Page 41 of A Raven Revived

He gave an acceding nod. “To Daisy.”

They both took a drink. “Have you heard from George recently?” Fitz asked.

“Mother insists on reading me every one of his letters.” Geoffrey rolled his eyes. “He always was her favorite son. Every letter comes from a different city. Apparently, he’s still thoroughly enjoying the arts Europe has to offer.”

“Yes, I’m sure it’s the arts he’s enjoying.” Their brother had always been a lothario.

“So, how does your wife feel about Daisy’s sudden reappearance?”

Geoffrey shrugged. “She seems to be quite accepting of the whole thing. I think she really would like to get to know her.”

“Perhaps, after I collect her in the morning, we’ll come and share luncheon with all of you, if that would be agreeable.”

“Absolutely. We’d love to have you both.”

Fitz was glad of his family’s willingness to welcome Daisy, but as he prepared for bed, he couldn’t stop himself from worrying about her. He was half tempted to do just as he’d said and station himself beneath her window. Had her father continued to treat her badly after he’d left? He’d never wanted to punch someone more in his life. At least her mother had seemed genuinely happy to have her home.

Daisy would never be like her mother, afraid to stand up to him. She would always speak her mind and put him in his place whenever necessary. He sighed as he climbed into bed. One night, that was all she had to endure, and then she’d never have to see them again if she didn’t wish to.

ChapterTwelve

It was strange being back in her old bed after all this time. Nothing had changed in this room since she’d left. Mostly white, and far too many frills for her liking. This room belonged to Jane, not Daisy. This whole life did, in fact.

Her parents had hardly spoken a word to her over dinner. It was her own fault, really, but things were so awkward between them. They couldn’t talk about Fitz or her betrothal, since her father was clearly not happy about it. She refused to discuss where she’d been or what she’d been doing, other than to say she’d been in London. She could only imagine how her father would feel if he knew she’d been dancing in a gaming hell all this time. It had made for a lot of uncomfortable silence. It was worth it to see her mother’s smile, though. Nearly every time Daisy looked up, her mother had been staring at her, her lips turned up just a bit and gratitude filling her eyes. It was hard not to be overcome with guilt for leaving her the way she had. She was sorry for hurting her mother, but she wasn’t sorry she’d left.

Now that she was finally alone, her thoughts turned to Fitz. She missed him already. If only she could have his strong arms around her, wrapping her in warmth and safety. The first thing she would do in the morning was hug him, even if her father would disapprove. She desperately needed to feel him against her. Her father’s approval, on the other hand, no longer mattered to her.

She’d spent a lifetime trying to be enough for him. Pretty enough, proper enough, obedient enough. Her sister had been all of those things. But Daisy had not. She breathed a long sigh. It didn’t matter now. Whether he approved or not, she was going to marry Fitz and spend the rest of her life with a man who loved her. A man who respected and cherished her. She just had to get through this one night without him first.

Would Fitz make her stay at Raven House until they were officially wed? Hopefully not. She wanted to share his bed again. To feel his skin against hers and to glory in his kisses and the pleasure he would undoubtedly bring her. She continued to lose herself in memories of Fitz and their time together until she eventually drifted off to sleep.

She was shocked awake by a burning pain in her arm. Her eyes flew open. Three men stood beside the bed. Terror rushed through her veins like a river of ice, but for some reason she couldn’t vocalize a scream. They threw back the blankets and pulled her upright. Whatever they’d injected her with, had taken away her ability to support herself without their assistance, and her head was spinning.

Her father, who had apparently been standing in the doorway, came to loom over her, a nasty sneer distorting his face.

“You didn’t really think you could run off and be a trollop, costing me that piece of land and embarrassing me in front of all my friends, and then return to my home without any consequences, did you?” He was so close that fine droplets of spittle landed on her face, but she was unable to even wipe them away. “You could have been married to an earl, countess of a grand estate, but that wasn’t good enough for you. You’ve been nothing but a disappointment. After all you’ve done, I will not simply sit back and allow you to run off and have your happily ever after. You brought this on yourself, Jane, with all your selfish antics.”

She didn’t lose consciousness right away, but she no longer possessed the means to speak, and gradually lost all sense of what was happening, as if she were somehow removed from her own body. Just an observer of the entire event. She understood that sheshouldbe afraid but felt nothing. How could a drug remove the ability to even feel? They carried her out of the house and laid her in some kind of carriage or wagon. The steady rumbling and shaking eventually lulled her into darkness, at least for a while.

She had no idea how long it had been when she eventually opened her eyes, but it was still mostly dark. They dragged her out of the conveyance and into a large red brick building. The long hallway was devoid of any kind of decoration, the walls bare and white. Her head was gradually clearing, and as her strength began to return, so too did her need to fight. She struggled against them, digging in her heels and flailing desperately.

“Let me go!” She tried to shout, but her throat was dry and her voice weak.

They stopped and a man in a white coat stepped in front of her. “I’ll give you one warning, Jane. Stop fighting, or you’ll be getting a cold bath.”

“No!” she screeched, resisting all the more. Fear suddenly gripped her chest. She had to get away from them. She yanked fruitlessly against her captors.

“You were warned.” He moved out of the way and they continued on, dragging her writhing body, making it clear that her efforts were pointless. But she didn’t stop fighting them. The hall opened into a large, brightly lit room and she squinted, struggling to see.

Without warning, they lifted her off the ground and plunged her into a tub full of ice cold water. Shock jolted through her body and she screamed at the sudden onslaught of sensation. The cold burned every inch of her, like hot needles on her skin. She kicked and clawed and flailed, trying desperately to get out, but the men were simply too strong.

Fatigue quickly set in and her body shook uncontrollably. “Please,” she sobbed, her teeth chattering. “Please let me out.”

“Are you going to cooperate?” It was the man in the white coat again. She wanted to scream and yell and rail against the unjustness of what was happening, but she was desperate to get out of the cold water.

“Yes.” She nodded fervently.

With an upward gesture of his hand, she was pulled out of the tub and placed on her feet. Her wet nightgown clung to her shivering body.

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