Page 38 of The Nightshade's Bride
He snorted.
“Don’t care about heaven, brat. I’m just fine dragging you down to hell with me.”
Damn smooth-talking bastard.
"I must change my skirt, it is still smoking," I said, and as we walked in I could feel the spires of St. Mary pulling at me.
If I could somehow make it that far? I could throw myself on their mercy and beg for sanctuary.
Gideon could say what he liked, but now that I had a taste of disobedience, I wanted more.
I had to flee.
CHAPTER 17
Deliverance
Ihad to escape Grayspires Manor, but at first could not see how.
Gideon seemed to think chasing his mistress from the grounds was apology enough for his behavior.
And to my chagrin, he was on better behavior than I’d ever seen, exerting unusual energy to make me comfortable--asking me about my favorite foods, making sure every room was warm, even speaking of plans to redecorate my new quarters.
Instead of shapeless maid’s garb, package after package of clothing arrived from London, new dresses, warm winter cloaks, boots, caps and hats.
If I could believe he had changed, perhaps I would have been comforted by these things.
But I didn’t.I neither trusted nor loved my husband.
He was enamored of my womb and my ability to bear his heir and nothing more.
And at night. . .
At night after Gideon had fallen asleep beside me, and my thighs were sticky and wet with his seed, my cunny wet and dripping, I seemed to hear Ada still, her howls of wild anduntamed fury echoing from the twisted dark moors beyond Grayspires Manor.
Leave in the night or the day?
My disappearance might go unnoticed for longer at night. But I risked losing my way on the moors. Or attracting the attention of the night creatures.
No, I must leave in the day.
Although I could see the Rock in the distance, I would have to traverse several miles of uneven ground to get there, the snow slushy and wet. I would have to wear my new boots and hope my flight could somehow go unnoticed by the whole household.
Fog often rolled in throughout the day and I could get lost.
It was dangerous and risky, and perhaps I was just as insane as Ada to think it was possible, but for my baby Imustsucceed.
For a few days, I tried to map out in my head which way I needed to take. The problem was I had no idea how rough the moor was on the way to St. Mary's, only what route our carriage took. Every time I tried to venture out past the boundary of Grayspires, Gideon rushed out and dragged me back and I was lucky if I didn’t end up in bed with a reddened backside.
Being on the road would make me easy to spot. But going off the road was dangerous too, with bogs hidden underneath the recent snowfall.
Gideon firmly refused when I ventured to ask if we could go to church again.
Then one chill day a thimble rolled off the couch as I sat sewing in the sitting room downstairs and I went in pursuit of it.
Snatching it up, I straightened to see a little compass on my husband's desk. Looking guiltily around, I slid it off the desk, gripping the precious tool tightly in my fist.
I could use this to escape!
