Sitting in front of her large dressing table mirror Lady Jessica Croft sat brushing out her now greying hair. A photograph of her only child sat in an ornate silver frame, her eyes had seemed so bright when it had been taken and her skin gave off a radiant glow. She had looked so different when she had seen her that morning. Reaching out with a elegant hand Lady Croft touched the glass on the frame and sighed. She had let her daughter down and wasn't sure what had happened but knew that the Farringdon family were a dishonest group. She desperately wanted to see Lara and say sorry for not standing up for her and ask her what had happened but her every move was watched by her bodyguard. Her husband was a very powerful and influential man and many times an attempt on both his and her lives had been made. She had the choice of whether to have a bodyguard or not but felt safer having one, unlike Lara who was surrounded by so many people all the time. Her bodyguard had to report back to Lord Henshingly every night about what had been happening that day so even a phone call to Lara would have been impossible.
Opening the solid oak door to the bedroom he shared with his wife, Henshingly dismissed her bodyguard and walked in. Removing his red velvet smoking jacket and placing it inside the closet he walked over to where his wife sat and noticed the look of sadness on her face.
"What is troubling you? Everything is alright now." He said to her calmly leaning over to see what she was looking at.
"Nothing troubles me." She lied to him, it was a habit she had picked up and had become very good at it. He noted she was looking at Lara's picture.
"You are thinking about her aren't you?" he asked, his voice still calm.
"Who?" Jessica asked.
"Her!" he pointed at Lara's picture.
"I can't help but think about her, she is our daughter and it…" she started to say.
"No daughter of mine could cause so much trouble. How I am going to face the Farringdon's at the party tomorrow is beyond me." He growled while undoing his embroidered waistcoat, his back turned to his wife.
"Is that all you are concerned about? Did you not see the state Lara was in today. I know what she did was wrong but nobody deserves that."
"Of course I saw what she was like. I think she was more shocked at the fact she had been caught. I have no sympathy for the girl. She has brought all this upon herself."
"I can see why you would think that but there is something I don't like about James. He didn't seem the type to attack someone so savagely."
"It's nothing more than what she deserved." Henshingly shrugged off his wife's concern. She turned to face him.
"How could you say that? That is your only child we are on about here." She shouted at him. He then turned to look his wife in the face.
"Are you raising your voice to me?" he asked his face full of anger. Jessica backed down immediately.
"No, I wouldn't…" she whimpered.
"I think you were, you know what happens when you act up to me Jessica." He walked slowly and menacingly toward her, she got off of her stool and stepped backwards.
"I didn't mean to." Her voice filled with fear.
"I warned you before!" He grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her at the hard wooden dressing table, she hit the edge of it with her head causing a loud bang. The door to the room flew open and her bodyguard was there gun at the ready to protect her. Seeing only her and The Lord he put the gun to ease.
"Forgive me, I heard a noise and came to see what the trouble was about." He said in his deep voice. Training had always taught him to only see what his employer wanted him to see.
"At ease David, my wife just tripped on the rug and fell and hit her head on the dresser. She can be very clumsy at times." Henshingly said to him as he helped his wife to her feet. "There is nothing to worry about. You may go." With that David left the room closing the door behind him. Henshingly looked at his wife and with the same cruel smile that James had given Lara earlier he said to her. "Keep to that story, it would be a shame for you to have yet another accident wouldn't it? Oh and stay here tomorrow, we can't have the Farringdons at the party thinking that you got injured. I'll make your excuses." With that he went out of the room and shut the door on his bleeding wife.