Adrian sat at his desk in his study with a hangover. The throbbing in his head he woke up with finally settled to slow thumps. He found solace in the drink to render himself senseless in order to sleep.

As much as he tried to drink away his misery, it all seemed to just reappear.

He leaned forward burying his face in his hands. His thoughts on Evangeline. Its been five months since he has seen her. His mind went back to that day. After what they did. What he did, his body was on fire and needed release. When Alicia came to him it was a moment of weakness and they had sex.

Although he took her hard with desperation and wanting, believing that would quiet his need for Evangeline. It did not. He envisioned it was Eva beneath him, sweet as ever with her soft thighs wrapped around his waist writhing with his thrusts as he rode them both to the top of ecstasy. And he nearly called out her name.

It reminded him of how disastrous the combining of too much alcohol and a willing woman could be.

When he woke up and saw those eyes. God those eyes. He knew then that all was lost.
The rage that seethed within her and the vile words she spit at him could bring a sailor to his knees in tears. She was so angry.
Then her words of hate sliced his heart like a blade.
She left for the convent. She refused to see him. His endless letters begging her forgiveness were returned. He got the hint of the very last letter two months ago when it returned as ashes.
She truly hated him.

He was severely worried. Caroline visited her in his place. She could give very little uplifting news of her other than that she was withdrawn and spoke little. The nuns got little response from her because she stayed in her room.

Nothing prepared him for the latest out come when Alicia returned crying from seeing her. The bruise above her cheek was evidence enough of Eva's wrath. By then she refused to see them all.

The slight tap on the door brought him out of his thoughts.

"Enter,"

He looked up to see Caroline entering. She slowly approached his desk and placed a letter before him. The familiar name emblazoned on the front tugged at his heart.

"It just arrived," Caroline said softly.

He blew out a deep breath and reached for it.

He hesitated.

Then he opened it. His eyes passed over the words.

M'lord St.James,

I pray that when you receive this letter, you are in good health. The reason I am writing this letter is due to our concern of Evangeline. Her well being worries me deeply. I have only returned recently from a visit with the Bishop to see in my brief absence she has worsened. She has become withdrawn and hollow. We feel that in light of the upcoming holiday it is best that she spends it with her loved ones. Mayhap this will lighten her spirit. We urge you to think on this matter. Please come for her.

Mother Superior,
Sister Agatha

He rested the letter on the desk and raked his fingers through his hair. Frustration edged his resolve.
Caroline reached down and picked up the letter and read it.

"Brother, bring her home," she pleaded softly.

Adrian groaned and stood abruptly turning to the window behind him. His eyes searched the large estate lands before him.

"She does not want to see me Caroline," he whispered.

"She is hurt Adrian do you blame her," Caroline accused.

"What do you want me to do, Caroline?"

"Did you not see my last letter she returned, she hates me,"

"I would not doubt the minute I step through those doors she does not drown me in the baptismal waters," he scoffed in a low breath.

Lord knows you deserve it.

"You can not leave her there," she argued.

"I had no intentions to Caroline," he said turning to face her.

The agony in his gaze told her so much of his suffering.

"Bring her home, brother" she spoke softly.
It was more of a demand than a plea.

With that she turned and walked away.

•~•~•~•~•~•~•

Evangeline lay awake staring off into the distance listening to the nuns argue.

"Why did you let that devil woman into see her, Sister," Sister Clara glowered at the nun before her.

The nun incharge during Mother Superiors absence looked at what had happened and feared the worse.

Sister Antoinette lowered her head. "She did not seem harmful, how was I suppose to know this would come afoot with her visit after three days?" she wept.

Sister Clara then turned to the nun to her left with an angry glare. "You had no right to punish her this way, she is not an animal,"

"Are you questioning my disciplinary action sister?" Sister Hilda narrowed her eyes.

"No, but you will have to explain them to the Earl, with this you will incite his wrath for sure Sister, and I do not intend to be around when you do" she shook nervously.

They turned to look at Evangeline on the cot facing the wall. Her sobs and heart wrenching screams stopped long ago.

She drifted in and out of consciousness. Her back was on fire. And the images whirled in her mind of the lashes.

Evangeline's refusal to admit wrong doing cost her in agony. She spent over seven hours on her knees refusing to apologize, finally fainting. Her defiance prompted Sister Hilda to take matters into her own hands . When Evangeline came to, she forced her back on her knees and whipped her. With each blow from Sister Hilda's whip Evangeline heard the angry nun name each strike. "This is for rudeness, this for disobedience, this for insolence, this for combativeness, this for disrespect and this for no apology."

How long, she wondered, would it take her to die?Her mother expired without a sound, sleeping her final minutes away. Perhaps she could go the same way. She wanted eternal rest. She was so very. very tired.

