Larkin Ch. 18

He pushed off of her and pulled his pants up. "Get up. You will come down to the dining room with me. You have dresses in the wardrobe, you will wear the blue one. Pin your hair up. You will behave, do you understand?"

"Yes my love."

"There will be guests."

"I will make you proud Wynter," she said breathlessly, hurrying to change. She fumbled with her hair and he had to help her.

He took the bandages off of her fingers and looked at the cuts. "Be careful, do not open the cuts. The bandages are unseemly. I do not want you to bleed, so be very careful. Do you understand?"

"Yes my love. I will be very careful. Will I need shoes?"

"No. You were never fitted for shoes, you will have to be careful not to let your feet show."

He pulled on his jacket and on and held his arm out to her. She took it quickly and tried to stand tall as he led her out of the room and down the hall. The waxed wooden floor was cold on her feet as she hurried to keep up with his quick, long strides.

He led her into a large dining hall where there were more than a dozen men both sitting and standing around the table. Larkin looked around quickly, but dropped her eyes just as she saw Yvette staring at her wide eyed and shocked. He led her towards the cluster of men and held a chair for her. She sat down, perched on the edge of the seat as he stood next to her chair with his arm across the back.

"Lord Bixby, I was hoping to see you this morning! I needed to speak to you about your next journey into the old villages."

"A moment Wyatt. Yvette, serve your mistress. Larkin, these are some men of my aquaintance. Business partners mostly, but a few men who I have kept around to entertain. You know Yoseph I believe."

Larkins eyes shot up to the man Wynter was gesturing to. Yoseph was looking at her, licking his lips nervously and smirking. Larkin felt sick. She couldn't do this. She was sure she knew what Wynter was about to make her do and she was ready to dive for a knife when he did.

"And of course, you remember Cotton?" he asked, amused.

Larkins eyes jerked down the table where Cotton was sitting in a chair looking wild eyed and little terrified. He was obviously tied to the chair.

Yvette set a glass of wine in front of Larkin, her eyes filled with a venomous hate. Larkin hardly noticed her, her eyes darting back and forth between the two men.

"Cotton was idiot enough to follow you all the way here. He meant to take you from me. I have been holding him for some time now. He may be a little worse for wear after all this time. And Yoseph... I intimated a promise to him. Do you remember?"

"Yes my Wynter," she answered fearfully.

"I thought to offer you a choice. Your young farmer has been begging to die for some time now. He has tried to take his own life so many different ways. Yoseph... I am sure you know what he wants. So here is your choice. You can fuck them both, or you can kill them both."

Larkin let out a sound of shock and fear as she looked up to Wynter pleadingly. His smile was vicious.

"Lark!" Cotton cried. "Please, let me die! I couldn't grbb!" A man grabbed him from behind, holding his mouth shut.

"What will it be, Larkin?" Wynter asked harshly.

Larkin looked at Yoseph, who suddenly looked horrified as two men held his arms. She saw Abel and the other men who had defended her on the floor of the inn and it was no real decision. "Let them die," she said softly, tears in her eyes. She gave Cotton a sorrowful look, but ignored Yoseph as they dragged him away. Cotton only looked thankful as they took him out still bound to the chair. Larkin turned back to Wynter with her eyes down.

"Yvette. Set out the brunch. We will watch the executions after. Drink your wine Larkin."

"Yes my love," she answered softly as he sat next to her. She picked up the wine and took a sip, then grimaced. She did not like wine, but she sipped it as the servants laid out the large brunch. She knew she could not eat, but also knew Wynter fully expected her to. He served her food with a smirk and she made herself eat it without him having to tell her to. She tried not to cry, but she was doing a poor job of it.

Wynter chatted with the other men at the table, ignoring her after she proved she did not need his prompting. She ate as much as she could, then moved closer to Wynter, slipping her fingers into his hand. He let her, holding that hand still as he gestured and spoke to the men. She traced his fingers gently and stared down at his hand, trying to avoid the looks of the men around her. Finally, she slipped out of her chair and sat on the floor next to Wynters chair and laid her head on his thigh. She hugged his leg tight and he put a hand on her head, gently petting.

Too soon he was standing and she stood as well, taking his arm. She knew what was coming and she tried to steal herself. He led her outside along with the other men and she immediately moved closer to him. It was snowing and it was freezing. He stopped her and she glanced up. There was a gallows set up. Cotton and Yoseph were both standing with ropes around their necks. Their hands were tied and they were both gagged. A man stood up there with them, his hand on a lever.

