Forced to Love
Chapter 3
When Annabell woke up, she was still lying on the cold stone floor in the kitchen. Carefully she started to move her limbs to be sure nothing was broken. A terrible pain shot through her back as she started to move, it was like a raging fire was burning her. She let out a quiet sob as she got to her feet, but she let no tears escape.
As her head cleared, she started remember what had happened last night. Her father was home! Scared she looked around; he could be there in the very moment. As she looked around the kitchen, she noticed that neither Barlow nor the food was there. She turned around and went to her bedroom.
Once it had been one of the great bedrooms on the western side of the castle, with large windows and a balcony. Now she was sleeping in a small room beside the kitchen. It was the only room the warmth from the stove in the kitchen would reach.
She took of her dress and looked at her back in a small, dirty mirror. Her whole back were covered in wounds, they went in all directions, some new and fresh other old and starting to heal. She tried her best to clean the wounds, but they were hard to reach, so in the end she just gave up.
When she entered the kitchen once again, she could see her father sitting by the fire. She tensed as he turned around and looked at her.
“You are without doubt the ugliest girl I have ever seen. It will be a relief when you are no longer my responsibility"
Annabell could feel her cheeks start to burn as a humiliating blush coloured her skin.
"You are too thin, and do something to your hair and make yourself descent... Your dress is awful" Annabell looked town at the floor "It is the only dress i have left, father. I have grown out of all the others." She whispered and refused to look at his face.
The truth was that she had given her spear clothes to the, if possible, even poorer people in the nearby village.
Her father eyed her suspicious, "Nevertheless, go and make yourself descent. You'll be going in less than one hour." Annabell looked at him confused. Her mind was not working like it used to. The loss of food and a hard illness during the winter, witch she never really recovered from, had made her tired both in mind and body. Going? She did not understand,
"Where am I going?"
"I am sending you up to the north, you are to live somewhere in Tabitha. Finally I’m going to be rid of you!" "Father, I do not want to move to Tabitha, I love this castle, it is my home. I manage alone, I only need a bit more food!" "Do not interrupt me!" He said as he raised his hand. Annabell acted instinctively and backed up to the wall.
Barlow lowered his hand when he saw how his daughter reacted. "Finally, you have learned to respect me!" "Yes father" She answered as she tried to shield her face "please!...I beg you, do not hurt me again."
Barlow laughed as he turned around. ”You’re a pathetic girl. Now, hurry up! I want you out of this house as soon as possible.”
“But where am I going?”
“You are to live with Lord Darshia in whatever form he wishes”
Annabell felt like she had been hit once again. “What did you say?” She asked.
His lips curled in to an evil grin. “I said in whatever form he wishes. It means you could be everything from a servant to his mistress. Though, I doubt he will take you to his bed. After all he could to much better than you, with his fortune and power, he gets every woman he wants. But in the end he owns you, so he can do what he wants with you. You’re no longer my problem”
Annabell ran in to her current bedroom. She could not go to Tabitha and live like Lord Darshias prostitute or slave. She had to get out of this! Quietly she collected her few belongings. She had not much because she had been forced to sell everything she owned to get enough food.
After collecting her shawl and mittens, she very quietly returned to the kitchen. Luckily her father was not there. She had to run away, there was no chance she would be living in Tabitha, and this was the only solution she could think of. Maybe she could work as a governess and earn some money.
Annabell ran toward the door and out in the blistering cold. Where should I go? She asked herself. I do not know anyone that could possible help me out of this. He is coming after me! She was panicking and started to run towards the forest. Maybe she could hide there until her father decided to go back to the town. He never stayed long, just long enough to give her a proper beating. Then he left, only to return after a fortnight.
Annabell ran as fast as she could. She could taste the blood in her mouth. Her lungs were aching, but she could not, she would not stop running. Suddenly her feet disappeared under her, and she had no time to shield her head before the ground hit her hard in her face.
“You stupid girl! Thought you were going to run away, eh? I’m going to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget!” With these words Annabell regained consciousness.
She could feel two strong hands grab her shoulders, and push her hard towards a nearby three. Annabell let out a scream as she felt something in her shoulder break between the hard wood and the strong hands of her father.
The pain was unbearable, it were pulsating through her right arm.
“AA! My arm!” She shrieked out, but all she received was a slap in her face. “Shut up!”
Her father was fumbling with a piece of a rope. He started to tie her hands behind her back. “What are you doing? You can’t tie me up!.. My arm are broken!” Annabell cried.
“Oh yes I can!” Barlow answered and tightened the rope even more. Annabell let out a shriek as the pain in her arm intensified. “Shut up! You are going to Tabitha! And I’m gonna be free from my debt.”
He lifted Annabell up from the ground and flung her over his shoulder. They did not share a word on the way back to the castle. Annabell were too distracted by the pain in her arm to notice anything, but suddenly she was thrown in a carriage that immediately started to move.
