Dessau, with some difficulty, dragged Andre downstairs to the servants� quarter and ordered one of the maids to help him up a bit. "Listen," he said to Andre. "This matter can go not further, eh? Look! here is your payment from the other day!" He gave Andre some water. "No need to bring this up any further."
Andre felt a small pouch slipped into his hand, he nodded feebly and accepted more water. Right now he really just wanted to go home and sleep. Forget about today, and the whole week.
Emilie felt sick as the doctor tried to spare her seeing this. She almost sat up again but was held still. Lord Blakeney paused for a moment but said "No, doctor, Lady Emilie is the offended party and she should see that her honor is going to be offended. Dessau, bring me my crop," he said. Emilie wished to God that Dessau would refuse but she knew he wouldn't. The people in the room waited quietly, almost too quietly for the events to take place. Emilie felt like saying something about the fact that as the offended party, she didn't want her honor defended but that of course would be suicide! After a moment, Dessau came back holding the riding crop and though it was not going to be used on her, she still shivered. Her heart went out to Andre, she wished she could help him but after the way she woke up, she had better behave properly. It was in a way flattering to see Lord Blakeney so concerned about her. Milord took it in his hands, and ordered Dessau to brace Andre over her writing chair and to hold him there. Andre walked there so valiantly, she admired his courage, not even flinching when Blakeney gave a loud swish in the air, though she definitely did.
"What say, twenty lashes for your actions and for your master's honor?" Lord Blakeney said and it took a stern look from the doctor to stop Emilie from crying out that it was merciless. Andre said nothing. The first blow came and silent tears fell from Emilie's eyes. Lord Blakeney had hit him so hard, it was torture. She couldn't see Andre's face but she imagined it was agony. The poor boy didn't crumple, and another swish followed. Emilie closed her eyes, she couldn't imagine eighteen more. She forced herself to open them after a few more thuds.
"This is your fault, my dear, now take your punishment too" she commanded herself. She saw her guardian unleashing his full wrath on Andre, viciously flogging him. Each blow tore at her. Andre slunk lower and lower, being supported more and more by Dessau. It seemed to take forever! She counted though each savage swish mentally and realized there was a twenty first. It continued even further, Andre's shirt was red with blood and he was on his knees and Blakeney continued giving him lash after merciless lash. She was sobbing by now, and finally she could take no more. She looked up at the doctor. "If you won't, I will and I don't care if you sedate me after" she threatened.
"Milord, forgive me but I fear you've given the lad more than his twenty." The doctor said. Blakeney nonchalantly stopped and ordered Andre to be taken away. The poor boy was half led, half carried out and Lord Blakeney stepped out after him. "All right my lady it's over now, time for you to rest" and was furious to see Emilie was sitting up. "Where do you think you are going, Lady?" he demanded. Emilie turned to the doctor, blue eyes innocent. "I'd like to change please, these nightclothes are drafty. It will take a moment" She said. Doctor nodded. "I'll get some food and be back in a few minutes" he said and left.
Emilie slowly got out, her head spinning. "Danielle, get me my dressing gown, now" she ordered. Danielle looked surprised but handed her mistress the garment and helped her put it on. "Say one word to anyone and I swear I'll make sure you get twice my punishment, understood?" she snapped in a deadly tone and then forced her aching body to walk out of bed and room. Growing up under Lord Blakeney's bad moods had taught her to sneak well and she made her way unhindered to the servant's quarters, where she imagined Andre to be. It hurt to walk and she was dizzy but like most English people, she was stubborn. She heard voices and opened one door to find Andre half sprawled. She walked in silently, trying not to attract attention. She looked up at the maid tending him. "Well, get him some wine" she snapped. "Andre, I am so sorry, after all you've done for me!" she said as she leaned against the wall, sweating from the effort.
Andre recognized Emilie's voice and looked up at your bruised face. "Lady Emilie?" he said. "You mustn�t be here, dear lady! You'll bring down ruin upon yourself. I am heartily sorry if I've brought down ant trouble for you or the young master." He gave a weak, but charming smile. "Please, go to your room. I'll be quite alright. I promise."
Emilie shook her head and tried not to let the fact that the room was spinning bother her. "Ruin is what I deserve. You didn't bring the trouble, you just received my punishment for it. If only I wouldn't have said your name, I was such a fool" she said and wobbled a bit. "Please let me help you, is there anything I can do? You're hurt, my lord was horrible to do this to you" she said, trying to hide the fact that she was ill, her tongue loosened from the pain in her head.
