When I got home late that night, my father was waiting for me. I tried to run from him, but he grabbed my wrists and pulled me close. I could smell the alcohol on his breath.
"Dad, stop, you're hurting me!" He got in my face.
"Look, you...you need to...to stop coming home so late...I barred the windows. You aren't getting out of here anymore. I know you were with that boy. He's bad news, Lizzie! He is nothing but a leech!" His rant was interrupted by the town crier.
"Emily Smith missing! Mother's jewels and wedding dress gone!" I paled. Emily never so much as left her room without permission. My father gripped my throat tightly.
"You know something about this, don't you?" I shook my head as much as I could. He glared at me, then slapped me and threw me onto the floor. He left the room as I lay there, gasping for air.
The next morning, I stumbled into the hallway, wanting a glass of water to rinse the dried blood from my mouth. I heard voices from the sitting room, and paused. It was my mother and father.
"R-Richard, maybe you're being too hard on the girl...she may just be in love!" I heard a loud, resounding smack, and my mother began sobbing.
"Never in all my life have I heard something so stupid, Merriam! That girl is sneaking around behind our backs, and you're willing to defend her for love? She's probably already lost her chastity to him, anyways...I guess we have no choice." What were they talking about? My mind raced with the horrible possibilities. Were they going to kill me?
Sell me to a brothel? Or worse, marry me off?
"Y-yes, dear...I'll contact them immediately." My mother walked out of the house, not even glancing at me.
"Elizabeth! Come at once!" I shook with fear and walked as gracefully as possible into the sitting room.
"Yes, father?" He motioned for me to sit down, and I did.
"With all our searching, we still have not managed to find anyone suitable for you, my lovely little flower. We almost had one on the line, but he slipped away after the rumours started. Let me be frank, my dear. No one will want you unless he is unchaste himself." I frowned on the outside, but on the inside, I was glowing. Maybe I wouldn't have to marry at all.
"But, that leaves only one person that we know of. That ridiculous Van Dort boy." I covered my mouth. If he wasn't the one they were speaking of, then who...
"There is another, but I would never allow you to associate with Barkis Bittern again. Not after what he did to you." I tilted my head to the side. Perhaps it was best if I agreed.
"Well, father...how did you find out?" He gritted his teeth and gripped the sofa.
"He came to me and told me in vivid, horrid detail what he had done to you. He wanted to beg your hand on plea that you may be in the family way. Of course, I assured him that my daughter could not POSSIBLY be with child. My precious darling..." His voice and hands were shaking now.
"You know what I have to do. I must purge the sin from your body." I stood, frozen, as he pulled the horse crop from behind his armchair. I let out a sharp cry and tried to run. He grabbed my arm forcefully, hard enough to bruise, and his hand whipped across my face. I felt the blood trickle down my chin, my lip puffing up.
"Get your stupid arse onto the sofa." I laid on the sofa, on my stomach. This was not my first whipping. He began to hit me with it repeatedly as I screamed.
"Father, stop! Father, please!" The beating did not stop for what seemed like hours. When he was finally finished, he pointed to the wall.
"Get over there." I looked at him, confused and teary-eyed.
"I said get over there!" I quickly stumbled to the wall, facing him. He ambled towards me, and took a good hard slug into my stomach. I screamed and crumpled onto the floor.
"Get up!" I stood again, bracing myself.
"Wh-what was that for, father?" He hit me again, harder. I felt something crack.
"It was to make sure you are fully aware of the seriousness of the situation!" He ended every few words with a swift kick to my side. Someone banged on the door.
"E-excuse me? Mr. Wainscott?" My father wiped his bloody hands on his kerchief and went to answer the door. I snuck upstairs to change my dress and clean my cuts.
Soon, I heard my father's shouts from downstairs.
"What in heaven's name are you talking about?! My daughter is fine! Upstairs, sleeping!" I took the hint, and laid under my blankets, trying my best to hide my split lip. Three or four pairs of footsteps came into my room.
"See? She's sound asleep! Now leave, before you wake her!" Someone walked to the bed, and I cringed, expecting a sharp smack. Instead, someone pulled the covers from my face. I heard someone gasp.
"Mr. Wainscott. I believe your daughter will be coming with us."
I had opened my eyes to see a rather plump woman and a tall, scrawny man. They helped me out to a carriage, where I was seated quite uncomfortably next to the woman.
"Elizabeth, my name is Nell. Nell Van Dort. This is my husband, William." he stared out the window, and she smacked him in the stomach with her fan.
"Hm? Oh yes, it's a pleasure." I smiled weakly, my mouth still bloody and raw. She took off a woolen shawl and placed it around my shoulders.
"Th-thank you, Mrs. Van Dort... I don't know how I could repay you for saving me." She smiled and nudged her husband.
"There was one thing we were hoping for." I cocked an eyebrow and straightened up as best as I could with the throbbing pain in my side.
"My darling little Victor is hopeless with women. We've found him so many good ones, but they all run away. He just never shows any interest in them. You, on the other hand, seem to have snuck into his life and made off with his heart." I blinked a few times. Sure, me and Victor were good friends and all...but stealing his heart? I was too ordinary to do anything of that nature.
"So, what you're saying is..." She smiled and put her hand on mine.
"We want you to marry Victor."
In the space of five minutes, my life was turned completely upside down. My father accused me of sleeping with Barkis Bittern, he beat me to a pulp, and now I've been asked to marry my childhood friend, Victor Van Dort.
"I couldn't possibly...What about um...what about Victoria Everglott?" They looked at each other.
"She wouldn't marry the son of a fish merchant. Her parents denied us, sent us into the cold." I thought, my hand on my chin.
"Emily Smith?"
"Dead as a doornail." My eyes widened.
"No way." They both grimaced.
"Yes, she disappeared into the night with her family jewels. She's probably been murdered."
I put my hand over my mouth. Surely Miss Smith was smarter than that?
"Then what about the foreign girl, Nina Amase?" Mr. Van Dort looked like he was about to agree with me, but Nell stuck her nose in the air.
"We would never lower ourselves to her standard of living." That was...blunt. Sure, the Amases didn't really have it all, but she was a nice girl. Oh. That's why they wanted me. My money.