Chapter 6

The first time I met Samuel's parents was Valentine's Day, I was invited to dinner at his parents house. I was scared after what happened at the Christmas Ball, because I didn't know what his parents were going to be. Was his father just as much of a brute as he was? My mother had primped me to the gills, I was in a deep red skirt with a bustle and matching top with black trim, she curled my hair pinning most of it up and pinned a pink hat with red flowers to my head. She handed me my hand bag as we heard my father greet Samuel, his voice made every hair on my body stand on end. I closed my eyes in fear, "What's the matter?" my mother asked. I opened my eyes, "Please don't make me do this," I begged quietly. She looked at me confused, "Please mother, if you love me don't make me marry him," I begged. "Lucille May, there is absolutely no reason for you to behave this way," she scolded. I tried to hold back the tears, but she slammed a nail in my coffin, "Benjamin Allen is courting Maggie Smith." That was it, my fate was now sealed, "I'll give you a few minutes," she said coldly and walked out. I grabbed the post of my bed to steady myself and put my forehead on it, I began to cry. I let myself cry for just a few minutes and then I pulled myself together. I dabbed my cheeks and eyes, took a few deep breaths and headed downstairs to accept my fate. "There's my valentine," Samuel called as I walked down the stairs. I smiled as best as I could, as he kissed my cheek. "Well, we should be going, don't want to keep my parents waiting any longer than they have," he pretended to joke. My mother helped me put on a coat, "Have fun," my father said waving us off. Once in the car, Samuel waved to my parents as we pulled away. "Why did you keep me waiting?" He asked, although he seemed more accusing to me. I hesitated, "I wanted to make sure I was perfect to meet your parents," I lied. "Well, you're not perfect," he began, "Not even close, Lord knows why I'm being pushed into this marriage." He didn't want to marry me? "Then why don't you call it off?" I asked meekly. He glanced at me, "Do you not want to marry me?" He asked. "You seem less than happy with me," I stated. Suddenly a hand flew across the car and caught my cheek, causing my head to hit the window. I grabbed my cheek as it stung, "If you would've broken that window I would have to hit you again," he berated. We pulled up outside his parents house, he got out and came around to my side. I got out and he slapped snow on my cheek, "You better not embarrass me," he said grinding the snow into my cheek. I winced at the pain, "It'll keep it from swelling," he told me and grabbed my hand leading me inside. A woman in a maids uniform came to the door to take our coats, "Where are my parents?" He asked angrily. "Here we are," his mother's voice called from another room. He grabbed my hand and lead me into a living room area, "Father, Mother, may I present Lucille Mills, your future daughter in law," Samuel said proudly. I held out my hand to shake, but they stared at me awkwardly. Samuel slapped my hand down, "Curtsy," he whispered through his teeth. "I apologize," I whimpered and curtseyed, bowing my head low in hopes I could right the wrong. "Charming," his mother said like a snob. "Well she has the look and the name, the rest you can teach her," his father replied as if I wasn't there. I tried to smile as they judged me, "Would you like some tea?" His mother asked me. "That would be lovely, thank you," I answered. She rang a bell and it wasn't long before the lady from the door came in with a tray of tea and served us as we sat. Samuel made chit chat with his parents, I was just trying to disappear, before I made another mistake. Finally the maid said it was time for dinner and we shuffled in. I put my napkin in my lap as the maid came around serving us, "Thank you," I whispered. She starred at me very confused, I apparently threw her off because she missed Mr. Terish's plate and dropped a roll to the ground. Mr. Terish stood and backhanded her and called her stupid, tears were welling in my eyes, but I couldn't let them free for fear of what would happen to me. The cruelty this family had, was something I had never seen before and for the first time I considered Lizzie's way out. I knew I couldn't marry into this family, there may come a day where Samuel loses complete control and does something snow won't fix. The whole dinner felt like eternity and I was grateful when Mrs. Terish told Samuel it was getting late and he needed to take me home. "You seem to be learning," Samuel said on the way back to my house. I stared at the floor which I couldn't see, "Better for you to be seen, as long as you don't make me mark up your face," he told me. I continued to stare at where my feet should be. We arrived at my house and he walked me to the door, "My kiss," he reminded. I closed my eyes and leaned in as he grabbed my face and slammed his tongue down my throat. I nearly gagged but I held it in till he backed away, "Are you even trying?" He asked a little angry and walked back to his car. I went up to my room and sat in my window wondering if I could jump. It might make things worse for my younger sisters. I stared up at the moon and said a prayer for something to happen to stop this wedding.

