The Fire Inside

Chapter 30

You didn't sleep much that night, Your sleep being plagued by bad dreams. The words of your grandfather echoing in your ears. Worthless, ugly, whore. Only in your dreams it wasn't those words coming out of his mouth, they were coming out of Dutch's.

Your grandfather had all but brainwashed you into thinking he didn't care for you. There was still a faint spark of hope, but as time went on that spark was slowly fading.

As the sun rose, the light seeped into the bedroom window, lighting the room.

Last night the headache was due to whatever they used to knock you out. This morning it was due to the constant crying. That had now stopped. Crying wouldn't change the situation you were in. You didn't care about the money, your only hope was that once you had married your grandfathers slimy business associate, you could make a break for freedom, either in this world or the next.

You were snapped from your thoughts as you heard the door click. Your grandfather opened the door, and walked in. He pulled out a knife, and walked over to the bed, roughly rolling you over so he could cut the ropes on your wrists, followed by the ones on your ankles.

"Get dressed," he monotoned, "or I'll send one of my men in to dress you," he threatened.

You sat up, rubbing your wrists, trying to rub the rope burns away.

"I'll do it," you whispered.

He headed back to the door, he glowered at you.

"Ten minutes," he hissed, as he closed the door behind him.

You heard the click again, and sighed.

You quickly looked out the window, to the street below. You still had a faint glimmer of hope that someone might come for you, but that was soon dashed when you saw the deserted street below. In any case, they would have no idea where you were. That's even if Dutch was still alive. You remembered seeing the gun, through the French doors and shuddered.

Having said that, if your grandfather had paid him off, then why should you care. But you did. He'd made you fall in love with him, whether he really loved you or not. You guessed you'd never know. Not now.

You took off the dress which Josiah had bought you and grabbed the wedding dress, which you started to put it on.

If it had been in different circumstances, you would have thought it quite pretty. But today you hated it, and everything it represented. You slipped on the white shoes that had also been left out for you.

You didn't have to wait long for your grandfather to return. You also noticed two bully-ish looking men standing outside the door.

One of the men followed your grandfather in.

"Tie her up, and gag her," your grandfather hissed.

"What!" you squealed.

"Don't want you saying the wrong thing, do we," he smirked.

The ruffian grabbed you wrists and tied them tightly. You winced has the rope cut in to you're already sore wrists.

"Please don't!" you begged.

Your grandfather looked at you and smirked. "Bring her down to the carriage when you're done, and hurry up." he growled.

The man shoved a cloth in your mouth and tied it in place. He picked up a veil, and put it on you, so that it hid your face. No one would be able to see the gag.

He roughly grabbed your arm, and dragged you downstairs to the waiting carriage, and shoved you inside.