to marry one of two women, who understandably wanted nothing to do with him. The younger girl finally relented and was taken to Bluebeard's castle, which was filled with locked rooms. The girl was given keys to all the locked rooms, even one that fitted a door to a room her new husband warned her never to enter. She entered it, of course, and discovered pools and puddles and buckets of blood, and the bodies of all his previous wives, who ostensibly suffered from the same curiosity. Bluebeard soon discovered his wife's broken vow and announced his intention to kill her. She begged for some time to say her last prayers and he relented, locking her away in a tower. While she is praying, however, her brothers come to rescue her and kill her husband.
A shiver traveled down my spine and I wondered at the prophetic nature of the tale. Was Graves a Bluebeard? Did he have a locked room with the bodies of all his former wives and whores? Would I soon suffer the same fate as Bluebeard's wife? I set the book aside with a shudder, refusing to think any more on the subject, and went to eat lunch.
Ben came back just after sunset, carrying supper for us both. We ate in silence after I tried unsuccessfully to start a conversation with him. After our meal was done, he took the dishes downstairs and I got ready for bed. I tried to wait for him to come back so I could properly apologize to him but he didn't return before I fell asleep.
Sometime in the night, Graves sneaked into my room and climbed into bed next to me. I squealed in fright and tried to push him away, but he was heavier and stronger than I and easily batted away my protests. He roughly shoved my shift up above my waist and got on top of me, using one hand to pull open my legs and the other to cover my mouth and nose so I wouldn't cry out.
I struggled against him, beating him with my hands, trying to kick at him with my feet, but he was just too strong. I stopped trying to fight him off and just lay still beneath him, silently crying, the tears sliding hot and wet down my cheeks to stain the pillow beneath my head.
“M'lady. Mistress Loreley, wake up. It be a dream.”
I sat up straight in bed, a strangled scream caught in my throat, my heart racing. Ben was sitting on the side of my bed, his hands on my shoulders. I threw myself into his arms, clinging to him. He held me close, wrapping his arms around me so tightly that I fought to breathe. I didn't care. Sobs racked my body and any hope of delicately crying had long since passed by, leaving me ugly, my face contorted and sounds like a wounded animal coming from my wide-open mouth.
Ben's hand stroked down the back of my head, smoothing my hair over and over, his voice a soft, sonorous drone as he sang to me. It sounded like a less melodious version of the same song Tansy sometimes hummed. My sobs died away and Ben gently pressed me down into bed and arranged the bedclothes around me, tucking me in and smoothing my hair from my forehead.
“You sleep now. It be only a dream,” he said again.
“Stay with me?” I asked softly.
“All night. I be right here.”
“I'm sorry I was cruel to you today. It's not your fault I'm in this situation. I shouldn't take out my feelings on you.”
He patted my hand and shushed me. “It be no hardship, m'lady. You be in a terrible situation.”
“Loreley,” I corrected him. “Not m'lady. We're friends, aren't we?”
“Yes, Loreley. We be friends. Now you hush and go to sleep. I be here all night. Right here.”
I nodded and closed my eyes, eventually falling asleep and feeling somewhat soothed and safe with Ben's solid presence next to me.
VI
House of Earthly Delights, Nassau, New Providence Island
September, 1715
The next few weeks passed in a purely mundane way—Ben slept in my room, breakfasted with me, allowed me privacy to dress, then we walked around the town. Every Sunday, I attended services at Christ Church Cathedral. Ben refused to enter the
A shiver traveled down my spine and I wondered at the prophetic nature of the tale. Was Graves a Bluebeard? Did he have a locked room with the bodies of all his former wives and whores? Would I soon suffer the same fate as Bluebeard's wife? I set the book aside with a shudder, refusing to think any more on the subject, and went to eat lunch.
Ben came back just after sunset, carrying supper for us both. We ate in silence after I tried unsuccessfully to start a conversation with him. After our meal was done, he took the dishes downstairs and I got ready for bed. I tried to wait for him to come back so I could properly apologize to him but he didn't return before I fell asleep.
Sometime in the night, Graves sneaked into my room and climbed into bed next to me. I squealed in fright and tried to push him away, but he was heavier and stronger than I and easily batted away my protests. He roughly shoved my shift up above my waist and got on top of me, using one hand to pull open my legs and the other to cover my mouth and nose so I wouldn't cry out.
I struggled against him, beating him with my hands, trying to kick at him with my feet, but he was just too strong. I stopped trying to fight him off and just lay still beneath him, silently crying, the tears sliding hot and wet down my cheeks to stain the pillow beneath my head.
“M'lady. Mistress Loreley, wake up. It be a dream.”
I sat up straight in bed, a strangled scream caught in my throat, my heart racing. Ben was sitting on the side of my bed, his hands on my shoulders. I threw myself into his arms, clinging to him. He held me close, wrapping his arms around me so tightly that I fought to breathe. I didn't care. Sobs racked my body and any hope of delicately crying had long since passed by, leaving me ugly, my face contorted and sounds like a wounded animal coming from my wide-open mouth.
Ben's hand stroked down the back of my head, smoothing my hair over and over, his voice a soft, sonorous drone as he sang to me. It sounded like a less melodious version of the same song Tansy sometimes hummed. My sobs died away and Ben gently pressed me down into bed and arranged the bedclothes around me, tucking me in and smoothing my hair from my forehead.
“You sleep now. It be only a dream,” he said again.
“Stay with me?” I asked softly.
“All night. I be right here.”
“I'm sorry I was cruel to you today. It's not your fault I'm in this situation. I shouldn't take out my feelings on you.”
He patted my hand and shushed me. “It be no hardship, m'lady. You be in a terrible situation.”
“Loreley,” I corrected him. “Not m'lady. We're friends, aren't we?”
“Yes, Loreley. We be friends. Now you hush and go to sleep. I be here all night. Right here.”
I nodded and closed my eyes, eventually falling asleep and feeling somewhat soothed and safe with Ben's solid presence next to me.
VI
House of Earthly Delights, Nassau, New Providence Island
September, 1715
The next few weeks passed in a purely mundane way—Ben slept in my room, breakfasted with me, allowed me privacy to dress, then we walked around the town. Every Sunday, I attended services at Christ Church Cathedral. Ben refused to enter the
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