Plain and Proper - M J Marlow (red queen free ebook .txt) 📗

nasty and it grew obvious that their journey of only a few days would be much longer than they had hoped.


Marianne woke up from her nap and wondered where Estelle was. There was a different woman sitting with her, clad in dark gray and wearing an apron and cap. She started to get up and the woman pushed her back and shook her head. This was not right, Marianne’s mind revolted. She shoved the woman off of her and went to the door. It was locked. She turned back towards the woman.
“You’re to stay here now, my lady,” the servant told her. “Your uncle thought it would be best.”
“He would not make such a decision,” Marianne said firmly, “without discussing it with me first!” She backed away as the door opened and tried to get past the person coming in. “Let me out of here this instant! I am going home!”
“You are remaining here, dear lady,” Walter Thornton smiled at her coldly. He took her arm and shoved her down onto the bed. She watched the servant leave. “You will listen, girl, and not interrupt.” He could see the fire in her eyes and he was quite pleased. “You have been turned over to my father’s keeping, and he has turned you over to me!” His hand went up as she started to protest. “As long as you do as you are told,” he continued once she quieted, “your dear husband will be remain alive.” He sank down on the bed next to her and reached out to stroke her hair. She pulled away from him and he yanked her back, glaring down into her angry eyes. “You want him back, do you not?” Marianne nodded. “Then you will do as I say, little lady.”
“I will not let you use me!” Marianne protested. He slapped her across the face and she glared up at him as her hand went to her cheek. “Your father can’t have meant you to abuse me, Lord Walter.”
“He is off to the Continent with Mother and my sister,” Walter laughed at her. “They are doing the Grand Tour and will not be back for several months. So you see, my lovely lady,” he laughed as he pushed her back against the mattress, “you are mine to do with as I will. Fight me,” he said as she struggled to free herself, “and your darling Gerard will be tortured.”
“You can’t be serious!” Marianne protested and tried to push him off of her. He yanked her to her feet and knocked on the door. “Where are you taking me?” she whimpered in pain as he forced her down the corridor. He went to a door around the corner that was guarded and the man let him in. She saw her aunt Eustacia sitting by the window. “Aunt!”
Eustacia held her as she sobbed in reaction to their situation. Walter left them to it for a moment and then yanked Marianne back and tied her wrists behind her back. He held her as a man approached Eustacia. “You wanted to know if I was serious, girl?” Walter laughed as his hand cupped her breast. “Watch and see.”
“Don’t hurt her,” Marianne sobbed as the man slapped Eustacia across the face. He shoved Eustacia to the bed and put a pillow over the struggling woman’s face. “No! Please don’t…”
“We have to in order to show you we mean what we say, my pet,” Walter laughed as he held her close. “This,” he forced her to watch as Eustacia was smothered, “is all your fault.” Marianne shook her head and whimpered in protest. “Oh yes, my lady. It is!”
Eustacia finally stopped fighting and she slipped into unconsciousness. Marianne screamed as Walter dragged her out and he merely laughed. “No one can hear you, precious,” he laughed as he shoved her back into the bedroom she had woken up in. “Everyone is off for the evening.” He took her to the window and she watched as her aunt was taken away. “She will be found dead in her bed at your town home. Everyone will think she had died in her sleep.” He turned her to face him and saw the tears flowing. “Now come here,” he laughed as he yanked her close. “I want to see if those lips are as sweet as I have imagined they would be.”
Gerard arrived at the town home and found Eustacia in her bed and she was so still he feared the worst. But she had a pulse, and he sent Lawrence for the doctor. Andrew arrived with Dominique and they were both glad to see Gerard alive, but Andrew was fuming. He sent Cameron to send a message to the Thornton estate to inform Marianne that her aunt was dying and needed her to come immediately.
“My poor Marianne!” Gerard cried in despair. “What more does she have to suffer before this is over?”
“Our agents tell us that Napoleon means to give her to one of his English agents,” Andrew informed his junior officer bluntly. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to stay dead a little longer, Gerard.”
“I’m not going to go into isolation while my wife is used as bait to trap some traitor!” Gerard protested. “Andrew, please…”
“We’re not asking you stay in isolation, boy,” Andrew replied. “You and the sergeants are going to London in disguise. Lord Pertwee is expecting you at his home. He will explain the rest of the plan.”
“You know who is coming after her!” Gerard snapped. “You have to tell me, Andrew! We can’t waste any time…”
“We have suspicions, Gerard,” Andrew broke in. “Nothing concrete.” He laid his hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “If you want her safe, boy; you need to trust us. Go to Pertwee now. He’ll be the lead on this mission.”
“You’re not coming, sir?”
“Those bastards left the Baroness nearly dead,” Andrew said. “Dominique and I will stay with her until she is stronger.” He nodded towards the door. “Go now!” The men left and he went upstairs to Eustacia’s room. Dominique was sitting at the bedside. “How is she doing?”
“The Baroness is not going to survive this, Lord Macalester,” the doctor, who was on the other side of the room closing his bag, said sadly. “I’m afraid she only has a few hours of life left.” He looked stricken. “I’ve done what I can to make her comfortable. I suggest you lie to her and tell her that her niece is safely home. Make her last hours contented ones.”
“We Pumphrey,” Eustacia sighed as she opened her eyes, “do not condone lies.” She grabbed Dominique’s hand and looked at Andrew. “Promise me you will get her back home safely, Andrew, and I will die contented.” Dominique sobbed and Eustacia patted her hand weakly. “Don’t cry, Dominique. I had a long and productive life.”


