Fen tucked her wispy, straight, golden hair behind her ear and tried not to stare. Her father had chosen this man for her, and she should consider herself lucky he had accepted. He was above her. Way above her. But she couldn't get over how heartless he was.
Edmond was, right now, whipping a slave who had been to slow to pick that day. She cringed every time the whip cracked, splitting open already scarred and torn skin. Finally he seemed to tire and returned to her and his aunt.
"I apologize, Ladies, but one mustn't let these things slide." he chuckled. We continued our walk around his estate.
As soon as we returned to his manor, the messenger arrived. He delivered a note to Edmund, then turned to me.
"I'm sorry for Your loss, Fen." he said solemnly, clasping my hands with his. "Your father was a good man. There's many that'll miss him." he left without another word.
"Fen? Fen!" someone shouted my name, but I barely heard them through the ringing in my ears. My father died? But he said he was feeling better! He said he was sure he would be back on his feet by Monday! I sat down on the floor, staring blankly into space.
A room was found for me at Edmond's manor. I had no idea what I was going to do. Father had left some assets, but I was only a girl, never allowed to know about these things. I sat in the room they provided as long as I could before I had to move. I went out to the walk, slowly following the path as it wound through the trees.
"a what?" I heard a woman's voice somewhere ahead of me. "a witch? That girl from the city?"
"that's what I heard, anyway. " another voice answered. I stopped in my tracks. A witch? I was accused of witchcraft?
"I hear she cursed her father, and before him it was her
mother who soured her. She cursed her mother to loose every baby she carried, and die birthing. Her father died of an unknown illness." The voices continued whispering. My heart was racing. I didn't want to be tested for witchcraft. The only way to pass that test was to properly die.
"that's why that bunch with the cart showed up?" The first voice asked, and I was hit with a sudden chill.
"yes, and all those men. They want to put her on trial."
"oh, well, so much for master Edmonds' coming wedding, then!"
I didn't need to hear any more. I turned and ran, heading back to the manor. I would get my coat, find a way to the train station, and be gone before they knew it. Edmond stood on the porch, cold eyes looking me over like an errant slave.
"You, miss Fen, have gotten yourself in quite a fix, haven't you now?" he smiled a cruel smile as his cousin, Charles, grabbed my arm, stepping out of the shadows. I tried to pull out of his grasp, but Edmond took hold of my chin. I glared at him.
A hand groped my breast roughly, and, in complete shock, I managed to pull my arm free as I turned to see who had molested me. Three more of Edmond's cousins. They were all leering at me. I didn't have a chance to say anything before rough hands grabbed hold of me.
"take her down the trail, nobody wants to hear her screaming" Edmond instructed, and I was pulled so that I couldn't keep my feet, and drug down the trail, kicking and screaming. I tried to bite one of the hands that had hold of me and was slapped, hard, across my face. But I didn't stop fighting.
