Enrolling Little Etta (12 page)

"I swear it will not happen again." Etta could not even fathom what she had done that was wrong. Asking seemed like a terrible idea. She would accept her punishment and when Thomas was not looking, she'd get as far from the estate as possible.

The paddle smacked her cheeks again. She clenched on impact and then released her tightened muscles, having learned that being relaxed hurt far less. Though she felt nowhere near relaxed.

"Five more," Thomas said. "If I hear you whimper, it will be ten."

Etta did not answer. She kept her mouth shut and tried to gasp only with the sound of the paddle, blending in her whimpers and moans so that Thomas could not hear the pain he inflicted. Did it upset him to hear her discomfort? She opened her lips, wanted to shout to him to please stop, but the paddle landed for one final swat before he helped her stand.

Her tears had soaked his trousers and the floor. "In the corner. One hour. Keep your dress above your waist!"

Etta walked to the corner of the room, grateful she would not have to see anyone's faces as they witnessed her red sore bottom. She kept her dress at her waist, her hands trembling along with her legs the longer she stood.

Time seemed to tick but at a slow impossible rate, as if the hour would never end.

Eventually it did. "You are dismissed," Thomas said.

Etta sniffled and ran as quickly as she could from the dining room upstairs. She had no money and only the clothes she was wearing. Where would she go? Staying at the estate was not an option. She needed to leave as soon as she could slip away undetected. First, she would talk to Nanny Joan, to ensure that Sophia and Mary were in good hands, untouched and unharmed. If Thomas did anything to hurt his girls in the way he had hurt her, she would whisk them away from their father and protect them, at all costs.

Philip rode through the afternoon and arrived at Jack Waters' residence, giving a firm knock on the door.

An older woman opened it. "Hello. Can I help you, sir?" the housekeeper asked.

"I am here to see Mr. Jack Waters."

"Is he expecting you?" She had graying hair and pale, gray-blue eyes.

"He ought to be." How could he not expect Philip to show up after what occurred at Ashby? One did not just enroll in the school and then leave on a whim, with another man. What made even less sense was the idea that Etta was betrothed to another man.

"Come in," the woman said, opening the front door further to allow him entrance inside.

Philip removed his top hat and coat, offering it to her to hang up.

"Philip," Jack's voice carried from the second story as he descended the stairs. "I am surprised you are here. Is it because I have withdrawn my niece from your finishing school? I know you may have counted on the money, but I assure you that I shall complete payment through the end of the month."

It was not about money, it was about Etta and her well-being—aside from the fact that Philip had grown to love her, and the thought of any other man taking her as their bride, he found repulsive. "I demand to know where she is at once."

"Why should I tell you?" Jack asked. His eyes narrowed and his brow twitched slightly. "The girl is out of both of our hair. Is that not what we both wanted? You needed to find her a husband, and he came to me. It seems she was already to marry the man, though we had no news of it."

"What man?" Philip needed to hear it from the source himself.

"Thomas Maddock came to me just the other day. He showed me the paperwork that Etta's father had signed."

"I wish to see a copy of it," Philip said. Certainly if such a paper existed, Jack would have kept a copy among his things.

"You are mad to think I care about Henrietta and whom she marries. The money speaks louder, and I assure you that Thomas providing half of the estate that she grew up on is enough to satisfy all doubts and nagging curiosities. They are to be wed. No one can stop it," Jack said emphatically.

Philip had every intention of stopping the wedding. There would be no Etta Maddock if it were up to him. He would much rather she took his name of Hartley, though he'd be gentleman enough to give her the choice as to whether she wanted to marry him. Was he worried that she might be happier with Thomas? Of course, but he could not know without chasing her down and finding out the truth.

"Tell me where I can find this Thomas Maddock." It had been why Philip had come to see Jack. If he'd had any knowledge of her whereabouts, he would have skipped this visit entirely. The added fact that Jack knew and was eager to give her away only made Philip hate the man more. Jack did not care about Etta's well-being, only about marrying her off and getting rid of any responsibility he had toward her. Why had her father entrusted the care of his daughter to Jack? It made little sense.

