Part two

Needless to say, we didn’t go to the gardens.

He had taken me into one of the guest bedrooms and closed the door, making sure that no one had seen us. My head told me to plead, to beg him to let me go, but I knew that would be in vain. All I could do was hope he would be quick.

His breath was hot and smelled of honey wine, I was wrong, I couldn’t stand this. Every fibre of my being screamed at me to do something as he pushed me up against a bedside table, my hands roamed on that surface as he tried to undo my corset, finally grabbing something.

He pushed a sleeve down past my shoulder as I struck him with an iron candlestick.

He screamed at me, hand pressed against his bleeding nose, I wanted to hit him again, but he had seized my wrist before I could.

He spat a series of names at me, how I was going to regret that, that he would end me.

My heart knocked against my ribcage as he bled on my dress. He got closer to me and-

Footsteps.

My heart sank to my knees as the door flew open. I was going to be ruined, my whole family was.

But I wasn’t, at least not yet. You came in and saved me.