The morning had never come quicker to Lara, the hours before finding sanctuary with Hillary had dragged to the point she had convinced herself that time had stopped. Now she wished it had. Hillary had stayed up all night just watching her, making sure that she would sleep undisturbed, the day ahead would not be a good one for her and if James was to make good on his promise of telling her parents then she would need all the rest she could get. Although her sleep was broken with visions and nightmares she did at least manage a few hours of rest.
Running water was heard from Hillary's en-suite bathroom and a masculine scent of aftershave gently wafted on the warm breeze already coming in from the opened window. Comforted by the smell that she knew belonged to Hillary, Lara got out of the cotton sheeted bed and walked over to where he stood preparing a bath for her. He looked up and noted the bruising on her body had become far more noticeable as the swelling had gone down but she looked tougher than the night before. Standing in front of him wearing the now creased shirt that he had worn the night before she had an almost Amazonian look about her, still incredibly beautiful but with that hint of danger that exuded from her wounds. He knew that night had changed her, but by how much he was still not sure.
"I'm afraid that I do not have any of the rose scented bath crystals that you normally use Milady, so you will have to make do with my Mr Matey bubble bath that Bryce got me." Hillary said to her, drawing a smile on her face.
"That's fine Hillary; I just wish Bryce would use some of that himself." She answered him this time getting a smile from Hillary. It reassured him knowing that at least her sense of humour was still intact.
"I took the liberty of getting you an outfit from your room, you can hardly go to breakfast wearing my old shirt now can you?" He asked.
"No, I suppose not, after all James already thinks I have betrayed him, me wearing this would not support his theory at all would it? What was his comment he made? Oh yes, that I was the Scarlett O'Hara of the aristocracy and that no man could resist me." She hung her head as her voice broke while saying the last few words. "I didn't ask for this Hilly, I do care for James and wanted to make my parents proud, I know father wanted a son ideally to carry on the 'Croft' legacy, but I really thought I could make him proud." A tear meandered it's way down her face, Hillary walked over and took her into his arms.
"There are other ways you can make him proud Lara, he knows you want to go into the family business. The marriage wasn't everything."
"But yes it was." Lara started sobbing into Hillary's suit. "This was the only thing that I could do to prove to him that I could do my part, who is going to listen to me at board meetings? I don't have the power that my father does."
"And getting married was your way of gaining power?"
"No, it was my way of increasing fathers. The Farringdons are one of the most powerful family's in Britain if I married James we double what we have. Without that what can I offer?"
Hillary lifted Lara's chin to look her in the eyes. "Lara, this is not you talking, this is your father. I know that you don't want to get married, James was introduced to you for this reason and no other. You said you care for him but you have never said you loved him. You cannot have a marriage based on just a smart match!"
"It worked for my parents Hilly, it's been a tradition for years."
"Then maybe you should be the one to break that tradition." Hillary smiled at her. What he was saying made sense but at the same time she risked losing everything. "get into the bath and relax for a bit, I had better go and make breakfast for Lord Farringdon, I will lock the door and post the key back through to you, and don't worry everything will be fine." He gave her a warm smile and left the room leaving Lara to contemplate her future.
After her bath Lara decided that what Hillary had said was right. If she could get to her parents before James could she might be able to explain that she didn't want to get married and that when she had told James this he went into a rage and hit her. It seemed the perfect cover, explaining the bruises she had and why James would be angry. After all they would believe her over him wouldn't they. Brushing her hair back she smiled to herself at her plan and unlocking the door to Hillary's room she tentatively began her decent down the stairs, not expecting what she was going to see.