“You must see this first, my dear. It’s quite exquisite—a lovely representation of the arts-and-crafts style of interior design. Charles’s family never did spare any extravagance.”
I reluctantly got up and peered in. “I can’t quite make it out now. Perhaps we will have to come back to see it in the light of day.”
“No, no. Just move inside a little ways while I light this old lantern from the porch.”
Darkness enveloped me as I stepped over the threshold, then a light flared behind me, just bright enough for me to make out the room. The space held nothing more than a large metal-frame bed with an old, stained mattress, pushed up against one wall.
My earlier nausea returned with a vengeance. This was not decent. Surely George knew that. What was he thinking? Before I could turn to leave, I felt a sharp blow to the base of my neck. A bright yellow light exploded in the back of my eyes, and hot tendrils of pain flared upwards from the bottom of my skull. I tried to cry out, but I couldn’t breathe. I felt myself falling, and then all went black.
Chapter Four
When I came to, my first clear thought was for air. I gasped, taking long jagged breaths as the scene before me came into focus. In the half-light of the lantern, George was pulling at his clothing, his face flushed a deepening shade of red. My head throbbing, I looked down at myself. My skirts were lifted to my waist, garters broken, stockings sagging. My bloomers were torn and at my knees. Panic washed over me, a dizzying wave of nausea and fear.
“George!” I cried, reaching for my underclothes. “You’re Charles’s friend. He would be shock—”
“Shut up, you silly bitch!”
A slap stung my face and I tasted blood. Who was this man before me? My body began to tremble as my heart thumped in my chest. How could I stop him?
George cursed as he struggled with the tiny clasps that held his cummerbund in place. “Stupid goddamned monkey suit.” At that moment, the final clasp on his cummerbund gave way and he flung it to the floor, then shed his trousers, revealing his undershorts. His manhood bulged beneath the thin fabric.
“No, no, no!” I protested, tears springing to my eyes.
George knelt on my legs, pinning them down. “It’s always much more civilized if you just lay still. I’ll be done in a minute.”
With sickening dread, I realized this wasn’t the first time he had done this. I began to scream, but he covered my mouth with his hand. “If you breathe a word of this to anyone, I’ll tell them you seduced me in order to force marriage. Whose version do you think people will believe?” His words stung like the slap. I knew his story would be unquestioned. “There’s no future for you if you talk. No one else will want my leavings. Do you understand?”
I nodded, and he removed his hand from my mouth.
“Please, don’t do this,” I pleaded. “Charles said—”
“What? You think just because you are Charles’s sister-in-law that makes you something? You have nothing to your name. Everyone knows your father was just a feckless dreamer who lost his fortune. If I marry anyone, it will be an heiress, not some penniless old maid like you.”
My fear hardened into a burning anger as the failings of my family were once again thrown in my face. I was so sick of people’s judgements, the mocking, the entitlement to treat me however they pleased. I felt feverish as a deep animal rage stirred within me. It propelled me to action.
I let out a fierce yell and drove my head deep into George’s soft, protruding belly.
“Good Christ, what are you doing?” he wheezed, clutching for my hands, but I wrestled them free and grabbed the fleshy area below his male organ.
He gasped. “Oh, God! Oh, God! Stop it, you stupid cow.”
I squeezed hard, and he shrieked and clawed at my hands, but I held fast, twisting further. He continued to flail until we both tumbled off the bed and onto the floor, my grip broken at last.
I struggled to my feet, but George remained curled on the floor, whimpering. I pulled at my clothing and stumbled out of the cabin into the dark night, breathing hard. In spite of the warm evening, I felt a cold shiver down my spine. How long had we been here? Surely people would begin to notice our absence, if they hadn’t already. My reputation, my one thing of value, was in grave danger. One hint of what had occurred tonight would be the ruin of me. And Harriet. I had to get back to the party.
I heard George moaning inside the cabin as I set off running in the direction of the dock, tripping over low bushes and uneven ground. A sharp stick pierced my shoe, burying itself in my big toe, but I pushed on, limping, until I found the boat. I began to untie the rope, then pulled myself up short. If I attempted to row myself to the main dock, people would see me with my torn and dishevelled clothing. There would be no disguising my misadventure.
Hot tears threatened to overwhelm me, but I fought them back. Turning towards the cottage, I peered hard into the darkness, looking for any sign of movement, but I saw and heard nothing except the distant sound of the party, where the guests’ lives continued on, untouched by the evil that threatened me. I caught a snatch of sound, the echo of my sister’s voice, calling cheerfully to an old friend.
Then I remembered something Hari had
