For Honor’s Sake Read Free Page A

girl?”
    “You’re crazy!” Julie gasped, shocked. “The idea is preposterous! My father would never allow such a thing. Why, Aunt Lavinia would turn in her grave if she knew what you have in mind.”
    “Father O’Neil will marry us tomorrow in the church,” continued Hugo blithely, completely ignoring Julie’s protests. “He agrees with me that in our case we are justified in not observing a full year of mourning. Yer reputation must be protected at all costs.”
    “Protected by whom, you?” spat Julie, her face flushed with anger. “No, uncle, I’ll not marry you. I’d rather leave this house.”
    Undaunted by Julie’s outburst, Hugo smiled indulgently. “Where will ye go, lass?”
    “Anywhere,” declared Julie hotly. “I’ll get a job as a governess, or a maid, anything.”
    “I think not,” Hugh smiled slyly. “Ye need me permission to leave this house. If ye are determined to run away I’ll find ye. The law is on my side. I’ll have the police out searching for ye and ye’ll not get far.”
    Julie stared at her uncle, mouth agape. As unjust as it seemed, the police would indeed be on his side. As a young woman of eighteen she had no rights whatsoever. As her guardian her uncle could do whatever he pleased with her short of murder. But Julie, always resourceful and spirited, would never allow herself to be used in such a vile manner. She would throw herself on Father O’Neil’s mercy and beg him to place her with a family in return for her services.
    As if reading her thoughts Hugo grasped Julie’s wrists, dragging her from her chair. “I’m thinking ye might be trying to run away, me darlin’,” he smiled nastily. “I’m also thinking I’m knowing of a way to make sure me bride-to-be don’t fly from me lovin’ arms.”
    Before Julie could react to his words Hugo slammedhis mouth down on hers, forcing his tongue between her tight lips. Julie gagged, growing faint from the unexpected attack. A hard object protruded into her stomach as Hugo’s huge hands roamed freely over breasts and buttocks, pulling her tightly against his stabbing flesh.
    Whimpering softly, Julie struggled, her arms reaching out frantically for something, anything. “I’ll not wait. I’ll have ye now, me darlin’,” Hugo panted, lifting her slight form in his burly arms and striding purposefully into the bedroom, depositing her none too gently in the center of the bed. “Father O’Neil won’t fault me for having me bride a day early. I’ve waited two long years for this moment. I’ve watched ye grow from a gangling lass into a rare beauty, yer woman’s body begging for the attention of a man.”
    The moment Hugo’s hands left her to remove his clothes Julie was up and running. But not fast enough as Hugo caught her before she reached the door. “Uncle, please, don’t do this. At least wait until we are married,” she pleaded, hedging. “I … I want to go to my wedding a virgin. Surely you won’t begrudge me that.”
    Hugo looked confused. “Are ye telling me ye won’t fight this marriage?”
    “I’ll … I’ll marry you, uncle, willingly, if you agree to my wishes,” Julie lied, willing to agree to almost anything to save herself.
    At first Hugo was openly skeptical, refusing to believe that his strong-willed niece would suddenly acquiesce to his wishes. “Ye swear? Ye swear on yer aunt’s dead body that ye won’t change yer mind?”
    “I swear on Aunt Lavinia’s dead body,” Julie said solemnly, “that my mind is made up and I won’t change it.”
    “Ye won’t regret it, lass,” Hugo grinned toothily. “I’ll be good to ye. Once yer broke in proper-like ye’lllearn to love what I can do for ye in bed. Yer Aunt Lavinia had no complaints.”
    Julie shuddered. It was true that she swore she wouldn’t change her mind, and she meant it. But what Uncle Hugo couldn’t know was that Julie had already made up her mind to escape. The moment the despicable man left the house she was