20

And here is part 5 of my opus. As always constructive criticism welcomed. I hope you enjoy it.

Orphan Ch. 17 to 20

Chapter 17

She woke next morning to a knock on her bedroom door.

"Yes? Who is it?"

"Molly, Miss Roxane. Mrs Trevelyan thought you might like some hot water this morning, for your wash."

"Oh, yes! Come in, Molly."

The maid came in, carrying a large jug, her hands protected by a towel.

"Careful, Miss Roxane. It's hot!"

"Put it beside the bowl, please, Molly. And don't worry, I'll be careful."

"Is there anything you want me to do while I'm here?"

"No, Molly, but thank you."

"Very well, Miss Roxane. I'll get myself away downstairs again." She dipped in brief curtsey and turned to go, giving Roxane a beaming smile as she did. Curious, thought Roxane, what can possibly make Molly look so happy? She turned to her wardrobe. Now, what to wear? She pondered for a moment, then smiled as she decided. Yes, this is the gown to wear!

Roxane found out why Molly was happy as she breakfasted with Gilroy and her uncle. Mrs Trevelyan came in, and addressed herself to Gilroy.

"Excuse me, Captain, but could Mr Jenkins have a word with you?"

"Of course, Mrs Trevelyan. Please, ask him to come in."

Jenkins must have been waiting for he was there almost immediately. He knuckled his brow.

"Excuse me, Cap'n Gilroy, but I was wonderin'. Will you need me today?"

Gilroy smiled. "I think not, Jenkins. Not until tonight, and perhaps not even then. Why? You have plans for the day, perhaps?"

Jenkins flushed. "Aye, sir. 'Tis market day, and Mrs Trevelyan says that Molly may be excused duties this afternoon, and I'd like to take her down to the market."

Gilroy laughed. "In that case, Jenkins, I will definitely not need you until tomorrow. Enjoy your day."

"Thankee, sir, thankee. Now, sir, if you'll excuse me?"

"Of course."

The door closed softly as Jenkins went out, and the three at breakfast shared a smile.

"Molly, and Jenkins?" said Le Tessier. "Well, I wish them well."

"Indeed," said Roxane. "Uncle Silas?"

"Yes, my dear?"

"Could you bear to lunch alone today?"

Le Tessier smiled. "The market for you, too, my dear?"

Roxane shook her head. "Not so. Captain Gilroy has seen little but these four walls since his arrival. His wound heals nicely, and I thought we might take the gig and explore the lanes. Perhaps Mrs Trevelyan might prepare a cold lunch, that we may take with us?"

"An excellent notion, my dear, and one which fits in well with my own plans, for I must see Delacour, the shipping agent, this morning. I shall lunch at the inn next his office, and relax, knowing that the two of you will not miss me at lunch." He laughed. "And with all of us absent, even Mrs Trevelyan might let herself relax."

Roxane fought a giggle, knowing how much care the housekeeper gave to her duties. "If you gentlemen will excuse me, I shall advise Mrs Trevelyan of our plans."

"Of course," said Le Tessier, and Gilroy nodded, smiling.

Mrs Trevelyan was quite happy to prepare a cold lunch for Roxane and Gilroy. "As it is just the two of you, I shall include a bottle of the master's claret." She laughed. "Not his best, I fear, but pleasant. I feel sure that you will enjoy it. And you need not worry, Miss Roxane, for I shall be certain to include the corkscrew!"

Roxane giggled. "Whatever would we open a bottle with, if we had no corkscrew, Mrs Trevelyan?"

The housekeeper smiled. "I'm sure Captain Gilroy would manage.. Now, get yourselves ready, Miss Roxane, for I shall have your cold lunch ready for you within the half-hour."

Forty-five minutes or so later, Andrew drove the gig up to the door where Roxane and Gilroy waited. He handed the reins to Gilroy. "There you go, Captain. Mrs Trevelyan has packed your lunch in those two baskets under the dash. Enjoy your day."

"Thank you, Andrew," said Roxane.

"Yes, indeed. Thank you." Gilroy turned to Roxane. "I think it best if you drive, my dear. I fear I have little experience at controlling land-going vessels."

Roxane laughed. Land-going vessel, indeed. "Very well. You sit there, opposite me, and we can talk as we go."

"And where

do

we go?"

"Anywhere, everywhere! We shall just wander for a good while, until we see a likely place to take our lunch."

"Capital! And which direction do we go in, first?"

"You choose."

"Very well. In that case, I think we should go that way." And he pointed well away from the bustle of the port.

