days or more. She began to lose count of the days, for she could not see whether it was light or dark outside. Her tormentors did not come to visit her; they ignored her completely. The only person she ever saw was the toothless old drudge who brought her bread and emptied her slop bucket.
With no means of washing herself, she grew filthy. She began to wonder if she would be left in this prison for the rest of her life, while the world was told some story to explain her disappearance. She grew delirious at times, and she wondered if she was losing her mind.
Ace. I need you. Where are you, Ace? Are you imprisoned also?It was possible that, wherever he was, his plight was even worse than hers. Maybe he was dead.No, the bond between us is too strong. If he were dead, I’d sense it. There would be a gaping hole in the universe, and I’d know he was gone.
What about her lord father? What about Hermie and Ducky? Even the Prince Regent or some of the other guests—wouldn’t they inquire where she suddenly had gone? Was no one asking where she was?
