she liked it or not.
Once dressed, she followed the matron down the stairs and through the workhouse buildings to the master’s office.
The matron ushered her inside with a whispered injunction not to bite the hand that fed her, then shut the door behind her.
Caroline’s eyes were glued to the threadbare carpet on the floor. She could not look the Captain in the face. Let him see to what depths he had driven her. If he had any conscience at all, the sight of her ought to smite him.
“Caroline Clemens.”
That was not the Captain’s voice, but a rich baritone that even now had the power to send a shiver of sheer pleasure down her spine. Slowly she raised her head, hardly able to believe the evidence in front of her eyes. “Mr. Savage? What on earth are you doing here?”
“Looking for you.”
Five
Caroline was suddenly, horribly aware of the picture she must present: rough work clothes, unbrushed hair tied back with a piece of twine, cracked and bleeding hands, and a face lined with exhaustion and worry. She put her hands behind her back and straightened her shoulders. “Here I am,” she said as bravely as she could. “So now what are you planning to do?”
“I am going to take you away from here. To take you home with me.”
She stifled the leap of hope that burst painfully into her chest. His sudden appearance in the workhouse in the middle of the night, where she would least expect to see him, seemed to be the miracle she had been hoping for, the miracle that would save them all. “My sisters and brother are here with me. I will not leave them.” She was pleased to note that her voice hardly wobbled at all. Whatever he was offering her, she would never desert them. If he was to be her miracle, he would have to rescue them all.
“I am not asking you to leave them.” His voice was impatient. “They must all come, too. I have a carriage waiting outside.”
Still she did not move. No one took in a whole family of paupers without getting something they wanted in exchange. “And what are you asking for in return?” It hardly mattered what he wanted—she would give him anything he liked and more. Hunger and desperation had brought her lower than she could ever have imagined.
His face creased into a wry smile. “Do you always look a gift horse in the mouth?” With one hand he reached out and stroked her tangled hair. “You were not so shy with me that evening in the conservatory, or so intent on examining my motives.”
Her face flamed as she remembered how wantonly she had behaved with him, with no thought of asking for anything in return but the pleasure he could give her. “I am sure what you are proposing is less in the nature of a gift, and more in the nature of an exchange. I would rather know where I stood first as last.” She had let him have her once for nothing, but she could not afford such luxuries now. If only he were to offer her two hundred pounds a year to be his mistress, she would be his willing slave. Better him than the Captain, for sure.
“You would stand here and bicker over terms with me?” He moved closer to her and clasped her hands in his.
Wincing with pain, she withdrew them hurriedly and hid them in her pockets so he could not see the mess they were in. They were not the hands of a pampered mistress.
Gently this time, he took them out of her pockets and turned them over, swearing under his breath when he saw their sorry state. “You can hardly stand with exhaustion and you need to see a doctor. If we must argue over the terms of your rescue, let it be when you are back to full strength.”
She could feel her eyes fill with tears. “You are really going to take us away from here?” The reality of her escape was only just now beginning to sink in, making her light-headed and dizzy.
“I shall have the woman fetch your sisters and brother and we will leave right away.”
“You will be kind to them?” she asked, suddenly feeling the
Once dressed, she followed the matron down the stairs and through the workhouse buildings to the master’s office.
The matron ushered her inside with a whispered injunction not to bite the hand that fed her, then shut the door behind her.
Caroline’s eyes were glued to the threadbare carpet on the floor. She could not look the Captain in the face. Let him see to what depths he had driven her. If he had any conscience at all, the sight of her ought to smite him.
“Caroline Clemens.”
That was not the Captain’s voice, but a rich baritone that even now had the power to send a shiver of sheer pleasure down her spine. Slowly she raised her head, hardly able to believe the evidence in front of her eyes. “Mr. Savage? What on earth are you doing here?”
“Looking for you.”
Five
Caroline was suddenly, horribly aware of the picture she must present: rough work clothes, unbrushed hair tied back with a piece of twine, cracked and bleeding hands, and a face lined with exhaustion and worry. She put her hands behind her back and straightened her shoulders. “Here I am,” she said as bravely as she could. “So now what are you planning to do?”
“I am going to take you away from here. To take you home with me.”
She stifled the leap of hope that burst painfully into her chest. His sudden appearance in the workhouse in the middle of the night, where she would least expect to see him, seemed to be the miracle she had been hoping for, the miracle that would save them all. “My sisters and brother are here with me. I will not leave them.” She was pleased to note that her voice hardly wobbled at all. Whatever he was offering her, she would never desert them. If he was to be her miracle, he would have to rescue them all.
“I am not asking you to leave them.” His voice was impatient. “They must all come, too. I have a carriage waiting outside.”
Still she did not move. No one took in a whole family of paupers without getting something they wanted in exchange. “And what are you asking for in return?” It hardly mattered what he wanted—she would give him anything he liked and more. Hunger and desperation had brought her lower than she could ever have imagined.
His face creased into a wry smile. “Do you always look a gift horse in the mouth?” With one hand he reached out and stroked her tangled hair. “You were not so shy with me that evening in the conservatory, or so intent on examining my motives.”
Her face flamed as she remembered how wantonly she had behaved with him, with no thought of asking for anything in return but the pleasure he could give her. “I am sure what you are proposing is less in the nature of a gift, and more in the nature of an exchange. I would rather know where I stood first as last.” She had let him have her once for nothing, but she could not afford such luxuries now. If only he were to offer her two hundred pounds a year to be his mistress, she would be his willing slave. Better him than the Captain, for sure.
“You would stand here and bicker over terms with me?” He moved closer to her and clasped her hands in his.
Wincing with pain, she withdrew them hurriedly and hid them in her pockets so he could not see the mess they were in. They were not the hands of a pampered mistress.
Gently this time, he took them out of her pockets and turned them over, swearing under his breath when he saw their sorry state. “You can hardly stand with exhaustion and you need to see a doctor. If we must argue over the terms of your rescue, let it be when you are back to full strength.”
She could feel her eyes fill with tears. “You are really going to take us away from here?” The reality of her escape was only just now beginning to sink in, making her light-headed and dizzy.
“I shall have the woman fetch your sisters and brother and we will leave right away.”
“You will be kind to them?” she asked, suddenly feeling the
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