CHAPTER EIGHT
NICHOLAS
I watch the girls file into the room. Those to be sold are led to the stage while the ones I chose to keep, for now, are being ushered to seats and told to sit. I watch them. Elizabeth’s her usual confident self and flashes a seductive smile in my direction when she walks in. Amelia’s barely holding it together — she seems like she’s a zombie. Victoria’s quieter than usual. I think I’m getting used to her having a mouth on her and miss the backchat. She doesn’t curse the guard who pushes her down on the chair, and I notice she’s walking a little stiffly. She struggled a lot this morning. Her muscles must be hurting from the exertion. She needs to learn to go with what’s happening here. Nothing can change the future.
“Welcome back, gentlemen.” My father starts proceedings with his confident address. The room instantly silences, and we all focus our attention on him. “Let’s get straight down to business. We have two ladies here, Lady Joanna Nethercutt and Daphne Knight. I’m going to start with Miss Knight. Daphne step forward please.”
The small brunette does as she’s told — her eyes are red-rimmed with tears. What is it with all these women and tears? Why don’t they just accept what’s happening and get on with it? None of us have a choice in this farce. At least they’ll have a roof over their head at the end of it. There are plenty of people on the streets of England who have nothing. That’s what we all fear, after all, nothing — no life, no wealth, no love. I snort at the last one. Oakfield Hall has never had any love within its walls.
I look over at Victoria again. I can see her cheeks are flushed red — she’s getting angry. I find myself wanting her to scream and shout and interrupt the proceedings. I like her spirit. She must feel me watching her because she turns her attention in my direction. She rolls her eyes in derision. I smirk, and she focuses back on the sale.
“Daphne’s an accomplished musician. She plays a variety of instruments including the piano, violin, and harp. She's been privately educated to a high standard and particularly enjoys reading classics. She’d make a good governess and tutor for the next generation of our society.” My father pauses and Laird McGuire, a despicable man from the Scottish Borders, calls out.
“Enough with the tedious facts. What aboot the interesting ones. How big are her boobs? I’m assuming ye've checked she's a virgin. A dinnae want sloppy seconds from yer son.”
“Laird McGuire, I can assure you that she's been checked and is innocent. Her vital statistics are in the pack, which you were handed on arrival.” My father doesn’t like this man. In fact, he has a thing against most Scots. He believes them brutish and uncouth. I hear him often chastising my ancestors for allowing them into the society. Thankfully, Laird McGuire and Laird McDonald, who is also loud but less of an oaf, are the only two of Scottish origin.
“A bet she takes a good whipping. Her skin is pasty white. Will color red in a matter o’ moments. A think I'll be bidding on this one. Get ma cock up her ass within the hour and fuck her senseless.”
Daphne lets out a whimpering cry at his comment, and Joanna steps forward and holds her up.
“Laird McGuire. These are ladies, not whores. Please, have some decorum if, that is, you intend to place a bid on Miss Knight. If you simply want a body to engage in sadistic acts, then my butler will provide you with a number to contact.”
“We have a right to bid on these pieces of meat. Ye canae be telling me how to treat them.” Laird McGuire is on his feet and waving his fist at my father.
“No, I can’t tell you how to treat them, but I can outbid you and see that you don’t win.”
I chuckle under my breath. My father doesn't want this girl. He doesn't care what happens to her. If he did buy her, he’d be the one fucking her up the ass within the hour. He just wants to put this man, that he hates, in his place.
“Should we continue, Your Grace.”
I step up onto the stage and link my arm around Daphne’s. Her legs are weak, and she leans on me.
“Please, don’t sell me to him,” she whispers to me.
“You'll be sold to the highest bidder, no matter who it is. Those are the rules. Accept it,” I reply heartlessly.
My father comes to stand on the other side of her, and Laird McGuire sits down with a scowl on his face.
“Shall we start at one hundred thousand?” my father offers to the crowd.
Laird McGuire puts his hand up.
“Two hundred thousand.” Comes from Earl Winters, an older man with a penchant for young girls. He’s kind though, and she’ll be treated like a princess. He has a daddy complex. Don’t get me wrong — he’ll fuck her, but she’ll be looked after.
“Three,” Lord McGuire counters.
“Four,” Winters offers in reply.
“Five,” A new voice enters the fray. I don’t recognize it at first but purse my lips in a smile when I see that it's one of my old friends, Viscount West. This just got interesting.
Lord McGuire waves his hand in defeat, and my father smirks with triumph. West must be bidding on his behalf. Fuck, the poor girl’s screwed.
“Earl Winters?” my father asks.
“Five and a half.”
“Six.” West counters right back.
“She’s not worth anything more. I’m out.” Earl Winters accepts defeat, and the hammer comes down on Daphne Knight. I can’t help feeling a little sick. If my father has anything to do with this purchase, then the girl wrapped tightly around my arm has little time left to live. There’s nothing I can do, though. I hand her over to West and go to the next girl.
