Diana ran to her son and hugged him.
Byon was crying. “I never meant to cause that. I shouldn’t have run away. I should have...”
Kate helped Teddy get up and put her arms around her. “I’m so sorry.”
Sara stepped out of the darkness. “I must warn you that this horror doesn’t let up. It’s up to the lot of you if you want to go on or not.”
Teddy pulled away from Kate, went to Chris and took his hand. “It’s okay,” she said. “I’m all right. You didn’t hurt me.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
Chris looked at his mother. “That...man... He was my father?”
Diana was too choked up to speak. She could only nod yes.
Chris put his arm around his mother’s shoulders and looked at Sara. “I can go on. I want to know the rest of it.”
Sara looked at each person, the players and the audience. Standing to the side was the police inspector, and he gave a nod. Yes, he’d like to see what happened next.
“The show must go on.” Byon’s tone was one of disgust.
ACT TWO
SCENE ONE
GROUNDS OF OXLEY MANOR. NIGHT
When Diana came to, she was lying on the ground, her dress around her ribs, the bottom half of her naked. Her head hurt horribly. It took her a moment to realize what had happened. Nicky had raped her.
Always a woman of logic, she began to think about what she needed to do. Stagger back into the big house and confront him? Call the police? Then what? Court? The whole idea was absurd. She could envision the short dress she had on being shown in court. The jury would take one look and agree that she’d been “asking for it.”
When she tried to move, she felt pain. There was blood on the side of her face. He must have hit her with something.
She held on to a tree to help her stand. Her dress fell down to cover her but she still felt exposed, more naked than she’d ever been.
The things Nicky had said came back to her. She’d known that theirs was to be a marriage of...of what? The old-fashioned term “marriage of convenience” seemed to fit. They’d both wanted the same thing: Oxley Manor. Because she understood it, she believed she saw everything through clear glasses. Nothing rosy fogged her vision.
But now, with her body shaking, her mind traumatized, she realized she’d known nothing. She hadn’t really understood Nicky—or herself. She’d always scoffed at books and movies about romance, so when love hit her, she’d been unprepared for it. She’d reacted as she never thought she would.
The night was quiet, but she could hear a wave of music coming from the house. Did she go back inside? Try to act as though nothing had happened?
A slight breeze came and she heard the soft whinny of a horse. Without another thought, she turned toward the stables, toward the familiarity of animals. And Sean would be there. Yes. She needed his comfort now. He would know what to do.
Her shoes were still on, not made for walking, but better than none. She was hurt and she felt dirty. Used. Discarded as though she was worth nothing. She staggered forward.
ACT TWO
SCENE TWO
THE STABLES
It was late, but Sean was outside the open double doors. A saddle was on a block and he was rubbing lanolin on the leather. He gave a quick glance to Diana when she stepped into the edge of the light. “Get tired of the noise of them?” he asked. “Too much booze? Too much cake?”
When she didn’t say anything, he turned. She was in full light now and he could see her clearly. The torn dress, bruised body, hair wild. Blood covered the side of her face.
He didn’t say anything, just dropped the brush and ran to her.
At the sight of him, her friend, Diana let go. She no longer had to try to be brave or strong.
Sean caught her before she hit the ground and carried her inside. There were bales of hay with a blanket over them and he stretched her out there.
He didn’t have to be told what had happened to her. Her thighs were bruised, bloody and glistening. He spread a blanket over her, then got a wet cloth and wiped the blood off the side of her face.
“Nicky...”
“Ssssh,” he said. “You don’t have to explain.”
“I told him I couldn’t marry him. Helen...”
“Yeah, I know. I’ve seen the way you two look at each other. You almost set the barn on fire.”
Diana gave a slight smile, but then the tears started. “I don’t know what to do. Should I call the police?”
Sean’s calloused hands were smoothing back her hair. “I wish we could. I wish I could say he’d be prosecuted, but it won’t happen.”
She closed her eyes but the tears kept coming.
“I want you to leave here. Now. Tonight,” he said.
“I need to get—”
“No! Leave everything. Take Rona and go.”
Her eyes widened. “But she’s expecting—”
“I know. But they don’t.”
“Bertram will have the law after me. I can’t steal one of his horses.”
Sean went to a tack cabinet, opened it and pulled out a suitcase. It wasn’t very big, but it had locks and two leather straps encircling it. “I want you to take this and hold it for me. I’ll meet you at the Rose and Crown tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. I’ll see that Rona gets back here.” He went to the stall and led the pregnant mare out.
“Are you leaving here?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s go now. Together. This minute.”
“I can’t,” he said.
“But what’s to hold you here? Helen and I plan to go to Australia. Come with us.”
There was a sound outside that made him stop and listen. “You have to get up and go now.” He disappeared for a moment and returned with a pair of jeans. “Put these on and go to Helen. She’ll take care of you. Tomorrow I’ll meet you at the pub.” He gave a bit of a smile. “I’ll have a surprise for you.”
He helped her stand, then turned away as she pulled on the jeans.
Sean got the mare saddled, with his suitcase strapped onto the back. He cupped his hands to help Diana mount.
But they weren’t fast enough. Nicky was standing in the doorway, and he was holding one of his father’s guns, a heavy, old pistol. Everyone knew that Bertram kept them clean—and loaded. “Are you stealing a horse?”