Katherine

"There's my sweet girl," he breathed. "You are warming to me! Becoming ready for me!"

I shook my head, not understanding what he meant. "Please stop? Please, I want to wait, it's important to me!"

"Be quiet, my love. Do not deny me this! You are mine to take!"

"If you do this I won't marry you! I won't!"

"Of course you will," he murmured, half laughing. "Who else would have you after I am done with you?" he demanded, then moved as he removed his finger and hand from my womanly area. He pressed his manhood there instead and moved the head of it through my mound.

I shook my head, letting out a wail of despair as I tried to move again.

"Stop!" he demanded loudly.

I went still in shock, looking up at him fearfully.

In that moment, he pressed against my opening and pressed his hips hard against mine, his manhood forcing my opening to spread for him.

I screamed at the pain of the intrusion and the snapping sharpness that came with it.

He groaned loudly, his eyes closing as he pressed deeper and deeper until he could go no further. "Katherine!" he breathed, holding himself there. "This is beautiful! As perfect as I knew you would be!" he moaned, then eased back, sliding his long cock out almost completely before pushing it back in to its limit, spreading me open as he went.

I shook my head, gritting my teeth as he moved. "You must stop, Harrison! Please! It hurts!"

"The pain is normal, my love. It will pass! Oh, my sweet, beautiful girl! You are so lovely! I love you so, my lovely Katherine, say you love me too! Tell me! Tell me you are mine and you cannot wait to be my wife!" he panted, his hips thrusting quickly.

I could only cry and shake my head in disbelief. This wasn't what I wanted, not how I wanted this to happen! Not out here on the dirty ground like this, I wanted my marriage bed the night of my wedding! I didn't care how wonderful it was beginning to feel, this wasn't right!

"Katherine! You must! Say it for me, say you love me, you adore me and you will have no other! Say it!" he demanded, thrusting harder.

"I beg of you to stop! Please! We are not married!"

"It is mere hours away, Katherine, I cannot wait that long for you, I need you now! I have thought of nothing but you since I saw you last and I need you! Tell me you have needed me too, please, Katherine!" he moaned, his hips moving faster and faster until he was clenching his teeth and growling with effort.

I could only shake my head in misery. I would not marry this man who had so little regard for my wishes!

He yelled suddenly, ramming his manhood into me so hard that I let out a wail, then held himself there. A throbbing pulse burst inside of me as I felt him lose his seed and I let out another sobbing wail as I shook my head.

"Hush, my love," he whispered, out of breath. "It is done. It is all done and over, hush now. My beautiful little Katherine, my soon to be wife, I adore you so," he rumbled, moving to try and kiss me again. I turned away quickly and he kissed my temple instead, chuckling as if he found me amusing.

He went up to his knees above me and fastened his pants before pulling my skirts down and standing. Bending he took hold of my wrists and pulled me to stand as well, though my knees threatened to give way as I staggered.

"No more tears now, my love, it is over," he admonished, pulling a kerchief out to wipe my face.

I turned away from him and tried to pull my arm free. I wanted to go back to my little room!

"Don't be a child," he demanded, grabbing my chin in strong fingers and making me face him in a painful grip. "Do not turn from me again!"

I looked up at him in fear as he wiped my face clean, his anger apparent on his face.

"There now. Come along," he demanded, then started pulling me towards the woods he had come from.

"No! No, I wish to go home!" I cried, trying to tug free of him.

"I am taking you home," he snapped, pulling me along behind him with an iron grip on my wrist.

"Please!" I begged, then dropped down to the ground, refusing to walk.

He let out an angry growl as he turned and jerked me off the ground hard enough that my shoulder seemed to pop and then an agonizing pain blossomed, making me scream. "Shut up!" he raged, throwing me over his shoulder and landing a heavy blow on my backside. It hardly registered against the pain of my shoulder as I hung over his shoulder limply and sobbed brokenly.

He carried me through the woods only a few feet before climbing up onto a horse, me still over his shoulder. The ride was jarring and excruciating as I hung there, his hand digging into the flesh of my leg as he held me in place.

When he cleared the woods, I didn't even notice, not until he was reining in on front of a huge stone manor house.

"Dunlop, get Jeremy and send him to the blue parlor," Harrison snapped. "Greg, get Geneva and send her there as well, both of you be quick! Say nothing to my father."

