Bound

Chapter Eleven

I sat up in bed, too sore to lie down. It had been two weeks since James' beating and I had still not fully recovered. The welts had mostly healed, but my backside was bruised, so tender to the touch that I lost my breath if I moved too quickly. James hadn't apologized for his outburst, nor did I expect him to. The closest thing to remorse he'd shown was his creased forehead when he saw the marks across my skin during our marital undertakings. The injuries hadn't thwarted James from finishing the task once it began. I shivered at the reminder.

With a sigh, I climbed out of bed, sucking in air at the movement. The idea of remaining cooped up in the house for any longer was suffocating, so I dressed in a thin overcoat and made my way downstairs toward the kitchen. I opened the door and stepped out onto the terrace, inhaling the fresh nighttime air, filled with the smell of gardenia and Pearl. I smiled as I breathed in the aromas, already feeling a little better.

Despite my pain, I made my way around the gardens, allowing the soothing smells to relax me. Without really thinking about where I was walking, I realized that I was near the barn. My heart leaped with joy when I thought about Pearl. I hadn't seen her since before my whipping.

I slid open the barn door and walked inside slowly, careful not to jostle my injuries. The building was eerie in the darkness, and it took my eyes a moment to adjust. Pearl's white hair glistened in the moonlight that streamed into the barn through the cracks in the barn. It was so bright, it would be hard to miss her, even in the middle of the night. Her fur nearly glowed in the dark, a welcoming beacon of light in the darkness that encompassed my life.

Pearl curled her lip up in anticipation when she saw me, a happy whinny resonating from between her giant teeth.

"Hey, girl," I said, nuzzling her shoulder. She touched the tip of her nose to my cheek. "I know. I missed you too."

I wished that I could ride her, but with my injuries, I doubted that I could even climb into the saddle, let alone handle the jostling of her galloping. Regardless, it did my heart good to see her. She and Ruby were the only respite I felt in Moberly Manor.

I smiled when I thought of Ruby and the bond we were slowly forming. Over the last several days, she had started opening up more and more, her fear of punishment in my presence dwindling. We were brought together by our shared experiences of hatred and cruelty, clinging to one another as the only good thing in the Manor. She was quickly becoming a friend to me, and I to her, in a world where friends were hard to come by.

I spent the next several hours feeding Pearl sugar cubes, brushing her hair, and braiding wildflowers into her mane, feeling more relaxed than I had since before my doctor's appointment. I wanted to stay with Pearl longer and bask in the tranquility that I felt when I was in her presence, but the darkness was beginning to fade and light glowed from the eastern sky. Everyone would be awake soon, and if they discovered I was missing, it wouldn't help my already delicate situation. No matter how much I dreaded it, I had to return to the house.

I wrapped my arms around Pearl's powerful neck and let out a deep sigh. "I'll come back as soon as I can. I promise." She neighed in response.

Closing the barn door behind me, I fought the pull that drew me back toward the barn, the urge to stay by Pearl's side, and begrudgingly made my way up the hill toward the main house. The journey felt ominous, as though I were a prisoner on death row being taken to my execution.

I walked through the garden and onto the terrace, sliding open the kitchen door as slowly and quietly as I could manage. I tiptoed through the house and toward the staircase, feeling a sense of relief that I had almost made it back to my room undetected, when a light in the living clicked on.