"Alive? Yes, but maybe not for long unless you save her." Emery felt the officer's grip on her arm loosen, and she shook herself free. "She'll die if they put her in that Box again."
Lady Carlysle stared at Emery and tears spilled over on her cheeks. "Alive? My baby is alive?"
"Lady Carlysle, if you don't mind me interrupting, this is the Clayton girl. You remember your old gardener? Clayton?" the gardener shook his hands by his sides, as if stirring his lady's memory.
The butler, Antrin, shifted his weight and looked highly uncomfortable. "Oh, yes, mmm, Clayton," he stammered.
But Lady Carlysle didn't seem to hear. "Where is she?" Her voice was soft, almost pleading.
"At this moment, she lies just outside your gardens, knocked unconscious by the hands of these officers." Emery felt her voice quivering. "She was on her way home to you, but they are taking her to lock her up again."
The change that came over Lady Carlysle was instantaneous. "How dare you!" she hissed, her eyes wide and angry. The officers stumbled backwards, under her glare, suddenly fearing for their livelihoods. "Antrin..." Lady Carlysle turned to face him, suddenly realizing he was still there. "Where is my husband? Why haven't you fetched him? He will know how to deal with these barbarians!"
"If you please, my lady, he left without saying where he was going." Antrin shifted uncomfortably, inwardly torn in his sense of duty. "But...I believe...if I may hazard a guess...that he was on his way to the insane asylum in the city...perhaps."
"Wake the house!" Lady Carlysle raised her voice shrilly. "I want everyone out here. Someone fetch my husband! Someone get these officers' names and stations! And someone..." She turned her eyes toward Emery and held out her hand, lowering her voice to a whimper. "...take me to my baby Beth."
Ooo, I loved this one SO much, I think it might be my favorite part out of all of them! It was really well written :).
ReplyDeleteMORE! YES! BETH IS BEING BOTH BACK!
ReplyDelete