How to be a Housemaid

Chapter Fifteen

"No! I will not allow it!" Mr. Elliot Ashton's face was beet red, and he was seething with anger. It was an ugly sight.

Theodore gripped Millicent's hand. "It is not your decision to make, father. I choose to marry Millicent. She was a guest at the ball, so she was eligible to be chosen."

"You do not know of Millicent's background, then? And yes, Miss Millicent I know about your past. I have done my fair share of digging around." His father admitted, starting to calm down. He settled back into his chair. "You will not wish to marry her once you know the truth. Go on, Miss Millicent, tell him what he does not know."

He could feel Millicent shaking beside him, as if she were about to fall apart at the seams. He turned to Millicent, confusion on his face. "Whatever Millicent has to tell me, she will do in her own time, I am sure. Nothing could change my mind on this decision."

"Theodore...maybe we should talk." Millicent pulled her hand away from him. "Could we go somewhere more private? Please?"

Theodore nodded and followed her from the room. He felt worried. What could his father be speaking of? He already knew of her abusive past with Andrew, but what could be worse? Millicent slipped into the library, locking the doors behind them. Her shaky hand gestured to the pair of chairs near the fireplace. "Have a seat, please."

"Millie..."

She lifted her hand, silencing him. "Please. Do not speak until I am finished. This is going to be hard enough as it is." She sighed and took a seat on the chair, her shoulders tense. Theodore leaned forward, reaching for her hand. She rubbed her thumb over his fingers in silence for a long moment. "A long time ago, when I was still engaged to Andrew....you know about how he abused me. He used to hit me when he got mad because I didn't agree with him. I told you that he made threats to me. They weren't lies though, the things he was planning to spread around. They had actually happened. Theodore, you should know that I'm not..."

Her words got caught in her throat. Millicent shook her head, tears falling down her face. She whispered. "It wasn't even my fault. I was forced into it. He said he would...."

Theodore brushed away her tears with his thumb, but she pulled away as if it burn her. "Love, what is it? What happened?" He could tell this was incredibly difficult for her.

"He blackmailed me, Theodore. You have to know that first. Andrew said he would kill my father if I didn't do what he asked of me." Millicent covered her eyes with her free hand, as if where to painful to look at him.

"And what was that?" Theodore prodded.

Millicent looked up with at him, the words dying on her lips. But he could see it in her eyes, the horrible truth she had been hiding from him. That horrible man had forced Millicent to sleep with him. He was going to kill her father if she didn't do what he had asked. And she had been carrying around the weight of this shame and painful memories on her shoulders.

"I had no idea..." Theodore said quietly, looking at his shoes. What was he supposed to say?

"And so..." She took a shaky breath. "That is why I cannot marry you. I'm so sorry, Theodore."

The words remained stuck in his throat. He didn't know how to react. The shock of this news...it was a big blow. Millicent was sitting in the chair, sobbing. She hiccuped a couple of times, her eyes red and puffy. And he felt horrible. She had been put through so much pain, and yet she was strong. He could see she had grown stronger from these experiences. It made him want to comfort her and love her. So why wasn't he able to reach out to her and tell her it was alright? Why did he feel like that was wrong?

"You don't have to say anything, Theodore. I know this is a shock. I'm disgusting, really." Millicent hugged herself. She stood up. "I'll pack and leave by morning."

Theodore didn't have the heart to stop her. If they went on with this relationship, someone was going to get hurt. And he only ever wanted to see Millicent happy. So he let her go.

Copyright © 2016 by Rosanna Parker

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