Page 40 of The Fighter who Needed Me
She would not let him touch her and would gag or cough when he came near.
He did not like that she was acting insolent? She had only begun. She was not ill and would never take that knowledge for granted. Once again and she was glad that she actually knew that now.
That she was only constantly unwell because of Bruce and Kitty.
Well, she was done with their games and doing what they wanted.
* * *
Bruce came in the next day, his boots slamming across the floor with hard clomps.
She turned her face away and looked up at the ceiling, not wanting to look at his face.
He snarled down at her and pulled her from the bed, slapping her across the face and dropping her to the floor.
She cried out in pain, and he yanked her back up again, “Now you listen to me, you ungrateful little bitch. You will pull yourself together, or so help me god, I will murder you in your sleep. I have had enough of your childish games, and enough of your fit. You will do what we ask of you, or I will go back to London and kill your maid. I will bring her head to you as proof. I know where she lived before, she started working for us, and I will do it. Go there right now and kill her. In front of her entire family. Do not test me. I have killed before and I am not afraid to do it again.”
She glared up at him as he held her with an iron grip around both of her upper arms. She knew she was getting bruised and he did not care.
“You will marry Reginald when we want you to, and that is final. Now you pull yourself together or I will follow through. I am not scared of the repercussions. I never have been. If you still will not cooperate then, then I will go after the family you love so much. I have seen the Marchioness. She is round with child. How would they feel if I took her life? They aren’t invulnerable and I am not scared of them.”
She felt her stomach drop to her toes with his threat of hurting anyone because of her and when he saw the flash of fear in her eyes, he nodded. “Yes, that’s right. You will do as we want, or their lives are forfeit. Do you understand?”
She nodded and he pushed on, “And will you stop your childish nonsense, and do as we say?”
She nodded again and he dropped her back on her bed, “Good.”
She looked up at him, “I will do as you say if you bring me back to finish the season. That was our agreement and you rescinded on your end. I will only marry Reginald after I finish the season.”
He sneered down at her, “Do you think I am stupid? That I want to bring you back so you can leave?”
She kept her chin high, “I swear to you on my life, that I will stay through the rest of the season.”
Bruce stopped and looked down at her, “Very well. If you dare give us any reason to question you or your loyalty, you will be wed to him with or without finishing the season. Do I make myself clear?”
She nodded, “Done. But I want my maid back. I do not care what you have to do, I want her back. Or no deal.”
Bruce snarled and Persephone kept her head high, “Fine.”
Then he walked away, and she slumped back to her bed in shock. She did not expect that to work.
She did not know how she would get out of that house, but she had to try. And now that she would be back in London, she could possibly see Brooks again.
He would steal her this time, she knew it and she was not hurt about it. She wanted to get away from them as soon as she could.
Putting a plan together in her head, she readied herself for whatever would happen in the future.
Kitty came in moments later, “Is it true? Did you agree to wed Reginald if you finish out the season?”
Persephone nodded, “I did. That was why I threw a fit. I wanted to finish it. To see the people and go to a few more balls. It was all I have ever wanted.”
Kitty glared at her, “You tried to leave in the middle of the night. To go to that man. We know all about it.”
Persephone shook her head, “It’s what you believe, but I heard about a ball that hardly anyone that does not have a status is invited to. One that is not something a debutante like me should ever attend. I yearned to see it. To do something that no one expected of me. To know I was involved in a night like that. That was all. I apologize for scaring you. I just wanted to see it all for myself.”
Kitty sat down on the bed and reached for her hands, which Persephone gave, even though she fought not to flinch away.
“Oh. Well, why didn’t you say so? We thought you were leaving so you did not have to wed Reginald. Your maid said as such and you confirmed it in the carriage. You told us about that man. That you were in love with him.”