"The best way for you to aid me so to shield yourself from any further harm, by going back to room and giving his lordship no more reason to harm you!" Andre pleaded.
Dessau came back into the room and nearly trip over himself at the site of Emilie standing over Andre and Andre speaking to her. She would bring doom down on them all if she were discovered. "Lady Emilie!" he exclaimed you must not be here! You will bring ruin down on us all! If you care for yourself or the fate of this boy, you'll not be here to invoke Lord Blakeney's wrath." Emilie was swooning but determined to stay, while uncharacteristically he picked her up and climbed the back stairs with her, Emilie feebly trying to struggle. Carefully, he crept along the hall to Emilie's room and deposited her on the bed. He then turned on Danielle, "You will keep milady here, or I'll horse whip you mesself!"
Dessau stiffened, he frowned and his eyes narrowed. In a low tone he replied, "If you go back to that boy, Lord Blakeney will have him hung and the punishment you just witness will likely fall upon you. And if you tell me about how I treated you, you'll also have to tell him the circumstances around them. Trust me, milady it is in your best interest to keep this to your self!"
Emilie's exhausted blue eyes widened and she visibly looked quite alarmed at Dessau's words. "If you go back to that boy, Lord Blakeney will have him hung and the punishment you just witnessed will likely fall upon you". "Hung" Would Milord, the man who had been her father for a decade really have someone put to death for her honor? Of course he would, poor Andre just stepped into her room, in a most respectful manner and Lord Blakeney had him flogged "to satisfy her honor". To protect her honor from being alone in a room with a delivery boy, he'd easily make up some story of Andre's improper behavior to her; a kiss would be enough to have him hung. No constable would care that the victim would be sedated; a man of her brother in law's status could easily get around that problem. Lord Blakeney had really never beaten her, a few slaps and many hours in her room but never thrashed like Andre was but after this morning's behavior, she was on dangerous ground. She had never imagined that being down there could have held so many horrible consequences for Andre, she had thought it was such an intelligent plan but both of them could have been killed, she could never survive a flogging like that. Of course she didn't, she hadn't been thinking again. She realized with horror what being caught would have resulted in. The scene appeared in her mind, of being found alone with Andre, of him being dragged out and lynched, of her being whipped or just left to the knowledge that her actions caused the death of an innocent boy. She couldn't go back to help him.
Dessau nodded to her comment of Blakeney not needing to know and inwardly gave a sigh of relief. He was in enough trouble already, perhaps he could think of a story that would put the blame on the delivery boy and convey the idea that he had little choice. He pondered on this and then noted that Emilie defiant sat up. "Lay down, my lady, for your own sake. If that boy is so important to you then I would be willing to take him a brief message for you, as I must go down and see him off anyway."
Emilie sighed, she was going to be held here, no matter what. "I am all right" she said softly, not wishing to be treated like a child. "Just make sure he gets out all right and all and that I owe him a great debt" she said, wishing she could give him some money, but she had very little actual money, if she wanted something, Lord Blakeney would usually give it to her, and she had small amounts of pocket money but for the most part, she didn't have anything like that. She wanted something for the lad to remember her by, she liked giving people presents, and it made her feel better. She suddenly had an idea, the sea shell she had brought with her from Cornwall. "Take that sea shell on my chair and give it to him, with my best wishes" she said. Danielle wondered if her lady was correct, if the boy was found with that on him, he would be hung.
Dessau collected he shells and slipped downstairs, to his amazement the boy was gone. A quick interrogation of the maids told him that the boy had left with Percy. Dessau quickly followed, he needed to convey to the boy that he must speak of what he saw.
Dessau finally did as he was told and left. Emilie lay down, and looked sad. "Where's my Lord" she asked nervously.
Emilie sighed. She was glad he had not noticed her little excursion. "You can get me some breakfast, I suppose" she said, dismissing the maid. That comment about tying her to the bed frankly annoyed her.
***********************************************
Percy leaned against the wall in the corridor, trembling slightly. As he saw Dessau go by the riding crop, he knew that somebody would have had to of gotten a beating. Feeling brave enough to go into the room, Percy tip toed and noted that Andre' was the one all bloody and bruised, for what crime, though? There was no probable cause that he had done actual harm. All he had wanted to do was save Percy's neck, or so to say...."Andre'?" He asked softly, walking over to the lad. "You ok? I-I'm sorry I wasn't any help is there anything I can do?"
