To Love and Protect (13 page)

But she had made herself a promise that she would never marry.
 
Besides that, what man would want a woman so embroiled in a scandal of this magnitude?
 
And then her father had established that ridiculous stipulation in his new will.
 
No, Justin was merely a dream.
 
She had to control herself better around him, not show her feelings.
 
She would save him so that he could marry someone that would bring dignity and honor to his marriage, not someone embroiled in scandal.
 
Why am I even thinking of marriage?
She wondered.
 
Didn’t one of their earlier arguments involve my reading more into his actions than what was there?

Clarissa pushed off from the wall and went in search of Molly.
 
She found her in the back cleaning up the bathing room.

“Molly, I need to ask you a favor.”

“Why, ma’am, you startled me.”

“I’m so sorry.
 
Can we talk a moment?”
 
Molly nodded her head in the affirmative, looking a bit curious.
 
“Molly, my father is being held by an old woman not far from here.
 
The earl’s widow and her brother,” she almost choked on the words, “are behind it.
 
Papa is very ill, and we need to get him away from them.
 
Could you tell me of four or five strong men who used to be in the earl’s employ who might help us?”

Molly quietly considered for a moment what she had been told and what she should say.

“They will be compensated for their trouble.”

Molly thought a minute more.
 
“My brother James’ll help, and he’ll know who t’ bring with ‘im.
 
I’m sorry ‘bout your da’.”

“Thank you, Molly,” Clarissa gave the little maid and a quick hug that seemed to shock her.
 
“Can your brother and the others meet us here after the evening meal?”

“I’m sure they can.”

“Good.
 
I will let So... my husband know,” she finished with a blush, almost forgetting the ruse behind the words.
 
“Thank you again, Molly,” she pulled out a few coins and slipped them into the maid’s hands.
 
Clarissa turned and rushed up the stairs to share the good news with Southerby.

***

Justin looked at the group of men surrounding him.
 
They were a motley bunch to be sure, but had been loyal to the former Earl of Malmouth. Clarissa insisted they know why they were helping them.
 
Upon hearing the reason, they were even more eager to help keep someone else from the earl’s fate.

“Does everyone understand what they’re supposed to do?”

“Yes, sir,” the group echoed around him.

“I still say you should let us take care of those two ourselves.
 
I don’t care if she is a woman.”

“No,” a feminine voice said firmly next to Justin.
 
“Lord Southerby is right.
 
We must have proof to see them brought to justice.
 
Besides, we need to find out if anyone else has suffered from similar atrocities at their hands.”
 
The men grumbled reluctantly at Clarissa’s words, but agreed to abide by the plan.
 
The men began to disperse quietly around the small cabin.

After the men discovered where the duo kept her father, they agreed that he needed to be removed as soon as possible.
 
They claimed the old woman who lived in that hut dabbled in the dark arts.
 
She used her knowledge for wicked and ugly deeds, and many considered her to be a witch.
 
Clarissa wondered if the old woman and Lorraine shared a deeper connection.

“Did you hear me?”

“What?” she asked, just hearing Southerby’s words.

“Now is not the time to be wool-gathering, Clarissa.”

“I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“You are to stay hidden until we give the signal.”

“Yes, yes, I know.
 
I am only to serve as a calming factor for my father.
 
I understand.
 
You have no use for me otherwise.”

“Bloody hell, Clarissa, now is not the time to play martyr with me.
 
I can’t be worrying about you while trying to save your father’s life at the same time.
 
Do you understand?”

“Yes, Southerby. I’m just anxious for this to be over with.”

“It will be,” he pulled her into his arms and gave her a reassuring hug.
 
When he drew back, he cupped her cheek with his palm and tilted her face up.
 
Quickly, he lowered his lips and captured her mouth in a short-lived, but heated, kiss.
 
“A kiss for luck,” he said teasingly, but could not quite hide the passion seeping through his voice.
 
“Stay hidden,” he whispered before disappearing into the shadows.

Clarissa crouched into the bushes where he had left her.
 
Her fingers shakily touched her lips.
 
She could still feel the imprint of his lips on hers.
 
There had been more than luck in that kiss.
 
Clarissa could feel the passion that he had held in check.
 
Her heart beat quicker at the thought.
 
She heard scuffling in the distance that brought her back to the present.
 
The next several moments were spent in prayer that everyone would be unharmed.

The minutes seemed to drag by.
 
Unable to stay hidden a moment longer, she began moving in the direction where Justin and the other men had disappeared.
 
She moved from tree to tree, trying to remain hidden as much as possible.
 

“Well, well, well, what have we here?” a voice leered from a nearby shadow.
 
Clarissa whipped her head around and saw a man lurching towards her.
 
She turned and took off at a run towards the cottage.
 
Her skirts halted her progress, and were currently caught in the hands of one of the ruffians.
 
He grabbed her up around the waist and began backing her up into the shadows.
 
She flailed with her legs, trying to kick any part of him she could reach.

“Here, now, I just want a little fun.”

“Justin!” she screamed as loud as she could.
 
A dirty hand snaked around and covered her mouth.

“None of that.
 
I don’t want to be sharin’ ya with anyone.”
 
He backed her up against a tree and began undoing his britches as he laid sloppy kisses on her neck.
 
He reached in a pocket and pulled out a dirty handkerchief and stuffed it in her mouth to free his other hand.
 
He held her hands above her head with one hand, while he squeezed her breast hard with his other.
 
Then the man dragged her skirt up and felt her pants underneath.
 
