Chapter 5

Ava spent the rest of the day trying to convince her mother. She told her over and over again about the incident, making sure she didn't miss a single  detail. If mother could trust her even a little, maybe she would be willing to coax father to cancel the marriage.

She totally lost hope the next day. She had been restless all day. No longer having her usual appetite, she couldn't eat more than a few bites of toast. She couldn't sleep either, not when something very bad was coming upon her. She paced back and forth in her bedroom. Father and mother had gone in the morning. They didn't told any of the servants where they went or when they might be back. Last night after hours of relentless talk, Desiree finally said that she would try to talk to her father. Ava had high expectation that her father eventually would change his mind. Mother always had an irrefutable power and influence over him.

After a long, torturing hours of waiting, she heard the coach arriving at the main door. Looking down through the window, she saw the black polished coach of her father down the street. She ran downstairs and found the servants bringing stacks of boxes, so many beautiful boxes. Her mother appeared in the doorway, father was walking behind her.

"Darling, you should see all this. Everything is just splendid!"

Her voice was bursting with excitement. She opened one of the box on the top of the stack and drew out a beautiful patterned fabric. She continued unboxing the next.

"Mother, what are these?" She asked in suspicion, suddenly got the sick feeling in her stomach.

"We don't have much time to buy you enough wedding trousseau, darling, but we've done our best. We literally depleted all the shops in Bond Street. Look how beautiful these silks are. They are imported from China..."

"Mother!!! I'm not going to marry that leeching scum! Not until the doom's day!"

"Ava! Stop saying that foul words. Such a thing is beneath you, you're going to be a lady!"

"I'd better be a servant than be his lady. I despise him!"

"Silent!" The duke fired, and they both gasped.

Her father looked at her with icy cold eyes and she froze immediately.

"Listen to me, young lady. I have something to tell you, and I'm only going to say it once." Something in his tone made her shrink.

"You will learn to respect him, either you like it or not. You're bound to him with a signed legal contract that the king himself can not break it. Your betrothal has been announced in Times and Courier, if you break this agreement, you would make us suffer a terrible scandal and a severe humiliation as much as you cause him. And there would be some legal consequences too. After all I've done for you to get a life you've always wanted, you would shatter it to pieces right in front of me?"

Struck by her father's words, Ava fell silent. Desiree came over her and seated her in the nearest couch, sitting by her side.

"We just want you to be happy, my dear. And trust me, you will. I know you never want to be like me, forever staying in the shadows. You will stand by him with your head high and let the world see without shame. One day, you would be thankful for this excellent match."

Thereafter, the entire house was busy preparing the big day. Her father had obtained a special license from the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the wedding would be held in the family's drawing room the day after tomorrow.

"I think I'm going to die. I can't marry that monster, Polly! I'd better kill myself." She moaned in frustration, rolling in her bed and sitting up straight. "I have to think of something. I have to escape from here."

"Don't be silly, where are you going to go?"

"I don't know, but I have to go, anywhere far enough from that disgusting swine..." the thought of Roger made her feeling ill. She could not imagine climbing into bed with him. She shook her head.

"It's going to be the death of me. He will rape me, he will beat me, he will torture me like hell!"

Polly choked in horror. Ava saw Polly staring at her with pitiful gaze. She was always as caring and loyal to her, not just as a maid to her lady, but as a person to her beloved family.

"Do you... do you really want to go?"

"Anywhere!" She gazed back at her. "Do you have an idea?"

Polly swallowed hard, something in her eyes evoked Ava's curiosity.

"Polly" she looked at her intently. "You have something to tell me... say it."

Polly hesitated.

"Now."

Finally she managed to say.

"I've got a letter from my relatives last month. My aunt, the one who raised me, you know, my spinster aunt. I told you about her several times. She had passed away a couple of months ago. She inherited me a house in the countryside, where she spent her last years..."

"Go on"

"If you're thinking of escaping seriously, it's a perfect place to hide. The little town is quiet, much more quieter than Roseville. The society is very limited and antiquated, no one cares about the gossip of the ton or the famous city people. They are rather behind the times... most of the young people stays there rather than moving to the city, the people are quite prosper or at least well off."

"Sounds good..." Ava murmured. Seemed like she had found a ray of light at the end of a dark tunnel.

"Does any of your friends know you have an inheritance in there?"

Polly shook her head. "No... I've been telling no one until now since I don't plan for moving. I will never leave you unless my service is no longer required. You and your family have been a real home to me."

Ava crawled out of bed and came over her, hugging her tight.

"Oh Polly, I'm so lucky to have you."

Within hours, they had already packed a small valise. Ava brought only her simplest gown and some personal amenities. She wouldn't need her fancy gowns. She was leaving to a countryside to disguise as a working class woman, not a rich lady. Scanning the inside of her cupboard for one final time, she bent down and groped under a pile of fabrics. She pulled out a square wooden box.

"Jeez!!!" Polly bolted as she saw her draw a pistol out of the box. "How... how did you get that???" She choked her last word in shock.

Studying the flawless material of the weapon, Ava cocked it and found that the gun functioned perfectly.

"Del gave me. She trained me in the forest nearby for weeks until I was finally able to hit the target better than her."

Polly's mouth dropped open. "But when...?"

"We did it secretly. You know Del, she could always find a way." Ava smiled at Polly's expression.

"She told me to bring this wherever I go. She said a woman must have some self-defense..." Ava put the weapon inside her handbag. "But I never take it seriously until the ghastly night with that evil..."

"Believe me you don't need that in the lovely, quiet town..." Polly glanced at the weapon fearfully.

"I know, but we're going on a trip. In case we meet trouble..."

"Ssshhh" Polly hushed "Don't say such a thing, it would bring bad luck."

Hours later, they were already in a running hackney coach. The town they were heading was about two days ride away from London, but to make sure they didn't leave any trace, Ava had planned to switch to another hackney on the halfway.

"So, tell me about the country. Have you ever been there?"

"Nay. I only knew it from my aunt's letter. Evergreen, its name. She said there was no place like it. It's a place where magic happens and dreams come true. It's a land with many magical, mystical spots. Each of them has its legend, and its magic as well. The people are very superstitious, some of them still believe in myth and fairy tale. While the young people begin to leave it, the elderly believes that the magic remains..."

Ava's eyes widened in fascination. "Really? I think I'm going to like it."

Polly frowned. "You're always a superstitious girl, you're the worst in the world."

"Am I? Who has just worried about bad luck?"