Dead Tempted - BOOK 1 - Pomegranate Seeds

PART TWO - X

Looking up at the house of her former piano instructor, Bronwen felt a sense of foreboding discomfort in the pit of her stomach that spread like a disease, making every hair stand on end and her skin feel hot.

The smell of the nettle bushes, hugging against the wall of the front gate, made her want to gag and her breath quickened. It had not changed by one brick or leaf.

Bronwen had left her horse tied to a lamppost near the house, ready for a quick getaway and had tucked a knife from dinner into her boot. It was cold and uncomfortable there and she was still unsure if she would be able to use it, but the sun was creeping higher over the horizon and she had little time to decide.

Lady Bronwen closed her eyes slowly and took a deep breath before walking through the eerily silent gate. She tried the handle of the door and was relieved to find it unlocked. She stepped inside quietly and stood in the hallway of Kenneth's little town house. He did not have a permanent housekeeper, only a woman who cleaned the house every other day, so she knew they would not be disturbed.

It was possible to hear the faint sound of piano keys from one of the upper floors. From the simplicity of the tune, Bronwen guessed it was a student which surprised and worried her, considering how early it was in the day.

The ascension up the stairs to the first floor was a bitterly long one. If it were possible to be dragging her feet, she would have been, but Bronwen felt safer knowing Kenneth did not know she was there, as if that would give her the upper hand with this man who filled her with so much dread.

The door where the soft, sad melody came from was open. Bronwen quietly stepped into the doorway and looked into the room, finding some inner strength to face her childhood demons.

The music room hadn't changed either. There was a small red sofa on the back wall, next to a modest fireplace. A desk was pushed under the small window, its thick net curtains always closed so the room had to be constantly lit by lanterns and candles. There were metal stands for holding music in one corner and a bookshelf in the other. The black piano was still shiny and dominated the centre of the room and sat on the stool in front of it was Bronwen's nightmares.

Mr Quays was sat with his back to the door speaking to a young girl next to him. She had pale brown hair like Bronwen's and she recognised her to be Catherine.

Kenneth placed a hand on the young girl's lower back - too low. The girl cringed but could not move away and Bronwen felt an equal measure of disgust and fear. There was another feeling as well, creeping into her stomach and it took her a while to realise what it was - an unwanted pang of jealous rage.

Bronwen felt sick at her own confused emotions. Why would she ever feel jealous that he was abusing this young girl and not her? Was it because she was no longer his favourite student? But that was absurd and nonsensical - irrational even. Perhaps it was because this had been the only reason Bronwen had not been completely broken from their lessons together. If there was a reason for what Kenneth had done, if he had just been so pleased with Bronwen that he could not help himself, then it was a little more bearable.

Seeing Kenneth giving this girl the same affectionate caress and watching him lean his body into hers as he used to do to Bronwen, shattered every reason she had rationalised in her youth and just made her even more enraged.

"Take your hand from her," Bronwen's voice was barely audible, but she knew Kenneth had heard it from the way his shoulders tensed.

"Bronwen," Kenneth replied.

The girl turned to look at Bronwen still stood in the doorway. It was Catherine and there was a brief expression of guilt in the little girl's eyes that made Bronwen's heart ache.