She wandered the streets, blind with crying on the crowded street. She was not sure which square she had landed in, only that she was not sure where to go. She must have been mistaken in her wild, incoherent state for a drunken streetwalker because the next thing she knew she was in a bed. Apparently, an officer had escorted her to the Magdalen House. She barely remembered the women there who helped her. She only remembered spending three days sitting on a cot against a barren wall with her knees drawn up, and thinking repeatedly that she had no idea how to approach the Duke of Kelfield and Lord Ashford. She was truly a whore that was all she was good for now. Life as she had known it was over. She did not even want to sing anymore.  Every time she tried she was hit with this overwhelming feeling of exposure. It was her life on the stage that did this to her, the stage which made her well known enough for this to happen. If she hadn’t been on stage, neither Baron Edgecroft, His Grace, or Ralph would have noticed her. She would have been lonely yes, but she would not have been hurt. Of course she missed His Grace and Ralph terribly, the sad fact was she wanted them back she just hoped they still wanted her. She would just wait a few days before she saw them, just until the small gashes and her face and arms to heal. If only her heart could heal that quickly.

Those few days turned into a week before the gashes on her face and arms turned into bruises and Anne was able to leave the shelter. Still not wanting to return to her apartment and having nowhere else to turn, Anne turned to her men, afraid of how they would react to her recent attack. Would they turn her away? She was no longer beautiful, probably permanently scarred from the attack, and unsure if she could ever have sex again. Could she handle having even one man, let alone two, take her in the fashion she had grown accustomed?  

Upon arriving at the Duke of Kelfield’s and Lord Ashford’s home she stopped to take in the shear size of it. The place was huge. How did she ever fit in here? With its opulent edging and doorman she was not sure how she was ever allowed in, let alone how should could possibly get in now to talk to Jake and Ralph. Taking a breath, she walked up the steps and knocked on the door, their stodgy butler answering. “Sorry we do not help vagrants here,” the man snarled out, preparing to shut the door in her face.

“Wait, if you could please just tell His Grace that Anne is here, I do not mind waiting outside,” she near shouted up at the tall man, he must be at least 6 and a half feet.

The man nodded slowly then shut the door.

Anne stepped back and continued to look at the place.

From inside she could hear the loud booming of Ralph “Really you should fire the man for even thinking about leaving the beautiful, incomparable Anne outside like this. Does he have no decorum?”

“He must have had his reasoning Ralph, lets see why before we pass judgement. She has been gone for over a week who knows what condition she is in now,” said the ever patient Jake as his voice grew the closer he got to the door.

Just then the door flew opened and Ralph and Jake were there ready to take the world by storm if need be.

Anne scrambled to make it back to the top step but their simultaneous gasp stopped her, forced her to look up.

“What happened to you, my poor dear,” Jake started just as Ralph shouted.

“Tell me who did this! I will treat them in the same poor manner they treated you.”

“It’s unimportant who did this, just that it’s done.” Anne came out saying, her voice sounding more confident than she felt. “I need a place to stay, but I understand if you do not want a non-mistress staying in your mistress house. That house should be reserved for whoever takes my place for you.”

“Do not be ridiculous.”

“Of course you cannot stay in the Mistress House,” Jake nearly snapped.

“Oh I understand, sorry for taking up your time.”

“Wait right there Anne, this is not a conversation for the front steps of our house,” Jake said grabbing her arm and dragging her with him into the entryway followed by the parlour.

“We were just talking about taking a trip to our home in Cumberland,” Ralph said.

“You will have to come with us, at least until you are healed up.” Jake finished.

“What kind of mistress would I be if I’m just there to heal and not sleep with you?” Anne said while wondering if it was even possible for them to help her without the pursuit of pleasure getting in the way.

“We can take care of women without sleeping with them,” Jake said with a pout. “Remember Ralph has a sister, we have taken care of someone else before ourselves.”

“I do not wish to be indebted to you.”

“Of course not, we wanted to give you a house for weeks now, why would it be any worse to live with us somewhere else.” Ralph said, “I will send word ahead for the house staff and we’ll head out tomorrow. In the meantime, let us head to your place and get your beautiful things.”

Anne really didn’t want to do that, but she could not leave her things behind, hopefully nothing had been stolen.

There was no real war, no cannons, and no bullets. The armies that fought were within her, fighting as though they would tear her soul apart, but she could not run. Jake and Ralph had bought those beautiful things for her and she was going to get them, no cowering in the shadows of her powerful protectors. Of course, the Baron was not even there to worry about, but she could still feel the pain of her attack, the feeling of being torn apart from the inside. It may only be a small victory but she would know she had done it, and that would be enough. They went into the apartment, the huge men barely fitting into the small space. They packed up her belongings and left the building, hopefully for the last time when she saw him. He was wearing a magenta suit and carrying that mahogany cane, causing her breath to falter. I will not run. I will not run. I will not run, she repeated the mantra in her head over and over with each step, though the sight of the mahogany cane made her want to hide, working like a force to hold her back by her consciousness like a solid wall. She refused to cower but passed, looking the monster in the eye to let him see she would no longer fear him. He might never understand the meaning, but she would know she had done it and that would be enough. It was his voice screaming in her nightmares, she thought as he let out a laugh with his friends. She was afraid--so afraid--and shaking, icy with fear down to her fingertips. She came with an ally, her hand on Jake’s arm.

“Anne--”

“It’s all right, let’s just go home,” she heard herself say as if from a distance, over the rushing of her blood in her ears. God bless Jake, he did not understand but he went with her anyway, loading her into the carriage. The two of them climbed in behind her and they took off down the street.

They arrived back at their opulent townhouse and Anne was immediately exhausted upon seeing it. She was not interested in eating or anything she just wanted to sleep. Luckily, it was almost ten, early for city hours but not ridiculous when one is tired. “Could we just go to bed?” she asked, immediately feeling foolish for assuming they did not already have plans for the evening.

“Of course, I have a suite prepared for you if you would like to change and go to sleep, it has been a long week for us as well. “ Jake confided, making Anne feel instantly guilty for putting them out and disappearing on them. She went up to her suite and changed before coming back into the hallway to say her goodnights. She was surprised to see them standing and waiting for her. “Well goodnight,” she said as she approached them down the hall. Both of their eyes darkened in arousal causing Anne to stop and clench her thighs at the sudden renewal of those carnal feelings.

“Goodnight,” Ralph said, standing there looking at her with lust in his entire body.

“Do you need anything, my dear,” Jake said, moving towards her.

“No I’m fine,” she said, turning to head back to her room.