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“You will return to London with me.”
“I shall do no such thing.” Her voice grew louder. “I have already made it quite clear that I have no intention of marrying you. I am quite resolute.”
His hand shot out before she could say another word, grasping hard at her arm, and Albina could not prevent her yelp of pain.
“You shall do as you are told,Miss Trean,” he snarled, his face now close to hers, vehemence in every word and every look. “Do you truly believe that I would leave you here, now that I know the truth? Your parents would never forgive me.”
Albina tried to squirm out of his grasp, but it was no good. Lord Kingston was a good deal stronger than she and his fingers were already leaving pain ripping across her skin.
“Do not flatter yourself that you have any sort of good in your character.”
That earned her a slap which left her teeth rattling and her face burning.
“I would not leave you here no matter how hard you begged.” His breath was hot across her face, her arm wrenched as he pulled her back hard against him. “Whether or not Lord Addenbrook knows of your true identity, you cannot stay here. You are meant to be my bride and Iwillhave you. Youandyour dowry.”
Albina wanted to state that he would never be her husband, but the pain in her cheek was beginning to spread up to her head and around into her neck and she could barely put two words together. It took her a few moments to realize that he was pulling her out of her bedchamber and through the hallway. She stumbled and almost fell on the stairs, but he hauled her alongside him and forced her to keep step with him. His hand was still on her arm, his other hand wrapped about her waist in an attempt to keep her beside him.
He took her out of the house through the servants’ back entrance, and across the gravel to the stables and the carriage house. Albina wanted to cry out but could not seem to form a single sound. Shock and pain kept her from speaking, and it was not until she was flung, hard, against something that she finally let out a cry of pain.
“Stay there, or it will be all the worse for you.”
Lord Kingston had flung her against the door of one of Lord Addenbrook’s carriages. None of the stable hands appeared to be present – they would be taking care of the guests’ horses, she realized. Pushing herself up to standing, Albina leaned back against the carriage and drew in a deep breath. The stable was dimly lit by various lanterns and the shadows which roved around her threatened to take her very breath from her. Fear was tying itself to her heart, refusing to let her free, and Albina dropped her head. Her back, shoulders, and chest were tight with pain from where Lord Kingston had thrown her, her arm hot from where his fingers had dug into her skin. She could try to run, but Lord Kingston was faster and stronger than she, and Albina was afraid of what he would do if he caught her.
Something, a small movement, caught her gaze. Albina blinked, hard, trying to make the figure out clearly. A man was peering around the side of the carriage house door, staring at her, his face illuminated by a small, flickering lantern hung on the wall near him. Albina did not recognize him, but she lifted one hand out towards him in the hope that he would help her – but upon seeing her do so, the man disappeared back into the shadows, leaving her hand to fall to her side in hopelessness.
You cannot just stand here and do as Lord Kingston demands,she told herself, trying to garner a little courage.If you flee into the darkness, then surely he will not know where you have gone? You know the grounds better than he does. It will not be too difficult to find a place to hide.
“Sit down.” Lord Kingston stormed towards her, anger evident in the lift of his shoulders and the fierceness of his steps. “I did not tell you to stand.” Again, he thrust her back and Albina’s head smacked hard against the carriage door. Sinking down onto the cold stone floor, she did as she was asked without hesitation, setting her teeth against the pain in her head. Lord Kingston glared at her and then turned back to his preparations. She could hear him muttering his frustrations, obviously irritated that he was now having to ready the carriage alone. She wondered, then, if he had ever harnessed horses to a carriage for himself, before. The thought made her want to laugh – for if he did not know how, did not know the horses, then his plans would be a failure from the start.
Shuddering, Albina closed her eyes tightly, realizing that, when he had thought her just the governess, he had never had any intention of taking her with him. He had only wanted to make sure that he had takenfromher what he had wanted and then would have happily returned home, leaving her behind.
I can never marry him.
Despite the pain in her head and body, Albina lifted her chin and tried to think of a plan. Lord Kingston was still too close for her to make any attempt at running away, but the moment he stepped out of sight - which he would have to do, to fetch the single horse that this small carriage required - she would push herself to her feet and hurry away. Yes, he might catch her and yes, he might succeed in forcing her into the carriage, but she would not simply sit here and become a biddable, subservient creature who did precisely as was asked. She knew herself better than that.
There is the small thicket to the left of the stables,she reminded herself.Or I could try to find the stable hands and beg for their help. Lord Kingston would not dare attempt to force me then.
“Whatever it is you are thinking, rid yourself of it now.” Lord Kingston’s hand clamped down on her shoulder. “You will not succeed this time, Albina. You are to be my wife.”
She lifted her face to his.
“Never.” Her eyes were set, her voice cool. “I will do all that I can to escape you, whether it be this day, tomorrow, or even as your wife. I will do all that I can to run from you, to unbind myself from you. You will have no success here, Kingston. I will never be the obedient wife you so hope for.”
For a moment, she thought he would strike her but, even though his eyes narrowed, and his lip curled into a sneer, he did not do so.
“I am sure I will be able to remove that disobedient spirit from you one way or the other,” he murmured, sending a shudder down Albina’s spine. “You will have no opportunity for escape once we are wed. And I intend to obtain a special license so that it may take place just as soon as is possible. The debts that I owe will not pay themselves, after all, and your dowry is the finest one in all of London, I think!”
I knew he wanted my dowry.His words and dark looks sent another tremor of fear through her, but Albina hid it from her expression as best she could. Holding his gaze steadily, she waited until he dropped his eyes and turned away before letting out a long, slow breath which rattled out of her lungs.
I have to escape him.
Taking steadying breaths, Albina gathered up her skirts carefully and prepared herself for the moment when she could surge to her feet and run. Her eyes dragged towards Lord Kingston time and again before, finally, he rounded the end of the carriage and stepped out of her sight, going towards the door into the stables proper.
The rustle of her skirts seemed like thunder in her ears, but Albina was on her feet in a second. She did not even attempt to walk quietly and stealthily but ran, full pelt, out of the door and into the cool evening air. It did not take but a moment for Lord Kingston to realize that she was gone – perhaps he had heard her footsteps - and she heard him shout, heard his feet pounding just behind her.
The darkness opened up towards her and Albina ran headlong into it, not certain where she was going or in what direction she was meant to be going. The moon was gone behind a cloud and the darkness was thick. With the cloak of fear still tight around her and her mind screaming at her to run, Albina searched desperately for somewhere to go, somewhere to hide.
“Albina!”
