“You’re a pretty thing, so you could get married, but who will have you once you’re disgraced?”
“I’m not disgraced,” Ella said.
“No? He raised his eyebrows. “You’re about to be.”
His hands went to the buttons of Ella’s coat and he undid them with remarkable proficiency as she struggled against him. Ella felt the coat fall away and then his hands were everywhere, sliding down her back, squeezing her still-sore bottom, roaming her waist. William laughed throatily as she tried to escape him. Ella tried to kick him, but her foot missed and connected with something hard behind him. Pain shot through her ankle.
“I’m going to enjoy this, I reckon,” he said. “You’ve been an uppity little thing since the first day. But York didn’t know the proper way to put a little upstart like you in her place. It takes a real man to settle a spirited woman.”
He pushed her over to the garden table, and Ella felt herself laid back and her legs lifted. She could feel William’s cock against her leg, feel his breath on her ear as he told her what he was going to do. Ella whimpered in fear, tears sliding down her face.
“I will not beg for mercy,” she said, not from him.
She felt her undergarments rip and closed her eyes, but almost at the same moment she heard a crash and felt William’s weight lifted off of her. There was another crash and she looked up to see the footman crumpled against a far wall, dazed.
“My dear girl.” York lifted her up as if she were a broken doll. He tilted her face up. Ella could say nothing.
“Did he…?”
“Would you respect me any less if he had?” she asked, a tear sliding down her face.
“Wait here.”
York turned. William was not a small man, and was younger, but York had the advantage of size, strength and the rage to fuel it. He picked William up by the back of his coat and pants and literally threw him out the door. Ella heard the younger man scream. A hedge of brambles grew by the door of the shed; she was sure that was where William was now lodged, judging by his curses and cries of pain.
The bulter came back in.
“How did you know I was here?”
“I sent Mrs. Pilcher up to check. You weren’t there. She said there was no note. No good maid leaves a house, not even permanently, without letting someone know. It’s just not how we are bred. And you are a good maid, and no mistake. One of the other maids had seen William on the stairs. I was sure he’d been to your room, and if he knew you’d gone then I was sure he’d followed. I’ve never liked the way he looks at you. If he had…”
His voice died away, the words choking.
“He didn’t Mr. York…”
“He will pay for what he has done,” York said. Ella tried to take a step towards him but cried out.
“I think I hurt my ankle,” she said. “I tried to escape and kicked something. I don’t know what, but it hurts.”
York picked her up as if she weighed nothing.
“Hang on,” he said. “We’ll get you looked after.”
Ella did not argue. She could feel York’s concern as he bore her back in the house and called for a doctor. The other servants peeked from around corners until he admonished them to mind their own business, sending them scattering except for Mrs. Pilcher who had once been a nurse.
“It looks sprained,” she said. “But we’ll need it looked at. I don’t think it’s broken..” She looked at York. “William?”
York nodded. “I blame myself…”
He picked Ella up again. She’d been sitting in a chair and now he took her up to her room. By the time he’d gotten her settled in bed, it was apparent that word had spread and Lord Baxter came into the room. All the servants stood.
“What happened..?”
“Can we speak outside the room?”
Ella heard raised voices. Was Lord Baxter angry with her? Was he angry with York? A few moments later the butler came back in.
“Am I in more trouble?”
“No,” he said, giving
“I’m not disgraced,” Ella said.
“No? He raised his eyebrows. “You’re about to be.”
His hands went to the buttons of Ella’s coat and he undid them with remarkable proficiency as she struggled against him. Ella felt the coat fall away and then his hands were everywhere, sliding down her back, squeezing her still-sore bottom, roaming her waist. William laughed throatily as she tried to escape him. Ella tried to kick him, but her foot missed and connected with something hard behind him. Pain shot through her ankle.
“I’m going to enjoy this, I reckon,” he said. “You’ve been an uppity little thing since the first day. But York didn’t know the proper way to put a little upstart like you in her place. It takes a real man to settle a spirited woman.”
He pushed her over to the garden table, and Ella felt herself laid back and her legs lifted. She could feel William’s cock against her leg, feel his breath on her ear as he told her what he was going to do. Ella whimpered in fear, tears sliding down her face.
“I will not beg for mercy,” she said, not from him.
She felt her undergarments rip and closed her eyes, but almost at the same moment she heard a crash and felt William’s weight lifted off of her. There was another crash and she looked up to see the footman crumpled against a far wall, dazed.
“My dear girl.” York lifted her up as if she were a broken doll. He tilted her face up. Ella could say nothing.
“Did he…?”
“Would you respect me any less if he had?” she asked, a tear sliding down her face.
“Wait here.”
York turned. William was not a small man, and was younger, but York had the advantage of size, strength and the rage to fuel it. He picked William up by the back of his coat and pants and literally threw him out the door. Ella heard the younger man scream. A hedge of brambles grew by the door of the shed; she was sure that was where William was now lodged, judging by his curses and cries of pain.
The bulter came back in.
“How did you know I was here?”
“I sent Mrs. Pilcher up to check. You weren’t there. She said there was no note. No good maid leaves a house, not even permanently, without letting someone know. It’s just not how we are bred. And you are a good maid, and no mistake. One of the other maids had seen William on the stairs. I was sure he’d been to your room, and if he knew you’d gone then I was sure he’d followed. I’ve never liked the way he looks at you. If he had…”
His voice died away, the words choking.
“He didn’t Mr. York…”
“He will pay for what he has done,” York said. Ella tried to take a step towards him but cried out.
“I think I hurt my ankle,” she said. “I tried to escape and kicked something. I don’t know what, but it hurts.”
York picked her up as if she weighed nothing.
“Hang on,” he said. “We’ll get you looked after.”
Ella did not argue. She could feel York’s concern as he bore her back in the house and called for a doctor. The other servants peeked from around corners until he admonished them to mind their own business, sending them scattering except for Mrs. Pilcher who had once been a nurse.
“It looks sprained,” she said. “But we’ll need it looked at. I don’t think it’s broken..” She looked at York. “William?”
York nodded. “I blame myself…”
He picked Ella up again. She’d been sitting in a chair and now he took her up to her room. By the time he’d gotten her settled in bed, it was apparent that word had spread and Lord Baxter came into the room. All the servants stood.
“What happened..?”
“Can we speak outside the room?”
Ella heard raised voices. Was Lord Baxter angry with her? Was he angry with York? A few moments later the butler came back in.
“Am I in more trouble?”
“No,” he said, giving
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