Lord Blakeney slowly made his way back upstairs, feeling as though the weight of the world fell upon his broad shoulders and wondering how long he would last under the pressure. He had sired a inconsiderate, selfish monster of a son, he was married to a woman who on occasion was well enough to remember who she was and on rarer occasions still remembered who he was, and now he had to care for his sister in law who was a shadow of her former independent self. He could have killed Percy just now, but his strict upbringing allowed him to control himself. Few foreigner could appreciate the excruciating restraint that the typical Englishman used to hold himself in check, it was fortunate that such restraint existed or Percy might not.
As he climbed the stairs he heard a commotion from Tessa's room. Running as fast as he was able he arrived to find his beloved wife wide awake and in one of her worst episodes. Her blood-curdling screams which echoed into every corner of the house, sounded as though she were being murdered. Blakeney tried restraining her himself, but to no avail. He then began to call for Charlotte's aid. Blakeney hoped that Emilie wouldn't hear the scream, who knew what effect that would have on her.
Emilie's panic only grew as she heard screaming coming from the room across the hall. Emilie's reflexes were slowed by the medicine, she was trapped, she had to get out. She was trembling in fear, her thoughts were racing. She recognized the voice, it was Tessa's. The screams were grating on Emilie's strained nerves, she was so scared. She tried to pull herself under the covers, to hide but she had to help her sister. She tried to walk to her but was too weak, she just slumped to the floor with an almighty crash. "Please, someone help her, please, he's here. Sir, sir, Mummy" she screamed, not remembering her mother had been dead for over a decade. "I want my mother, don't let them hurt Tessa, please, he's here, he'll hurt me again, help Tessa" she sobbed, not being able to get up. She just lay there on the floor sobbing, unable to get up.
Charlotte was sitting in the kitchen, trying not to hear the screams, too busy talking to a groomsman when she heard her name being called. She really did not want to come, but walked up the stairs slowly. "Yes, sir" she asked.
She ran over to her Ladyship's side and tried to help his Lordship hold her down and then went to the medicine cabinet to get some chloroform. "Here sir, this should help" she said handing it to his Lordship. Then they heard a crash come from Miss Emilie's room and some sobbing, a girl crying "Mummy".
Charlotte's eyes widened, Lady Spencer had died a long time ago, the girl must be confused and petrified from the screaming. She was sure the sight of her would just frighten the girl more. She looked up, not sure what to do. My, the tavern would be lively tonight.
Blakeney administer the chloroform until Tessa's fit ended and she was once more returned to a state of fitful slumber, he could hear Emilie outside the door the entire time, but was demmed if he could do anything about it until Tessa was out. When he finally got her settled he ordered Charlotte to tend to his wife while he ran out and collected Emilie. He picked her up and carried the sobbing child back to her room, where he placed her in bed. "Don't cry, my dear. Tessa was just having a nightmare," Blakeney told her. "There's no one in the house who is not supposed to be."
He tried to reassure the frazzled girl as he placed her back in bed that she was safe but Emilie was still scared. "Please, just don't leave me. I don't want to be alone. Can Percy come stay with me?" she asked.
Blakeney looked at the girl and thought for a few minutes, and finally said, "Percy needs some time alone to think things over. I think the best thing for you right now is to get some rest and with Percy here that might not happen. I'll stay with you as long as you like though."
Percy whimpered the second the door was slammed shut on him and he began to bawl like a baby, for he truly hated the dark. Not to mention the spiders that were always lurking about and crawling on his skin. Percy would typically have nightmares for days after a cellar punishment. Curling up in a corner, the young Baronet crossed his arms and closed his eyes, trying to remain calm....he let out a sudden SHRIEK when he thought he heard the slithering of a garden snake down there- they were harmless but he hated them with a passion and then? Percy passed out of cold blooded fear and gratefully sank into the infernal blackness awaiting him...
Emilie nodded sadly. She wanted Percy, he could always make her feel better. But even in her shaken state, she knew there was no arguing with Blakeney men once they made up their mind. She pulled the covers up to her chin with a quiet "Yes sir". Ordinarily, she would have wheedled and tried to charm his Lordship to her wishes, once in a while, that worked but she was too tired. "Thank you for staying with me" she added softly.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Charlotte helped subdue her Ladyship and watched as his Lordship picked up the sobbing girl and gently took her back to her room. She sat with Lady Blakeney for a few moments as ordered. The woman was clearly getting worse and now Miss Emilie was ill too, though hopefully the girl was just shocked from being beaten and held captive like that like that and would return to normal soon. Being rich had its problems too. She sponged the woman's head but knew it was hopeless. As the woman fell into a slumber, she decided to ask if she could give Master Percy some food. It would be interesting to see how this story turned out. She walked into Miss Emilie's room, seeing the poor girl huddled under blankets, looking a bit miffed. Lord Blakeney was sitting by her side, trying to get her to rest. Charlotte was not sure why the girl was so upset but figured she did not want to take medicine. "Your Lordship, should I take some food to the cellar for Master Percy" she asked quietly.
