Caroline had taken special care with her appearance that day. Lord Lockwood and offered to escort her on a picnic, and she was desperate to learn more about the man she was to marry. The last few weeks, she had seen little of him as he came only to visit with her father and settle on the negotiations. Her mother and her focused on the wedding, pretending for all the world that it was to be a joyous occasion that should be celebrated across the lands.
Lord Lockwood arrived at the appointed time, and she promptly descended the stairs to meet him. A cloak was tucked around her shoulders by a servant and then she was smoothly ushered out the door. Minutes passed and silence reigned between the couple as she struggled to marshal her thoughts. They walked the short distance to one of her father's fields, the grass slightly wet and soaking the thin fabric of her thin slippers.
"Lord Lockwood?" She began, lifting the hems of her gown slightly to keep them away from the wet grass and out of the way of her feet. "May I ask what caused you to go into negotiations with my father for my hand?"
"Your family has a jewel when it comes to land. I wish to take over the piece bordering my own land and expand." A seed of disappointment rooted inside of her. For a moment, she had rather hoped that she had been the desirable aspect of the arrangement. Had her father truly been so eager to be rid of his daughter that she had simply been thrown in to sweeten the deal?
"Could not you have simply purchased it from my father?" She asked. His gaze hardened.
"I am in need of a wife to give me a son and heir. You will do as well as any other. I have paid handsomely for you." Abruptly, she came to a stop. Surely she was worth more than this?
"I beg your pardon, sir?" She said in a shrill voice. "I am not a prize mare to be bought and sold at will!" She turned on her heel, her skirts swishing about her legs as she went. His hand shot out, painfully grasping her forearm.
"I have purchased you therefore you are mine and you will do as I say! I have no need for a strong-willed wife and best you remember that. That land will be mine, even if marrying you is the only way I can get it, but I will not tolerate your opinions on the matter."
As if she were a misbehaving child, Lord Lockwood had presented her back to her father, obviously displeased with her outburst, and the result had seen her locked away in her room that night without supper. Morosely, she curled up on her bed, pillowing her head on her hand and remembering all that her father had said to her before locking her door. A wife, a good one at the least, was meek and mild tempered. She did not question her husband, nor undermine him in any way. She gave generously and expected nothing in return. In Caroline's mind, that translated into nothing more than being a title servant, leaving her torn between the instinctual desire to please her father, who seemed determined to fix her, as if her independent will was shameful, and the conflicting need to save herself from her gloomy fate. Her arm still ached from where Lord Lockwood had grasped it, even leaving smudges of bruises in the shape of his fingers.
The lock on her door clicked, and her father stepped into the room with a wary glint to his eyes. He murmured her name, but the syllables were loaded with reproach as he took in her depressed state. "A lady does not laze around on her bed feeling sorry for herself." He said. Wearily, she pulled herself into a sitting position.
"Papa, I do not believe I am ready to marry." There. She had finally said it.
"Many girls your age are already married and carrying children." He replied reasonably.
"But Lord Lockwood. He is determined only to possess land, not my heart."
"Some women would be pleased to discover that their husband had no interest in them. It leaves them to pursue their own interests, such as gardening or reading. I am sure Lord Lockwood would not object if you wished to put in a garden on the estate."
"Papa, you know as well as I that gardening never held any allure to me." She rolled her eyes, causing him to frown.
"This is why your bridegroom was displeased. You insolence and ill-manners."
"I cannot change who I am." She replied quietly.
"You can. You just have to want to. What man would want a wife such as you?" She gasped in shock and hurt. "Perhaps a man such as Lord Lockwood will do you go, and finally teach you where I have failed to do so. We have spoiled you too much!"
"Please. I have no wish to marry him. Choose another man and him I will obey for the rest of my life, but not Lord Lockwood." For somehow, she was sure that she had seen an evil in him that would haunt her for the rest of their married life. He was a harsh man with no regards to her. A future with him was a frightening aspect.
"You will marry Lord Lockwood and that is final. Your engagement has already been announced and he has requested that the ceremony be moved up and take place in three days time."
"But that is my birthday!" She retorted. "You would sell me off on the night of my 18th year?"
"On the night of your 18th year, I wash my hands of you and hope that he may better prepare you for the next 18 years. We shall look for an improvement in your attitude then." He strode out of the room, leaving the door ajar in his haste to be parted from her presence. The urge to cry at the unfairness of it all struck Caroline. She had barely even begun to see life and here it was being snatched away from her. Cautiously, she made her way off the bed and clasped a cloak around her shoulders. This would simply not do. She was determined to see more of the world before allowing herself to be trapped by it.
Escaping the estate was fairly easy. She left all that she possessed behind, realizing that it all truly belonged to her father as he believed she did as well. The forest loomed before her, and she weaved her way through the trees. Heading south, the trees would conceal her from view of the road, and before long, she had passed out of the Forbes' land and into another lord's. The lord was a mystery to her, never being seen in public. It was well known that his lands flourished under his watchful eye, so she concluded that he was an old man who had years of experience to guide him. No one knew of any heir, for no one knew of any wife to produce one. Wandering through his trees in his forest caused her to ponder the elusive man, and pray that no hunters would be searching the forest that day. If she were found, she would only be returned to her father once again, and she planned to escape her destiny and run to a place they would never find her, somewhere she could be happy and protected.
A twig cracked somewhere near her and she smothered a scream. Perhaps she was paranoid, for surely no one had discovered her missing yet. Night was just now dissolving into daylight. True, she had been gone for hours, but everyone would think her still sulking in her room, wishing to keep to herself. Her poor mother would be heartbroken to discover her gone, but Caroline felt in her heart that she would truly understand that this was the best course of action left open to her.
"Don't you know not to go wandering the woods at night?" A female voice hissed. Caroline glanced sharply around for the owner of the voice, surprised to find that it belonged to a rather pretty girl of her same age. The girl had straight blonde hair that she had braided over one shoulder and eyes the color of the sea. Freckles sprinkled across her nose added an innocent charm that the coy smile playing around her lips soon eradicated.
"I'm sorry." Caroline gushed, her natural instinct warning her to fear this other girl. "I was just passing through."
"At this hour? Well, no one is in these woods except for two reasons. You are either a spy or you are running from something." She smirked when she saw the way her words hit home. "Judging by the quality of your gown, you are a noble woman. Who could you be escaping I wonder?" She strolled closer and Caroline decided honesty was her only hope.
"My father." She replied quietly, staring her straight in the eye, surprised when the other girl was momentarily stunned.
"You too must escape your parent." She mumbled, almost to herself, then to Caroline, "You know that if my family were to know that another noble had entered into our lands, they would do the honorable thing and return you."
"Oh no! Please. I am begging you. I cannot go back."
"Poor thing." She tucked a strand of escaped hair back behind Caroline's ear. "I have an idea. Return to my manor with me. We will inform my brother that I have found myself a new lady's maid. You will become my servant and I will not return you to your father. My family can protect you, but they must never know the truth of who you are." A servant? Caroline swallowed, her heart picking up its pace. The girl's eyes widened a bit as if she were struggling to control something. Truly, she had no choice if she wished to escape marriage with Lord Lockwood.
"Very well." She whispered.
"Come then." The girl turned as if bored and began the march back through the forest. "By the way, you may call me Lady Rebecca."
"I am Caroline." She replied and they exchanged regal nods as they introduced themselves.