Page 142 of Obligation and Redemption

He smiled to himself as he was finally going to be able to savour his passion as he had thought about for months.

Darcy was indeed a lucky man, but his fortune would have to be shared on this day.

Any apprehension about Darcy’s finding out about their current escapade dissipated with her willing consent, which would preclude Darcy’s learning about their encounter, for what could she say if she herself enjoyed the venture?

Although the thrill of taking a woman by force had its merits, he found even greater pleasure in causing a woman who once spurned him to now want him. And this would not be the only time.

The viscount, in his musings, was soon brought to his knees in a sudden and equally violent blow to his nether regions.

Elizabeth had been waiting for the right moment to catch him off guard.

She knew that she had only one chance and was willing to expose herself to his disgusting explorations if she could, in the end, make her escape.

Years of walking did their work as she, with all of the force she could muster, kneed him in his groin.

The effect was immediate, almost taking her off guard as well.

Clark had told her that she would find her success if she were to employ such a tactic, but Elizabeth could not have imagined a more compelling and expeditious result.

Elizabeth found her freedom and took off running at a speed beyond any race she had ever run before.

His wails from behind followed her as she saw that she was at the hill that she had traversed with Darcy on that day that he told her she was not to change; she got to the top and immediately ran down the other side and into the woods below, veering off the path.

She knew that Langston had been unable to move when she first struck him, but she feared that he might even now be chasing her, perhaps on his horse.

The blackguard would be certain to punish her if he were to find her, so she ran with all of her might, not letting herself give in to fatigue.

Her breaths were deep and burning her chest, but on she ran.

Her tears had stopped, as she had no room for them in her attempt to escape.

She could hear Langston in the far distance yelling at her, as she continued to try to put a span between them.

Finally, after she knew not how long or far, she collapsed onto the floor of the woodland deep within the park and far away from any path or any familiar marking.

She had run more than twice the distance she had ever run in her life, when her legs and lungs had finally given way.

She lay there heaving for air resigned to whatever fate Providence had deemed fitting, as she had not an ounce of energy left in her to bring about a true escape.

LANGSTON CURSED THE WOMAN over and over as the sharp pain brought him to his knees and left him lying on the ground in a powerless heap of excruciating agony.

After several minutes of recovery, he was finally able to pull himself to a stand and look around for direction as to where she might have gone.

He swore that he would make Elizabeth pay for her duplicity.

He attempted to get on his mount, but the pain was still unbearable, so he started on foot and began in the direction that he thought she had gone.

Although minutes behind her, the viscount thought that he would be able to catch her, for she would be unable to match him by speed and strength, especially when he could search by horseback.

He crested the hillside and looked around for any movement in the distance, but seeing nothing to indicate her presence, he continued onward, limping at first but gaining momentum.

Langston could not contain his anger as he thought about how he would make her suffer for her attack.

“Elizabeth! I will find you, and when I do, you will pay!” He was running now and upon cresting another hill, stopped to look out, but missed her just as she dropped to the floor of the forest. Since there were still few leaves on the trees, he was able to look far into the woodland for his prize.

Seeing no sign of her, he continued on, but fortunately for Elizabeth, he had chosen a different path than her own.

Had Elizabeth still been running, he likely would have seen her in the distance, but her fatigue had saved her.

She lay there for she knew not how long listening for signs of the man’s presence, daring not to move.

She no longer heard his shouts or expletives, and without meaning to, eventually fell into a deep slumber, too tired and too afraid to sit up.

ELIZABETH FINALLY AWOKE to the encroaching darkness when she heard a rumbling in the distance that could not be mistaken.

She sat up and tried to get a bearing as to where she might be.

The sounds of the trees and bushes blowing in the wind and of the advancing storm were all she could hear.

The viscount must have wandered far away from her, for she had likely been there for hours.

As she stood, Elizabeth could feel the chilly, blustery wind blowing at her torn clothing, causing her exposed skin to appear as gooseflesh, so she tried to pull her spencer tight, buttoning the only remaining button that had not been ripped off.

She had to find shelter from the approaching storm before the sunlight had completely disappeared, so she began to walk.

Although tired from her run, as well as from her two long walks that day, she had recovered sufficiently to move forward at a good pace, but she could not find shelter before complete darkness hit.

With the light show that had begun in the distance, Elizabeth had occasional glimpses of her treacherous path ahead.

The trees and ridges around her hid the majority of the storm that was now quickly approaching.

Elizabeth had been crossing the crest of a hill when a large bolt of lightning struck in the far distance causing her to jump and lose her footing on the loose gravel beneath her feet, thus inducing her to stumble forward, slamming her hands against the rocky terrain.

“Blast!” came unbidden out of her mouth, which had the strange effect of amusing her, for never in her life had she uttered such a thing.

Elizabeth sat there considering what she might do next.

Thoughts of Langston intruded upon her as she considered his vile assault.

She remembered vividly how he had violated her.

She could not bear the thought of ever being touched that way again, even by her own husband.

All men were beasts, she now knew. And where was she to go?

She could not possibly return to the main house, for Lord Langston might be there to meet her.

Without Darcy around, she would have no protection, for he had given instructions that Langston was to act on his behalf.

She knew that her actions at the tree would forever make her vulnerable to the despicable man.

He was certain to denigrate her to all of Darcy’s acquaintances and even to Darcy himself.

Would her husband believe the lies Langston would tell at her expense?

Then without consent, her mind recalled Langston’s account of Madame Karina’s.

Elizabeth would not have believed him but for the gold embossed card she had found just this week that stood as proof of Darcy’s faithlessness.

Tears were running down her cheek as her mind took her down the road of her husband’s infidelity.

Elizabeth had keenly felt the possibility of her husband’s having a mistress from his single days, who may even still continue in his life; but to know that in addition to this that he sought out a paramour to satisfy his lusts, even after their marriage had taken place, made her truly ill.

Pulling herself together, she said aloud, “Come Lizzy, I need shelter before the storm hits.” She stood up, wiped her eyes, and saw that her fall had resulted in her gloves being ripped on each of her palms. The dull pain stayed with her as she continued on, but now that it was full dark, she no longer looked for a building but perhaps a canopy from a large tree to sit under.

However, with so few leaves to act as a shelter, she would be drenched through.

While her mind could not easily leave her husband’s treachery, she considered her current options as she struggled on in the darkness.

Unfortunately, her blurry eyes, coupled with nightfall, caused her to trip upon an unseen tree root, resulting in her falling again, but this time her tumble took her down a steep hillside.

Elizabeth instinctively huddled to protect her unborn baby, but to no avail.

She hit several trees and rocks along the way down and would have felt the pain of each had she not been knocked unconscious about halfway down the steep slope.

The rain began its own descent as the cold winds from the north burst through the hollow of the valley.

The storm hit hard and fast as torrential waves of rain and gusts of wind came down on Elizabeth while the temperature dropped considerably.

Although she had landed by a ditch that had quickly filled with water, fortunately for Elizabeth, she landed just above the water line, but the cold, wet effects of the rain would seep into her core.

As she lay there, eventually returning to a conscious state, her thoughts went to her baby within while she prayed earnestly for its survival.

Despair and hopelessness threatened to overcome Elizabeth, and if not for her child, she truly would have let herself be defeated, even then, by the welcome numbing effects of the cold.