"He is in the moors, on an estate twice the size of this property," Jack said. "You will have little trouble finding him, he lives not far from the train station, but he will not relinquish Henrietta as easily as you hope." Jack pulled out a map of the railways and pointed to the station closest to the Maddocks' property.

"How do you know all this?" Philip asked.

"The information regarding his estate was on the original papers that Henrietta's father signed declaring she'd marry Thomas. I may have taken a peek for curiosity's sake."

Philip felt quite glad that Jack did at least know where to find Etta. The carriage would be quicker from where he was already located. He'd leave at once to recover his little girl and bring her to Ashby with him again.

"What do you expect to find, Philip?" Jack asked.

"I need to know that she is pleased with Thomas and wants to stay with him." Philip had spent too many hours and sleepless nights thinking about little Etta. He could not abandon her without knowing she wanted to leave Ashby and that she was pleased. Even if she were, would he be able to turn around and return home? Philip did not know the answer. He would find out when he arrived to greet her.

"Very well," Jack said. "I suggest you stay for dinner, the ride is long and the horses could use the rest."

Philip did not disagree. "That would be kind of you." His horses had been riding all day and the journey to the moors would take several more hours. He did not bother to ask about staying the night. He would not feel comfortable, and doubted sleep would find him. He was too concerned about Etta and knowing that she was safe. The sooner he found her, the sooner he'd feel at ease. Until then, he would survive on lack of sleep and his non-existent appetite. He'd get a little nourishment at dinner, but he doubted he could eat a full meal like at home.

Philip found it difficult not to worry about Etta. He always interviewed the papas for the girls at the chateau, making sure they were in the best care possible when they left for good. He had not been given that chance with Thomas, which he found unsettling. The gentleman had swept in, stolen her from the locked hall, and walked her right out of the building. There were supposed to be security measures to ensure the protection of his littles. He knew that would have to be amended when he returned, but his mind dragged back to the men who had requested a little only to be rejected. Was the name Thomas Maddock familiar? Philip could not remember. He just hoped he was not a man who had been turned away and who now sought revenge.

Her bottom hurt profusely and Etta could not sit down. She lay on her bed, crying until there were no more tears to fall.

"Is everything all right?" Nanny Joan asked after knocking softly.

Etta shook her head, stood, and wiped the snot and tears from her face. "Would you close the door?" she asked, wanting a moment of privacy. She did not want the butler or Thomas to overhear their conversation.

"Of course," Nanny Joan shut the door behind her and stepped closer to Etta. "Do you want to tell me what is wrong? I know Mr. Maddock can be quite intimidating at first, but I assure you he is incredibly fond of you. He would not have brought you into his home and to help with his girls if he did not like you."

That was not enough for Etta. She could not remain in this place. Etta stepped closer to the young plump woman, her voice dropping in case anyone listened from outside. "Does he hurt his girls the way he disciplines me?"

"Do you mean, does he use the strap or paddle? Of course not. I have never seen him lift a hand to either of his girls. Though he also does not pay them much attention, either. They are good girls, Etta. Mary just needs more time with you to warm up. You are not thinking of leaving here already?"

It was not the girls that bothered Etta. She could not handle Thomas. "I cannot stay. Thomas would be better off finding another wife who can make him happy." It was obvious to Etta that she'd only upset him at every juncture. They'd spent less than a day together and he had made her bottom far sorer than it had been her entire stay at Ashby. She wanted to go home, and though she had not known quite where that was, it was beginning to dawn on her.

"You are leaving?" Nanny Joan frowned. "Thomas will not be pleased when he discovers you are missing."

"Swear you will not tell him I am gone. I need him to discover it on his own. Let me have a head start." Etta had to pray that Nanny Joan would not betray her. She'd keep where she intended to go from the young woman, in case she had loose lips.

Nanny Joan dug into her pocket, pulling out a few coins and dropping them into Etta's hand. "This will be enough for your train ride wherever you intend to go. You should leave soon, before Thomas requests your presence for lunch. Head through the gates and keep going. You will eventually reach the station," she whispered furtively.

Lunch was still a few hours away, which meant Etta would have a slight head start before Thomas noticed she'd gone missing. Would she need to worry about him coming after her? What if the train did not leave until noon? No. She needed to leave and would not concern herself with such matters until the time came and she was faced with them head on.

