Chapter 3

One weeks later.

As Gwen descended the grand staircase leading from the upper floor to the entryway. Christine came from the kitchen area carrying a steaming pot and a cup on a tray.

"Where are you going, Lady Christine?"

Christine smiled as she paused and looked up. "I am headed out to the garden, would you like to join me?"

"That would be lovely!" The two ladies made their way out into the garden and on out to the overgrown greenhouse.

"Careful of the thorns on the rose bush." Christine says as she carefully makes her way around the unkempt rose bush careful not to spill her tray.

Gwen followed somewhat taken aback by the unkempt look of the surroundings, but as she removed her skirts from the thorn it had caught on she then looked up and took a deep breath of awe.

Just past the rosebush the view blocked by its unkempt dying limbs the room opened up into an immaculately kept paradise with trees and bushes well trimmed and flowering flowers growing everywhere.

In the center was a beautifully crafted table and 2 chairs. Gwen turned around slowly taking in the beauty around her.

"Wow! You did all of this? It's beautiful!" Gwen moves over to the table where Christine has set the tray. "Oh, I only brought one cup!" says Christine as she begins to head back out.

"Wait, I will go get one. I also have some tea that I brought back with me from my travels to India that I would love to share with you." Gwen quickly heads back to the house lightly skipping along the path.

She quickly heads to her room to get the tea, and then towards the kitchen where she is suddenly stopped by Carson's voice coming from behind her. "Have you seen my wife?"

"Yes, we are having tea out in grandmother's old green house." Carson turns and heads toward the garden, his only response is. "I see."

Gwen happily continues to the kitchen quickly getting a teacup and saucer before heading back out to the greenhouse.

Humming a sweet tune she opens the door to the greenhouse, she suddenly stops at the sounds she hears coming from inside.

"What is this? How much time have you been spending here in this wretched place? It's all but falling apart. You could get hurt in here!" Quickly Gwen moves quietly to a spot where she can see what is going on but cannot be seen by Carson or Christine.

"I enjoy my morning tea here." came Christine's voice pleadingly. "You are busy in your study at that time so I thought you would not mind. I just used the things that were already here so it cost you nothing."

Carson's face began to redden with rage. "You did not get permission!" He picked up a pot of flowers and threw it against the wall. It shattered against the window creating a crack in the window.

Christine backed away in fear as he picked up another pot, "it wasn't hurting anything." Christine's voice shook as she spoke.

Again Carson sent the pot in his hand hurling across the room, and Christine backed up a little further fear showing prominently on her delicate face.

Twice more Carson picked up a pot of flowers and threw them, shattering their contents. Christine cried out as she backed up further, catching her foot on the uneven cobblestone, sanding her falling backwards onto the table, knocking the teapot onto the floor.

She catches herself and stands back up only to have a pot of flowers come flying right past her head brushing against her ear. She cries out again in fright.

Suddenly Carson stops. Fuming he turns toward her. "You are not to come in here again without my permission. Do you understand??" He yells. His voice echoing through the greenhouse. Gwen in her hiding place flinches and begins to move, her own anger starting to bubble up inside.

"I must stop this!"

Carson moves beside Christine. "Go back to the house, now!" His voice booms as he gives her a push. Christine loses her balance and falls to the floor, as she falls her hand goes out to catch herself only to land on a piece of the broken teapot.

Christine cries out in pain. Gwen quickly moves across the room to Christine's side. "What happened, are you okay?" Gwen quickly helps Christine to a chair. Taking her hand she inspects the wound.

Blood gushed from her hand. Gwen quickly pulls her handkerchief out of her pocket and presses it to the wound. She looks up accusingly to Carson, whose face has changed to one of concern.

Quickly he comes to Christine's side. "Are you all right, my dear?" Gwen glared at him. "Come Christine, let me help you get that wound cleaned and bandaged."

"She fell, she tripped on the cobblestones and fell. I hope you are okay my dear Christine." He takes Christine's other hand. "Here, I'll help you into the house. Gwen and Carson help Christine into the house.

Carson leaves them at the stairs calling for a maid to get water and bandages. Once Gwen and Christine enter Christine's sitting room Christine bursts into tears. Gwen engulfs her into a hug letting her cry as long as she needs.

After a few moments Christine's sobs lessened and Gwen helped her move to the loveseat. Helping her sit down and then sitting beside her.

"There. there, let's take a look at that hand." With hiccuping sighs Christine turns to Gwen. "He threw things at me." Her voice turns to a question. "Did he actually throw those pots at me?"

Gwen carefully keeps her emotions in check. "That's what I saw, it is no question that he did." Christine sets her hand in Gwen's lap. 2 maids enter bringing in a bowl of hot water, a cloth and bandages.

"Thank you, set them here." Says Gwen, motioning to the low table beside her. After arranging the items on the table neatly, the maids curtsied slightly.

"Will that be all?" One of them asked. "Yes, you are excused." Gwen motions for them to leave. She turns back to Christine. "I know I really should have gotten permission before doing things in the greenhouse. He had a right to be angry." Christine's eyes begin filling with tears.

Gwen, trying to keep her anger down, begins carefully washing the blood from the wound. "This is going to leave a scar." Gwen exclaims.

"You really do need to realize your situation Christine."

"He has been becoming enraged more often lately, but I just need to be more careful and make sure I do as he asks. He really does love me. He tells me he does every night." Gwen narrows her eyes as she listens to Christine's words wishing she knew how to help her see what was really going on.

After bandaging up Christine's hand Gwen heads back to her room. She sits at the desk and pulls a sheet of paper from the drawer she begins to write. After a few moments she folds the paper and seals it up.

The next morning, Christine sat in the library waiting for Carson to get done in his study. As she sits, then she remembers the book she had been reading which had been left out in the greenhouse.

"I'll just quickly get in and come right back and read it in here where he wants me to be." She stands up and heads out towards the garden.

A loud crashing sound meets her ears and she hastens her steps. As she comes around the corner where the greenhouse should be in view a horrific sight meets her gaze.

The last wall fell outwards with a crash, Carson stood with a satisfied smile on his face. Christine screams in surprise and horror. "What have you done!?" she yells running towards the greenhouse, Carson grabs her by the arm stopping her in her tracks.

"Where do you think you are going?" he asked with a smirk. "Now you will not be able to defy me." with tears streaming down her face Christine tries to pull away but Carson wraps his arms around her keeping her in place.

She turns to him, starting to hit him with her hands, sobs wracking her body. He grabs her arms and holds her tight until she begins to calm down. Keeping Christine in a tight embrace Carson turns to the men who are pulling up bushes and taking apart the fallen walls.

"Finish this up,I want nothing left" he says before dragging Christine into the house and up to her rooms. Opening the door he pushes her inside. "This is where you will stay for now." He slams the door closed.

Christine runs to the door and begins pounding as hard as she can as she hears the click of the key in the lock sealing her inside.

Christine listens as his footsteps retests down the hall. She slumps to the floor in a heap crying softly in her hands.

Suddenly she stops lifting her head, she steps to the door and calls out. "Gwen, are you there? Can you hear me? Hello, anyone? Please help me. Please get me out of here!"

She continues pleading and pounding on the door. Suddenly Christine heard a slight sound on the other side of the door. "I am here, Christine. Don't worry we will get you out of here."