Page 73 of Her Dark Seduction
“A man who acts in haste is a fool,” I said, my throat dry. He laughed at my attempts at bravery.
“As is a woman, my dear. Now, tonight you only need answer one simple question. Where is Vane Sawford?”
“How would I know?” I replied, “I have not seen him since I left Mortlock.”
“Lying bitch,” he snarled, “is he not your husband? You cannot prevent the inevitable. Sawford will die, though not before he resides in this room. Blanchard can keep a man alive and in agony for several days. He considers it an art form and it gives me great pleasure to watch.”
The image of Vane writhing in pain while de Tourrard looked on was too real. Whatever became of me, I would never betray him.
“You evil bastard,” I cried, “I will tell you nothing!”
“As you wish.”
He twisted my arm, too quickly for me to pull away, and I heard a sickening crack before a white-hot flame of agony ran through me. I fell to the floor, moaning in pain.
“Perhaps by tomorrow your tongue will have loosened. See to her, Blanchard.”
De Tourrard bowed before leaving me alone in the torture chamber with the surgeon.
Blanchard knelt beside me and inspected my arm. He bandaged it in silence then hauled me to my feet and led me out of the chamber and deeper into the dungeon. The wailing grew louder, the occupants in the cells sensing the approach of their torturer. Blanchard stopped by an open door near the end of the passage and pushed me through.
I sank to the floor and vomited, barely registering the key jangling in the lock, and the footsteps receding into the distance.
Not long after, the torches went out, plunging the cell into darkness. But the nightmares would not invade me tonight. What I was living here and now, what awaited me tomorrow, was far worse. I would have to be strong, stronger even than Maman, for Vane and for Geoffrey. I prayed for her spirit to give me strength and hugged myself to keep warm as I listened to the wails of the tortured souls which surrounded me.
