Mr. Dawltry

July 1814

The Grimes home

Paul had just gone to do his tutoring job. Liberty was taking care of their two or three month old baby son. Like all the other Grimes boys Michael was growing the same sandy brown hair and sea green eyes. Liberty rocked the baby trying to get him to go back to sleep. He was such a noisy baby not that that was a problem for Liberty, she loved Michael and her husband Paul very much but it would be nice to have some sleep at night.

When Liberty finally got Michael to sleep and placed him in the rocking crib next to her side of the bed, she laid down in the bed as well. Her light brown hair splayed across the pillow. She took out all of the pins in her coifir and put them on her bedside table. She didn't care that she was still in her blue day dress as long as she got some rest even if it was a wink she need to sleep. She closed her plain hazel eyes.


Liberty never thought of herself pretty in the least, she had plain brown hair and plain hazel eyes. One tooth in the top row of her teeth was in front of the other. She wasn't as attractive as her two older sisters Madison or Brooke. It was her husband Paul that made her feel beautiful. Liberty smiled as she thought of her handsome husband.

Paul Grimes was a local vicar in the town of Bath, England. He was a very nice man once you got to know him. He was tall and outwardly he didn't look to muscular but he was. He wore a pair of spectacles in front of a pair of beautiful green eyes. He was in town teaching Latin to the young boys. He would be back for lunch that's when Liberty would wake up to see him for lunch. If not he would probably just pop in brush her a kiss on the cheek and then go fishing like he was known to do.

Paul may have his watch repaired but he was always late for things but Liberty was used to that by now. When he was gone Liberty would entertain herself by being the companion of Lady Elizabeth or to most people the dowager countess. She was Andrew Townson's mother, Andrew was Liberty's brother-in-law and was married to her oldest sister Brooke. On some days Liberty would teach illegitimate illiterates or has her other sister Madison would call the 'illiterate bastards' with Madison. Madison was going to be a mother soon as well.


The sisters had married their husbands because of the scandals tied to their names. Brooke Banks the oldest of the three sisters had been caught in a comprisable situation with Lord Townson ending in their marriage. Liberty had married Paul because of a rumor that had spread about a certain minister's daughter (she) had been caught forcing herself on a local vicar. Madison had just narrowly escaped the life of scandal by marrying Benjamin Collins Duke of Gateway. Not that any of the girls were complaining they loved their husbands and they were all glad they met them in the first place.

Liberty groaned on the bed as the house keeper Mrs. Siddons knocked on the door, evidently waking Michael. Liberty groaned again and rubbed her tired eyes, what could she possibly want at a time like this? The door opened and an older looking lady came in. "I'm sorry to disturb you from your nap Mrs. Grimes but a gentleman has just called for your presence. I sent him to the study to await your appearance madam." She said excitedly. Liberty looked at her confused and was ignoring her son's cries. "Who is this man?" she asked of the woman. She looked very excited about something but Liberty couldn't quite place what that something was.

"He says his name is Mr. Dawltry he wanted to see you right away." Liberty's eyes went to the clock on the wall. It was only a half hour since Paul left for his Latin lessons too early for him to be home for lunch. That can't be? Mr. Dawltry was the man that Paul had disguised himself as at the house party they went to a couple of years ago how was he home so early? Why was he referring to himself as Mr. Dawltry again when it was clear that they both loved and respected each other? She shrugged all these questions off whatever motive Paul has to dress up as Mr. Dawltry again it's probably a good one.


Leaving a crying Michael in Mrs. Siddons care Liberty went down to the study. There reading a book she found a very handsome man. He looked up at her as she entered the study. He was sharply dressed and she could see in the man's eyes the burning desire. Liberty put her hands on her hips "alright Paul what's the meaning of this? You don't need to dress up to get my attention what do you want?" The man smiled and said one word that chilled her to the bone. "You."

He came forward and forced himself on her. His lips unceremoniously came smashing on hers. Liberty could tell by the taste of this man's lips it wasn't her husband. She looked at this stranger horrified and finally looked at his eyes. They weren't sea green like his they were a darker shade of green and he had naturally black hair. Liberty tried pushing the man off her but every time she did his hold on her shoulders became harder and soon pain shot through her.

He broke the kiss first and smiled at her. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." His voice ragged and deep. His voice was a smooth as silk as he said it though and Liberty still tried as she might couldn't budge from this man's embrace. She looked at him horrified "who are you?" the man's smiled twisted coldly and he held his hands held her waist. "A secret admirer, a man that's been madly in love with you since I laid eyes on you." He placed a tender kiss on her lips and softened his kiss.

She stopped "I can't I'm married I don't want to be unfaithful to him. I love him." He quieted her protests with yet more kisses and led her to the setee. He wasn't giving her any other choice but to have sex with him and when he was done he would leave satisfied. Knowing what this man was about to do Liberty thrashed even harder underneath him as he rhythmically moved his hips. The man put a hand over her mouth to muffle her screams and protest. He looked down at her with a satisfied smiled "you want to know who I really am?" Liberty nodded under him and he leaned his head closer to her ear so he could say his real name. "Samuel Grimes."


Liberty's heart stopped dead. This was the same man who had fathered fourteen illegitimate children at one point and Liberty thought it was Paul who had fathered all of them. What was he doing here? What could he possibly want with her? What was she going to tell Paul the next time he saw him? Shame fell over her as he raped her. A few moments he got off of her and she punched him right in the face. "Why the hell did you do that!" she screeched at him.

"I needed to get back at my brother somehow. I thought I would try his light skirt wife on for size." Liberty's heart sped up and hardened at the same time. He smiled wickedly and pulled out a pocket watch. He began to wave it gently back and forth in front of her very slowly. "Follow this watch." He said soothingly passing it in front of her a couple of times. Liberty looked to the door hoping that Paul would burst through the door at any moment and remove his brother from her sight.

Not so gently Sam took her chin and turned her face to force her to watch the clock. Before she knew it her eyes were watching the clock pas by with slow hypnotic passes. "You are getting very sleepy" Sam's voice said just above a whisper. Liberty's eye lids felt heavy all of a sudden. "Your eyes are getting heavy and when I count to three you will have fallen asleep. One…two…three." He snapped his fingers and in a heap on the setee Liberty fell asleep. Sam put his mouth to ear and gave one more instruction. "When your husband comes back you will wake up. After spending lunch with him you're going to go to your sister's. After about a week you will go search me out." With that Sam left.


I hope you like it this is the first time I've attempted writing about a book I like. If no one's heard of Liberty for Paul they should read it! it is a great love story if you're into that sort of thing :)