Months went on, Samuel would come over for dinner and talk to my father about plans for the railway, plans for us, I never said a word. My wedding date was set, without my approval, I never even said yes to Samuel, I didn't have to my father said it for me. Samuel's parents were so excited they hired a photographer to take our picture before the wedding, in my mother's garden that spring. My mother made sure I had a beautiful pale blue dress with white lace and pearls attached at the neckline, and I wore the earrings Samuel got me at Christmas. As we stood there with our parents looking on in awe, Samuel was whispering to me, "Where is your Benjamin Allen now?" he asked gritting his teeth. I looked at him, "That will be a good one. Hold it right there," the photographer yelled taking another picture. "What do you know of that?" I asked quietly. "I know enough," he replied glaring at me. "Three pictures are quite enough," Samuel's father called. Samuel grabbed my arm behind me as everyone else went inside, "Let go of me," I whispered as the photographer took down his camera. "Not until you assure me that's over," he said through his teeth. "Benjamin is twice the man you'll ever be," I spat at him. "And yet you're mine whether you like it or not," he told me with a sly grin. I cringed at that, he let go and went inside, I went farther into the garden to cry. The truth was I felt like Ben had abandoned me, I wasn't sure if he was the man I thought. I walked through the garden wishing I could go away from here when, I found an over grown path I didn't recognize. It was at the very back and lead into the woods, I tried to remember where that path went. That night it hit me, that was the path my father use to go to his hunting cabin, he and Mr. Allen would meet at a hunting cabin half way between our houses. That's how I would get out of his wedding, I would sneak down to the garden and run to the cabin. I might need a horse, I wasn't sure how far back that cabin actually was. I fell asleep that night with a glimmer of hope, for the first time in months.

As weeks went on, I was hiding food to pack and take with me, I didn't know what was in that cabin. I took one of my father's hunting rifles and hid it by the back door. I was sitting in the garden one Wednesday evening, trying to remember the pathway from when I was young. It all seemed too peaceful and calm in the garden. I didn't know anything was going on inside till I heard my sister Alice who was thirteen scream. I turned and ran in the house; I didn't notice my mother, father, and brother lying on the living room floor dead. I was focused on my sister, I opened her bedroom door and gasped. There were my two younger sisters lying in a pool of their own blood. I looked at the men my eyes wide, I backed up and turned running down the stairs. As I hit the bottom of the stairs, I ran right into another man. I looked up terrified that I was next, "Shh," he said taking me to the den and pulling me in the closet, behind him. We heard the men open a few doors, "Where is she?" One gruff voice asked. "She must've started running," the other replied. "We better get her, he said leave no one alive," the first one called. We heard them take off down the road in a car, "Are you ok?" he asked opening the door. I nodded, "They'll be back to set the house on fire, if you have any keepsakes inside, you'd better get them now," he told me. That's when I noticed my mother, father, and brother lying dead along with our gardener, all stabbed. I couldn't breathe I fell to my knees, I felt his hand on my shoulder, I began to gasp for air. He led me out the back door, "Breathe," he said still holding my hand. I looked at him, "Why would they do this?" I asked shaking my head. "I don't know," was all he told me. I furrowed my brow and squinted my eyes trying to understand. "I heard about it and came to warn the family," he explained. "From who?" I asked. "It doesn't matter," he said looking down. I glared at him before charging him, he grabbed my arms but I punched his chest and screamed. "Calm down, it wasn't supposed to happen today," he replied. I slapped him as if that made it all better, "Do you feel better," he asked. I fell to the ground in exhaustion, "Look, I don't know if you're one of the help or not, but they will be back soon," he urged. "I don't have anywhere to go," I said staring blankly into the garden. "You should probably get your things together and find somewhere to go, I'll watch the front," he said walking back inside. I didn't feel like I was there, like it was someone else walking up the stairs.

I went into my mother's room, I sobbed taking her broaches and her Bible. I changed my dress into a grey skirt, white shirt and black coat, I took the box Ben made me with the note and ring inside, and the notes I had written him, out of my hope chest. There was nothing else I could think of, I stood at the top of the stairs when I heard the doorbell ring, the unknown man came running up the stairs, "We have to go," he whispered. "The back stairs," I muttered. We heard the door opened slowly, "Hello?" a familiar voice called walking in, it was to muffled for me to really know who it was. "Don't move," he mouthed. I nodded, we heard whoever it was walk into the living room, "Your daughter is absolute trash, and so are you," he said. The door opened again, "We lost one," one of the gruff voices from earlier said. "What do you mean you lost one?" The familiar voice said. "I think it was the maid," the other gruff voice said. "Well, I have to check the bodies now," the familiar voice yelled, it sent chills up my back and I knew it was Samuel. My eyes widened, "No time, the cops will be here soon," one gruff voice told him. "Fine, set the fire. I'll have to figure out who it is you let get away," he shouted at them. The walked out and we heard the crackle of fire, "Back stairway," he whispered. We walked carefully to the back stairs, and crept down them. The mystery man looked out the windows, "We've got to run, they're coming around the house," he murmured. I nodded, "Wait," I said when we got to the back door. I grabbed the rifle and some food I'd been hiding, he opened the door and pushed me out. We ran as fast as we could through the garden till we got to the over grown path. I turned around and watched as my house went up in flames. "Let's go," he beckoned from the woods. I turned and ran with him till we got to the horse he had, he put me on the horse climbed on in front of me and we rode through the woods.