As Perry turned the doorknob, opening the door into the hall, she realized it would be very awkward if she encountered anyone as she left the house. Wade was probably still in her grandfather's study drinking. She silently removed her hand from the knob. Instinctively she turned to the balcony doors. As she stepped into the night air, fear's cold fingers touched her. The ground and freedom awaited twelve feet below. Perry remembered hearing that years ago, when her mother had chosen this very route, there had been thick vines of ivy climbing close to the balcony. Her grandfather had torn them down in anger at his daughter's elopement.

Perry found the fear of staying far greater than her fear of being hurt in a fall from the balcony. She dropped her bag over the edge, hearing only a muffled thud as it landed in the tall grass. Taking a deep breath, she climbed over the rail and lowered herself until she hung by her hands. Closing her eyes tightly, she dropped onto the grass.

Cool, damp grass broke her fall, and for a moment she marveled that she had broken no bones. Then, slowly rising to her knees, she groped for her bag. Within seconds she was moving, unseen, to the stable. She would saddle her own horse, lor she had no wish to trust one ot the stable boys Wade had hired.

A sense of freedom and excitement filled her as she threw the latch on the barn door and stepped inside. In a few hours she would be free of Wade's evil presence. She would no longer have to endure his constant stare or hear his harsh voice. She could stay in Kingston until her brother returned. He would put a stop to Wade's crazy ideas. Andrew had seen Wade before. He know how evil the captain was without needing proof.

A low, yellow glow welcomed her from a lantern hanging in the center of the barn. Perry moved beside it and twisted the wick higher to push the darkness into the corners. As the lantern swung free on her fingers the shadows seemed to move toward her, then back with each swing of the light.

Perry hurried between the stalls, anxious to select a horse and be gone. As she pulled the first stall gate open she heard the horse's hooves stamp in front of her and the faint shuffle of footsteps behind her.

She froze, listening for any sound that might indicate danger, but only the soft melody of night blended with the wind. The horse settled down and the barn grew as silent as a crypt. Perry slowed her breathing and thought, for a moment, that she smelled brandy in the air.

As she reached for the bridle a thin hand materialized from the shadows behind her. Strong, gloved fingers smothered her mouth, cutting off her air and pulling her backward into a wall of a man's chest.

Perry fought to scream as the hand cupped her face brutally. Hard fingers dug into the soft flesh of her cheeks. Wade's voice whispered terror into her ear as he forced her painfully against him, his other arm sliding around her waist.

"Where are you going, my love?" Wade's breath brushed the hair at Perry's neck. "I know you're eager, but it isn't time to leave yet." He laughed as he released his grip upon her mouth and nose. She gasped for breath in the cool night air. Wade slid his fingers into her hair, then twisted his hand into a fist. The blue ribbon pulled free as her ebony curls wove themselves between his fingers. Tears of pain ran unchecked down her cheeks.

"I had no idea you would have the spirit to run away," Wade hissed as he smiled at the pain he was causing her. "Thanks to your maid, we'll be together on our wedding day." He enjoyed watching her eyes fill with sorrow at Noma's betrayal.

The realization that Noma had once more trusted Wade and not Perry tore at her very soul. Noma, who'd loved and cared for her all her life, had turned on her. Grief surrounded her with suffocating force, hurting far more than the agony of Wade's hand twisting inside her hair. Noma had given Perry away, fully aware of Perry's wishes in the matter.

As Perry's mind whirled in confusion Wade began dragging her backward across the barn floor. The steady pull on her hair sent lightning-sharp pain throughout her brain as she fought unsuccessfully to keep her footing. Her knees hit the ground again and again with Wade making no effort to break her fall. He only jerked her forward each time she stumbled before she had time to recover.

Wade reached the back steps as her limp body came alive. All the anger of the evening exploded within her. She kicked and fought with every ounce of energy, but Wade's hold was too secure. He slammed her face against the brick as the shadow of the building completely concealed them. Perry cried out, suddenly needing her arms to block her from the brick as he pushed her again and again against the rough wall. He pulled his arm about her waist tighter, cutting off any air entering her lungs. His fist, in her hair, tightened until Perry felt her hair pulling away from the roots. The harder she fought, the tighter his hold grew, until there was no air left in her lungs. Exhausted from her effort and blind with pain, she stopped fighting.