She wondered, if she would be damned to the fires of hell for her rebelliousness as she was told. Nothing in the afterlife could be far worse than what she endured. She was already cold, dead and empty inside. It would be sweet relief if the world fell away from her grasp of life.

She lay numb to their touch and limp in their hold as they frantically rushed to clean her up.

"Do you think she can hear us, is she awake?" Sister Clara asked.

They layed her on the bed in her chamber. The morning light shining in caught a glimpse of her. They looked her over and stepped back in dismay.

"Pray Sister Hilda, that Mother Superior comes to your aid for what you have done." The nun swallowed crossing her self as she left in a panick.

•~•~•~•~•~•

After Mother Superior arrived and saw Evangeline's condition she wrote a letter to the Earl.

It has been four days since a response that today she was returning to Fairhaven. In midst of the Easter Holiday many bustled about preparing for it. Evangeline sat quietly in a chair dressed and ready to leave. She winced in pain as tears rolled down her cheek with the brush of fabric against her back.

Her body was here but not her spirit. When he finally appeared before her, she said not a word. She stood slowly, her aching knees wobbled with each step.

When Adrian saw her he gasped.

"Eva," he reached for her.

She shied away, she could not bare anyone's touch she was so raw and sore. She held back the urge to cry out the way the feeling of flames of fire touched her back.

Caroline came forward and she felt she wanted to truly die in her embrace from the pain.

She willed away the stiffness and continued her painful walk with them to the awaiting carriage.

They rode in silence.

Adrian could not take his gaze from her. She was pale, petite and wax.
He exchanged worried glances with Caroline.

After a few minutes. Caroline broke the silence.
"Eva, we have a surprise for you," Caroline hoped she would get a response.

But no answer came from her.

They resigned to silence after few attempts of speaking to her.

When they finally arrived, and climbed out of the carriage she paused.

Her strength was holding on by a thread.

When she continued into the foyer, the surprise Caroline spoke of sprung forward in a mad dash towards her throwing his arms around her.

She yelped with the pain.

"Eva!"

"Tonk!" She breathed with weakness.

She closed her eyes fighting off the darkness threatening to claim her.

Trembling she lowered her lips to his head. Swallowing hard she held him tight baring as long as she could the pain.

Adrian's concerned gaze held her as she turned pale.

"Eva," he stepped forward noticing she was anchoring her weight on Tonk.

Caroline came to her side.

"Tonk, love we are going to take Evangeline up to change she has had a long day," she exchanged worried glances with the Baron then Adrian.

By the time she reached her room witj the help of Rosie, Caroline began looking for a day dress for her to wear. Evangeline slowly walked to the bed and held onto the post resting her cheek on the cold wood column.

She felt faint and sick.

When she felt Caroline brush her hair aside and began to unbutton her gown she began to protest. Rosie came forward and clucked holding her hands and easing her discomfort.

The fabric pulled away and her back was exposed she heard Caroline gasped and saw Rosie walk around her and heard her cryout.

She held on tightly to the post and begged them not to say anything but is was too late.

"Adrian! Come quickly," Caroline
sobbed.

"Adrian!" She screamed louder.

Rosie ran frantically out of the room in search of bandages.

•~•~•~•~•~•

He was standing with the Baron talking and waiting for them to return when he heard Caroline.

With a frown he looked at the Baron and walked towards the steps. After the second scream he bolted taking two steps at a time with the Baron at his feet.

They haulted before her opened door and walked in.
"Oh!Dear God" the Baron gasped first.

Adrian stared in horror and could not speak.

He trembled with the view before him. He stepped closer, his eyes never left the bright red  welts on her back as he slowly spun her around to face him.

She wept and lowered her head not wanting to look at him. He lifted her chin and caressed her pale clammy face.

"Peach, who did this?"  She trembled weakly in his hold not able to speak with the swirl of nausea and the threat of retching.

She lifted her eyes slowly to his and firsthand saw the mixture of agony and rage in his tear filled eyes. The moment he slammed her into his chest and he squeezed her tight she screamed and cried out in pain. He tightened his eyes feeling his heart hammer in his chest feeling the welts on her back. Hot to the touch, swelling more and bleeding.

They hurt her. Who ever did this would pay.

With a curse so loud it made her jump he pulled away then stormed out in a rage. As quickly as the curse left his lips and he left, Evangeline collapsed to the floor.
Immediately Caroline and Rosie attended to her.

She turned frantically to Brendan.
"Please go with him," she cried.

Soon the Baron was behind him as he bolted out to the stables in search for Gideon.

"Please don't do anything crazy Adrian," he pulled on his rein.

"Crazy? I'm going to burn that bloody convent to the ground," he shouted with so much anger that Gideon became skiddish beneath him.

With that he pulled away in a fierce gallop. With an oath Brendan mounted one as well and charged off behind Adrian.

•~•~•~•~•~•~•

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