Chapter 22

Audrey had no idea how long she had been held captive in her room at Rowton Castle. When they arrived, she had been taken into the library and told to sign several documents.

"You will sign these papers now. They give instructions about what happens to your fortune after your marriage. This document is necessary for the marriage ceremony to take place." said Ethan, sitting behind a desk and holding out the pen for her to take.

"I will do no such thing," she retorted.

"I believe you have no choice my dear sister. Remember what we said in the carriage about the child. If necessary, and despite my dearest Caroline's dislike of children, we can transport little Sasha here." He looked at her with cold emotionless eyes.

Audrey reached for the pen.

"Ah, I thought that would make a difference. Your signature, now please," demanded Ethan.

"Does my future husband know you are embezzling my fortune?" she challenged. "You won't get away with this you know."

"Oh I believe we will my dear. You are never going to be sure of little Sasha's safety, even in the future. I'm sure you wouldn't want her to go through what you have today. We have plenty of space here at Rowton Castle. I'm sure we can find room for the child."

"You are despicable Ethan. Are you truly going to these lengths for money? Did you gamble away your own inheritance? Now you have to deprive me of mine," she said, with bitterness in every word.

"Exactly right, my dear. I spent too long at the card tables and made too many wagers. This place is at risk of repossession if I don"t get access to your money."

She signed the documents and then threw the pen at him, so the quill caught his cheek and ink covered his face. Swearing, he scrambled to save the documents.

Caroline took a step forward from the shadows to stand at her side. "You will follow me to your old room. We'd like your stay to be as pleasant as possible. The wedding is later this evening. Servants are preparing the chapel and a small reception in the dining room. Don't worry, Audrey. You won't be at Rowton for long." She stared at Audrey with a glint of disdain. "My maid will dress you for the ceremony. You look dreadful and we don't want the Duke of Batton to change his mind when he sees you."

"You are evil, pure evil. You never wanted to marry the duke. It was all about watching and waiting for an opportunity to kidnap me. You left it too late. Jude won't believe your false letter. He will find me. You won't get away with this." She had to believe that Jude would find her.

Caroline laughed in her face. "What a sweet naive child you are. I'm sure I can tempt His Grace into a liaison if I choose to. I could be such a sweet Mama to little Sasha."

At that Audrey lunged forward, wishing she still had the pen in her hand and tugged at Lady Caroline's dark brown ringleted hair. She felt a brief moment of satisfaction when Caroline screamed, before she was grabbed from behind by Ethan, and Lady Caroline gave her a stinging slap across her face.

"That's enough dear sister. Remember the little girl. Her future happiness depends on how you choose to behave. I have two of my staff ready and willing to come forward and swear an oath that they are related to Sasha. If you fail to comply with this marriage, or try to leave the Duke of Batton, then they will take the child, and believe me, we have documents to prove their relationship to her," Ethan informed her, grinning sadistically.

"But you can't …" Audrey stuttered.

"Actually, Audrey, I can. The couple will bring the child back here and raise her as their own, under my watchful eye. She will be raised as a servant in your childhood home. Believe me, Audrey, I have thought this through, and I am deadly serious. The best thing is for you to accept your fate and marry Batton and make him a decent wife."

***

Locked in her room, she submitted to the ministrations of Lady Caroline's maid, who, it seemed, had no idea she was an unwilling bride. She bathed and dressed the bruises on Audrey's face and body, and told her she would return later to dress her in the wedding gown.

She lay on the bed, her body wracked with sobs, wishing her brother was a different person. She fell into anexhausted sleep for several hours, fearful of the future.

When she awoke,she paced backwards and forwards in an agitated state, looking out of the window, knowing it was too high to jump down, or even knot sheets to make her escape. All she could do was pretend to comply and hope to escape from the chapel or dining room. The reality was that she might be married before she had a chance to escape captivity.

When the maid returned, she complied meekly, as she was dressed in her late mother's wedding gown. The maid told her she would return to dress her hair shortly before the ceremony. How, as a child, she had longed for the day when she would wear this dress, and walk down the aisle of the family chapel to marry the man of her dreams.

She had a vague memory of the Duke of Batton, approaching sixty, with his silvery grey hair and dark, austere clothes. He'd been a wealthy widower for many years and must be looking for companionship. It seemed as though he had no idea she was a reluctant bride.

Less than twenty-four hours before, she had been spellbound while held in Jude's arms as he told her he loved her. Then they had waltzed together, and he'd told her how he could not imagine a future without her in his arms. Those were the memories she needed to keep alive in future. The reality was that she would submit, marry the Duke of Batton, hope he treated her kindly, and retreat into obscurity. Jude and his family would care for Sasha as part of their family, she need not worry about the tiny child.