Etta needed to find the Ashby Chateau, but she'd traveled there by carriage in the middle of the night. How would she discover its location or know which train to take to get there? She did not have anything to pack so she headed quietly down the stairs, giving a brief nod of thanks to the nanny before she slipped out of the front door.

The lawns were dull, the sky gray. The air felt chilly and Etta wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm. She walked along the path made by the carriage as she headed away from the estate toward the train station. Her feet moved swiftly, afraid that at any moment Thomas would look out the window and see Etta in her bright red gown escaping his home. She did not even want to know what the punishment for running away would be. The strap had been for language, and the paddle, well, she could not quite fathom what she'd done that morning to deserve any punishment at all.

In the distance, Etta could make out the dark black silhouette of a carriage and two horses pulling the contraption. Who was heading in this direction? She needed to hide but her dress made it impossible. She scurried toward the nearest hill, climbing over it, and then pressed her body flat against the ground, glancing up over the mound, curious as to who was approaching the estate she'd just run away from.

Etta could not see who sat inside the carriage, whether it was a man or woman. She waited until the carriage was in the farthest reaches, distant and barely visible before she stood up and continued toward the train station. Lifting her feet higher, she picked up the pace, wanting to get there well before the train left. She did not want Thomas coming after her. She needed to be gone on whatever train came through town. It did not matter where it traveled to, she could always rethink her route later, if she could ever discover where Ashby was located.

Etta felt her heart quicken at the sight of the train already waiting at the station. She jogged at a brisk pace, her heels making it difficult but not impossible for her to dash across the platform, grabbing the handrail as the train began to move. She jumped on, gripping the metal, and stepped in through the doors, out of breath.

Taking a few calming drinks of air into her lungs, she walked toward the back of the car and grabbed an empty seat, sitting down. Resting her hands in her lap, her cheeks must have been flushed as a gentleman spun around in his seat, looking her over.

"Nothing like running to catch the train to make you feel alive," he said.

Etta smiled politely. "Yes." It was more than that, but the gentleman old enough to be her father did not need to know about it.

From the window, she watched as the train sped up, the moors passing by at an unprecedented pace. She had never ridden by train before. There had been no need when she had tended to her father. The entire experience was foreign and felt strange but good.

"Where are you going?" the gentleman asked, continuing to make polite conversation with her. He stood up, moving from his seat to sit across from her.

Etta wished she had not said anything at all. A simple answer of 'yes' had surely made him think she was open to having a discussion. What would she say to ward off any doubts? "I am visiting a friend," she said. It was an easy lie, so long as she did not have to elaborate as to where. She did not even know where the train was taking her.

His brown eyes crinkled and he smiled warmly at her. "I am on my way home to visit my girls and my wife. I have had some business to attend to."

"How long since you have last seen them?" Etta asked, trying to make polite conversation while also steering the topic away from herself. She relaxed as she spoke to him, feeling slightly more at ease.

"It has been three months."

"That is surprising." She had not expected anyone to be away from their family for so long. "May I ask why?" She tried to remember her manners. She'd spent far too much time looking after her ailing father and then at the chateau to remember what it was like to be a grown up.

"I work for the coastguard."

"What's that like?" Etta knew he must have spent months at a time at sea. It seemed dreadful to leave his family behind.

"Not bad if you do not get seasick," he said, quirking a grin.

"I take it you have a rock hard stomach?" Etta was not sure how she'd be on the water. She'd never been, and hoped never to find out, either. She could not swim, so what good would it do to travel near water?

"Like you would not believe."

The train slowed and Etta's eyes widened as she glanced out of the window. "Why are we stopping?" she asked. Her voice sounded frantic and she wiped her sweaty hands on her dress. Thomas could not have forced them to stop the train, could he have? He had quite a bit of money, but did he have the resources necessary to make such demands?

"We are at the next station," the gentleman said. "You have never taken the train before, have you?"

"Is it that obvious?" She laughed softly, staring down at her hands in her lap. She had worried for nothing. Etta had managed to escape Thomas, she had no reason to worry about him tracking her down. He would not know where she disembarked the train, and she would not remain at the station to help him figure it out, either.