The man led her out of the room but as he did, her head started to swim with dizziness. She slumped to the floor as blackness overcame her.
~*~
When Tessa finally awoke, she found herself in a prison cell alone. She pushed herself up off the lumpy cot and looked around. The little she’d heard of Newgate, she thought there were several prisoners to a cell. The small space was dank and dark with a small chamber pot and a cot, nothing more. Not even water to wash with. She let out a slight whimper.
Hearing her sound, a guard at the door turned and stared at you. “What a pretty thin’ you are. ‘Bout time you woke, princess. Yer special supper will be here soon.”
“Special supper?” she parroted like a madwoman. What was he talking about? Oh dear Lord, did he mean it was poisoned? Did they do such things in prison? She supposed it was possible and would save the cost of a trial. Perhaps she should just eat and be done with her miserable life. Except that would only ruin her sisters even more.
“Only the fancy ones get yer treatment,” he said with a nod toward her cot. “Blankets, pillows and yer own cell. Someone must be paying a bleeding fortune for all this.”
Of course, the duke must have paid for her to have a special cell and amenities. Where would she be without him? No matter how extensively Jack had tried to change her opinion of the duke, he was the one fighting for her, he was the one paying for her treatment here. Jack was the man who had betrayed her and broke her heart. He hadn’t even the courage to attend her arraignment. But she had decided to harden her heart against him. She would forget all that they had done the past two weeks. She would forget all the lies he’d told her...eventually.
Even in her private cell, the odors of the prison were overwhelming her. She moved off the cot to get near the slit of a window that allowed fresh air inside. After a few breaths, she noticed movement in the corner of her dank cell. She shrieked and jumped back on the cot, drawing her legs up to her chest.
“It’s just a rat,” her guard stated as if that should be a normal occurrence for her.
“It’s huge,” she cried.
The burly man turned fully and stared at the rat before letting out a gruff laugh. “He’s a baby. The big ones are down in the crowded cells.”
Was that supposed to make her feel better? How would she ever sleep in here knowing a rat might climb into bed with her? If she ever saw Jack again, she might just kill him.
“Yer supper’s here,” the guard said as he jiggled the keys that would open the cell.
For a brief moment, she wondered if she could slip past him. Then what would she do? The man would drop the tray and catch her in less than twenty paces. Instead of wondering about impossibilities, she rose and took the tray from him like a lady. “Thank you.”
“Don’t be thankin’ me. Some fancy gent arranged all this.”
“The Duke of Worthington,” she replied.
“Not sure of that. I never heard the gent’s name. He yer keeper?”
“No, he is not my keeper, only a dear friend.” Her mind swirled with questions as she sat back down on the cot to eat. But as she lifted the tray, she remembered that she hadn’t eaten since this morning and that had only been a piece of toast and jam. The aroma of warm roast beef, two rolls, potatoes and peas greeted her. The meat had already been cut into bit size pieces since she wasn’t given a knife. The beef melted on her tongue as she ate.
“Excuse me, I don’t know your name,” she called out the guard.
“Bolling, ma’am.”
“Bolling, did the duke pay for all this?” She waved her fork around the cell.
“As far as I know. Me and the other guard included.”
“You and what other guard?” She savored a bite of roll with butter. How could she be enjoying her prison meal? With every taste, she closed her eyes and could almost imagine sitting at the duke’s dining room table enjoying a wonderful meal.
“I’ll be here until the morn. Then Smith will take over until evenin’.” The man laughed sounded. “Ye don’t think all cells have private guards, do ye?”
Tessa shrugged. “I would not know. I have never been in prison before.”
“I am here to make sure no one touches yer pretty arse.”
“Oh.” She bit her lower lip. “Thank you, Bolling. I appreciate your diligence.”
He nodded. “Eat yer supper ‘fore it gets cold.” He turned back around.
“Bolling, one more question, if you please.”
He let out a sigh. “What is it?”