Lydia sighed with relief, already thinking that such a situation could have escalated into something she would be unable to control. Such a possibility was always present, and she was well aware of that. After all, she and Susannah were two young ladies out on their own without any gentlemen to keep them safe.
At the same time, this was what she wanted, to be away from anyone who might be enshrouding her with protection. She could handle herself, and she could protect herself well enough. Truth be told, she still hadn’t found herself in such a situation, but something told her that she would be able to handle herself just fine.
She continued dancing, minding her drink and just having fun with Susannah. She was a nobody here. She was just another nameless face in a crowd, acting exactly how she wanted to act. There was no right or wrong. There were no demands that chained her to act in a certain way. She could be who she truly was. She could express her curiosity about the world around her and about the people in it and everything that ever interested her.
No one in her family understood this need of hers. She knew if they ever found out, they would be shocked. Even worse, they would be disappointed in her. Flabbergasted, even, that she would want to experience something like that. Lydia knew that no matter how hard she tried to explain it, she would never be able to make them see things the way she saw them. So, it was best to keep this side of herself a secret. As for Susannah, Lydia was certain that the sweet girl would not tell a soul about their occasional nightly wanderings. In addition to that, she was well compensated for them which was another incentive to keep quiet about them.
Lydia had no idea how long they were there as one hour blended into the next. Suddenly, Susannah pulled her by the hand and leaned to whisper something in her ear.
“Isn’t that Philip?” Susannah pointed at a man in the corner of the tavern who was too busy chatting with his friends to notice them.
Lydia looked in that direction. It took her eyes a little while to focus her gaze then she truly did recognize one of the footmen employed in her home. He had distinctively wide lips which revealed almost all of his teeth not only when he smiled but also when he spoke, so recognizing him was no difficult feat.
Lydia knew that it was imperative they were not seen. Although she was dressed differently, and her hair was done unlike she usually did it, she was not disguised in the sense that her face was any different. He would surely recognize her if he came up to her closely. She could not allow that to happen. She needed this secret. She needed this one thing that was solely hers, that brought her so much relief and comfort.
“We need to leave, now,” she told Susannah as fear gripped her. The longer they stayed there, the more likely it was that Philip would look in their direction and see them. If not her, he would recognize Susannah and surely approach her to greet her.
The two women held hands, searching for another way out which they found after asking for it. They stumbled out into the dark night, and for a moment, Lydia could not tell whether they were supposed to go left or right to get back to the main road. She pulled Susannah left and, mistakenly, ended up in an even darker alley. The moment they stepped into it, Lydia saw a group of four men, huddling in a corner, talking in a hushed manner.
She swallowed heavily, gripping Susannah’s hand. A lady alone in an alley at night was not safe, especially if there was a group of men involved. Their best option was to slowly back up the way they came from, but instantly, one of the men turned to face them. The moment he saw them, his face lit up. Then, the eyes of others fell upon them, and the two girls froze in place. Lydia could not remember the last time she was this frightened. Susannah squeezed her hand tightly.
If they ran back, they might make it. Those were the first thoughts that rushed through Lydia’s mind. It would take them only a few seconds. The men would not catch up with them that quickly.
But something forced her to remain where she was. That man. She had seen him somewhere before. But… where?
“Wait…” that same man spoke to her, pointing his index finger at her. “I know you!”
Lydia’s heart sank all the way down to her heels. It seemed that the feeling was more than mutual.
CHAPTER4
The words echoed all around her like daggers aiming straight for her and Susannah as they watched the men in horror, anticipating what they might do next.
“You were the one eavesdropping on my conversation with the Duke at the ball,” the man continued. Now that he spoke longer, she recognized his voice. It had the same tone of anger, the same tendency to growl.
He squinted as he took a closer look at her, as if to make sure that she truly was who he thought she was. When he was finally convinced of it, he continued talking.
“You are no commoner!” he revealed to the others. He turned to the men, his words and eyes leering. “We got us a real lady here, gentlemen. She has obviously come for some fun that thetondoesn’t provide.” Hearing those words made the men laugh heartily.
Lydia shuddered at the sound of that laughter. It was rowdy, out of control. This man was their leader. Whatever he wanted, they would do. All he had to do was say it. She was certain of that, and it made her even more frightened. Susannah was still holding her hand. This helped a little. At least they weren’t alone. It was some solace.
“Well, my dear,” the man said, moistening his lips in a way that made Lydia nauseous, “if fun is what you are in search of, you have come to the right place. We shall show you what real fun is, and we’ll make sure your pretty, little mouth doesn’t say a word of what you’ve heard here.”
Lydia had no idea what the man was referring to. Did he think that she overheard something in the garden or perhaps now? He seemed convinced of it.
“We don’t want any trouble,” Lydia tried to speak to them calmly, but she had a feeling that nothing she said would be of any help. She could see it in their eyes. There was wickedness and malice in them, the likes of which she had never seen before.
“Neither do we, do we, chaps?” The man spread out his arms wide like an eagle about to take flight. He looked enormous, and his shadow was even bigger while the girls resembled two frightened mice. That was also how she felt as her heart was beating right in her throat, about to jump out of her own body.
Leaving the comfort and safety of her home this evening was a mistake. Lydia could see that now. However, even in this darkest hour, she did not regret doing what she wanted. She regretted that she got Susannah involved, and now, the poor girl would also bear the brunt of her mistress’ curiosity and desire to have fun. That was the only thing Lydia felt sorry about.
She looked at Susannah. Fear was etched on her face, making her appear at least ten years older as lines scoured her forehead. Lydia was certain that she looked the same. She tried to fight that fear, to force her brain to come up with a solution to this predicament.
The only way out she could see was to run away. The men would surely run after them. She doubted that she and Susannah would be able to run back inside the tavern in time. The men were too close, and with each passing second, the distance between them and the girls was being diminished.
The clock was ticking. Lydia had to act fast. She could either remain here and face them or try to run away. Either way, the odds were stacked against her and Susannah. That much was obvious. Still, Lydia refused to give up. Whatever fate had in store for her, she would welcome it with her head held high and willingness to fight until her last breath. She only hoped that Susannah knew how sorry she was that she put them both in this situation.
“What do you say we start with the servant girl, lads?” the man asked, eyeing Susannah from top to bottom as if she were a piece of meat, and they were at a market. Susannah shuddered.