Emilie turned to her guardian with a hysterical look. "In the cellar? I thought he was thinking alone in his room. Its dark down there, Percy hates the dark. Sir, please, it was my fault, I shouldn't have gotten lost. You can put me in there but please don't keep him there" she begged, beginning to cry again. She would have spoken more respectfully, had she not already been shaken and rather on edge. She hated the dark even more, her whole family knew that and especially now that she was terrified to be alone but she did not want Percy down there. She looked up at her guardian, knowing he'd refuse but hoping against hope he might say yes and allow Percy freedom. Suddenly, the pain got worse through her whole body. She began to cough through her tears. "Oh, it hurts" she sobbed. Her whole body still ached so badly. "Make it stop, make the pain stop" she wept.
Charlotte paled as Miss Emilie went into a fit, coughing and sobbing in pain as she begged to have the pain stopped. The shock must have worn off, and she was in the full brunt of all her wounds. "Sir, everything hurts, it's horrid, oh, it aches. Make it stop, please, it hurts so badly" she wept as she lay back on the bed, hunching into a ball. This was terrible. Lord Blakeney was going to be furious at her for telling Miss Emilie where Master Percy was and getting her upset. Charlotte was terrified; she did not know that the girl didn't know what happened. She did not mean to get the girl distressed. She had just been curious to see the rest of the story. She just stood there, rooted to the spot, praying that the girl would calm down and Lord Blakeney would not remember she was even here. She dared not even breathe or move, so great was her fear.
Lord Blakeney tried to reassure her as he had done so many times that morning, as he held her he recalled that he was still in possession of the chloroform that he had used on Tessa only moments before. He held it under her nose and told her, "Breath deep, my dear this will make you feel better." Before long, Emilie's sobs stopped and the girl fell into a fitful slumber. Blakeney put her to bed, folded her arms over her chest, and covered her with a blanket. The morning was turning out worse and worse and that demmed Charlotte was adding to it. He stood up and turned on his heels to face Charlotte, his face livid with anger. "A word, Charlotte. In my study, right now!" He stalked off to his study, knowing that if Charlotte knew what was good for her, she would follow quickly.
Lord Blakeney picked up and held Emilie in his strong arms which always made her feel secure and comfort her, but the pain hurt so badly that it seemed she'd break in half. She just could not stop coughing and crying. She could barely listen to his reassurances as he told her she would be fine. "Sir, it's so horrid" she sobbed. He then held something under her nose which smelled strange. She was told to breathe deep and she did. She was ready to do anything just to get rid of the pain. She suddenly felt dizzy but the pain was becoming far away. Charlotte watched Lord Blakeney comfort the girl and then give her chloroform. It seemed to react quickly and soon the girl was quiet again. It was eerie to watch that transformation on two sisters so close in time. Maybe now that she was quiet now, he'd forget about her. Emilie's head seemed to become so very heavy that she could not even hold it up. She felt her whole body go limp. Before she knew it....she was asleep though still whimpering in her daze. Lord Blakeney placed her back on her bed and gently arranged her arms to make her more comfortable. He then covered the girl with her blanket. Charlotte decided to make an exit before he noticed her here but he had already stood up from the chair at the side of the bed. He turned to her angrily, towering over her in his wrath. Charlotte felt her knees knock. "A word, Charlotte. In my study, right now!" he ordered in a fuming tone as he strode off. Charlotte obediently followed, terrified. Whatever he planned to do, he obviously did not want Emilie to see or hear. Charlotte was almost in tears herself as she walked inside the study. "Yes, your lordship" she whispered.
Blakeney entered his study and took a seat behind his desk, upon which lay the infamous horse whip. He took this in one hand and tapped it on the other. He waited till she stood before the desk and asked, "Well, what are we going to do with you? I must say that your job performance has declined considerably lately. You allow the children to run off, you draw up and upset the members of my family, you are slow in performing the tasks which I have set you to, and you open your mouth when it should remain shut! This behavior cannot go unpunished. So, I ask you, what are we going to do with you?"
