The Folly (23 page)

“Hugh, where is Jeremy
,
and w
hat are we doing in a brothel?”  Elizabeth was beginning to feel very agitated, but Hugh seemed strangely calm.
  He was looking at her differently now, as if he was seeing her for the first time
,
and
Elizabeth
felt an acute sense of alarm.  What was going on and what was the Colonel’s part in it?

“Don’t worry.  Everything will be explained to you shortly
,
”
Hugh said, settling himself before the roaring fire in the hearth.  Elizabeth remained standing, her face turned to the door as she heard footsteps in the corridor.
A
beautiful woman walked through the door and closed it firmly
behind her, taking i
n
the scene
.
  Her dark
gaze
slid over
Elizabeth with undisguised curiosity
,
and her full, rouged lips stretched into a
beatific
smile, revealing small, white teeth.  She gave Hugh a cryptic nod and turned to Elizabeth.

“Good evening,
Lady Flynn
.  I am Rachel Hilson.  It’s a pleasure to have you in my establishment.  I’ve heard so much about you from the Colonel.  He is quite taken with you, really.
Did he tell you that Captain Flynn and I are old friends?  No?  I
’
m not surprised.
 

Hugh, would you leave us, please?  Jeanne will be happy to entertain you while
Lady
Elizabeth and I
have a
private
chat
.”  Hugh
reluctantly gave up his seat by the fire
and walked out the door, leaving her with the woman.

“Why am I here and where is my husband?” 

“Sit down, Elizabeth.  We have much to discuss. 
Would you care for a brandy?  You might need it,” said Rachel, giving
Elizabeth a knowing smile.  “
By now your lover is dead
,
and if he
’
s not, he will be shortly.  Hugh has arranged to have him disposed off.  It seems he knows more than we
originally
thought.  Now, this leaves you in a rather unenviable position
, wouldn’t you agree?
  You are
disgraced and alone
,
with no income and no family.  Your only patron is the Colonel
,
and he was more than happy to turn you over to me
, since I have my own vendetta to settle with the brave Captain
. 

As you
might have
guessed this is a brothel
,
and you will be joining my girls in earning your keep in a few days.  I will have to give you some instruction first, naturally
, but o
nce you
’
re ready, I will have the Colonel sample you to see if you please, then you can service customers as they come.  I
’
m sure you and I will get on very well together.  I hear you know something of avoiding pregnancy
when it suits you
.  That will come
in very
handy.  We discourage bastards
here
.
  They
tend to take the attention of their mother
s
away from more important things. 
Any questions?”  Rachel watched Elizabeth intently with her narrowed, dark eyes. 

Elizabeth felt as if a sword had been driven through her heart.  If the woman was to be believed, Jeremy was dead
,
and she was at the mercy of Hugh Brand and
this
besom
.  Hugh had not only betrayed them, but he
’
d now sold her into sexual slavery.  They would keep her under lock and key until she came to accept her fate and become a whore.  Elizabeth stared at Rachel in horror.  Had this been the plan all along?  Had Hugh been plotting with this woman since they came to Newcastle?  But why?  Jeremy said that Hugh had been his friend, his commanding officer.  Did he have no honor at all?  Obviously not, since he wanted to be the first to sample her.  The thought of Hugh Brand touching her made her sick to her stomach
.
 

“Are you ill, my dear?  I know it’s been a shock, but you will learn to love it here, as we do.  The girls are all very friendly
,
and will
gladly
share their expertise with you.  Our clients are very particular and want only the best.”

“You can’t force me to service anyone,” spat out Elizabeth, her fists clenching at her side.  “I am not a whore and never will be.”

“Oh, I won’t have to force you.  There are plenty of gentlemen who enjoy a bit of rough play.  No doubt bringing you to heel will give them untold pleasure.”  Rachel cocked her head to the side, studying Elizabeth.  She wondered how long it would take for the fight to go out of her.

“So, you would have them rape me?” Elizabeth asked, stunned.

“If necessary.  You might enjoy it.  Some women like to be manhandled.  It arouses them.”

“Do you like to be manhandled?” demanded Elizabeth.  She couldn’t remember the last time she was so infuriated.

“On occasion.  Depends on the man doing the handling, of course.  You can always play the blushing virgin if you prefer.  There is a market for that as well.”  Rachel was enjoying toying with the girl.  It would be fun taming her.  She promised Hugh he could help out
.  N
o doubt he would do an admirable job teaching this mouse a thing or two about pleasing a man, if Jeremy hadn’t.

Elizabeth saw a smile playing around Rachel Hilson’s lips
,
and wished she could strike her and wipe that smirk off her face, but she was at her mercy now.  The burly servant was just outside waiting to do his mistress’s bidding
. 
Elizabeth had no doubt that he would hit her if told to do so.   She needed time to think.  Maybe there was some way to escape this house.  She had no idea what she would do, but she had to get free.  She knew where Jeremy had kept their money, but no doubt, the Colonel had already taken it. 
E
ven if she managed to get away, she would have nothing
;
just the clothes on her back.  Elizabeth didn
’
t want to cry in front of Rachel
Hilson
, but hot, angry tears rolled
of their own accord
down her cheeks.  The thought of Jeremy lying dead somewhere broke her heart
,
and the prospect
of life in a brothel chilled her to the bone.  What could she do? 