Harrison carried me inside, still over his shoulder and into a small side room that was a small receiving parlor for intimate guests. The wallpaper was light blue with an ivory design and in the back of my mind I thought that it was why it was called the blue parlor.

"Look at me, Katherine!" Harrison snapped as he laid me on a couch. "Do not go into hysterics now, focus on me! Do not lose yourself, do you understand? Look at me."

"I hurt."

"A man is coming to fix it," he scowled. "I did not mean to hurt you in such a way. Jeremy! Something is wrong with her shoulder, it seems dislocated?"

The man who came in looked like some sort of rough stable hand and when he came close, he stank of animals. "I kin fix it, sir," the man nodded, touching her shoulder softly. "Git'r sommin to bite down on."

Harrison yanked his belt off and doubled it over before shoving it between my teeth, then covering my mouth with his hand. "Do it," he demanded.

The stable hand put his hand over my shoulder and took hold of my arm with his other hand, then pulled and rotated. I screamed as my arm popped back into place, clenching my teeth around the belt.

"It is over," Harrison whispered, wiping my face and my tears again. He tugged his belt from my teeth and I looked up. The stable hand was leaving and a woman was setting a tray down. "It is all done, you did beautifully. Sit up now and drink some of this."

"She'll sleep a good long time," the woman told him as she handed him a cup.

"Good," he murmured, holding the cup to my lips. "Drink it all, Katherine."

I swallowed the bitter drink, more tears coming as I looked up at Harrison. He no longer seemed handsome to me, his perfect features had a cruel set to them. His eyes especially... they were so cold.

A sort of fog seemed to roll into my mind and my eyes closed.

I woke to talking. Two men speaking very close.

"...heard you came back last night." a man was saying.

"I came back late," Harrison answered. "You told me to return when I had everything handled and I do. My debt has all been paid completely, I took care of it."

"How?" the man demanded.

"I found a way, father. It was nothing illegal, I assure you, it was all above board."

"And you expect me to believe you are turning over a new leaf? You will never gamble again or... trifle with women?"

"I have, it is all in my youthful past. I am ready to put it all behind me and take on my responsibilities."

"We shall see," the man growled. "I will be checking into your affairs, making sure your debt has been completely erased."

"Please do, I welcome it. I want you to see that it is all behind me now," Harrison spoke congenially.

"You may stay for now, but if I find you have misled me, James, you will be gone before morning!"

"Of course, father. I do have a package to deliver this afternoon, but I will be here when you discover that I have had it all taken care of. The man is coming here for it."

"What package? What are you meddling in?"

"Nothing like that, I assure you. It is a matter of returning a lost item to its owner. I came across it and the owner is coming to retrieve it."

"Some undesirable you have dealings with, James?" the man demanded.

"No sir, of course not. It is Lord Gabriel Ellingcort."

"The Lord Ellingcort?" the man asked, surprised. "What business could he have with you?"

"As I said, I found something of his, he is coming to retrieve it," Harrison said lightly.

I felt sick. He had sold me to Lord Ellingcort. Tricked me, used me, hurt me and sold me. I needed to get away!

"Very well, James. I will be checking into this."

The man left and I closed my eyes as Harrison came back in. James, I guessed. He had obviously given me a fake name so I couldn't ask about him. I sensed him come close, but I kept my eyes closed and he left my side and went to the window to look out instead.

Someone else came in the door, but I dared not open my eyes yet.

"Is it clean?" James asked.

"Yes sir, got all the stains out," a woman assured him.

"Lay it out there so she may dress when she wakes."

"Should I help her, sir? Her arm won't be much good to her for a few days?" the woman asked.

"I will help her if it's needed Geneva, thank you. Bring up a brunch, please, I am sure she will be hungry. And remember, not a word to my father about her."

"Course not sir," the woman answered, hurrying out.

"Katherine, I know you are awake," James called lightly. "Your dress is ready. Get up and put it on."

I let out a breath then opened my eyes and turned.

He was watching me from the window with a smirk.

"You're a monster," I managed in little more than a whisper.

