'Your Grace, it is taking longer. May I suggest you wait in your acquaintance's house till we get the carriage out of this puddle,' said Mr. Rame, Lord Advent's assistant.

Lord Advent stood gazing at Captain Zennor's house; all the lights were out.

'No, I will wait here.'

He didn't want to disturb the Captain. Seeing they don't have a maid, it could be a burden to the Captain's granddaughter.

Lord Advent thought about his friend, Neville Zennor. Neville would have been proud to see his daughter now. Despite their poverty, she looked like a happy person. When she smiled, she smiled from the heart. A rarity.

She was a little older than his daughter. He had a difficult time with his three daughters. He always seemed to say the wrong things. Seeing Miss. Zennor, he could not help but think he failed to do a good job with his daughters.

His eldest was never satisfied with anything. She was seventeen and will have to debut next year. She dismissed more handmaids than he cared to count. His second daughter is twelve and needed a woman's guidance and the youngest is eight, well he didn't know what to do for her either.

He clenched his hand furiously thinking of his wife. What is the use of thinking of someone who is no longer with them? Miss. Zennor seemed a happy person despite her situation. He wished his daughters were more like her.

Emma changed into her dressing gown and climbed onto her bed. It was early but she was dead tired; with all the cooking, cleaning and crouching, her legs felt like lead. She thought of Lord Advent, he seemed to be a perfect gentleman. His wife must be a lucky woman. She felt faint jealousy. If only she is fortunate enough to find someone like him.

Suddenly someone knocked on the door. Wondering who would be calling at this hour Emma rushed to the living room.

Without opening the door, she asked, 'Who is it?'

'It is me,' came the voice of Sir Morval.

'Sir Morval!?'

'Open the door,' he commanded.

'It is late, we should talk in the morning.'

'You have been avoiding me, Miss. Zennor. So we will talk now. Open the door.'

'It's late,' she protested.

'Open the damn door,' came his angry voice.

'No. Please leave.'

He started kicking the door loudly. The door gave in and opened with a crash. Emma screamed. He looked at her and gave a wicked grin. He reeked of alcohol.

'Emma!' Mr. Zennor walked laboriously towards her.

'Sir Morval, is there an emergency? Why are you calling on us so late?'

'No emergency, your granddaughter has been avoiding me for the past three days and I am not a patient man,' said Sir Morval.

Mr. Zennor stood protectively in front of Emma. 'I refuse to marry Emma to you, you have no business here, you should leave.'

Morval laughed cruelly, 'You thought I wanted to marry her!'

He pushed Mr. Zennor aside, making him fall hard.

'Grandpa,' Emma screamed and rushed to his side. Before she could help her grandfather, Morval grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up.

'Ahh! Let go of -'

She tried to kick, but she couldn't reach him. His hold on her hair was tight. He laughed at her pathetic attempts to escape.

'You should have let me have my way when I was nice. Now, look what you've done.'

'Help!' she screamed but she knew it was futile; their house was isolated and no one would or could hear her scream. Yet, that was all she could do as he laughed like a maniac.

**Warning some of you may find below scene disturbing. you can scroll down to safe to resume here part**

Morval pushed her roughly on the couch in the drawing room. Before she could move, he climbed on top of her, pinning both her hands above her head. She was so scared and could hardly breathe. But she didn't stop struggling.

'Stop struggling, the harder you struggle the harder it's going to hurt.'

Emma tried to kick him.

'You bitch', he slapped her hard in the face. The blow was so strong, she saw stars. She whimpered, unable to bear the excruciating pain.

He roughly tore open her dressing gown. He looked at her lustfully before cupping her breast and squeezing it hard. She wanted to scream for help, but all she could do was whimper.

'You are so big, I could hardly wrap my fingers around you,' he said, pinching her nipples.

'Please! Don't -' she whimpered.

She tried to move but couldn't. He was holding her hands tightly over her head and his weight pinned her down.

'You would like this even better,' he said, bending down.

** Safe to resume here**

She wanted to die. Death would be preferable to this fate.

'Waa-!!' cried Morval. Before she knew what happened, his weight was lifted from her.

She still couldn't move but heard snuffles and grunts as though punches were being thrown. She tried to sit up, but her head spun making her fall again.

Someone gasped, it was Lord Advent. He removed his coat and draped it over her.

'Grandpa,' she whimpered and tried to stand. Her legs gave out completely; he caught her before she hit the floor.

'Grandpa,' she whimpered again, as that was all she could say. He helped her up and walked her to the living room.

Lord Advent gasped as they stepped into the Living room. One side of her face was bruised.

She cringed with fear when she saw Morval sitting on a chair. Lord Advent squeezed her shoulder reassuringly but she flinched from the contact.

'He is tied up. He won't be able to hurt you,' he reassured.

Her grandfather was lying on the ground amidst a pool of blood. One of Lord Advent's men was doing first aid. Lord Advent helped her sit.

'Rame, fetch a doctor immediately.'

One of Lord Advent's men nodded and left.

'I am sorry my child, I couldn't protect you,' Mr. Zennor kept repeating.

Emma couldn't stop crying. Lord Advent might have saved her from the worst. But she was ruined.

'Lieutenant Advent-' Mr. Zennor called.

'Captain,' said Lord Advent.

'Help me protect my granddaughter.'

'I will,' promised Lord Advent.

'Isn't it something you should ask of me old man? No one in his right mind will marry her, she is already ruined. She can be my mistres-' before Morval could finish his sentence Lord Advent punched his face. Morval was knocked out cold.

'Help me protect my granddaughter.' It was a plea.

'Captain, I will sponsor Miss. Zennor's debut in London and help her in finding a husband.'

Morval was right though, once the word of this night gets out Emma will never find a husband. Morval had ruined her chance of ever getting married.

'No Lieutenant, I want you to marry her. You have witnessed what she has gone through.'

Lord Advent looked stunned, 'Captain! How could I marry Miss. Zennor. She is Neville's daughter. My best friend's daughter!'