truly do anything about it.
"I gotta take Billy wi' me too," Patsy continued. "And Jen and Daniel...none of them belong here either. Now Hetty's gone there ain't nothin' to stay for once I got `er boys. We gotta wait for the right moment."
"It will come soon Patsy, I promise. And when it does I will help you in every way I can."
She let this new information sink in, wrapping a consoling arm around Patsy's shoulder. She was going home, although when still remained unknown. It could be years for all she knew and she could still end up prey to Tom and Trevor's anger or desire before then.
The door downstairs flew open, banging against the wall. The sound reverberated around the stable. Both Patsy and Annabel stiffened, Daniel stirred in his sleep. After several moments of silence, filled only with the howling of the bitter wind, Patsy peeked downstairs.
"It was just the wind."
Annabel sighed in relief. The dread it had been Tom or Trevor subsided and she relaxed against the straw. In his sleep Daniel wrapped a protective arm around her waist. Annabel flinched at first, sour memories flooded back into her mind and her heart rate sped up dramatically. However the warmth of Daniel's arm seeped through to her skin and she began to drift slowly off into sleep beside him.
Chapter Twelve
The wind continued to howl well into the night, the door banging open so often they eventually just left it to swing on its hinges. The thuds of it bashing against the wall startled them awake every few minutes. Genevieve's cries, mixed with the ferocious weather, left any hope of sleep nothing more than a distant day dream.
Just before dawn, when the wind had died down to a low whistle and the door was once more closed (even the horses hadn't braved the weather and were still huddled in the corner of the stable), the baby finally fell asleep, allowing the others a small window of opportunity. This opportunity was destroyed when another bang flew through the air, followed by a shrill scream.
Daniel woke up instantly. His eyes snapped open as he leapt to his feet with amazing agility. Not having the patience to lower the ladder back into position, he jumped down to the ground floor. He swore loudly when his landing was not as smooth as he had planned, in his haste to intervene with whatever injustice was taking place to, and at the hand of, his kin. All this took place before Annabel had even rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.
Patsy sat up quickly once Daniel's bulk had left their side. The rags in her hair bobbed absurdly on top of her head. She slid off the bed, dragging the ladder across the floor and down into place on the ground before making her own descent. Clouded with anxiety, she missed the bottom rung and slipped, with a thud, onto her bottom. Still half asleep, Annabel fumbled down the ladder and with Patsy, rushed across to the house.
They flew through the door just in time to see Daniel throw his father across the room, away from his mother who was lying in the exact place Hetty had laid just days previously. Daniel rounded back on his father, a fierce anger in his hazel eyes. Seizing the elder man's collar he drew back his fist and thrust it square into his mouth. Blood sprayed onto Daniel's face making him look wild. Trevor only smiled. It was a terrifying smile. Blood coated his few remaining teeth as his cracked lips stretched upwards grotesquely.
Annabel, standing shocked just inside the doorway, lost her balance as Tom barged past her, pushing her to the ground like a rag doll on his quest to assist his father. With one swift, practiced movement, he grabbed the fire poker and smashed it across the back of Daniel's knees. Annabel cried out a shrieked version of Daniel's name, in a desperate attempt to warn him, but Tom was too fast. A gasp of pain left Daniel's lips and he folded to the floor.
He looked up, seemingly determined not to show the suffering in his eyes. Annabel had been looked at with hatred and
"I gotta take Billy wi' me too," Patsy continued. "And Jen and Daniel...none of them belong here either. Now Hetty's gone there ain't nothin' to stay for once I got `er boys. We gotta wait for the right moment."
"It will come soon Patsy, I promise. And when it does I will help you in every way I can."
She let this new information sink in, wrapping a consoling arm around Patsy's shoulder. She was going home, although when still remained unknown. It could be years for all she knew and she could still end up prey to Tom and Trevor's anger or desire before then.
The door downstairs flew open, banging against the wall. The sound reverberated around the stable. Both Patsy and Annabel stiffened, Daniel stirred in his sleep. After several moments of silence, filled only with the howling of the bitter wind, Patsy peeked downstairs.
"It was just the wind."
Annabel sighed in relief. The dread it had been Tom or Trevor subsided and she relaxed against the straw. In his sleep Daniel wrapped a protective arm around her waist. Annabel flinched at first, sour memories flooded back into her mind and her heart rate sped up dramatically. However the warmth of Daniel's arm seeped through to her skin and she began to drift slowly off into sleep beside him.
Chapter Twelve
The wind continued to howl well into the night, the door banging open so often they eventually just left it to swing on its hinges. The thuds of it bashing against the wall startled them awake every few minutes. Genevieve's cries, mixed with the ferocious weather, left any hope of sleep nothing more than a distant day dream.
Just before dawn, when the wind had died down to a low whistle and the door was once more closed (even the horses hadn't braved the weather and were still huddled in the corner of the stable), the baby finally fell asleep, allowing the others a small window of opportunity. This opportunity was destroyed when another bang flew through the air, followed by a shrill scream.
Daniel woke up instantly. His eyes snapped open as he leapt to his feet with amazing agility. Not having the patience to lower the ladder back into position, he jumped down to the ground floor. He swore loudly when his landing was not as smooth as he had planned, in his haste to intervene with whatever injustice was taking place to, and at the hand of, his kin. All this took place before Annabel had even rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.
Patsy sat up quickly once Daniel's bulk had left their side. The rags in her hair bobbed absurdly on top of her head. She slid off the bed, dragging the ladder across the floor and down into place on the ground before making her own descent. Clouded with anxiety, she missed the bottom rung and slipped, with a thud, onto her bottom. Still half asleep, Annabel fumbled down the ladder and with Patsy, rushed across to the house.
They flew through the door just in time to see Daniel throw his father across the room, away from his mother who was lying in the exact place Hetty had laid just days previously. Daniel rounded back on his father, a fierce anger in his hazel eyes. Seizing the elder man's collar he drew back his fist and thrust it square into his mouth. Blood sprayed onto Daniel's face making him look wild. Trevor only smiled. It was a terrifying smile. Blood coated his few remaining teeth as his cracked lips stretched upwards grotesquely.
Annabel, standing shocked just inside the doorway, lost her balance as Tom barged past her, pushing her to the ground like a rag doll on his quest to assist his father. With one swift, practiced movement, he grabbed the fire poker and smashed it across the back of Daniel's knees. Annabel cried out a shrieked version of Daniel's name, in a desperate attempt to warn him, but Tom was too fast. A gasp of pain left Daniel's lips and he folded to the floor.
He looked up, seemingly determined not to show the suffering in his eyes. Annabel had been looked at with hatred and
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