Lady Joanna Nethercutt was a difficult one to give up. If Victoria hadn’t intrigued me as much as she did, then I would have chosen Joanna. She’s the prettier of the two. All I can do is pray that McGuire has learned his lesson and won’t try to bid on this one.
My father gives the same speech about the girl again. This one is again highly educated and enjoys reading. She’s also an avid motor car fan. I picture her laid out over my Ferrari. It would be a damn good sight.
“What shall we start at?”
“Two hundred.” Earl Winters puts his hand up again.
“Three hundred,” Laird McGuire replies, and I groan.
“Four.” Viscount Mayfield steps through the crowd. Victoria gasps when she sees her father.
“Five,” McGuire offers.
“Six,” Winters adds.
Victoria is shaking her head. She has tears in her eyes, now. Mayfield bidding isn’t something I’d expected. I know his wife came from my father’s ‘not chosen’ girls. I wonder if he’s continuing the tradition.
“Seven.” He stands in the center of the room with his arms folded.
“Wit that frizzy hair I’m no paying any more. Ye can have her.” McGuire gets up and stomps from the room.
“Eight.” Earl Winters comes forward to stand next to my father.
I’m on edge as to where this is going.
“One million,” Mayfield responds.
Earl Winter’s shakes his head in defeat.
“Sold to Viscount Mayfield,” my father shouts out.
Victoria gets to her feet and is running toward her father before the guards can stop her. She pulls her fist back and punches him square in the jaw.
Joanna, who has been standing quietly until this moment, screams and falls to her knees. She fears the worse.
I jump down from the stage and pull Victoria off her father. She’s swearing and shouting at him still.
“You bastard, how could you? I hate you. I want you fucking dead. If you hurt Theo, I’ll hunt you down and kill you myself.” She’s struggling in my arms. She doesn’t even realize I’m holding her. All she wants to do is scratch her father’s eyes out. She makes some ground when my dress shoes slip on the floor. I regain my footing just as she goes to pull another punch.
“Stop it,” my father shouts, but she doesn’t listen. Two other guards pull her away from me and flatten her to the ground. She’s trying to kick out, but they use their weight to keep her in place.
“Viscount Mayfield, take your purchase and go,” my father orders.
Victoria’s father looks down at where she’s being manhandled on the floor. I don’t know about his daughter wanting to punch his lights out, but I’m struggling to keep the lid on my composure. My fists are balled, but I’m not moving. I can’t.
He shakes his head.
“I thought she was brought up better than this, Your Grace. I’m embarrassed. Punish her as you see fit.” I’m walking closer to Mayfield when he speaks. I have my hands on the collar of his shirt, and I’m dragging him away.
“The Duke said leave,” I order with spit flying into his face.
“Theo,” Victoria screams from the floor.
“When she regains her composure, tell her that I’ll never hurt my son. Lady Joanna is to be his wife. It’s a family tradition — for the procreation of the next generation.”
“Get out!” I’m inches from the Viscount’s face. I have no further words for this man. He disgusts me. Violence is the only way that I can express what I feel.
“Nicholas,” my father commands me, and I step away. The Viscount and his purchase leave. The other members of the society who attended the sale also start to file out. I go to the side of the room and calm myself. I can still hear Victoria’s small whimpers for her brother.
“Well, after all that excitement, I think we need a rest before tonight,” my father addresses the two girls who are still seated. “Ladies, during your stay you have free rein of the house, except for the second floor. Those are private quarters for myself and my son. If you are caught there, you’ll be punished. Please make yourself at home. We have a society meeting tonight, and you’ll be expected to join us. I’ll have garments and instructions sent to you later. In the meantime, enjoy your day. Cooks are available for your particular diets. We have a pool in which you can swim. However, the gardens are off limits, at present. Please go.” The two ladies get to their feet and shuffle out.
“What do we do with her?” one of my father’s guards asks and points to Victoria.
“Put her in her room. She gets the same treatment as the other’s, unless Nicholas decides she needs punishment.”
I spin on my heels to face him.
“Punishment?” I question.
“If she’s to be your wife, then she should show more decorum. I’m beginning to think she doesn’t know the meaning of the word with her outbursts.”
My father’s testing me. He’s never thought me strong enough to be his heir. I’m the only option, though. He would never choose… I shake that thought from my head.
“Place her in her room and lock the door until this evening. No food.”
“Yes, Sir,” the guard replies and pulls Victoria to her feet. She purses her lips at me, and I can see the curses flashing through her brain. She’s imagining me boiling in a vat of oil. She’s imagining bringing down the whole society.
“Wait.” I stop them as they begin to pull her away.
“Make sure you remove all the books from her room. She's to think on her behavior.”
“You bastard,” she spits at me.
“Learn your lesson, little girl.”
I turn and walk away as she continues to call me names.