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PROLOGUE
“If you weren’t such a damn stupid bitch, you would know I hate mutton. I never want to see it in my house again.” With those words, Milton picked up his supper plate and threw it against the wall, the plate shattering and the contents sliding slowly down and landing on the floor in a jumbled mess.
“Now get up off your lazy arse and cook me something I like.” He burped and scratched his stomach.
Natalie dropped her napkin on the table, alongside her full dinner plate which would be cold by the time she cooked something else for her husband. She glanced over at Annalise, their four-year-old daughter, and told her with her eyes to continue eating and then leave the table. It was obvious the girl was fighting back tears which they both knew would only set Milton off again.
Swallowing hard, her little girl picked at her dinner.
Most mealtimes were like this. No matter how hard Natalie tried, she never seemed to fix something Milton liked. She’d gone as far as to keep a list of his dislikes and avoided them, even though there were many on the list that she and Annalise would enjoy.
Nevertheless, he always found something to displease him.
As she fried up ham, potatoes, and a few eggs, she remembered the Milton she thought she was marrying five years before. He’d been a tad gruff, but he always treated her well, buying her trinkets and taking her for long walks around the area where she had lived in Bath.
Since Natalie’s father had mostly ignored her as well as her older sister, Mary Beth, giving all his attention to Rayne, the youngest of his daughters, Natalie had been quite flattered by Milton’s attention.
Father had wanted a son to carry on his medical practice, but, after Rayne had been born and Mother had passed away shortly afterward, he accepted his disappointment with three girls and turned all his attention and ambitions to his youngest daughter.
While Mary Beth and Natalie had been allowed to buy fancy ribbons and new frocks and spend time with watercolors and embroidery and other feminine pursuits, poor Rayne had to concentrate on her studies so she could one day be admitted to a medical training program.
As far as she knew, no one ever asked Rayne if she wanted to train in medicine, but today she was a highly respected doctor in Bath, having taken over their father’s practice when he retired. And married Lord Edwin Sterling, the Baron of Plaistow.
Natalie, on the other hand, anxious to leave her home and start a new life, had married Milton and spent almost all the days since then regretting her actions. Mary Beth was happily married to a wonderful man, Mr. Dean Jones. They had one son, Thomas, and they’d adopted a little girl, Glory, that her sister, Rayne, had rescued from the streets of Bath.
She sighed as she placed the food in front of Milton.
“You call this supper? Looks like breakfast to me.” Instead of berating her any further, he began to shovel the food into his mouth. Annalise had already finished her supper and left the room. Natalie sat at her place and tried to eat as much as she could of the cold mutton.
“My clothes clean?” Milton asked as he burped again and leaned his chair back on two legs.
She nodded.
He reached over and gripped her chin. “Don’t disrespect me and nod at me when I speak to you.”
Natalie wrenched her chin free and cleared her throat. “Yes, your clothes are clean. I washed them today.”
He nodded, slammed his chair back onto the floor and stood. “I’m goin’ out for the night.” He leaned in close to her, making her want to turn her head, but she wasn’t up for another tirade. “Be ready for me when I get back.”
He had the audacity to wink at her and strut into their bedroom. She closed her eyes, fighting back tears. She knew what “be ready for me” meant.
“Mama, are you unwell?” Annalise stood at the kitchen door; her small face scrunched in concern.
Natalie stood and grabbed the dirty dishes from the table. “No, sweeting, I’m fine.”
The child twirled a strand of her hair in her fingers. “Is Papa going out again?”
“Yes.” She attempted a smile and turned toward her little girl. “Go and wash, then put your nightgown on. I’ll read you a story once Papa is gone.”
Annalise turned to hurry to her room and ran into Milton. He reached out and pushed her back, the little girl landing on her bottom. “You’re always in the way, stupid girl,” he growled as he grabbed his coat from the hook by the door and slammed out of the house.
Natalie walked over to where Annalise sat and helped her up from the floor. Neither one of them said a word as they walked to her daughter’s bedroom.
The bangingon the front door roused Natalie from a deep sleep. “Oh, Lord, that must be Milton, and he forgot his key again.” She’d hoped he would stumble into the house and pass out before he could make it to their bed.
“I’m coming,” she said as she tugged the worn dressing gown around her and tied the ragged belt.
She opened the door, stunned to see a local police officer standing there. “Mrs. Shaw?”