Roxane stifled a smile. Did the gallant captain have thoughts of dallying? Aloud, she said, "Very well, Alex. Let us proceed!" And perhaps hope, she acknowledged, perhaps hope.

They drove for a while, letting the horse take an easy pace, for they were in no hurry, stopping whenever it suited them, to admire a view or just because stopping seemed right, at that particular point, perhaps to let the horse rest awhile. They chatted easily, about everything and nothing. Eventually, nearing noon, Gilroy pointed.

"Perhaps over there, Roxane, for our lunch?"

It was a grassy clearing on the banks of a stream, trees shielding it from the road, grass for the horse to eat. An idyllic spot. Not only that, but the lane they had turned along seemed to have had no travellers save themselves for some time, judging by the grass growing where wheels would pass.

"It seems ideal, Alex. I think it best we dismount, and I shall lead the horse. We have a picket peg, so I shall remove the harness from his head so that he may graze while we enjoy our own lunch."

"Only fair. I could not bear the look of reproach in his eyes, otherwise." Gilroy's expression was solemn, his tone sober. Roxane fixed him with a look, and he held up his hands in surrender. "I jest, Roxane!" He grinned. "But 'tis only fair, not so?"

She laughed. "Indeed it is, Alex. This loyal servant should enjoy his own lunch. Had I thought, I might have brought some grain for him."

"Perhaps when we get back, as a reward for taking us safely home again?"

"Yes! For now, though, let me attend to our loyal servant. No!" she cried as he reached for the baskets. "Leave them for me." She grimaced. "I could not bear it if you were to injure yourself."

"Very well, Roxane, although it embarrasses me to have you do it."

She glared at him. "Alexander Gilroy! You were shot, remember? Shot getting me safely from France. That wound is healing, healing well, but I do not want you to risk it breaking open! I care about your health, Alex, not your embarrassment!"

He blinked, and held up his hands in surrender. "My sincere apologies, Roxane, but being wounded? Well, I do not take to it well, I fear."

She smiled. "I know, my dear, I know. But please? For my sake? Let me?"

He nodded in acquiescence, and bowed. "I shall, dear nurse."

She pointed. "I think I will be safe in letting you spread that blanket for us, but, Alex? Be careful!"

"I will, dear Roxane. I promise."

By the time she'd removed the head-harness from the horse, and picketed it on a long line, Gilroy had spread the blanket on a mossy mound under the trees, close by the stream. He bowed to her, and gestured widely as she took the baskets over to him.

"Our bower awaits, dear lady."

She put the baskets down and curtsied. "My thanks, gallant Captain Gilroy. Shall we eat now, or rest a while?"

"Rest would be my choice, for I sincerely hope that you will let me kiss you again."

She held his eye and smiled. "Then rest it is, Alex," she said, feeling a pulse of heat deep within her. She took off her travelling cloak, feeling the now almost familiar heft of the pistol in her pocket. On impulse she took it out, checked that the percussion cap was safe, and tucked the pistol under the edge of the blanket, then rolled the cloak to make a pillow. She sat, then lay back, her head on the rolled cloak, smiling up at him.

"Well?"

He laughed, and sat down beside her, then leaned, taking his weight on his left elbow, bending to kiss her. She lifted her lips to his, feeling his mouth claim hers in a long kiss, a hot kiss, a kiss of longing, of want, of promise. It was Gilroy who broke the kiss, pulling back slightly, smiling down at her.

"My lovely Roxane." He bent to kiss her again, quick, warm, then pulled back, holding her eye. "May I touch you?"

She felt herself flush, but she couldn't deny it, she wanted his touch. Still holding his gaze, her fingers went to the buttons on her gown, buttons which went from throat to ankle. She had only unfastened the first two when his hand covered hers.

"May I?" His voice was soft, warm, throaty. Intimate. She nodded, and felt his fingers on her buttons, loosening them, one by teasing one. He bent and kissed her again, and then she felt his fingers pulling back the stuff of her gown, baring her breasts to him.

"Ah, Roxane, you are so lovely," he murmured.

She smiled through her blush. "Now you see why I wore this gown," she whispered, as she felt his hand cup her breast, squeezing gently, moulding, and she closed her eyes better to concentrate on the sensations, stifling a gasp as she felt his mouth take her nipple, suckling gently, his hand now on her other breast.

Her eyes came open at the sudden footfall, but her scream was too late to alert Gilroy, and the sickening thud as the wooden cudgel hit Gilroy's head echoed in her mind as she stared up in horror at the triumphant face of Josiah Scrogg.