Marianne was kept in the bedroom with the shutters locked. She was given something to eat and drink but then she was left alone again. Walter was quite pleased with himself as he came to join her a few hours later. She steeled herself for another of his foul kisses but he remained where he was. For two days now, he had kept her locked up in this room, with only an occasional visit to remind her who was in charge. He would kiss her and slap her if she fought him and she was growing quite tired of being kept like a pet.
“I received confirmation, my pet,” he said to her. “Dear aunt Eustacia is no longer among the living.” Marianne sobbed and brought her fist to her mouth. “You are, of course, too fragile and distraught to attend her funeral.”
“You didn’t have to kill her,” Marianne snapped at him.
“I wanted you to see how far I will go to keep you, my dear,” Walter laughed at her. “You are my property now, dear Marianne. I expect you to do as I say from this moment on.” He laid his hand on her abdomen. “If you disobey me, your child will be the next of your loved ones to go.”
“You’re a monster!” Marianne sobbed and moved away from him. He yanked her back. “Why are you doing this to me?”
“Money,” Walter said bluntly. She looked at him in anger. “As desirable as you are, my sweet lady; this has always been about money.” He cupped her chin in his hand. “Your mother refused me when I offered for her after your Papa died. You saw me that night and I decided that I would have what I wanted through you.” His thumb ran across her lips and he felt her shudder. “Strathmore is dead now, my lady; so you will marry me.”
“I don’t believe you!” Marianne spat at him. “Even if it were true, I would die before I would let you touch me!”
“Your death is not an option,” Walter laughed at her. “The baby first,” he moved his head back to her abdomen. “Then dear Uncle Andrew and Aunt Dominique. After them, we’ll start on the villagers. I believe you are especially fond of the former Widow Larchmont and her daughter?” He watched Marianne go pale. “So many innocent people would die, my lady; just because you don’t want to remarry.”
“I don’t want to marry you!” Marianne snapped at him. She cried out in pain as he slammed her up against the wall, his hand on her throat. “I hate you!”
“I do not require affection from you, Marianne,” Walter laughed as he released her; “only obedience.” He felt the carriage slowing and he pulled out a handkerchief and gagged her. Then he pulled up the hood of her cloak. He untied her wrists and bound them in back of her. The door opened and a man yanked her out. “Careful with our little Baroness, gentlemen. We would hate for anything to happen to her child before it is born.”
Marianne was hustled into the house too fast. She did not see anything of the surrounding countryside or the building itself. The interior told her exactly where she was. The monster had brought her to the Travers town home in London. He meant to force her to accept him as her husband in the home she had shared with Gerard! Walter took her upstairs and cut the bonds on her wrists. A woman was waiting in the master suite for her.
“Estelle!”
“Oh yes,” Walter laughed as his captive ran to the maid. “I forgot to mention my other hostage. Perhaps Estelle will go before the child?” He heard Marianne whimper and knew he had made his point. He looked at the maid. “Your mistress is to take a nap, woman. It was a long journey and she needs to rest.” He looked at Marianne. “Dinner will be in three hours. I expect you to join me downstairs. We are having important guests.”
Three hours later, Walter came to collect her. He escorted her downstairs and she saw the table filled with guests. She recognized most of them. They were people she had met in Paris when she had been Napoleon’s prisoner. Except for one notable exception. Marianne met the cold eyes of the Duke of Ravenhold as she was seated at one end of the table. He was seated to her left.
“I see you finally have her, Thornton,” the Duke raised his glass to Walter. “Do you really think you can keep her?”
“We have come to an understanding, my lord Duke,” Walter said as he laid his hand on Marianne’s abdomen and looked into her eyes. “The Baroness is aware of the consequences if she does anything to displease me.” Walter shrugged and went to his seat at the head of the table. “Every last servant understands that