Still tied, she could not move or find a better position. Every time the carriage moved or there was a stone on the road she were thrown against the seats in the carriage, and the pain in her shoulder only increased.
As her head cleared, she started remember what had happened last night. Her father was home! Scared she looked around; he could be there in the very moment. As she looked around the kitchen, she noticed that neither Barlow nor the food was there. She turned around and went to her bedroom.
Once it had been one of the great bedrooms on the western side of the castle, with large windows and a balcony. Now she was sleeping in a small room beside the kitchen. It was the only room the warmth from the stove in the kitchen would reach.
She took of her dress and looked at her back in a small, dirty mirror. Her whole back were covered in wounds, they went in all directions, some new and fresh other old and starting to heal. She tried her best to clean the wounds, but they were hard to reach, so in the end she just gave up.
When she entered the kitchen once again, she could see her father sitting by the fire. She tensed as he turned around and looked at her.
“You are without doubt the ugliest girl I have ever seen. It will be a relief when you are no longer my responsibility"
Annabell could feel her cheeks start to burn as a humiliating blush coloured her skin.
"You are too thin, and do something to your hair and make yourself descent... Your dress is awful" Annabell looked town at the floor "It is the only dress i have left, father. I have grown out of all the others." She whispered and refused to look at his face.
The truth was that she had given her spear clothes to the, if possible, even poorer people in the nearby village.
Her father eyed her suspicious, "Nevertheless, go and make yourself descent. You'll be going in less than one hour." Annabell looked at him confused. Her mind was not working like it used to. The loss of food and a hard illness during the winter, witch she never really recovered from, had made her tired both in mind and body. Going? She did not understand,
"Where am I going?"
"I am sending you up to the north, you are to live somewhere in Tabitha. Finally I’m going to be rid of you!" "Father, I do not want to move to Tabitha, I love this castle, it is my home. I manage alone, I only need a bit more food!" "Do not interrupt me!" He said as he raised his hand. Annabell acted instinctively and backed up to the wall.
Barlow lowered his hand when he saw how his daughter reacted. "Finally, you have learned to respect me!" "Yes father" She answered as she tried to shield her face "please!...I beg you, do not hurt me again."
Barlow laughed as he turned around. ”You’re a pathetic girl. Now, hurry up! I want you out of this house as soon as possible.”
“But where am I going?”
“You are to live with Lord Darshia in whatever form he wishes”
Annabell felt like she had been hit once again. “What did you say?” She asked.
His lips curled in to an evil grin. “I said in whatever form he wishes. It means you could be everything from a servant to his mistress. Though, I doubt he will take you to his bed. After all he could to much better than you, with his fortune and power, he gets every woman he wants. But in the end he owns you, so he can do what he wants with you. You’re no longer my problem”
Annabell ran in to her current bedroom. She could not go to Tabitha and live like Lord Darshias prostitute or slave. She had to get out of this! Quietly she collected her few belongings. She had not much because she had been forced to sell everything she owned to get enough food.
After collecting her shawl and mittens, she very quietly returned to the kitchen. Luckily her father was not there. She had to run away, there was no chance she would be living in Tabitha, and this was the only solution she could think of. Maybe she could work as a governess and earn some money.
Annabell ran toward the door and out in the blistering cold. Where should I go? She asked herself. I do not know anyone that could possible help me out of this. He is coming after me! She was panicking and started to run towards the forest. Maybe she could hide there until her father decided to go back to the town. He never stayed long, just long enough to give her a proper beating. Then he left, only to return after a fortnight.
Annabell ran as fast as she could. She could taste the blood in her mouth. Her lungs were aching, but she could not, she would not stop running. Suddenly her feet disappeared under her, and she had no time to shield her head before the ground hit her hard in her face.
“You stupid girl! Thought you were going to run away, eh? I’m going to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget!” With these words Annabell regained consciousness.
She could feel two strong hands grab her shoulders, and push her hard towards a nearby three. Annabell let out a scream as she felt something in her shoulder break between the hard wood and the strong hands of her father.
The pain was unbearable, it were pulsating through her right arm.
“AA! My arm!” She shrieked out, but all she received was a slap in her face. “Shut up!”
Her father was fumbling with a piece of a rope. He started to tie her hands behind her back. “What are you doing? You can’t tie me up!.. My arm are broken!” Annabell cried.
“Oh yes I can!” Barlow answered and tightened the rope even more. Annabell let out a shriek as the pain in her arm intensified. “Shut up! You are going to Tabitha! And I’m gonna be free from my debt.”
He lifted Annabell up from the ground and flung her over his shoulder. They did not share a word on the way back to the castle. Annabell were too distracted by the pain in her arm to notice anything, but suddenly she was thrown in a carriage that immediately started to move.
Still tied, she could not move or find a better position. Every time the carriage moved or there was a stone on the road she were thrown against the seats in the carriage, and the pain in her shoulder only increased.