Jane Feather - Charade by Unknown (howl and other poems .TXT) 📕

of the glass down her throat,clamping her mouth shut until she swallowed with a choking gasp.

"How dare you!" Danny hurled herself at him as he released her from thevise of his arm. She had endured physical abuse this day for more hoursthan she could bear to remember and to receive such treatment from theone person who had always viewed her body asa shrine, in whom she hadreposed complete trust andconfidence, shattered the last straws of her composure.

"Stop!" He seized her wrists. "I'll not have you causing any furtherdamage to yourself or to the child." He pushed her facedown on thetumbled bed, clipping her wrists in the small of her back, and with a

low defeated moan Danielle gave in, wondering as she did so whether shewould ever be able to forgive her husband for this.

"Laches-moi,"

she whisperedand Justin released her instantly, apanicky shaft of compassion stabbing him as she turned on her side in atight fetal curl. Gently he pulled the cover over her and went to siton the chaise longue until her deep breathing told him that thesedative had taken effect.

Chapter 18

Danielle awoke some eight hours later, her throat dry and head foggedfrom the drug-induced sleep. But her body was languid with relaxationand she felt again the wondrous quiver in her belly that told her allwas well with the babe. Her hands stroked comfortingly over her abdomenas her body whispered its message of loving reassurance to the life itcontained. "My lady?"

"What time is it, Molly?" Too lazy to sit up, Danielle turned her headon the pillow, smiling at the maid who now stood by the bed, her faceanxious in the shadowy light of the single candle on the mantel.

"About ten o'clock, my lady. Can I bring you anything?"

"Some tea,please. I have a powerful thirst."

"I will bring it directly." Mollyleft and went speedily downstairs. She had been instructed to informthe earl the minute his wife woke, but with defiant bravery Mollydecided to provide the tea first. A dreadful heaviness hung over thehouse and even the servants' quarters were affected. They all knew nowmuch of what had happened, both Malcolm and Tomas being anxious torecount the story. Malcolm's tale in particular had fired the realmbelowstairs with a fierce partisanship for Lady Danny—a partisanshipthat even Bedford had found himself sharing in spite of the shockingnature of Her Ladyship's actions. But when matters were going so badlyabovestairs, those below could only keep the lowest profile imaginableand hope for a resolution between master and mistress.

Only Peter Haversham was unaware of the facts. His position did notallow him to question either the servants or his grim-faced employer.He knew only that something appalling had occurred and obeyed

the terseinstructions to arrange for the removal of the household to Danesburyfor an extended period

of time in discreet silence.

Molly brought tea to Danielle's bedside, brushed Her Ladyship's hair,and assisted her in washing away the sleep from her eyes before sayingtentatively, "My Lord wished to know when you awoke, my lady. May Itell him?"

"Indeed you may, Molly." Danielle smiled reassuringly. "I thank you foryour patience. You need have

no fear that your delay will haveunpleasant consequences."

"No, my lady." Molly smiled a smile of gratitude, comprehension, andfriendship.

In her absence, Danielle sipped the tea, the hot fragrant liquidrestoring some of her strength. She and Justin were about to have asmonumental a fight as they had ever had and it must be the last on the

issue of her independence. Their marriage would be made or broken onthis rack of conflict and she

knew only that it must be made.

Justin, having partaken of a solitary and seemingly tasteless dinner,was sitting in the library staring moodily into the fire when Mollytapped lightly at the door.

"Come in."

Molly shivered slightly at the bleak look on his face. "My Lady isawake, sir."

"Thank you." The girl left and Justin remained staring into the firefor a few minutes longer before getting heavily to his feet. He didn'tthink he had ever been more miserable as he trod up the stairs, and themain source of his misery was that he was about to make his wife veryunhappy. But what possible choice did he have? If she was unable totake care of herself in an appropriate fashion, then he was going tohave to assume that responsibility himself. She was still barely morethan a child—just turned nineteen—in spite of her experiences, and shereacted to situations with all the willful impulsiveness of a child whohad grown up with few external controls.

The sight of the small battered face on the pillow merely reaffirmedhis determination. "How do you feel?" Taking her chin between longfingers he turned her face to the light, examining the scratchcarefully. It looked clean enough, although still raw. "Unbutton yourgown," he instructed quietly and

she did so, revealing the claw markson her breasts. When he expressed satisfaction with a curt nod, shebuttoned the gown again and lay back against the pillow, waiting.

"You will remain in this room for the next two days," he began. "Apartfrom the fact that you need to rest, you are not a fit sight for anyonebut myself and Molly."

Danielle winced at the cold statement, but she was in no position toargue with the truth so kept silent.

"On Friday we will remove to Danesbury where you will remain until justbefore your confinement.

Then we shall return to London so that Stuartmay attend you when the time comes. Since it is now clear that I cannottrust you to behave with any degree of circumspection any more than Ican trust your word, I shall not let you out of my sight for the nextfour months."

"Justin, you must listen to me," Danielle said desperately. "I do notwish to go to . . ."

"You have a short memory, ma'am,"