“This is just the beginning of yourtorments, Lucretia, for your betrayal. For whoring with Richard andbearing his children. How many nights have I lain awake, dreamingof what I’d do to you? How many whores have I practiced seductionto maim and strangle to death?” he said tightening his hold on herwrist until she feared he’d break it.
“No!” She glanced from the fixed glass eyeto the other. The demonic gleam in Westbrook’s good eye brought ona wave of panic.
“Your treachery plays in my mind. But thisis rich,” he said gleefully. “I will destroy the whole Rutlandfamily with one stroke.”
“Nicholas will stop you.” She ripped off hiswig. His bald head possessed the luminescent quality of acadaver.
He slapped her across the face and her headrang with pain. She opened her mouth to scream. A filthy sheet wasthrust in her mouth. Alexandra gagged. She fought and bucked. Withher free hand, she swung and hit Westbrook in the eye. He swore andpressed a knife at her throat and she stilled.
“Now, my lovely,” he breathed into her ear.“You will do exactly what I tell you.” He laughed, his voice filledwith malice.
He was truly evil. Void of emotion.
That’s better,” Westbrook said. “You havebeen nothing but a bitch who needs to learn obedience. I will takeyou now.” Westbrook ripped at her chemise. A sickening terrorcrawled up over her belly. His hand clawed up her legs, forcing herthighs to open.
“Where is your Nicholas now? Where is hispower to protect you?” His hands were everywhere. He mauled herbreasts in a punishing grip, pinching her nipples. She wanted toscratch his disgusting sneer from his face. When she cried out, helaughed, his hot breath on her neck smelled of rotten cheese.
Your Nicholas is seeking the delights ofLady Susannah.”
Cornelius lied. Nicholas loved her and he’dcome for her.He promised to protect her.
Cornelius pressed the knife deeper into herskin, tipping the knife up and licked her blood from the blade. Herstomach lurched. She twisted, inched across the bed toward the oillamp on the night table. She stretched her hand.
“Did I tell you what I did to my firstwhore?”
She shook her head. He wanted to brag.Arrogance. Arrogance was good because it diminished perception.“Tell me, my dear Cornelius,” she said while fighting him off.
He loosened his breeches. Alexandra turnedher head away, bile rising in her throat.
He pulled her face to look at him. “See therow of bottles, placed on the shelf molding bordering the top ofthe room?”
Her eyes widened in horror. Were those hairpieces? No wonder there was only one small window. The room was atorture chamber.
He laughed, rubbed his ballocks. “Trophies,pickled and preserved. Like dumb neglected lap-dogs, the whoresfawned over me never realizing their fate. I scalped them, justlike those savages I draw inspiration from in the Colonies. WhenI’m alone, I come in here and toss myself off by grabbing my cockand pretending I’m slamming it in you, Lucretia.”
He had mentioned his fascination with theIndians at the ball. She inched closer to the oil lamp lay on thetable. She pressed down into the mattress. She could do this. Shesurvived theSantanas, a hurricane, an island. She stretchedher hand. Damn. If only she could reach the lamp. “What happened tothe second prostitute?” She wiggled provocatively beneath him, felthis arousal.
She strained and stretched her free hand,while he recanted his sick story with zeal. Tears came to her eyes.She condemned self-pity. Surely, her arm would detach. Her fingersseized upon the bottom of the lamp, pulled it closer.
“When I finished with her, I scalped heralive. You should have heard her screams,” he panted.
Alexandra knew what he had planned for her.She grabbed the middle of the lamp and smashed it on his head.Glass shards exploded everywhere. He went limp on top of her. Sheshoved his body off her. Fire spread with oil across the bed andhim. Hands shaking, she searched his pockets for the key, theflames whipsawing and burning her hands. The room filled withsmoke.
Dear God, she’d be trapped in an inferno.She swallowed the sour taste in her mouth, searched his breastpockets. Nothing. Bending further to explore his inner pockets, sheheard him moan. Hurrying, she searched his pants pocket, nearlyweeping when she found a set of keys.
Reaching the door, she pushed the key in thelock.Turn. Please open.She heard a scream behind her. Sawhim get up, a fiery blast, coming to her.
“Lucretia,” he screamed just as she flungopen the door and ran out. She heard a thump behind her andturning, saw Cornelius writhing on the floor, screaming. Hedeserved what he got, but she couldn’t just let him die like that.She grabbed a rug from the floor and beat on him to stop the fire.But when it was out, he lay there, a charred corpse. Fire licked upthe drapes.
She tossed the rug over him, and ran to thenext room. Keys jangling, she rammed one by one into the lock. Thelast one turned and Rachel opened the door. She hugged her. We mustgo in different directions in case one of us is caught by a guard,the other can still escape. Rachel disappeared toward the left wingand Alexandra pivoted to the right. She passed one hallway afteranother. The manor was vast. Men’s voices snarled below.
She tiptoed down the stairs and peekedaround the doorway. Nicholas, Anthony and Duke Richard were held byseven armed men. Alexandra grabbed a candlestick in the hall. Justthen, one of the thugs came out of the room. She brought thecandlestick up high. When he moved past her, she swung with all hermight and hit him over the head. He slumped to the floor.
Smelling smoke, a cold shard of fear jaggedup Nicholas’s spine. But then he saw her by the doorway. His heartleaped nearly out of his chest. Alive. Thank God, she was alive. Awave of relief washed over him…but her face looked purpled andbruised on one side and she was wearing only her chemise. His bloodboiled into a heated rage. He’d kill that bastard Cornelius.
His relief dissolved as quickly, and hewarned her away with his eyes to stay hidden. But a guard came outthe door next to her. That was when he saw the candlestick in herhand and the deadly look on her face when she swung thecandlestick. The guard went down, out cold. Or dead.
Now, the fool woman was trying to take downWestbrook’s men. And she was going to get herself killed.
