This is just a little bit of a story that I am working on, it's still in the editing stages.
Executioner Mountain
Baylee was tossed into a filthy cell, with only bits of old moldy straw, the last inhabitants leaving feces and urine behind. Wrapping herself up with the worn top layer of her dress to keep her warm. She could feel the dry blood on her cheekbone, where the young lord had hit her out when she refused to give him her body. She had defended herself with the only weapon she had at the time: the chunk of broken glass from the vase that had clattered to ground moments before. She struck and found her mark, his face.
The young Lord now possessed a nice long gash over his right side of his face from his eye down to the corner of his mouth. She was restrained than by the guards, while the young Lord spat at her. “Wench!” He yelled, and with a fist of furry, he slapped her face, the rings on his fingers connecting with bone and ripping her flesh. Blood dripped down onto the ornate rug at her bare feet. Her dress torn at the chest from his earlier attempt to remove her from clothing laid open to reveal the thin shift underneath. The lord came up and yank and a handful of her long hair and forced her face up, she could feel his hot breath and wanted to vomit. Glaring at her with rage filled eyes. “ you are not worth it. “ he spat. “ take her below she will be leaving with the rest of the criminals to the Black Tower at the end of the week.” One of the servants handed him a clean cloth to clot the blood on his face. “I feel that Mr. Blanchard and I can come up to a new arrangement to pay off your debt, perhaps your younger sister can take your place.”
Forced to now endure the confinements of the dank cell, with the fear of you little sister safety. She never meant for this to happen, she had hoped to fly under the Lord's eye and bid her time here at the plantation. Her sister Lily (half-sister) was sweet and innocent, having nothing to do with their father crimes. Crimes which, were false!
Earlier that day her younger sister Lilly visited her with news of hope and freedom. Baylee was working in the gardens that morning, gathering fresh flowers and herbs for the house when she noticed the young brown haired boy that belongs to one of the cooks. He would bring her and the others water. " Miss, there is someone here to see you, she's out in the courtyard." He flashed her a big smile. Brushing a bright red apple on his shirt sleeve. " She gave me this if I promise to get you quickly."
Excited for new from home Baylee ran to the courtyard. There out in the courtyard awaited her sweet doe-eyed sister Lilly, she was wearing a lavender dress and left her long curly hair half down. Lilly turned in her direction at the sound of her name and greeted her with a warm smile and tears. Baylee didn't get a chance to say goodbye to her sister, but nothing could stop Lilly when she wanted something. No doubt she would find a way to come and visit.
“ I have news that I could not send in writing. Jacob one of fathers captains approached me yesterday.” Not wanting to be overheard Baylee hushed her sister and rushed her over to the cover a large oak tree.
“ He comes with the promise to prove our father's innocents and set you free.” Lilly urgently spoke. Baylee heart lept with this great news, but worry soon crossed her mind. Who else knew of this? She was positive if Thomas knew, this information would never reach important ears.
“ Does anyone else know of Jacob visit?”
Lilly leans her head forward until her forehead touched hers.
“ No, I don’t believe so. He came looking for you and found me. Sara was busy inside going through fathers possessions, fetching anything that might be any value.” Lilly frown at that comment it worried her. Sara and Thomas were looking for any information that could prove her or her fathers innocence.
“What did Jacob know of the situation?” she inquired.
“He has proof that it was one of Thomas men that ran off with Thomas merchandise. Jacob believes that it was a man under Thomas orders that killed our father also. It wasn’t father that took the loan from Lord Grayson, but Thomas.”
This was bad news, and if anyone gets knowledge of this beforehand, not only her but Lilly and Jacob life were at risk. Thomas was the one with the large debt to Lord Grayson, not having the merchandise to sell and pay the loan off, he found a way to make her father take the blame and with him gone the debt fell to the oldest, which was her. Thomas couldn’t be attached to her name without dragging his down too. So he found a way to call off their engagement and let her take the blame. She learned all lot about Thomas true character in the past few weeks that she hadn't known prior to their engagement. What she didn't understand was what Sara to gain from it all?
Lilly quickly pulled out two items from her pocket one was a letter and the other a small book.“ Jacob gave me this letter and said it was for your eyes only.”
The letter had the official seal of her father brand an anchor intertwined with a lily. She carefully broke the seal and unfolded the letter.
The letter was written in her father’s hand, it was his will, naming all of his ships to her. The letter was signed and witness. Lilly quickly tucked the small book into her hands.
“ I took this before Sara could toss it in the fire. I found this among your mother's things.”
Baylee gathered up her skirts to tuck the items into the hidden pocket she had sewn into the under layers o her shift. It was a very clever way of hiding money from Sara, who was ever spending it on things that didn’t matter.
That was this morning, much had changed in a matter of hours. Wiping away her tears, now her hope of proven hers and her fathers' innocence laid dead by Lord Grayson hands.
