Not an issue, Rose thought as she watched his carriage rolling down the street. She was sitting by her bedroom window, looking out at the world outside. It seemed indifferent to the fact the devil himself was about to enter her abode. That look in his eyes, that inhuman coldness to him when he had whispered to her in the office, there was something about it that chilled her blood. He had suddenly become a man impervious to debate, invulnerable to tantrums, to shouting, to tears. He had the look of a man who would get his way with the use of brute force alone. The look in his eyes had terrified her.

The entire situation was farcical, of course. He had a playroom and he’d used it to distract her, a sleight of hand whilst he got her parents on his side. All of this was his doing. For some reason he wanted to spend time with her. Not an issue, she thought again. He would soon change his mind after he saw what she had planned for him. No matter how threatening he might be, he would not dare to strike her in her own home, in front of her servants and her parents. He would be up at the Assizes soon enough and he could explain to the magistrate why he thought it was acceptable to strike a woman of means.

The carriage came to a halt outside the house and out he came, marching straight up to the front door. The sound of the bell echoed up to Rose and she made her way downstairs moments later, ready to put her plan into action. It was simple enough. Misbehave until he could stand it no more. Teach her parents a lesson in trying to get round her.

It wasn’t even the fact that her parents had hired a tutor that irritated her so much. It was that they thought they knew what was best for her. Why couldn’t they leave her alone?

“Good evening, Mr. Winter.”

Titus’s voice reached her even before she saw him. By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs, he was being ushered into the drawing room by her father. Well, it was like that was it? The men getting together to decide her fate. They’d soon learn that she could not be so easily tamed.

Spinning on her heels, Rose ran back up to her room, muttering to herself as she went. “I see no reason to stay here any longer. There is no love here for me.” The idea had not occurred to her until she heard his voice downstairs but then it came to her mind as clearly formed as if it had always been there. Run away, it said. Just pack a bag and go. They’ll be so upset that by the time you come back, they’ll agree to anything you ask. They might even give you your own carriage. Wouldn’t that be something?

The idea of misbehaving to send him away had been a good one but whenever she thought about that look in his eyes back in his office, it made her wonder. It was one thing to think of him being taken away by the law but before that, he might strike her, he might do anything to her. Her mind flashed back to the park, to Jonathan on top of her. She shuddered at the thought of Titus doing such an awful thing.

She grabbed a case from under her bed, laying it out on the floor and cramming underwear into it with fumbling fingers. She felt certain if she did not leave at once, something would happen to her, something she would not be able to control. The thought filled her with dread. Pulling open another drawer, she reached in and pulled out one pair of stockings after another.

“Going somewhere?” a voice said from the doorway.

Rose yelped in shock, dropping the stockings and spinning round to find Titus standing on the landing, his arms folded. “What are you doing here?” she asked as he walked slowly towards her. “Get out of my room.”

“If you’re planning to escape by the window, you might want to avoid the park.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“You don’t remember me, do you? Did you also forget to wash the grass stains out of your dress?”

“You? You’re the man from the park, the man who saved me from Jonathan.”

“I am indeed. Thought I should pop up here so we could get to know each other a little better.” He pushed the door closed behind him. “Seeing as we’re going to be spending the next week together.”

“We are not,” Rose replied, anger rising up in her. “I will not spend another minute in your presence. Now get out of my way.” She picked up the case and began dragging it across the floor.

“No,” Titus said, blocking the door.

“No? What do you mean no? Get out of my way at once.”

“Put down the case and sit on that chair.”

“I will not.”

As she looked at him, his face changed, the smile faded and there was that coldness again, that brute animal look to him that had so scared her before. She staggered back without realising she was moving.

“Now,” he said, his voice devoid of emotion.

Rose sat, her hands under her legs to keep them from shaking. She looked up at Titus as he stalked towards her, looking like a lion about to pounce on a gazelle, not for food, just for fun, just because he could.

“I am going to spend a week turning you from a spoilt little girl into a fine lady fit for marriage.” As he spoke he pointed a finger towards her. “You are going to behave. You are going to do everything I say. If you don’t, there will be consequences like you have never known before in your life.”

“You don’t scare me,” Rose said in a croaky whisper.

“I think I do,” he said, an icy smile spreading across his lips. “Stay there whilst I talk to your parents. There is something they must know before I begin. If you move from that chair, I will know about it.”

Rose waited until he was gone before taking several deep breaths, fanning her face with her hand. He was the man from the park. He was probably telling her parents exactly what he saw that night. She could not stay home a moment longer.

She looked at her case. It was too large to carry down with her. She would have to survive on her wits. Pushing open the window, she slung her leg over the sill, taking hold of the drainpipe and beginning to shimmy down to the ground. “Goodbye house,” she said quietly as she went. “And good riddance to Titus Burlingham.”