"Allow them both last words. The farm boy first," Wynter demanded.

The man took Cottons gag off and stood back. Cotton looked at Larkin, his eyes full of tears. "Thank you, Larkin, for this mercy. Do not cry for me, this is what I wanted. I have always loved you, never doubt that. Even now."

Wynter raised a hand and the man threw a lever. The floor dropped from under Cotton and he disappeared through the door. The rope swung slowly. Larkin sobbed.

"Now the other," Wynter yelled.

The man pulled off Yoseph's gag and he immediately began begging. "Please! Please! I did as you asked! I told you where the girl was, I led you right to her! I will just go home, I don't even want the gold! Please!"

Wynter waved a hand and the man threw the other lever. Yoseph dropped and the rope jerked and shook, swinging back and forth wildly.

Larkin turned away, pressing her face into Wynters chest. "Do you regret your choice?" he asked quietly, his voice dark.

"No my love. No man but you will ever touch me."

His hand tightened on her, then he led her back inside. He led the men into a sitting room and she sat next to his feet again, leaning on his legs with her head down. The men talked, mostly about slave trade, but Larkin wasn't listening. All she could see was a slowly swinging rope and Cottons last words. Her heart was broken. Shattered. She didn't even know if she wanted to pick up the pieces and try any more.

Yvette came into the room, pouring more wine for everyone and Larkin felt rage rise up in her. She would keep trying. She had a promise to keep and she was determined to do it. She stroked Wynters leg lovingly.

He kept her out there until dinner was served and Yvette was red faced and flustered with anger as she had to serve Larkin again. Larkin was polite, staying close to Wynter and letting the woman show her own ugliness. If Wynter noticed, he didn't show it. As soon as she finished, she went back to the floor and sat holding his leg and laying on his lap. They stayed late, until well into the night. Larkin was half dozing when Wynter finally stood to say goodnight. She stood next to him, her head down, her hand on his arm.

When he took her back to his room, he helped her into her gown and held her to sleep. The next day went close to the same way, but there were new men and she wore a different dress. Four days went that way and she kept her head down, stayed close to him and made love to him, whispering how much she adored him. He did not beat her again, or hurt her.

The fifth day she rose and went to dress, but he stopped her. "Not today love," he said lightly. "I have no one coming today. Remove your gown and come back to bed, I wish to speak to you."

She climbed back into bed with him, moving close into his arms, pressing her bare body to his. "Yes my love?" she asked, stroking her hand over his chest.

"What would you think of wearing that dress?" he asked, looking at the white dress on the stand.

"Oh, no my Wynter!" she cried fearfully.

"No?!?" he asked, incredulous and angry.

"Not until you have no anger or hate left in your heart for me! Not until you can truly forgive me!"

"Hush," he said more gently. "If I say to you I want to see you in the dress, I want to stand next to you and hear you recite vows to me... What would you say?"

"I would say I do not deserve such an honor but I will strive to make you proud and become worthy. Are you... Are you toying with me? Asking me these questions to break my heart?"

"Hush. If you wore that dress... wore my ring... things would be expected of you. You would have to be the lady of the house. Run the household, manage accounts. Are you capable of that love?"

"I think so... if not I promise to learn quickly."

"Am I weak, Larkin, for still caring for you despite what you did to me?"

"I would like to think you weren't... I would like to think that if you care, anger wouldn't erase it. Truly though, my love. Please hold no anger in your heart for me? I want you to..."

"Hush. I can make my own choices. Look at me."

She pulled back and looked up at him and the look he gave her was both confused and needy. She moved closer and kissed him, pulling him down to her. He rolled her over and kissed her more passionately, she could feel his need to be loved. His need to be accepted and wanted. She pulled him closer, showing him how badly she needed him. She wrapped her legs around him and pulled his hips to hers, then reached down to guide him into her. He made love to her with more emotion than lust, his face contorted in confusion and an inner battle. She made love to him completely, pouring all of her heart into it. Showing him how much she adored him, how much she wanted to please him.

In two days, Helene was helping her fit the wedding gown and fixing her hair. By afternoon, she was standing before Wynter, smiling up at him adoringly and repeating her vows.

The next morning, she rolled to him, kissing his chest and waking him by straddling him and riding him until they both came. His grin was happy. He had found an inner peace, he was loved and needed. Larkin looked down at him, smiling adoringly and touching his face like she couldn't believe it was real.