Andre winced and tried to sit up, but the pain was overwhelming. "Forgive me, milord, for not raising in your presence, but I fear me, that I've overstayed my welcome," Andre tried to give a forced laugh, but it came out strained and pathetic. "As soon as I can get to my feet, I'll take my horse and leave your family in peace."
Percy gave him a sympathetic look. "No, it's ok. I should have been more of a man and stood up to my father in your place. It's all my fault." Percy hung his head and offered him a hand. "The least I can do is help you to your horse. Would you like anything for the journey? Perhaps water?"
Andre took Percy's hand and pulled himself shakily to his feet. "No, I'll be fine," Andre said, but the trembling in his limbs as he walked and how he had to keep a hand on the wall for support, betrayed him. He was struggling to keep, but pressed forward. Out through the side door. The servants and staff cleared out of their way as though Andre were a leopard.
Andre made it out of the house, surprising even himself in this feat. His horse was tied up around the front of the house, and with great effort Andre eventually found himself there. Percy had followed, perhaps to give aid to the boy should he falter. Andre heaved himself on the stallion and turned to Percy. "Take care of yourself and your aunt, milor," he said before spurring the horse forward. He managed to sit upright until he rounded the bend and slumped over the horse's neck. The horse carried him toward Calais, more out of instinct than direction. He thought about his brief visit to the Blakeney household, Lord Blakeney seemed possessed by the devil himself and the children seemed to have good reason to fear. The young milord and lady appeared to be in dire straits, the boy was driven to the end of his tether and the girl, subjected to all sort of indignities. He might have thought it amusing when the valet carried her out like a sack of potatoes, save it was done with such disrespect that he felt anger rather than amusement. Emilie and Percy couldn't even defeat themselves from their servant much less the lord of the house. Andre shuddered at the memory of Emilie's beaten face and the blood in the room, if things didn't change they might not survive in that household. Such were the thoughts that plagued Andre on the long road.
*****************************
Chris left his mother and spent the rest of the day reading and fingering the bloody pieces of cloth from his pet Emilie's dress that he had taken when he had found her. He knew they could be used for something, but what? A picture of the young girl filled his mind, she was pretty, and a different sort then fair Laurel, but she had charm and grace. He had wanted to have some fun with his helpless little pet but after hearing her speak that crisp, well-bred English accent, he had restrained himself. He thanked God he had, her guardian was a good head and shoulders taller then he, massively built and looked strong enough to tear someone in half if he so chose! God help the person who would touch Emilie, or was blamed for it. Well, he had to remedy his lust. He left the house and spent the night in a "house of pleasure" to make himself feel better. In the morning, after having breakfast at the inn, he decided to see what had happened at the house of his pet. He changed from his more common dress to his usual apparel and purchased some white roses then rode off. As he rode, he imagined that cursed Percy getting his just due for "abandoning" the pet. Suddenly, he saw another rider. It was Andre, that peasant boy who worked for Planchette. The boy was slumped over his horse and his shirt was red with blood. Chris smirked. "Good morning, boy? What happened, did Planchette give you a whipping for flirting with Laurel?" he teased, as they met.
Andre looked up to see the see the sneering face of Cristof Lovell approaching. Trying to sit as upright as his strength would allow, Andre gave a smile. "Good morning, milor!" he rejoin trying to sound cheery and light hearted. "Are you off to save some damsel from a raging ogre again? How I envy your pluck! Flirt with Laurel? No, milor! I fear me I tried to emulate your excellent example and came off the worst for it!"
Chris could tell Andre was not being honest with him. He smirked, a good flogging was just what that boy needed and if he wasn�t careful, he'd be getting another one! He turned his nose up a bit but smiled. "Well, not all of us can be honorable knights in shining amour, perhaps you should remember your place and deliver clothes, not ladies. The hero business is not a job for peasants. As for me, well, no gores today, just angels. I've on my way to my dear little Emilie, to see how she's doing. What fortune has been placed, to be able to rescue such a lovely pet and be able to bring her back into the arms of her loving guardian, she's so lucky to have him. To think, she ran away, I really will have to have a word with my little pet about behavior like that. I hope Lord Blakeney was very firm with her, she could have been killed, all alone in the forest like that. A girl like her needs a loving but strict hand, and I am in mind to be just that. I do hope she'll like these flowers. Well, boy I hope this taught you a lesson about reaching above your station, care to tell what happened?" he asked, hoping for every juicy detail. He needed everyone to think Emilie was his new love, to take away from his plan to destroy the world around Laurel.
