Finding Felicity

Chapter Eleven

The next morning the snow was much thicker on the ground. On the roads and pavements it had turned to treacherous ice, trodden down by the passing people and vehicles. Felicity had to carefully navigate her way back to Madam Tolbert’s shop.

She nearly slipped in several places, but luckily righted herself, and was consoled by the fact that people all around her had worse luck.

At Madam Tolbert’s she collected the dress, the necessary undergarments, shoes, a hat, a coat, and a pair of warm gloves.

Felicity knew she couldn’t stay long; she had to get back for the chapel service, so she quickly apologised for her short stay and set off to navigate her way back to Whewell’s, struggling to hold the rectangular plain brown box that Madam Tolbert had packed all of her clothing in. Staying upright with a cumbersome object in your arms was considerably more difficult.

She was but five minutes away from Whewell’s when she felt one of her feet fly forward. She started to fall backwards, her view of the world slowly tilted upwards until she was looking at the snow-heavy clouds that covered the sky completely.

Although it all seemed to happen in slow-motion, Felicity knew she was powerless to stop her fall to Earth. Had she not been carrying the box, she could at least have flung her arms out behind her to break her fall, but the box made that impossible. She squeezed her eyes shut, ready for the jarring impact.

An arm wrapped itself around her waist, supporting her weight. It gently helped her to her feet once again. Felicity opened her eyes.

She immediately flinched away and tried to take a step back, but his hand was on her arm, controlling and strong.

He laughed, a grin spreading across his face.

“Aren’t you going to thank me? That would have been painful if I’d let you fall.”

“Thank you,” Felicity whispered hoarsely.

“You see, you need my help. You can’t manage on your own.”

Weak and inferior.

“Still a damsel in distress. It’s the way it’s meant to be.”

Benjamin laughed again and began pulling on Felicity’s arm.

“Let’s get you back before you freeze. You’re looking a bit pale.”

He kept a firm grip on her upper arm all the way back to Whewell’s, where he suddenly pulled her into All Saint’s Grove. There was no one there. Snow-heavy trees blocked out all light.

“What’s in the box?”

“Nothing.”

“There’s nothing you need to hide from me. I know it all. So why don’t you open the box and show me what’s inside? I’m curious,” Benjamin was physically leaning into her now. His eyes had darkened, his mouth hardened into a firm line.

Felicity was about to open her mouth to deny him again when he growled and pushed her against a tree. Her head hit the wood with a painful thwack. Her eyes closed and she sighed at the throbbing in the back of her head.

“Huh. A bit modest for a girl like you, don’t you think?”

“What do you mean?” Felicity bit out, trying to stop tears forming from the pain in her head and the pain of feeling utterly helpless in the face of such a bully.

“Well, you’re practically begging for it coming here. I know you’re a girl and I know you’re a whore; I know all your secrets.” His lips parted to reveal an evil, taunting smile.