Chapter Eight
1881 Words
Chapter Eight
“Amara?” he turned to me questioningly and I clenched my teeth at the look on his face.
“I will explain everything, but you have to get them to leave,” I whispered gesturing to Hailey. “She’s about to have an attack.” He nodded swiftly.
“Sirs, whatever issue you have with these two must be resolved at another time. I need Amara for work around the house and Hailey is helping her,” he said.
The Guardian in charge frowned, “But my lord.” Bennet glared at him and the Guardians bowed.
“We will return tomorrow. This does not concern you, my lord, but as a warning, this command comes from higher than you.” The Guardian openly glared at me, “You will pay for your crimes.”
Then three Guardians then filed out and I let out the breath I was holding. Bennet turned to me deliberately, “Tell me, now.”
I walked to the couch and sank on it. Hailey was set down and she came over and hugged my side. Bennet sat opposite me on a chair and sat forward expectantly.
“Hailey, I mean, Olivia,” I started, brushing her hair with my fingers, “is the daughter of a Duke.” Bennet raised both eyebrows and began to ask a question. “Please, let me speak.” His mouth closed and I continued, “I worked for this Duke at the time, and he had three sons, then Olivia here. His sons are much older than Olivia, she was a little unexpected.” Hailey clung to me, her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to suppress the memories. “When the Duchess became pregnant, they both were hoping for another son. When Olivia was born, the Duchess was surprised, but happy nonetheless. The Duke,” I shivered involuntarily, “was not. He continuously tried to get rid of Olivia.” I almost sent Hailey away, not wanting her to hear the story’s entirety, but I wasn’t sure she would let go of me. “He left her on the doorstep of an orphanage, then outside in the middle of winter, but each time I found her and brought her back to the Duchess. As she grew, she looked so much like her father, which the sons looked like their mother than the want for her to be a son grew for the Duke. He began to beat her, forcing her to act like one of the sons. The Duchess did what she could, but once the Duke took a hand to her, she knew she could do no more.” I cast my gaze down to Hailey and saw tears flowing down her face. “She told me to take Olivia and run. There was nothing she could give me, except the clothes on our backs. She feared the Duke would find us if we took more than that. Olivia was five at the time, and we have spent a little over a year running from the Duke and the Guardians. I renamed her Hailey to keep her identity a secret. We found the Alleyway after a couple of months and called it home ever since. It was the one place the Guardians couldn’t find, but now,” I looked up to Bennet, fear in my bones. “They’ve found us, Bennet. I will not allow Hailey to go back to that place.”
Bennet’s face was blank, before anger enveloped his being, “How dare he! How dare he treat is own daughter like trash!” He stood up and began to pace, and Hailey cowered away.
“I’m not yelling at you, honey,” he kneeled in front of her and she nodded. He pulled her into a hug and looked up to me with fierce eyes. “I will not allow them to take you away, that is a promise.”
“There is one more thing,” I said, casting my eyes to the wall. “I am considered a criminal. Once I took Hailey, I was not only accused of kidnapping, but being the one beating her as well. They are planning to hang me for my crimes.”
“I know you are telling the truth,” Bennet placed a hand over mine on the couch. “You will not die.”
“You cannot promise things you cannot keep,” I whispered, tears gathering in my eyes. “I just want you to keep her safe. She is a sister to me, Bennet. I can take care of myself.”
He sighed, “I know that. You’ve done a great job until now.”
“Not a great job,” I said, hanging my head. “I almost starved her to death. The daughter of a Duke should not be starving and living in an alley.”
“And neither should anybody else,” he said, a determined look coming on to his face. “I want to do something to change it.”
“That’s wonderful, Bennet, but my number one priority is Hailey,” I said sternly. “She needs to be safe.”
“Well,” Bennet began, tapping his chin in thought. “I have a favor I can cash in.”
“Really?” I feel myself grinning. “Would it work?”