Lord Blakeney had already seated himself comfortably behind his large walnut desk and had picked up that frightful leather horse-whip he enjoyed keeping on his desk and was now tapping it against the palm of his other hand. Charlotte was already petrified, the sound of the leather even lightly hitting the other hand made her wince. She tried not to let her fear show though and walked in front of the desk, with a curtsy. She listened, head hanging as her employer upbraided her. "Well, what are we going to do with you? I must say that your job performance has declined considerably lately. You allow the children to run off, you draw up and upset the members of my family, you are slow in performing the tasks which I have set you to, and you open your mouth when it should remain shut! This behavior cannot go unpunished. So, I ask you, what are we going to do with you?" he said. Charlotte did not know what to say, she could not help if the children had run away, in a house where the Master kept a whip on the desk, what child would not? Then dropping a bowl had been an accident, it was not her fault Miss Emilie was so panic-stricken. Well, she could have been a bit faster responding with her Lady-ship but she had come after a moment and how could she have know that Miss Emilie didn't know about Master Percy's punishment? She could not defend herself with this without being impertinent. Still staring, almost transfixed with dread at the sight of the whip, she swallowed and whispered "I do apologize, I truly did not mean to displease you or the family. I swear, your lordship, none of this will ever happen again," She was hoping that one of the Ladies would have a fit but both were strongly drugged and would not be up for hours. She was terrified to lose her job, she'd be penniless. She was also terrified of what Lord Blakeney was going to do to her. "I... hope you can overlook this, I again promise this will never happen again"
"I... hope you can overlook this, I again promise this will never happen again" Charlotte told him in a voice verging on tears. "You're bloody well right, it would happen again!" Blakeney said bringing the whip down hard on the desk. "I've sacked servants for less. And how many employers will have you without a reference? There are some awfully menial jobs out there that who make you cringe. So I go back to a punishment. What would be fitting? We'll start with cutting your pay until you prove yourself worth what I pay you by fifteen percent. And since you obvious are unable to meet the demands I've given you in a timely manner, we'll just have to free some time up for you. The shopping will fall on the shoulders of another while you take up their duties. You are confined to the house, until your performance has improved to my satisfaction." He got up and went around the desk till he was stand before her, "I am well aware of how much servant like to gossip. And if I hear that anything that has happened in this house goes beyond this I will hold you personally responsible. That means you must be certain that the others are not breaking their confidences. Otherwise a decrease in pay will be the least of your worries. Understood?"
Charlotte cringed and closed her eyes at Lord Blakeney brought the whip down on the desk, though it was nowhere near her. She listened in horror as his Lordship painted this dismal picture. She did not want to get fired and do menial tasks and without reference, she'd be a scullery girl, not a Lady's maid. She was grateful to be kept on but her punishment was stiff. Fifteen percent of her money was gone, which was a huge amount. There went the new dress she wanted. Then she was confined to the house which was even worse. It would be horribly boring to be here. He then walked around the desk to stand before her, only making more apparent the huge difference in height and continued, warning her about the dire consequences of gossip. Charlotte was unsure of what to say. In her most respectful tone, she answered. "Of course, sir, thank you for keeping me. But... your Lordship, I can't help what the servants say, I would never gossip about the family but I can't be everywhere"
"Well then," Blakeney said grabbing her chin and forcing her to look up at him, "For your sake let's hope you acquire a new skill."
Charlotte's chin was yanked up to look up into Lord Blakeney's furious face. "Yes, your lordship" she squeaked. He had made himself painfully clear and frankly, the whip was still in his other hand. She really did not want to get him even angrier. But how in God's name was she to prevent all the events from getting out? She was not the only gossip in the house. Oh god, this was very bad.
Blakeney turned away from her and resumed his seat behind his desk. "You may go, Charlotte. Take my son something to eat and tell him he is to see me in the morning."
Charlotte curtsied, overjoyed to get out. "Yes, my lord" She hurried to the kitchen, fetched some bread, milk and cheese and then hurried down to the basement. The boy was sitting on the floor crying. "Master Percy, your dinner. His lordship will see you in the morning" she said, leaving the food on a tray on the floor.
Percy glanced up at Charlotte, half fearful and half relieved. Though his father would probably preferred him scared out of his mind. "Thank you, Charlotte.." He said softly as she left the cellar. In her haste to go eat her own dinner and warn the other servants, she forgot to lock the door. She sat down in the Kitchen, to start tea and sighed. Today was a day she should be spending in the tavern, but now, she was punished. This was horrid. Quickly scrambling to eat all of his food before his father thought it a good game to take it all away from him, Percy ate as he had never eaten before in his life. Then? Deciding to return the plate to the house, Percy slowly walked towards the house- placed the plate in the kitchen, then crept up the stairs to Emily's room. Without bothering to knock, he quietly walked in there and sat by her bed, but not before taking her hand and falling asleep himself...