He laughed then and came around the bed to pick up my dress and hold it up. "Don't be such a sore loser, Katherine," he smiled. "You were so incredibly easy to fool! You wanted a handsome young man so badly, you never once used an ounce of caution. As soon as I heard old Gabriel going on about the girl he was searching for, I knew it was you, the new girl keeping numbers. You were so easy to find and trick. Old Gabriel was such an ass about meeting my demands for you, I had to pay him back, didn't I? He'll have you, but not wholly unspoilt. My parting gift to him. And it's not like it was a chore, you truly are a beautiful little thing, but the constant crying and begging was tedious. Come on now, get up and get dressed, I have food coming," he demanded, yanking the blankets back.

I sat up, trying to hide myself, but my arm didn't want to work for me. I let out a shocked cry of surprise when it hurt to try and move it.

"Yes, that is to be expected," he huffed impatiently. "Stand up and let me help you put this on! Unless you prefer to keep it off and I take you to my bed again?" he asked, his eyes roaming over my bare skin.

I dove into my dress, ignoring the pain of my arm as I tried to struggle into it. James helped me into it, but he laughed as he groped and squeezed freely with his hands. I was shaking and sobbing by the time the woman came in with a tray of food.

"Her arm hurts," James told the woman when she gave me a concerned look. "Help her with her hair."

He sat to eat while the woman came to me and did up my buttons before fixing my hair. I could only sit and stare numbly, heartbroken. This man had hurt me and used me and sold me back to that horrible old man. I felt so lost. How long did I have until Lord Ellingcort arrived? Would he have me punished for running away from him? Would he find out I had been used and discard me, do away with me so that no one would know his shame? I had heard of nobles disposing of women rather than allowing them to bring them shame. Was he such a man? His pride had not allowed me to say no to him... I was so confused as I tried to reason it all out.

"Come and eat," James demanded.

"I cannot eat," I whispered, my heart in my stomach.

"Suit yourself," he shrugged, standing. "It will be here if you change your mind. I have a few things to see to. You stay here, don't try and poke your nose out of this room. The door will be locked and no one else is here. Do you understand?"

I nodded, still numb as I sank down into a chair despondently.

He left and I heard him lock the door behind him. I let out a sigh of despair, then stood and went to the window, wondering if I could throw myself from it's heights.

It was not high enough.

It... wasn't high at all. I was sure I could drop down that distance and not hurt myself, in fact. Pushing open the window, I sat on the sill and swung my legs over, then reconsidered. It was a bit higher than I first imagined and I couldn't hang from my hands like I thought. My arm wouldn't allow it.

It was risk it or stay to face Lord Ellingcort. If he was mad he would kill me and if he wasn't he would marry me. Neither was something I wanted to face. I pushed off of the sill and landed in a heap on the soft grass, then lay there breathing heavily as I took stock of myself. Nothing hurt? Using my good arm, I got up and fled to the woods and then the road and back into town.

Joe was grumpy when I came in, telling me I was late, but I ignored him as I gathered my things quickly and went and had my horse saddled. My hope was to be gone from town before James knew I was missing. I took the eastern road out of town, away from the river and away from my old home and on to a new place I had never been. James would know which way I went, but I vowed to stay ahead of him and not stop until he was well behind me.

Maybe Lord Ellingcort would expose him to his father when he arrived and I was not there. He would accuse him of lying for the money.

I rode hard all day, through two more towns and did not stop until I could no longer keep my eyes open.

For eleven full days, I rode, eating little, too afraid to stop. On the eleventh day, I woke shivering and achy and knew I had a fever. I managed to mount my horse, but staying on was a chore as I rode more slowly than normal, huddled in the saddle and shaking.

Mid day took me past a farm and the man out front paused his woodcutting to watch me pass.

"Miss?" he called, making fear well up in me. I didn't want to be noticed where James could ask and they could say which way I went! "Miss, are you well?" the man called again.

He was closer suddenly, his hand on my stirrup and I realized the horse had stopped walking at some point.

"Miss?" the man asked, full of concern.

I looked down at him and his careworn face, then he was catching me as I slid from the saddle.

I woke to a woman learning over me and putting a cool cloth on my head. "...not a girl at all," the woman was saying softly. "She's a woman grown, just small." She looked down at me, then smiled. "There you are now! Awake finally, now that your fever is broke! Slim has just been worried sick over you!"

"Slim?" I asked, confused, wondering where I was and how I had gotten here.