'Pet'? Andre thought. 'a loving but strict hand'? What was Cristof up to? It would be a shame if Emilie consorted with fiends like him. Cristof's words troubled Andre, but he reminded himself of what came about when he'd done that last. "I fear the tale is not very interesting, you would be likely to be bored to tears," Andre replied. "But why speak of my pitiful attempts when you have shown yourself to be the man of the hour? The fair Mlle. DeClaireville told us of your recent rescue, I would be greatly honored to hear it from the hero himself."
Chris laughed. So Laurel talked about him, how wonderful. "Oh, it was nothing, I was walking around the countryside and found my poor little pet, beaten and barely awake. It must have been God's own hand guiding me. I picked her up and carried her home, all the way. Poor pet was hysterical, took me a while to calm her down, she was most afraid. I couldn't well have a lone girl in the house so after finding her identity, I took her home. She didn't want to go at first, but as I said before, a firm but loving hand is always needed with females. I was furious to find she had ran away, upsetting Lord Blakeney like that. I am sure he was quite worried. Well, boring or not, I simply must know what happened to you, can't risk falling into the same fate" he said.
"You must forgive me, milor, but I fear me that I have not the strength to relate it all," Andre stated. "But I am certain that wit and position will never land you in such peril. If I may beg your leave, it is all that I can to stay stride this horse."
Chris's lip curled. This boy was a particular bother. "Well then, take a rest" he snapped and pushed the boy off his horse. Chris laughed. "Next time, answer my questions" and then rode off to the Blakeney Manor, clutching the flowers. He was furious with that brat!
Andre landed on his back with a painful thud, he looked up to see a nasty sneer on Cristof's face as he laughed and said, "Next time, answer my questions", then rode off in the direction of the Blakeney's house. Andre lay there for a few minutes, unable to move and thinking many things that he was not in a position to say to Cristof. He hoped that Emilie and Percy had the good sense to stay away from Cristof. Andre wonder how he would explain this. After several minutes of lying there, Andre pulled himself up and clumsily mounted the horse. He spurred the beast on and clung on as tightly as he could till he finally reached Calais and the shop of M. Planchette. He rode around to the stable and dismounted but did not have the strength to do more than that for some time.
Henri saw Andre pass by the window on Planchette's horse much slower and less enthusiastically than was his wont to do. He was also back a lot earlier than they had expected, so he dashed upstairs to tell M. Planchette what he's seen. Planchette more than a little concerned, made his way out to the stables and found Andre slumped against a wall and the horse beside him with packages still strapped to the saddle, Planchette noted that all the packages were there save for Blakeney's. "Henri, would you deliver the rest of these?" Henri gave his employer a questioning glance, but mounted the stallion and departed. Planchette lifted the boy up as he would a child and carried him into the shop and up the stairs and laid him on the couch. "Who the devil did this?" he asked as he ripped the back of Andre's bloody shirt open and proceeded to tend to the wounds.
Andre winced as Planchette cleaned up the wounds on his pain, and tried with little success to suppress the tears that welled up in his eyes. "The very devil himself, messieur!"
Planchette's eyes widened, "You don't mean..." The wounds were from a whip or crop, a method used by aristocrats. Was it Lord Blakeney? What on Earth happened? Andre never got into trouble, why ever should he have been beating?
Andre knew Planchette to be a man of discretion and a truly kind soul. "There are terrible happenings connected to that family." Andre told Planchette everything that he knew, the incident with Percy, the scream, Emilie's room, the beating, the talk with Cristof, and everything else.
Planchette fought back tears brought forth by Andre's state and from the news of the horrible occurrences in the Blakeney household. Grasping a firm control over himself, Planchette said, "I do believe that it may be in our best interest to steer clear of that household. Laurel and Andre are both known to be connected to the flight of Percy and Emilie, I want neither name to be connected to the horrible events surrounding that household. I have a terrible feeling about the whole thing and now that M. Cristof has showed such a strong hand in these I am more apprehensive. If any good has come of this, it is that perhaps he has lost his fascination with Laurel." Planchette finished dressed the cruel wounds, then stood up, crossed the room, reached into a drawer, and removed a set of neatly folded garments. He crossed the room and set the garments beside the couch, upon which the wounded child lay. "You should change. I think is it's best that I take Laurel home early today, I believe that we have much to discuss."
Andre nodded and grabbed the clothes as Planchette left. Planchette had a good point, perhaps avoiding the Blakeneys and Cristof might be the best action. Perhaps he should make himself scarce for a few days.
