Page 3 of Escaping the Earl
For a moment, she simply stared at him, stunned. He was going to blackmail her?
“I do see, and he is the one indebted to you, not me.”
Mr. Booker grasped her arm tightly when she tried to walk away. “Youare the form of payment I expect,” he warned. “I tried to be polite, but you are proving that you don’t deserve my best behavior.” He jerked her toward him and slammed his mouth over hers.
Sabrina froze for a heartbeat, then shoved him back and swung a balled fist. She hit him square in the jaw hard enough that he let go of her.
“Why, you little—”
Sabrina ran before she could hear what else he said. She sprinted into the woods behind the cottage. He didn’t come after her, but she didn’t dare stop running.
When she finally stopped, her lungs were burning, her eyes were blurry with tears, and her hair was streaming down in wild waves. She sagged against a tree and sank to the ground, shaking. Had she truly just been accosted by that man?
Sabrina waited at least an hour before making the walk back home, and she deeply regretted it when she did. Her brother was waiting for her.
“Where the devil have you been?” he snapped. “Mr. Booker waited for you for more than an hour, and when you didn’t return, he left here furious.”
“As he should. That man—for he is nogentleman—accosted me, Jereym.Againstmy wishes.”
Her brother looked momentarily uncertain before his gaze hardened. He’d once been such a handsome man, but living on the edge had made him age in the last few years.
“You have no idea of the position you have put me in. My wishes are what matter here, and they are to be obeyed. I owe that man quite a large sum of money. Now that he has seen you, he has made up his mind that he wants you. If I give you to him, I’ll settle my debts completely.”
Sabrina’s mouth ran dry as she stared at her brother in horror. “No, no, Jereym! You cannot force me to marry him.”
“I absolutely can. You have no choice. A doctor will be here tomorrow morning to inspect the state of your maidenhead, as per Mr. Booker’s request.”
“My maidenhead...” Words failed Sabrina. The man wanted her to be a virgin?
“Yes. He insisted he will only marry a virgin. I have assured him that you are untouched, but he insisted that a doctor confirm it. So tomorrow morning you will present yourself for inspection.”
“Father would never have done this to me,” Sabrina said quietly. “Never.” She was torn between rage and despair that her own brother wouldsellher like this.
“Father is dead.” The words were delivered more harshly than any slap Jereym might have ever given her.
“How could you?” Sabrina hated the fresh tears that stung her eyes. After five years, she thought she’d become accustomed to this. But she hadn’t, not really.
A shadow of doubt passed over Jereym’s face, but it quickly vanished. “Go to your room. I don’t wish to see you at dinner.”
Sabrina rushed up the stairs and into her room, slamming the door so hard that it rattled in the frame. Then she threw herself upon her bed and buried her face in the blankets. A long time later, when she lay exhausted, she could hear voices downstairs. The house’s thin walls were her allies, it seemed. They always warned her of danger. Jereym and Prudence were somewhere one floor below, speaking.
“I thought we were to attend the ball at Lady Germain’s tonight,” Prudence whined.
“Not tonight. I am in a foul mood,” Jereym growled.
“But my dear, it is a masquerade. You know how I enjoy those...”
The conversation died out as Jereym and Prudence moved out of her hearing. But it didn’t matter. Sabrina had found a way out. She’d thought at first to simply run away, but now she had a way to make sure that tomorrow morning she would not have herpreciousmaidenhead and Mr. Booker would leave her alone for good.
She slid out of bed and once more opened her armoire. She had one gown worthy of a masquerade, her mother’s court gown. It was silver silk and pearls with a silver-threaded embroidered bodice. She pulled on the bell cord to summon Louisa. When the maid arrived, she clasped the girl’s hands in her own.
“Louisa, I need your help. I must leave tonight for a few hours. If my brother or Prudence asks after me, can you tell them that I am ill?”
“Yes,” Louisa said.
She embraced the maid. “Thank you.”
“Now, let me help you change, miss.” Louisa assisted Sabrina as she changed into the silver satin gown. Sabrina was lucky enough to have a masquerade mask that had also belonged to her mother. It was a gold-and-silver glittering thing that had exquisite decorations painted on it. It also covered most of her face except for her mouth and chin. A perfect disguise.
