Plain and Proper by M J Marlow (beach read TXT) 📕

she is not allowed out of this house unless she is in my company.”
“You appear to have thought of everything, Lord Walter,” Henri D’Arbanville smiled at him tightly. “But I would not underestimate her friends and family. They will not rest if they believe she is being harmed…”
“She will be writing them a little note, Monsieur,” Walter laughed; “asking them to leave her alone. She is feeling smothered by everyone’s concern…”
“That is something her family and friends would believe of her,” the Duke nodded. He saw Marianne glare at him coldly. “I don’t like that she’s seen us, Thornton. If, by chance, she did manage to escape, she could tell her friends who we are…”
“Marianne will not remember this dinner ever took place,” Thornton told them. Marianne looked at him sharply and then noticed him looking at her empty glass. “She has taken a little drug, you see that will completely wipe her memory of the past half hour.” He dodged as Marianne threw the glass at him. “Morgan,” Thornton called his man. “Take the Baroness up to her rooms now.”
Marianne slapped the man who yanked her to her feet and he slapped her back. She fought him every step of the way as he got her upstairs but was soon too weak to do more than shake in anger. Walter came to her and sent Estelle away. He locked the door and took her to bed, enjoying the thought of the girl as his captive. She could not fight him enough to make him stop as he took what she would never have given him if she had not been drugged. When he was through, he dressed and let Estelle back into the room.
“Protest all you want, my sweet lady,” Walter laughed as he heard her sobs; “it changes nothing. You are mine now and will remain so until the day you die.”


Three months went by and Marianne was beginning to feel that she would never be free of the bastard. He made her dress in somber colored clothing, she was mourning her husband after all, and paraded her around London on his arm. He was the very image of an attentive friend seeking to lighten the heart of a grieving friend. He did nothing in public that was not proper for such a relationship; he saved his assaults for the town home. She still tried to fright and he took to whipping her where no one could see the marks. It did nothing to lessen the pain. He threatened Estelle and Marianne quieted and quit fighting. Estelle was dear to her and she would do nothing to jeopardize the woman’s life or liberty. She was eight months pregnant now and she was uncomfortable enough without being whipped on top of that.
“We are going to the theater tonight, Marianne,” Walter told her as he came in to find her in tears. She was wearing a blue silk robe and nothing else. He only allowed her clothing when they were going out of the house. He grabbed her wrists and yanked her to her feet. “You’re thinking about him again, aren’t you?”
“I love him, Walter,” Marianne snapped at him. “The fact that you have turned me into your whore does not change that.” He shoved her onto the bed and she tried to run. He yanked her back and forced himself on her roughly.
“I’ll send Estelle in to get you ready now, pet,” Walter laughed as he yanked her head up. “You’ll be downstairs in half an hour or I’ll come back up to get you.”
Marianne struggled to her feet and he nodded and left her alone. She went to the bath and Estelle came in to find her on her knees, sobbing. The woman put her arms around her mistress and held her a few moments. Then she helped Marianne dress in a dove gray gown and brought over the rubies Eustacia had once worn. Seeing herself seated there wearing jewelry that her beloved aunt had worn brought about another storm of tears. She was just rising to accept the black silk shawl when Walter burst in.
He dragged her downstairs and out into the waiting carriage. They went into the theater and he sat her down in a private box. Marianne could see a lot of people she recognized in the boxes and seats. But she was not allowed to speak to them unless Walter was there to monitor the conversation. He sat down and put his arm around her shoulder. She saw him smiling gently at her and knew they were being watched. She ignored him and paid attention to the play. But that wasn’t as easy as she hoped. He had taken her hand in his and was running his thumb up along her wrist and palm slowly and gently.
“I could make you so happy, Marianne,” he said as he leaned close to her, as if he were discussing the play. “Stop fighting me, sweet…”
“I will never stop fighting you, Walter,” Marianne hissed and then began to whimper in pain as he tightened his grip on her wrist. “You’re hurting me!” He did not let up and the pain was more than she could bear. “Walter, please…”
Suddenly the pain was gone. She looked at the man and his face was pale, his eyes cold and hard. She started to follow his gaze and he yanked her out before she could see what he had. It was time to take her out of town, he decided. He would only keep her under control as long as she believed that bastard to be dead. But how was he here? He had been assured that Travers was dead. England believed Travers to be dead. And yet he had been there in the crowd with his wife’s uncle glaring up at him.
“We will be leaving for the coast in the morning,” he said to Estelle as he shoved Marianne into the bedroom. “Have a case packed for your mistress.” He glared over at Marianne and she wondered what he had seen to cause him to bolt like this. “Just a few day dresses and her night wear, Estelle. Your Mistress is going into isolation now, and won’t be seeing a lot of people.”
Marianne watched him leave and jumped as he slammed the door. Something was happening that had scared her tormentor. She began to smile and saw that Estelle was feeling the same hope. If he was scared enough to run, then someone important was chasing him. Marianne touched Estelle’s hand.
“It has to be tonight, Estelle,” she said simply. She saw her maid hesitate. “I’ll be fine. He is not going to harm me…” She saw the woman sniff. “Not any more than he has. He needs me alive.” She grabbed Estelle’s arm, pleading with her now. “Please, Estelle. You need to get me help. I am not having Gerard’s child around this monster.” She winced as her back began to cramp. “Ow!”
“Your back again?” Estelle asked.
“It’s been bothering me all day,” Marianne nodded. She went white as the pains increased and spread. “Estelle,” she whimpered. “It can’t be!” Estelle helped her out of her gown and had just set it aside when Marianne’s water broke. “Estelle!”
“I’ll get someone to call a doctor,” Estelle assured her. The woman ran out the door and hit Walter. “She’s having the baby, my lord,” she said simply. “She’s not going anywhere tomorrow.” She tried to continue on and he grabbed her arm. “She needs a doctor, Lord Walter.”
“No, she doesn’t,” Walter laughed. “I’ll bring some laudanum for the pain.” Estelle hesitate and he slapped her. “See to the lady, woman!”
Estelle watched him storm off and then she headed down the back stairs. Walter was not going to take care of her lady Marianne. It was up to Estelle to find someone who could help the girl. She slipped out the back and headed towards the Macalester town home. She had nearly made it when a carriage came galloping down the street and ran her down as she crossed. The screams brought Andrew running with his men. They got Estelle into the house and called for the doctor.
“Don’t waste time on me,” Estelle whimpered in pain. “The lady is having her baby and the bastard won’t call a doctor. He’s intent on moving her to the coast tomorrow.”
“He could kill them both moving her now,” the doctor frowned. “You have to stop him, Lord Macalester!”