“Are ye a boy or a girl?” he questioned suggestively and grabbed the front of her pants.
 
“A girl, me thinks,” he leered.
 

Clarissa didn’t know if she gagged from the awful handkerchief in her mouth or the offending way he touched her.
 
Suddenly she brought her knee up and ground it in the man’s groin.
 
He loosened his grip on her enough that she slipped away and took off running.
 
She ripped the offending cloth from her mouth and ran as hard as she could, darting from tree to tree.

A man yelled behind her.
 
She whipped her head around and saw her attacker running towards her.
 
Did he see her?
 
The moon shone brightly tonight, being both a blessing and a hindrance to their cause.
 
The light allowed her to see him, but also him to see her.
 
How had he gotten away from all those men?
 

She almost collapsed in relief when she saw Justin giving chase not very far behind him, but the guard had a good lead.
 
Clarissa looked quickly around her.
 
A large branch lay on the ground.
 
She picked it up and moved stealthily in front of the large tree the men were coming up on.
 
The footsteps came closer and she could hear the harsh breathing of the big man.
 
A twig snapped loudly under his weight.
 
She swung back with the branch and dug down towards the man’s shins.
 
He yelled at the impact and went airborne.
 
The ruffian landed several yards away and lay very still after hitting his head on something that caused her to hear a loud thump.
 
Justin ran past her and checked the man.
 
Blood oozed from a rising bump on his head.

“Did I kill him?” she questioned.

“No, he’s still alive.
 
Come help me,” Justin ordered, breaking her out of her trance.
 
She rushed over and grabbed his feet while Justin grabbed the man’s shoulders.
 
They moved him over to a large tree, and Justin removed the rope from his belt and tied the man’s hands behind the tree.
 
He also put a gag in his mouth for good measure.

“Do we need to get him help?”

“Don’t worry, he’ll have one hell of a headache when he finally wakes up, but he’ll be fine.”

“What about the others?”

“They should be taken care of by now.
 
One of the men is bringing the wagon to the cottage.”
 
For the first time, Justin looked at Clarissa.
 
She couldn’t keep her hands still and kept wrapping them around herself.
 
He moved to touch her, but she backed away from him.
 
“Clarissa, are you all right?”

“Fine, I’m fine,” she said shakily.

“Clarissa, what did that man do to you?”

“Nothing, you were just in time.”

“Just in time for what?”
 
He took a step forward and raised his hands to capture her shoulders, but she eluded him once more.
 
He looked at her carefully and watched the way she kept eyeing the man as if at any moment he would wake up, break free of his bonds and come after her.
 
Unfortunately he had seen that look before.
 
“What did he do?”

“I told you.
 
Nothing.
 
You were just in time.
 
I will never move from the spot you leave me in ever again.
 
You have my solemn word,” she promised on a shiver.

“Clare,” Justin moaned, moving towards her again.

“No,” she held up her hands to stop him.
 
“If you touch me, I will shatter into pieces.
 
It’s my fault.
 
I should not have moved from where you left me.”

“Are you all right at least?
 
I mean he didn’t?” he asked uncomfortably.

“Everything is still as it should be,” she blushed a little as she answered his question.

“Fine,” he nodded accepting her answer for now.
 
“Are you ready to see your father?”

“Yes,” she said firmly.
 
She refused to take Justin’s proffered hand and instead followed behind him to the hovel where the old woman lived.

***

When they walked up to the little house another man sat on the ground tied up to a tree near the cottage.
 
The difference between the two ruffians was that this one sat there fully awake and as angry as a hornet.
 
When they walked into the cabin, Clarissa saw no sign of the old woman on first inspection.

“Where is she?” Clarissa asked Justin.

“In her bedroom.”

“Where’s Papa?”

“Right here.”
 
Southerby guided her to the little cot where her father lay, his face gaunt, and his hands showed the outlines of his bones.
 
His hair lay limp and looked dull and rather thin.
 
He took shallow breaths, and his hands felt cool to the touch.
 

Clarissa fell to her knees beside the cot, letting the tears finally come.
 
“Papa,” she cried softly and laid her cheek on the back of his hand.

“Ris,” the old man croaked softly.

“Papa, I’m here.”

“So sorry,” he whispered before drifting off again.

Clarissa gently laid his hand on the cot before standing up.
 
It was all too much.
 
This entire situation from the very beginning to now had left her with more hate than she had ever had in her entire life.
 
She knew one person she could take out her frustrations on, perhaps even get the answers she needed.

She swiped the tears from her cheeks and stalked back to the elderly woman’s room.
 
When Clarissa entered the bedroom, she saw the old crone’s hands were tied to the headboard and her feet to the footboard.
 
The woman smiled at her revealing missing teeth behind that calculating look.
 
Clarissa saw red when the woman began to chuckle.

She couldn’t help her actions.
 
She flew at her, ready to take out every ounce of hatred on this person.
 
Clarissa climbed on the bed and began shaking the woman in her bindings.

“What have you done to him?” She screamed and the old woman only cackled harder making Clarissa angrier.
 
Clarissa drew back her hand and slapped the woman, making the situation worse.
 
“Tell me now,” she demanded. “What have you done to him?”
 
Clarissa felt strong arms pulling her off the bed.
 
She clawed at the arms to let her go.
 
She ached to seek her vengeance against the woman who might possibly still have the power to kill her father. “I’m not done with this!
 
Let me down!” she screamed to the room.
 
“I’ll go after them! And then come for you!
 
I will!”
 
Vaguely she heard voices around her, then cool air and moonlight greeted her.