The Lady Yves

Chapter 13

Yoshi kept looking around the room for Freedom but it had been a while and she still had not shown up as Angenette approached him for a dance.

He smiled at her and obliged, taking her hand and holding her waist as they waltzed to the ball floor. In as much as she looked exquisite, Yoshi couldn't help glancing around for any signs of Freedom, hoping that she was safe wherever she was. Once this dance was over, he was going to search for her.

"Looking for something?" Angenette asked.

"Yes. Just looking for someone. I am sorry about being distracted." He looked back at her.

"The girl you are courting?"

"Something like that," he confessed.

"You have skipped your eyes over her countless times, Sir Manley."

"I have?" Yoshi's eyes went a bit wide as he looked at the spot at which Angenette was looking but no Freedom.

"Emily VanKirk, right? She has been looking at you the whole time," Angenette said.

Yoshi realised that Angenette had been snooping because he had indeed been visiting more at the VanKirks but that was because he had been trying to distract himself from Freedom. Only, Emily did not even come close to peeking his interest...Angenette did a bit of a better job but he couldn't use her as a distraction.

Emily waved at him and he gave her a small smile, waving back before ending the dance. Before Angenette had the chance to say anything, Yoshi approached Mrs. Rendell who looked to be in a bit of a panic.

"Are you alright?" he asked, hoping to ask where Freedom was.

"I cannot find Freedom," the woman whispered in a panicked tone. "I was too distracted with Angenette while Freedom was talking to that woman." She pointed at his mother.

Oh crap!

"Next thing she was nowhere to be seen but Barley said she had gone out for some air. Must have been before the first dance ended."

That was around the time Yoshi had seen her and followed her to the office. She should have been back by now.

He walked out, back to the office but there was nobody there. As he looked out the window, he noticed a white frock that looked like the one she was wearing being hassled by a few men. He opened the window and crawled out of it, walking towards the men.

He was surprised to find that the sheriff was there too, watching as Mulch grabbed Freedom and pulled at the front of the frock to tease her. She glared at him.

"Ain't she feisty?" he laughed with the sheriff, grabbing Freedom by the neck and roughly kissing her. "I tell you, sheriff, she was the best I ever had and she ain't lay with no man before. Took me a few strokes and I was undone. Wanna try a piece? But it may cost you."

"After you raped me, I swore I would never let any man hurt me. The day I kill you," Yoshi heard Freedom say, "I will enjoy every bit of it."

Mulch backhanded her so hard she fell to the ground. She stood up, angry. Before anyone had the chance to understand what was going on, Freedom jumped on Mulch and bit him, holding on to him for dear life as he swung like a mad man.

The sheriff and some men took a hold of her and when they managed to pry her off, she spat something on the ground, her mouth bloody as Mulch screamed in agony.

When Yoshi looked at the ground, he realised that what Freedom had spat was a part of his ear. He ran over before anyone could harm Freedom because she had just gotten herself into some deep trouble. And he was scared for her because she seemed not to see the dangerous and precarious situation she had just put herself in.