“I believe so,” he stood and went to a writing desk, choosing a parchment and feather. “I need to get this letter to him today.” He wrote something on the parchment and raced out to the stable, calling for Arnold, the stablehand. We followed him out and watched as he pressed the rolled parchment in Arnold’s hand as Arnold jumped on to a saddled horse. Bennet said something and Arnold nodded, then took off galloping down the road.
“Now, we wait.”
~~~~~
After a few hours of waiting impatiently, Arnold and the stallion flew into the yard. Both were sweating and breathing heavily, but Arnold was able to make his way to Bennet on wobbly legs.
“Thank you for hurrying, Arnold. Please, take the rest of the day off,” Bennet said kindly, as Monroe ran out from the stables to take the horse.
I glanced over Bennet’s shoulder and see the royal seal, something I had seen often in the Duke’s home. “The King is the one who owns you a favor?”
“Well, actually the Princess,” he grinned and I shrugged nonchalantly. He tore open the letter and scanned the contents, his grin growing wider and wider. “Perfect!”
“What?” I asked, and he turned to Hailey instead.
“Guess where you’ll be living?” He asked her excitedly and she shrugged, still shaken from earlier. “The castle.” That did the trick as she began to smile.
“The castle? Where the prince lives?” Her eyes glowing and squealed when Bennet nodded.
“Will she be safe there?” I asked, and he nodded.
“The Guardians will listen to a Princess over a Duke,” he affirmed and I relaxed. “They are sending a carriage now.”
“Now?” Hailey and I asked in unison, but with different tones of voices. Hers was excited, while mine grew worried.
Bennet nodded, “The only thing is, Hailey will be going alone.”
“Alone?” her voice wobbled and she grabbed on to Bennet. “I don’t want to go alone.”
“She cannot go alone,” I said firmly. “I have to go with her.”
“Please, Amara,” Bennet looked at me after picking up Hailey. “The Princess can hide one small girl easily, but not two. She will be safe at the castle.”
“But the Duke visits there so often,” I argued.
“She will be fine,” he reassured me. “Do you trust me?”
“I, uh,” I stared into his pleading eyes.
“I want her safe as much as you do. Do you trust me?”
I nodded and watched tears well up in Hailey’s eyes, “Amara? You’re leaving me?”
“No, no,” I took her into my arms, hugging her. “I will be here with Bennet, okay?”
“And you’ll get to see each other in a few days when the King comes,” Bennet said. “The Princess said she would bring her then.”
“See? Only a few days,” I wiped her tears and smiled at her, my heart hurting.
She finally nodded, “Can I bring my dolly with me?” Bennet chuckled and agreed. We all went to the bedroom and packed the few dresses and shoes she had into a trunk Bennet let her. He added a few toys from the playroom when he thought I wasn’t looking and I smiled to myself. Pretty soon, we heard horseshoes clanking to a stop in front of the house and a knock at the door. Bennet carried Hailey’s trunk down and handed it to the footman. I gave Hailey another big hug before she was escorted to the carriage. She leaned out the window and waved back at us until she was gone in the distance. I hadn’t realized I was crying until Bennet handed me a handkerchief.
“This is the first time I will be away from her this long,” I sniffed, trying to control my emotions. Bennet wrapped an arm around my shoulders and led me back inside.
“Now we have one of you taken care of,” he gave me a small smile and I thanked him again.
“You have been so wonderful to us, Bennet,” I said in a shaky voice.
“I am glad to assist,” he answered. “I have a few letters to write, so you are welcome to join me in my office while I write them.” I nodded, wanting to stay near him. I followed him up the stairs and he moved one of his chairs into the sunlight for me. I slumped down on it and watched as Bennet wrote out a couple letters.
“I am almost finished,” he said after a while. I was lost in my thoughts until he said that, but I still wasn’t sure if the question that came from his mouth next was real. “What was the name of the Duke?”
“You want the name of the Duke?” I gulped, regretting my decision to tell him.
“Do not worry,” he said. “I am just going to include his name in the letters I’m sending to keep you safe.”
“Duke Abraham of Wellsville,” I said after a few minutes.
Bennet looked at me in surprise that then turned to anger, “That is my uncle.”
- Writer