* * * * *

Chapter 18

The rapist leered at her, laughing. "Hang me, would you? Too good for the likes of me? Save your precious self for the noble captain, would you?" Scrogg laughed. "He can't save you this time, Miss high-and-mighty! Oh, no, you don't!" He grabbed her foot as she tensed herself to run. "You ain't goin' nowhere, not 'til I've finished with you!"

"Don't you dare touch me!" she said as he knelt astride her legs, his hand on his belt.

He laughed, and he was close enough now that she could smell the foul odour of his breath. "Why not?" he said. "What are you going to do? Gilroy can't save you this time, and those men of his are at sea with that damned

Pelican

. You, missie, are going to lie there and take what I gives you. An' there's no point in you screamin', 'cause there ain't nobody comes along this lane. I knows, 'cause I been hidin' just along the lane there, got myself a nice little nest. Couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you an' Gilroy stop here. What they goin' to do, I asks myself, and then I says, I bet the captain will persuade the little trollop to get her drawers off for 'im."

Roxane took a chance. Keeping her face as calm as she could manage, she stared up at Scrogg. "I didn't wear any," she said. "I wanted Alexander Gilroy to touch me, as much as I want to see you in the deepest, darkest pits of hell, you foul apology for a human being!"

Scrogg's face darkened, and he raised his hand to strike her, but his expression changed, and he leered. "No drawers, eh? Now that's a sight I have to see for myself. Take your dress off!"

She shook her head. "Never!"

He laughed again, and finally, he took his eyes off her face, looking down, his hands reaching for her skirt, ripping it open, tearing the cloth, ripping buttons from it. A triumphant leer came to his face.

"Now that's a sight that no man will ever see again!"

"And nor will you," cried Roxane, as she cocked her pistol, which she had fumbled from under the blanket as Scrogg had concentrated on revealing her beauty. The sound of the pistol being cocked startled Scrogg, a sound with which he was familiar, and he paused, staring at the pistol. A look of fury appeared on his face and Roxane feared that he was about to lunge for the pistol and pulled the trigger.

The ball took Scrogg in his left eye, and he was dead before he collapsed across Roxane's legs. In horrified disgust she kicked herself clear of him, and, careless of the fact that she was all but naked, turned to the still figure of Alexander Gilroy, fumbling for his hand, frantically feeling for a pulse.

"Thank God!" she whispered, as she felt the steady movement under her trembling fingers. Now she finally allowed herself to look at his face, the cudgel-mark clear on his brow. She reached out with a trembling hand to touch him, feeling for she knew not what, fearful she would feel the grate of shattered bone under her fingers, relieved to feel the skull, so far as she could tell, intact, under the blood which covered his face.

"Oh, Alex, my darling, my love. Please don't die!" she cried, feeling the tears streaming down her face, bending to kiss the still face, her tears blinding her, her sobs wretched. She buried her face in her hands and gave way to her grief.

"Don't cry, Roxane. Please don't cry." The hoarse whisper barely penetrated through her grief, but the gentle fingers in her hair were real, and she sat upright, eyes wide, to see a soft smile on Gilroy's face.

"I'll live, I think," he whispered and she threw herself into his arms.

"Oh, my darling, I thought he'd killed you!"

"He might have, had he hit me again." Gilroy's face darkened. "Did he hurt you, Roxane? Because if he did, there is no way he can hide from me, for I'll make him pay!"

She shook her head. "No, my love, he didn't hurt me. He might have, but after I shot him he won't ever hurt anybody again."

Gilroy's face was a picture of incredulity as he stared up at her. "After you -

shot

him? Roxane, I - " He broke off as Roxane moved, revealing to him what her kneeling form had concealed, the crumpled form of Josiah Scrogg.

"How? Roxane, I - oh, Roxane, however - " Roxane's finger across his lips silenced him.

"I cheated."

"You cheated? Roxane, my love, what on earth do you say? For I confess, I do not understand!"

"He said that you would never have me, that I would be his, that you would never persuade me to take my drawers off for you." Roxane flushed. "I told him you didn't need to, as I wasn't wearing any. I wanted him distracted, so that I could reach for the pistol. He told me to take off my gown, but I refused, so he ripped it open. He had to look elsewhere then, and that was my chance. He may have seen me, Alex, but he never touched me before he died!"

Gilroy reached out for her hand, gently squeezing her fingers. "That makes twice that you have saved my life, Roxane. Twice am I in your debt."

She shook her head. "Not so, Alex, dearest. I was saving my own, I fear, before thinking of yours."

He smiled. "Nevertheless, Roxane. Save it, you did, and my heartfelt thanks for it." His smile deepened. "You know, Roxane, 'tis said that if you save someone's life, you remain responsible for them. What think you of that?"

