Lord Baxter is the head, then we are the heart. I know it is hard for you to understand, but if they - if…I…- did not care about you, then you would not be corrected, but dismissed.” He produced another handkerchief and handed it to her. “I would never see you dismissed.”
“William…he went through my things… I have no privacy, Mr. York. I have no say. I’m treated like a child.”
“You’re not treated as a child. You have a great responsibility. But it is Lord Baxter’s firm belief that a good spanking is effective for a woman as it is for a little girl, and far less damaging than being cast aside.”
But Ella wasn’t so sure. She was devastated to have witnessed Lady Baxter’s punishment. A maid, she believed, should never see her lady humiliated so. It wasn’t right. Now whenever Lady Baxter saw her, she would think on what Ella had seen. It would change things between them.
Ella asked York if she could go to her room.
“I was going to send you there anyway,” he said. “I’d like you to spend the day thinking on what has transpired.
But Ella decided she had no reason to think. She wiped away tears as she penned her letter of resignation. She held it for some time, trying to summon the courage to give it to York, but decided that she could not deal with another confrontation. She would simply leave. She waited until the staff was busy with dinner arrangements and - being careful to avoid detection - slipped out the back door. It was a cool evening, but the moon was full. Ella figured if she walked through the night she’d reach the village and could telegraph her father from there. How would Malcolm Carter react to his daughter’s decision? She decided she would not tell him what had happened. She had disobeyed, after all, and would hope that if Lady Ann Baxter had any influence at all, she would wield it to convince her husband to at least give Ella a reference.
Ella decided to keep close to the hedgerows, and then take the path by the garden cottage to the main road. It would take her through a small wooded area, but would keep her from being seen from the windows.
As she walked towards the cottage, she heard the sound of a twig snapping. She stopped.
“Hello…is anyone there?”
Her answer was met only with silence.
“Hello….?”
She walked on, telling herself that what she’d heard was just an animal. But then she felt a hand cover her mouth and a strong arm clamp across the front of her body like a vice. She cried out against the hand, and pulled helplessly against the arm as she was pulled into the garden shed. Her suitcase fell on the ground, its contents scattering.
Ella did not have to guess who’d abducted her. William slammed the door as he pushed her aside. She stood there, wondering what to do as he lit a lamp, keeping the flame low enough to provide the bare minimum of light.
“Well, well, well…If it isn’t our little anarchist.”
“You,” Ella said. “You stole from me.”
“I only stole that which shouldn’t have been taken,” William said. “And the whole household knows you got your wee bottom beaten for it. Some are speculating that maybe you like it.” He touched her face as he spoke and Ella slapped him. She’d never hit anyone, and she was surprised at how her hand stung from impacting the footman’s smooth cheek.
And she instantly regretted it when William grabbed her and pulled her up against his body. He was lean and muscular, and Ella’s heart fluttered like a frightened bird in her chest. She opened her mouth to beg him not to hurt her, but the words would not come.
“You’ll pay for that, lass,” he said. “You’ve left service. I snuck up to your room and got the note.” He reached into his pocket and pulled it out. “They’ll think you took to the road without so much as a by your leave. Fancy that..You were given this great opportunity and you just threw it back in their face.” He paused.
“William…he went through my things… I have no privacy, Mr. York. I have no say. I’m treated like a child.”
“You’re not treated as a child. You have a great responsibility. But it is Lord Baxter’s firm belief that a good spanking is effective for a woman as it is for a little girl, and far less damaging than being cast aside.”
But Ella wasn’t so sure. She was devastated to have witnessed Lady Baxter’s punishment. A maid, she believed, should never see her lady humiliated so. It wasn’t right. Now whenever Lady Baxter saw her, she would think on what Ella had seen. It would change things between them.
Ella asked York if she could go to her room.
“I was going to send you there anyway,” he said. “I’d like you to spend the day thinking on what has transpired.
But Ella decided she had no reason to think. She wiped away tears as she penned her letter of resignation. She held it for some time, trying to summon the courage to give it to York, but decided that she could not deal with another confrontation. She would simply leave. She waited until the staff was busy with dinner arrangements and - being careful to avoid detection - slipped out the back door. It was a cool evening, but the moon was full. Ella figured if she walked through the night she’d reach the village and could telegraph her father from there. How would Malcolm Carter react to his daughter’s decision? She decided she would not tell him what had happened. She had disobeyed, after all, and would hope that if Lady Ann Baxter had any influence at all, she would wield it to convince her husband to at least give Ella a reference.
Ella decided to keep close to the hedgerows, and then take the path by the garden cottage to the main road. It would take her through a small wooded area, but would keep her from being seen from the windows.
As she walked towards the cottage, she heard the sound of a twig snapping. She stopped.
“Hello…is anyone there?”
Her answer was met only with silence.
“Hello….?”
She walked on, telling herself that what she’d heard was just an animal. But then she felt a hand cover her mouth and a strong arm clamp across the front of her body like a vice. She cried out against the hand, and pulled helplessly against the arm as she was pulled into the garden shed. Her suitcase fell on the ground, its contents scattering.
Ella did not have to guess who’d abducted her. William slammed the door as he pushed her aside. She stood there, wondering what to do as he lit a lamp, keeping the flame low enough to provide the bare minimum of light.
“Well, well, well…If it isn’t our little anarchist.”
“You,” Ella said. “You stole from me.”
“I only stole that which shouldn’t have been taken,” William said. “And the whole household knows you got your wee bottom beaten for it. Some are speculating that maybe you like it.” He touched her face as he spoke and Ella slapped him. She’d never hit anyone, and she was surprised at how her hand stung from impacting the footman’s smooth cheek.
And she instantly regretted it when William grabbed her and pulled her up against his body. He was lean and muscular, and Ella’s heart fluttered like a frightened bird in her chest. She opened her mouth to beg him not to hurt her, but the words would not come.
“You’ll pay for that, lass,” he said. “You’ve left service. I snuck up to your room and got the note.” He reached into his pocket and pulled it out. “They’ll think you took to the road without so much as a by your leave. Fancy that..You were given this great opportunity and you just threw it back in their face.” He paused.
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