As her body became limp in his arms Wade let his hold around her waist fall and twisted Perry to face him. She gasped for air, not seeing Wade raise his free hand. He delivered a smashing blow across her face with the force and accuracy of a trained fighter. She would have fallen backward had he not still been holding her hair. He straightened her with one mighty jerk, until she faced him once more.

Before she could recover, another blow struck, splitting her lip. Perry's mouth filled with the taste of her own blood. Wade released her hair and shoved her backward into the yard. She stumbled and fell, landing facedown in the dirt. As the smell of dust and blood flooded her senses she kept repeating in her mind, This can't be happening. It must be a nightmare I'll awaken from. Her mind flashed as she felt the force of Wade's boot digging into her ribs, almost lifting her off the ground.

"Get up, you ungrateful Southern tramp!" he ordered as he kicked her again. "No one interferes with my plans. No one! I always get what I want. I told you once before, I always win in the end. Do I make myself understood?" He lifted her head with one violent jerk. "I need a Southern wife if I'm going to run this state; otherwise I'd kill you right now."

He pulled her against him. "Now, do I win this little disagreement, or do we move back into the darkness?"

Blood filled her mouth, preventing her from answering.

Wade tightened his grip as he lowered his mouth to her neck. His kiss was savage as he pulled away her collar enough to expose clean flesh. He lifted her off the ground as he nuzzled against her throat with a lust that terrified her far more than his beating.

When he looked up, her blood was on his face and mouth. "Now, my lady, do I win-or do I get the pleasure of seeing an even greater fear in your eyes?"

Slowly she nodded, afraid to provoke the mad animal any more than she had. It was obvious her pain excited him greatly.

He laughed and pulled her toward the house.

Perry's world spun. She was only vaguely aware of Wade pulling her up the steps into the house. Halfway up, he purposely shoved her hard into the steps. She felt her cheek burn with pain as another pang shot through her rib cage. Wade pulled her roughly up beside him and slammed her body into the back door before opening it and pushing her into the hall.

Perry heard the study door open, and her grandfather appeared, his eyes glassy with drunkenness. He looked at her in the dingy hall. "Allison, Allison?" he mumbled.

Wade took advantage of his confusion. "She was running away and fell from the horse. God, the animal almost killed her before I could get to her. I'll post a man below her balcony to prevent her from trying again tonight."

Any hope Perry held for support from her grandfather evaporated as she watched him nod in agreement.

"I wanta show you something, Wade," he mumbled, then staggered back into the study to refill his glass.

Wade pushed Perry hard toward the stairs. She fell against them as she heard his order. "Go upstairs-and stay there. I want a word with you after I talk with the old man."

Perry watched him disappear into the study. Her eyes were huge with fright. She could feel the warm streams of blood trickling down her face from a cut on her forehead and another in the corner of her lip. After Wade closed the study door Perry lifted her anguished body and slowly climbed the stairs to her room.

Noma opened the door as Perry tried to turn the handle. The old woman screamed as she caught Perry's collapsing, bleeding body.

"My baby, what happened? Oh, my baby," Noma asked as she helped Perry to the bed. "I knew you shouldn't be out trying to ride at night. Mr. Williams was frantic with fear for you. He said you'd fall and get hurt. Oh, my Perry, you've never been so foolish. You should have listened to Noma."

The swelling and bleeding of Perry's lip made speech impossible. She could only lie quietly as Noma undressed her and cleaned the blood from her face and hair. The black woman lovingly wrapped her bruised ribs and scraped hands. By now Perry's face was beginning to swell in several bluish-black mounds.

Noma continued mumbling as she worked, "What a fall you must have had. I'll get something for your eye. It looks bad. Oh, Miz Perry, what a sight you'li be on your wedding day."

Perry silently closed her eyes and drifted into an exhausted sleep.

Chapter 14

Perry woke to the sound of Wade's voice drifting from somewhere above her. He was talking softly to Noma. "She fell just after leaving the stable. It was a miracle I saw her," he whispered. "To think she might have lain hurt in the road for the rest of the night, if not for your help. I am in your debt, Noma."