She heard a scraping at the door and stepped back warily as it slowly opened. She took deep breaths, assuming it was the maid, returning to fix her veil, but it was Millicent, her maid from her childhood days. She gestured for Millicent to come in the room, and the maid bobbed a curtsey.

"Mr. Jeffries said it was you. We were all talking in the kitchen. None of us like that Lady Caroline, and most of the staff have left or are leaving. Rowton Castle isn't the same without you running the household. Mr. Jeffries has obtained a position as butler over at Brunston Hall, and reckons he can get most of us a position there."

Millicent stopped to look at Audrey. "What's happening, My Lady? Why are you wearing a wedding dress?" she looked perplexed.

"Because I'm apparently being married, later this evening to the Duke of Batton," explained Audrey.

"None of the old servants know about this wedding. We were told to prepare a cold buffet in the dining room and to take the evening off. That's why I came up to see you, in case you were gone tomorrow. I miss you, Lady Audrey. We all miss you."

Tears welled up in Audrey's eyes. The people who mattered in her childhood home still loved her. Despite what had happened there was goodness in people. She knew that without a doubt.

"There's a note for you, My Lady. Your cousin arrived an hour ago and asked to see you. Your brother said you were indisposed, so he wrote you a note. I've got it here." Millicent handed Audrey a scribbled note.

"Dearest Coz Audrey, something havey cavey going on here at Rowton. Ethan tells me you are to be married this evening, and I've been invited as witness. Says you're marrying old Cedric Batton. Don't believe a word of it. I didn't want to take sides between you and Ethan, but he's not behaving in a rational way. He's lost his marbles. Never fear my dear, I shall get you out of this marriage, and without any blood being shed. You know what a fearful coward I am. Your ever devoted, Coz Rupert."

Audrey smiled to herself. She was not alone. She had the loyalty of the servants, and her cousin had declared he would help her. She went to her writing table and rummaged for a pen and ink and jotted down a quick reply to Rupert.

She turned to Millicent. "Listen carefully. I need you to give this note to my cousin. Can you tell the servants not to leave the house, but stay in the kitchen and block the door? I might need aid. Tell Mr. Jeffries to send to Brunston Hall and ask Sir Nigel to call the constables. I think that's everything. I've had enough of being bullied by Ethan, this has to end."

"Very well, My Lady. No one is to leave, he has to send a message to Sir Nigel and block the kitchen door."

"Good girl. Now off you go. Remember to give that note to my cousin Rupert."

Maybe, just maybe there was a way out of this.

When Lady Caroline's maid returned to dress her hair she went through the motions, allowing her to pin the veil in her hair. "There," said the maid, "you look lovely. It's always nice when brides wear their mother's dress."

Audrey nodded and smiled, thanking the maid for her help. The door opened to reveal Lady Caroline, dressed in a heavy silk gown, diamonds sparkling in her brown hair.

"You're ready. Excellent. The parson has arrived, and we will meet the Duke of Batton in the chapel. Remember little Sasha. She is relying on you for her future happiness." She looked at Audrey, checking the dress and veil. "We don't have flowers, but you can carry a prayer book, that's quite appropriate. Now follow me downstairs and remember about the child."

Audrey nodded and dutifully followed Lady Caroline down the grand staircase into the hall, the long train of her dress flowing after her. She saw Rupert standing next to Ethan and breathed a sigh of relief. She was not alone.

They formed a procession to walk the short distance to the chapel. Rupert offered her his arm and she took it gratefully, noticing the look of surprise on her brother's face. As they walked across the pathway Rupert whispered in her ear.

"The parson's a decent man and I'm going to declare an impediment. Even if that doesn't work it gives you the opportunity to run away, though how you'll run in that gown, with that train is beyond me. No, it's best if I declare an impediment. I'll tell them you"re already married or something. It'll take them ages to prove me wrong."

"Very well," she whispered.

There didn't seem to be another option and she noticed Ethan had burly footmen, none of whom she recognized, positioned around the castle courtyard and by the drawbridge over the moat. Rupert's impediment to the marriage was her best hope.

Audrey entered the chapel clutching her prayer book and looking at the stained-glass window above the altar. This was a special place, and she had to put her trust in her cousin. All would be well. She flinched as she touched her brother's arm, ready to walk down the aisle towards the parson and the Duke of Batton.

