The guards throw me in the cell as if I'm garbage, and I land on my hands and knees. The bottom of my dress has torn, and I turn to scream at the guards, rushing forward just as they slam the cell on me.
I'm so angry as I grip the metal bars, screaming for them to let me out.
Footsteps wander in through the dark hallway, and the small oil lamps laid on the floor light up just enough for me to see who it is.
"Mason." I say, through gritted teeth.
He smirks at me, dusting off his shoulders, his eyes roaming all over the cell.
"Wow, my darling, how you've fallen from your grace. The only, and eldest daughter of one of the most wealthy dukes in all the lands." he gloated, eyes going down to the tear in my dress. "And even your dress has suffered from your insolence."
"What do you want from me, Mason?" I asked, hands gripping the bars.
"To see you suffer." he replied, and his eyes bored into mine, flashing.
I laughed then, cupping my mouth to stop them from coming out. Mason looked confused, and then angry, his hands balling into fists.
"I saw you proposal to Isadora. She's looking quite swollen in the stomach area. How far along is she, Mason?" Iasked, and he froze, no movement whatsoever.
The quiet was loud, and the only thing I heard was the loud sound of my heartbeat rushing through my body.
"She's too far along to be with child from the time you asked for her hand. Unless one of you had an affair. But," I glared at him, my grip tightening on the metal bars of my cell, "I already know that you had an affair with me."
Mason says naught, and taking a deep breath, I look him over one more time. Disgust fills me; how could I ever had found him so amazing?
"A child created before wedlock is still a bastard child." I said, and another footsteps echo throughout the corridors.
Mason turns around, and I try to look around his large form, annoyed that I can't.
Quill is walking up to us, a key in his hand. He bumps shoulders with Mason, making him stumble. "It's improper to be alone with a woman who's betrothed." he says, unlocking my cell, and flinging the door opened.
I throw my arms around Quill, and he hugs me back tight.
"Why are you letting her out? She's been charged with attacking my betrothed whilst she carries my child." Mason argues, and Quill rolls his eyes, pushing me behind him.
"Her father has connections and is someone you don't want to upset. Plus, I'm certain he'd be displeased that the man that was to be betrothed to his daughter threw her in jail, whilst also having an entanglement, and making a bastard child out of wedlock." Quill said, and Mason swallowed thickly, before turning on his heel, and walking off.
Quill waited to make sure that Mason was truly gone, then he scooped me up in his arms, kissing the top of my head.
I felt small in his embrace, and safe. I let Quill guide me out, his eyes going to the tear in my dress.
"Don't worry, we'll get it fixed." He assured me, as he kissed the top of my hand. Warmth flooded to my face, and he smiled at my red cheeks.
When we leave, my father is outside arguing with one of the jailers. My father may be a short and stout man, but his authority makes even the tallest of men bend down. He wags a finger in the jailer's face, before turning around, and seeing both me, and Quill.
"Daughter!" he cries out, running towards me and giving me the biggest hug. I hugged him back, closing my eyes as I smelled the familiar peppermint leaves with a hint of his cigars smell.
He pulled back, probably to check on my injuries, and then looked at my torn dress.
"Did that mutt do that to you?" he asks, the insult so acid and angry that it makes Quill flinch.
"The guards shoved me in my cell, and my shoe caught on the end, tearing it." I explained, and I can see his face get so red, that I quickly pull him and Quill inside the carriage.
"Let's go father, we have a long way to go and I would like to take a bath." I said, Quill motioning the footman to move forward.
He sics that horses to move, and I stare at the jailhouse one last time.
The journey is far, and at one point I can feel myself wanting to dose off. Quill wraps an arm around me, whispering me to rest.
I want to struggle again, but his added warmth relaxes the knots in my body, and I snuggle up so close, before letting sleep take over me.
The last thing I hear is the whispers between my father, and my betrothed.
When I wake up, I'm in the basin of hot water, my hair being scrubbed gently. It feels good, and I almost go back to sleep, when I realize that I'm nude and the hands feel much too big to be my maids'.
I sit up so quick, that water sloshes to the side of the basin. Sure enough, it's Quill with his top coat off, and the sleeves of his loose grey shirt rolled up to his elbows. He looks startled, and I can feel my face going red in embarassment.
"What are you doing?" I hiss, gripping the edges of the basin so tight, my knuckles go white.
"I was giving you a bath. I tried to wake you up, but you were sleeping so well that I just washed you myself." he said, looking at me confused.
"But it's improper! We're not even married yet!" I cried out, and Quill arched an eyebrow.
"Cece, it's a bath, not sex. I'd never force myself on you, that's cruel and disgusting." he replied, and I felt my face heat up at the word "sex."
His gaze softened, and he stood up. "I can leave if you would like. So you could finish." he said, and I felt a pang in my chest.
"Stay. It's okay. I just...I've never been close like this with anyone. Not even Mason. I followed the rules, and I think that's what made him leave. I don't want the same happening with us." I said softly, feeling my eyes sting.
There was silence, and I didn't have the heart to look up and see Quill's expression. He stepped forward tilting my head up to him as he lookd at me with a soft gaze.
"You should never blame yourself for the fault of others. Mason's an idiot; he should have worshipped you, respected you. He has no idea what he's missing out, and to be honest, it's his loss and my gain." Quill then leaned over and kissed my forehead.
I felt the tears drip down my cheeks, and I relaxed against Quill. I sat back down so he could finish washing my hair, his fingers massaging my scalp.
When he was done, he rinsed me off, letting me do parts I wasn't yet comfortable with him doing, and then handed me a big towel. I wrapped it around my body, scrubbing the water off of me, then wrung out the excess water from my hair. I looked back up to see him gone, in my closet as he searched for my nightgown.
As he stepped out, I was mostly dry, and he set the clothes on the bed, picking up the basin of water and placing it out the door. The maids would get it later.
I slipped the nightgown on, thoroughly scrubbing my hair free from water.
"Aren't you going to wash up?" I asked him, and he shook his head.
"I already did." He said, laying back down on his side of the bed. This time, he was facing me, and I combed my fingers through my tangles of hair, braiding it quickly as I laid down in front of him.
"Will you be able to sleep?" he asked me, placing his warm palm on my cheek. I nodded, pulling up the blankets over to my chin, a small space between us.
I guess it displeased him, because he wrapped his arm around me, and pulled me closer, my face against his chest.
He smelled like oak trees and apples, and his warmth made me drowsy once more. I closed my eyes, and fell asleep once more.