Rachel watched
Elizabeth
for a few moments before rising from the settee and opening the door, admitting the manservant.

“Dicks, escort the lady to her room and make sure to lock her in.  She needs a little time to adjust to her surroundings.  We will speak further tomorrow,
my pet,
” she said to Elizabeth and swept out of the room and down the stairs.  The servant took Elizabeth firmly by the arm and pulled her out of the room and up the stairs to the third floor.

The corridor was dim, with only
one candle
illuminating the passageway
, punctuated by
several
doors
on either side, obviously occupied by the girls
. 
Elizabeth’s knees buckled, as she heard the giggles and moans coming from the rooms
.  Dear God, how did this happen to her?  The servant pushed her into a room and locked the door from the outside, leaving her alone.

The room was pleasantly furnished,
clearly
intended
for
the entertainment of clients. 
The walls were a deep
crimson
, as was the bedspread on the large bed which dominated the room.  A small nightstand and a couch completed the décor. 
Elizabeth
sat down on the bed, unable to stand any longer.  She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep her heart from breaking as silent sobs shook her body.  She gave in to her grief, crying for Jeremy
,
herself and their poor baby.

She would not stay in this house. 
She would try to escape and if that failed, there was another way to do it.
 
Elizabeth looked at the pewter candlestick
.  It would do. 
She would use it to break the window
,
and either jump out
,
or if it wasn’t high enough, she would use the broken glass to
slit
her wrists.  Either way she would die
,
and soon, but not before she found out what happened to Jeremy.

Chapter
4
6

Willa buttered another piece of toast and reached for the pot to pour herself a cup of tea.  Coming down to the servant’s hall for breakfast was her favorite part of the day.  Since she no longer had to tend to Lady Elizabeth
,
she was able to enjoy an extra hour of sleep
,
then have a leisurely breakfast after most of the staff had already finished and started their morning routine.  Elizabeth had been gone for several months now, but Sir Henry made no mention of dismissing Willa
,
so
she decided to accept his generosity and take things day by day.  Her roll of bank notes
, kept hidden
in a little box under a loose floorboard in her attic bedroom
, was growing
.  No one went in there, but one couldn’t be too careful.  Willa had no idea how much it would cost to open a shop, but the more money she could save, the better chance of success she had.  The scalding tea was making her feel pleasantly warm.  Last night had been chilly, leaving Willa huddling under her thin blanket and wishing she had a fire in her room.

Willa set down her cup and turned toward the door.  The servant’s hall had no windows, but she thought she heard a commotion outside.  There were raised voices and she thought she heard someone running up the stairs.  Willa was just rising from her seat when Betsy, one of the chambermaids, erupted into the room, her eyes round as saucers and her cheeks flushed a deep red, whether from cold or excitement. 

“Betsy, what’s happened?”  Willa asked as Cook and the new scullery maid came running from the kitchen. 

“Oh, it’s ever so awful.  I’d never seen anything like it and hope never to see again.”
Betsy was holding her hand to her heaving chest and taking big
, steadying gulps of air
. 
“I should have stayed away, I should, my mam always said I was a nosey one.  Serves me right.  Lord Jesus, I wish I would have stayed back.”  She sank into a chair and stared at her audience.

“Out with it, girl,” Cook demanded as Betsy reached for a clean cup and the pot of tea.  “Y
e’
re not getting any tea until we know the whole story.”  Cook pulled back a chair and sat across from Betsy, glaring at the flustered girl. 

Betsy reluctantly unhanded the pot of tea and looked at Willa and Cook.  “I stopped by the stables this morning to have a word with Jacob.”  Everyone knew that Betsy was sweet on the groom, so her being in the stables at the crack of dawn was hardly surprising.  “I was just about to leave and go clean the fireplace in the library
,
when we heard a cry coming from the direction of the lake.  Jacob went running to see what was wrong
,
and I went after him.  Silas Manson was standing on the shore of the lake, on the side of the folly, and waving to us.  He had his gun slung over his shoulder, but he was looking at something on the ground.  He called to Jacob to bring him a horse blanket.”  Betsy took a deep breath and stopped talking for a second, her eyes filling with tears.

“Then what happened?”  Ruth, the young scullery maid, exclaimed in frustration. 

“Jacob got the blanket, like Silas asked, and went running to the lake.  I should have gone back to the house, I know I should, but I was ever so curious, so I went sprinting after Jacob to see what all the commotion was about.”

“And?!” Cook and Ruth cried in unison.

“Mr. Manson was standing over something right at the edge of the lake.  I couldn’t see what it was until I came right up close
,
and then I wished I hadn’t.  It was a body that he pulled from the lake.  Too horrible to behold.”  Betsy dissolved in tears
,
and Willa thought Cook would have apoplexy if she didn’t hear the end of the story.

“Who was it, girl?”

“It was her.  It was Lady Elizabeth.”