She barely glanced at the Duke, who stood flanked by several friends. He smiled at her encouragingly, and she didn't believe he knew anything of her reluctance. As the parson asked if there was anyone with any just cause or impediment why the marriage should not take place, her cousin Rupert stepped forward, quietly drawling that he knew of an impediment.

The parson stopped, looking around him for the first time. "What did you say?" he asked with confusion.

"Erm. I know of an impediment," repeated Rupert.

"This has never happened before!" exclaimed the Parson.

"You're supposed to ask me what it is," suggested Rupert, yawning as he spoke.

"What's this about?" asked the Duke of Batton.

"Continue with the ceremony," barked Ethan.

"She's already married," said Rupert. "She can't marry you, Cedric old chap. Her brother's coercing her and it ain't right. I can't stand by and watch my favorite cousin forced into a marriage against her will."

The Duke of Batton looked stunned. "Is this true?" he asked her gently, hardly audible over the noise of Ethan and Caroline urging the parson to continue.

"My cousin is right in that I've been kept prisoner and forced here today. It isn't true that I'm already married, though I am betrothed to another."

The Duke of Batton took her hand in his. "If what my bride says is true then there will be no marriage today."

At that moment the heavy oak door was flung open and Jude, Robert, Barton, and his men burst into the chapel. "Audrey," called Jude. "Please tell me you're not married."

The Clairville contingent were closely followed by Mr. Jeffries, her loyal Rowton servants and a man Audrey assumed must be Sir Nigel, the magistrate, with three constables.

Jude was beside her in an instant and she fell into his arms. "She isn't married," said the Duke of Batton, in an authoritative tone. "Her brother has some questions to answer. There is no way I'd marry a lady forced into marriage against her will."

"He's right," agreed Audrey. "I believe the Duke of Batton is a decent man, deceived by my brother."

Sir Nigel walked to the front of the chapel and asked everyone to sit down. When he saw Ethan and Caroline making for the door, he gestured for the constables to stop them.

"I don't know what's happened here, but I'll find out. It's clear this lady does not wish to be married, so I suggest we go to the castle. Mr. Jeffries, Lead the way." Sir Nigel asserted his authority as the local magistrate.

At that moment the door flung open again, this time to reveal the Dowager Duchess of Clairville, resembling Britannia with a dress sword in her hands and Mrs. Weston, struggling with a rifle. Behind them a competent looking Mrs. Driscoll carrying a bow and arrows. Audrey's heart melted at the sight of her friends, ready to rescue her, and she knew that her ordeal was finally over.

"Erm... ladies, there is no need for those weapons," declared Sir Nigel. "You can put them down."

Despite the noise around them, Jude looked at Audrey as he held her in his arms. "You look beautiful," he said. "Are you all right? They didn't harm you?"

"Only a few bruises. I'm stronger than my brother and his accomplice, Lady Caroline," she reassured him, holding his arm.

"Promise me, Audrey, that next time you wear a wedding dress it will be for our wedding. Please marry me?"

"Of course," she responded. "If you kiss me."

"In here? Amid all this noise?"

"I'd like that very much. It's been a horrible day and I suspect if you kiss me, I shall feel much better."

"I've got a better idea. Come on," he urged and pulled her down a side aisle towards the door. In the noisy confusion no one noticed them slipping away.

There, next to the chapel, standing in the meadow, looking toward her childhood home, his lips met hers. She closed her eyes, responding to the gentle pressure of his lips. The world around them disappeared and the connection between them strengthened with every second.

The gentle pressure grew to an insistent passionate exploration. Some time later when he drew his lips away from hers, she looked around and saw that everyone else had walked past them on their way back to the castle. She had been oblivious to anything but the feel of Jude's lips on hers.

"I knew I'd feel better if you kissed me," she said and laughed.

"I thought I'd lost you," he said, his voice catching in his throat. "I can't imagine life without you Audrey."

"They told me if I didn't marry the Duke of Batton, they would put in motion a scheme to take Sasha to live with false parents. I can forgive them many things, but not their plan to use a small child as a pawn in their scheme."

"I suspected something of the kind. You don't think Batton knew you were coerced?"

"No, I get the impression he is a decent, lonely man who saw the opportunity to take a wife."

"There's insanity here. None of this is rational behavior. I need to speak to Sir Nigel, though I suspect Mama has already told him exactly what happened."

"Those three Amazon warriors looked magnificent. Now, we'd better catch up with the others. Help me wind this train around my arm and I'll race you back to the castle."

"I believe I've loved you since the moment I first set eyes on you," murmured Jude.

"In the rain? Spattered with mud?" she teased.

"In the rain, in the sunshine and under a starlit sky," he replied, lowering his lips to hers for another kiss.