The pains were increasing now and Marianne wondered where the doctor was. Walter came in with a bottle in his hand and she tried to back away from him. But the pain hit and she fell to her knees sobbing. He gave her a dose of laudanum and the pains eased only slightly. Then he picked her up in his arms and carried her to a waiting carriage. A woman was waiting there to see to her care. Walter handed her the vial of laudanum.
“You’re to keep her quiet, woman,” Walter said simply. “Once we get to the coast, she can scream all she wants.” He turned to his men. “The maid got out. They could know where we were headed.” He stroked Marianne’s cheek. “Yes, my dear lady,” he laughed at her. “You heard me correctly. We sent your woman out with false information.” Marianne whimpered in protest. “Your would-be rescuers will be heading to the coast.” He knocked on the carriage roof. “Get moving, we have a man to meet.”
The carriage moved out of London and Marianne was locked into the pain. She was terrified at the thought of her child being born where Walter could get his hands on him or her. She couldn’t let it happen. So when they stopped along the way, she mustered as much strength as she could and shoved him away. Then she stumbled off into the trees lining the road and went as quickly as she could. Her feet went out from underneath her and she screamed as she fell.
“Are you trying to kill the girl, Thornton?” the Duke hissed as he arrived at the rendezvous point in time to see Marianne fall. He had Walter taken into custody by his men and rode down to where Marianne was lying unconscious. He dismounted and picked her up in his arms. “You poor child,” he crooned as he carried her back up the hill, leading his horse along. “Don’t worry. You’re safe now.”
Marianne was lost in pain as the carriage pulled into Tremayne Manor. She was carried upstairs and the family doctor summoned. The duke and his children did what they could to help the man and his nurse as they tended the injured girl. Robert wondered why his father was not summoning her family. Surely they should be here to support her while she had her children. He slipped away with Hugh and told him what he needed to do. Hugh was only too glad to be of service to Marianne and her family. For the next seventeen hours Marianne struggled through the pains of her injuries and the labor. She began to hallucinate as the fever set in and she saw her Mama’s murderer leaning over her.
“She’s as fine as she can be,” the doctor told them all; “given the accident.” He saw their worried faces. “Lady Marianne is a fine strong woman. She’ll survive…” He paled as he saw who was coming in the door. “Lord Travers!”
“How is my wife,” Gerard snapped as he went to sit next to Marianne. He picked up her hand and she looked up at him weakly. “Marianne, my love. I’m here.”
Marianne sobbed and clung to his hands as the pains struck again. Gerard would not be moved and