Willa slid back into her chair, wishing the roaring in her ears would subside so she could hear what Betsy was saying.  Her hands
were
ice
-
cold
,
her stomach twist
ing
painfully,
leaving
her breathless and faint.  How could it be Elizabeth?  She was long
gone.  What would she be doing in the lake?  Willa took deep breaths until she began to feel a little calmer
,
and tried to focus on what Betsy was saying.  “It was a gunshot wound, that’s what Mr. Manson said.  I couldn’t bear to look, but Jacob said it did look that way.  Mr. Manson told Jacob to go fetch Sir Henry.  Oh, the poor man,” Betsy started wailing again, using her apron to dry her eyes. 

Willa couldn’t imagine what Henry’s reaction would be.  He carried on like a madman after Elizabeth and Jeremy had disappeared, alerting the local constable
,
and demanding that the grounds and the surround
ing
areas be searched.  Henry knew full well that Elizabeth and Jeremy left of their own accord, but Willa supposed pretending that they disappeared was a way for him to avoid scandal.  What man would openly admit that his wife ran off with his son?  He would be ruined and a laughing stock.  Sir Henry personally led the search party, combing the woods and the fields for his wife.  Every available man from the manor and the village was expected to assist in the search
,
and Henry didn
’
t give up until every inch of ground had been examined.  Now, months after the disappearance
,
Elizabeth’s body was supposedly fished out of the lake.  It wasn’t possible. 

Willa heard Henry’s voice booming from the foyer
,
and ran outside to follow him to the lake.  She had to see what was happening for herself.  Sir Henry was running toward the lake sans coat or hat
;
his face flushed and his breath ragged.  He was followed by Jacob, the butler
,
and two footmen.  Ordinarily, he would have told them to mind their own business, but he didn’t even seem to notice that they were following him.  Graves was holding Sir Henry’s coat and urging him to put it on as he ran after his employer. 

It was colder than Willa realized
.  S
he wrapped her arms around her thin dress as she ran toward the lake.  The frosty grass crunched under her feet
, making her
nearly
lose
her balance a few times as the soles of her shoes slid on the slippery lawn.  The surface of the lake was crusted with a thin sheet of ice, glittering in the morning sun
,
and looking completely innocent of giving up such a grisly find on this cold morning.  As Sir Henry neared the lake
,
several crows rose into
the air, giving up their perches on the bare branches of the nearby trees and taking to the pale, winter sky. 

Willa heard a heartwrenching scream
,
as Sir Henry sank to his knees in the frozen mud next to what she assumed to be the body of Elizabeth.  He was doubled over, his meaty hands covering his face as he sobbed unashamedly in front of his servants.  Graves tried to lead him away, but Henry refused to budge.  He reached out a hand to touch the body, but drew away in horror, covering his face again. 

Willa stopped a few feet away, afraid to come any closer.  Judging by Henry’s grief it had to be Elizabeth
.  S
he stood back
,
frozen more from fear and shock than from the bitter cold of the early morning.  Henry looked up, staring at Willa for a moment before finally registering her presence.

“
Adams
, come here,” he called.  “I need you to identify her before the constable gets here.  Don’t be afraid.”

Willa stepped toward the edge of the lake, desperately afraid of what she was about to behold.  She could see the bloated lower body wrapped in the discolored fabric of the gown behind Henry, but his bulk blocked the torso and face of the deceased. 

“Go on,” Silas prompted her.  “It will be over quickly.”

Willa stepped around Henry and finally saw her.  She had no idea how long Elizabeth had been in the water, but her face was unrecognizable and Willa looked hurriedly away, afraid she was going to be sick. 

“Is it her?” Henry moaned.  “I know it is, but I need you to tell me.”

“It’s hard to tell from looking at the face, but it looks like her.  That was one of her favorite gowns
,
and the ring
-- …”
  Elizabeth had always worn the ruby and diamond ring that was now cutting into the bloated, decaying flesh of the finger on her right hand.  She tried not to look at the bloodstained bodice of the gown
,
or the gaping wound in Elizabeth’s chest.  Willa’s gaze travelled up.  The hair was matted and caked with silt from the lake, but it did look auburn. 

Willa turned and ran toward the woods, emptying the contents of her stomach as soon as she reached the cover of the trees.  Tears ran down her face and she shook violently, wishing she was anywhere but here, identifying the body of her mistress.  Someone put a coat over her shoulders and led her away toward the folly.  Silas Manson sat her down on the cold marble bench, whispering words of comfort.  He was a kind man
,
and was just as shaken as she was.  They sat in silence for a few minutes trying not to look at the scene by the lake. 
             

He
nry had finally risen and was now instructing Jacob and a footman to lift the body and put it on the horse blanket.  He was about to order them to carry it away
,
when constable Pearce came running across the lawn
,
shouting for them to leave things as they were until he’d had a chance to examine the scene.  Someone had already been sent for the coroner who would need to examine the body. 

“Sir Henry,” Pearce said, looking out over the gleaming surface of the lake, “I think we need to drag the lake in case Captain Flynn…”  He let the sentence trail off letting Henry figure out the implications of his suggestion.

“Yes, of course.  Do as you must.”  Henry didn’t seem to be paying attention to the constable.  He was still staring at the body of his wife.