She smiled through her tears. "A task I undertake willingly."

He nodded, and squeezed her fingers. "And as I seem to have saved your life, although I think I owe you the greater debt, my dear, there is something I would ask of you. I had not planned to do this in quite such a situation, but the time is right. Roxane Lucille Harrison - will you marry me?"

She stared at him, shocked, then as his words penetrated, she could not help the smile that spread over her face, even as her tears fell anew, but tears of joy, this time.

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes! Oh, my darling, yes!"

Gilroy laughed. "One yes was all I needed, dear one." He grimaced. "Now, I fear, you must help me up, and we must try to do something about your clothing." He smiled. "Although I have to admit, the view is somewhat fetching."

She looked down at herself, and giggled, for her body was on plain view to him. She had opted to wear no underclothing this day, in hopes that Alex Gilroy might want to touch her, and she flushed to remember the thoughts she had had while dressing. "It seems that I am somewhat immodest, Captain Gilroy."

He nodded. "And very lovely." He gestured. "Do you have enough buttons left for modesty?"

"Perhaps, but I also have my cloak."

"Unlikely wear for a summer day, but even so, I think you must wear it. Help me up, my love, and let us see what pertains."

He winced while she assisted him to his feet, but hugged her fiercely when he was upright. He put his hand to his head and winced again.

"I fear I shall have a headache tonight."

"I think we have napkins in the basket. The stream is clear, so let me bathe your head."

"Ah, yes, the basket. Our lunch. Somehow this is no longer the idyllic place it was. Perhaps we should return home, and send Andrew to inform the watch." He grimaced. "And then perhaps consume our meal."

"In the garden!"

He laughed, and nodded. "In the garden. For now, my dear, shall we assess the button situation?"

Of the thirty buttons on her gown, sixteen were still in place. The ten at the top, which Gilroy had unfastened, and a further six, of ten, below that. The other buttons, those from the ankle to above Roxane's thigh, were gone. She fastened those she could, and looked down at herself.

"A rather immodest turn of leg, Alex, but it could so easily have been worse."

"Seated in the gig, no-one will notice, my love. Once home, among those who love you, it will not matter." He smiled. "Best don your bonnet ere we leave. Your hair is somewhat untidy, and I fear I am no lady's maid to dress it for you."

"I think we must abandon the blanket, for Scrogg has bled on it, and I want nothing of him to go with us."

"I shall cover the corpse with it. Can you describe this location for the watch?"

"I can, easily. But ere anything else, your head! I must bathe it."

A task which took little time. Roxane was gentle, but even so Gilroy winced under her touch. She patted him gently dry, and stood back.

"Apart from looking a little ruffled, I do not think you will attract too much attention, my love."

He laughed. "A comment I might also apply to you."

She pouted. "I want attention only from you."

He reached out and drew her towards him, bending to give her a fierce kiss. "And you shall have it!"

Breaking the kiss, she smiled at him. "I must return these baskets to the gig, and get our trusty charger ready to go."

"Indeed so, my love."

* * * * *

Chapter 19

It was but a short journey home, and it didn't take them long to return to the Le Tessier house. Mrs Trevelyan came hurrying out on hearing the hooves in the yard. She gasped in shock.

"Miss Roxane! I had not expected you until late afternoon. Your gown! Whatever happened?" She turned to Gilroy, and her eyes widened. "'Tis a nasty lump you're going to have on your head, Captain Gilroy." Hands on hips, Mrs Trevelyan studied them for a long moment, then nodded. "'Tis clear to me that there is no dispute between the two of you, so please, will one of you tell me what happened to get the two of you in such a state?"

"Scrogg," said Roxane. "We were just settling to our lunch, which we have still not eaten, and I fear we were paying more attention to each other than our surroundings." She blushed and Mrs Trevelyan hid a smile. "Scrogg was able to lay Captain Gilroy out with a blow from a cudgel, and was all set to rape me, and most probably kill us both, when he was done. Ever since we learned that he was still at large, I have been carrying a pistol in a pocket I fashioned in my cloak. The pistol was at hand, under the edge of the blanket we had spread to sit upon."

Mrs Trevelyan was all attention. "Do go on, Miss Roxane. Whatever happened?"

Roxane flushed. "Well, Scrogg was distracted when he ripped open my gown, and I was able to get the pistol. I shot him. In the eye." And she burst into tears.

Mrs Trevelyan was instant concern. "Captain, will you hitch the horse to that ring. We'll attend to him in a moment. Miss Roxane, come away indoors. Captain, we'll be in the kitchen." She put her arm around Roxane's shoulders and led her away.