Sabrina did as he asked. Inside she was seething and mortified that this man would soon be touching her for no other reason than to suit Mr. Booker’s desire for a virgin bride.
“Please move closer to the edge of the bed,” the doctor said. “Knees up, legs spread. I shall be as gentle as possible.”
She winced as his hands probed her, but he was gentler than she’d expected. He thrust a fingertip inside her, and she winced, still sore from last night.
“Miss, have you had relations with a man before?” the doctor asked.
“I have,” Sabrina said.
“She’s lying,” Prudence snapped.
The doctor looked between her and Prudence. “Madam, I can quite easily tell that her maidenhead is not there. If she says she has been with a man, she certainly has.”
Hate-filled eyes settled upon Sabrina. “Are you positive?”
“Quite certain.” The doctor removed his hand from between her legs. “You may sit up, miss. I am finished.”
Prudence seemed at a loss for words, and then she stormed out of the room. The doctor smiled apologetically at Sabrina.
“You seem relieved, my dear.”
“I am. I took great pains to avoid marrying one of the gentlemen you met downstairs.”
The doctor’s face tensed. “I suspected as much. Most young ladies would have lied under such circumstances.” He collected his coat. “Good luck, miss. I fear you shall need it.”
After the doctor left the room, she rushed to the door and locked it. Within a minute, there was shouting and steps thundered up the stairs.
The door rattled ominously. “Sabrina, open this door at once! You hear me?”
“Yes, you little whore, open up!” Mr. Booker shouted.
Numb with terror as to the consequences of her actions, Sabrina had only one thought. To run. She collected her reticule, the small amount of money she had saved, her mother’s silver court gown, as well as a single spare gown, and tucked them into her valise. She rushed to the window. There was a latticework of climbing roses and ivy beneath her, and she began to climb down with her small valise in one hand. When she was close enough to the ground, she let the valise drop, then climbed the rest of the way down.
Thorns from the roses and slivers of the old lattice scratched and pricked her arms and legs, but she didn’t stop. It wouldn’t be long before her brother and Mr. Booker broke into her room and discovered her missing. She grabbed her valise from the ground and rounded the cottage until she reached the stables. Their only groom, a young man named Kenneth, was feeding the horses. He jumped to attention when he saw her.
“Miss Talleyrand!”
“Kenneth, could you saddle Celeste quickly?” she asked.
“Yes, miss.” He rushed to put a saddle on her dappled gray mare. Then he boosted her up and attached her valise to the saddle behind her.
“Kenneth, you never saw me. Do you understand?”
He nodded, understanding what she meant. “I never saw anyone this afternoon. Got no idea how Celeste got out of her stall neither.”
She dug in her heels and rode Celeste hard until they were well away from the once cozy cottage that had been her home.
It was nightfall before she stopped riding, and the only place for food and lodging was a rather shabby coaching inn. She found a stable boy, who took Celeste, and then she crossed the cobblestoned courtyard toward the inn. With each step, she felt her fear and exhaustion threatening to overwhelm her.
What had she been thinking to run away? She had enough money to survive for a few weeks before she would need to find a position to support herself and Celeste.
She rubbed her arms and cursed herself for not thinking to grab a cloak. “I am a fool...” It was early fall, and the cold nights could become rather chilly.
She pushed the door open and cringed as she saw the inn was even shabbier inside than it was outside. The tables were unkempt, and the few guests inside looked decidedly dangerous. But she couldn’t leave. Celeste needed a stall, fresh hay, water, and a warm blanket after being pushed so hard today. So Sabrina would do what she must to keep her horse healthy and well.
“Can I ’elp you, miss?” the barmaid asked.
“Oh, yes, thank you. Are there any rooms available? I would also like some supper, if that’s possible.”