"My husband," she nodded. "Do you remember him? Catching you out on the road when you fell?"

"I... I thought that was a dream."

"Well your fever was high, I don't even know how you were riding at all! Look at you now though, awake and your fever down. Do you feel like eating? You seem like you haven't had a real meal in a few days?"

"I'm still so tired," I managed.

"Sip some broth for me and you can go right back to sleep," the woman spoke kindly, helping me sit enough to sip some warm broth. "There now. That'll help get your strength up. Lay back down now," she said mildly, stroking my hair back off my face. Her eyes were so kind.

I slept.

I came half awake to voices.

"... sure it's hidden back enough? You can't see it from the road?"

"I have it staked well back, Liz, don't worry!"

"If that man comes back, you have to make sure he can't see it! He'll know she's here if he sees her horse!"

"He can't see it, Liz! Not even if he came clear up to the house and around it. You'd have to go clear back to the treeline and around to see it. Now will you calm down?"

"No, Slim, you didn't see him! He's a snake, that one. It's not a wonder the poor thing ran. Look at her, how sick she made herself trying to get away from him! You just... oh, are you awake?" the woman asked, coming closer and feeling my head. "You are awake. Sit up here a bit and drink some more broth. There you go, that's a good girl."

"I'll leave soon as I can," I whispered hoarsely.

"You'll do no such thing!" the woman admonished. "Don't you even worry about it! You'll stay right here and let me take care of you until you are all better."

"He's looking for me," I whispered again, trembling.

"He'll not find you here. I'll tell you same as I told him. No one's been by here and we would have seen. No one comes this way, he's the first person we seen on that road in a week! If anyone asks, your name is Beth and your son's new wife, staying here while he's away. His name is Ben. Your Ben's wife and he left out to make a delivery clear up in Jericho for old Henry, the bellfounder. It's a long, slow trip with what he's haulin and you'll be right as rain long before he's back to answer any questions." She nodded as if that was that.

I patted her hand thankfully and closed my eyes wearily again.

I woke again the next day and watched the woman kneading dough on the table. There was no sign of Slim. The older woman had a pleasant face and her eyes were kind even when she wasn't looking at me. It made me feel better about her. She wasn't just trying to fool me. And she had lied to James for me, said she didn't know about me. She was keeping me safe. So was Slim.

What would they want in return?

I needed to get better so I could be on my way.

Slim came in the door. "Just seen him ride back through, headed back to where he came from is my guess. He give me a look but didn't stop. He looked irritated as all get out."

"I imagine so! Losing a girl like her. Good on her runnin off like she did and not lettin that snake have her. Wish'd I'da had that sort of fire to run from Less that first year."

"He got what was comin' to'm," Slim answered darkly. "Men like that are ne'er long for this world when a good man sees'm. If he weren't a lord, he'd be done away with too."

"No more of that talk, Slim. You ain't doin no such thing! Them days are behind you and you have a wife and son now!"

"Man deserves it. Didn't say it'd be me, but the man sorely has it comin'."

"That's enough. You have all that wood cut?"

"What I have. Need to fell that old cottonwood, but I think I may wait till Ben gets home. It's a big job for one."

"You've no idea when he may be home! Trip like this aint been made, big as his haul was."

"Dean ever say why Jercho needed a bell that big?"

"New church or some such. A rich man had it built and bought the bell too for Sunday morning. Biggest Dean ever cast."

"Still. He could be home any time now, if it was a normal trip up and back."

"Well I ain't expectin' him back till the snows start," the woman snapped, shaking her head. "So if you cain't do the cottonwood alone, find yu a smaller one what needs cuttin' and do that. Winter is comin' on quick and I don't aim to be without heat."

Slim chuckled and leaned close to the woman, kissing her on the head before going back outside.

The woman turned and looked over at me, then smiled. "You're awake! Good. I saved back some broth for you, kept it close to the fire to stay warm," she smiled happily, pouring brother into a bowl and bringing it over. She helped me sit up and I was able to take the bowl and sip it myself as she sat down near me on a little stool.

I realized then that I was on a bench seat with a pallet made up on it. I guessed I didn't need much space, but I was glad I wasn't the type to roll in my sleep. It also put me in the main room near the fire and that was probably good too, since I was still so cold.