Lord Aydan was quite handsome with dark brown hair pulled back at the base of his neck and warm brown eyes. His skin was tanned and he was quite tall and muscular. He was well dressed, his clothes tailored to fit him perfectly and Charlotte knew he had to be quite wealthy.
He stared at her, looking her over, as he walked towards her, stopping just inches away. She felt the warmth from his body and she shivered slightly, wanting to drop her gaze but forcing herself not to. He suddenly smirked, then frowned. His hand gently grabbed her chin, and he turned her head sideways. "Did you hit her?"
"No, my lord. One of the pirates who brought her in earlier did," Baki said.
"She's developing a nasty bruise. Might want to tell your pirates to not damage the merchandise." Lord Aydan's thumb brushed across her cheek and she flinched, realizing the spot was very sore.
Baki didn't respond.
Lord Aydan dropped his hand from her chin, then walked slowly around her, stopping behind her and trailing his fingers through her loose hair. "You're sure she is a virgin?"
"Yes my lord. I checked myself," Baki replied confidently.
Charlotte felt her cheeks grow hot again as Lord Aydan stepped away from her. He was most definitely interested in bedding her. A tear slid down her cheek. She wouldn't be a virgin much longer if he chose to use her. She wondered if he was just paying to use her or he intended to buy her and keep her. Either way, it seemed that she would end up in Lord Ayden's bed. Her life as she'd known it was over.
Lord Aydan moved back over next to Baki, who motioned to one of his servants. The woman came forward and undid Charlotte's dressing gown. She stepped behind Charlotte and began to pull it off.
Charlotte grabbed the dressing gown in shock. What was she doing?
Baki made a noise and she suddenly remembered his threats. She looked at the ground and let go of the dressing gown. The servant removed it from her, leaving her naked.
Charlotte wanted to sink into the ground in shame, as she felt everyone in the room's eyes on her. Lord Aydan stepped closer to her again and walked around her slowly, trailing his fingers over her skin. She swallowed hard, avoiding looking up. He stopped in front of her, and raised his hand, trailing it down her breast until he reached the very tip and lightly flicked it
Charlotte gasped softly and took a step back. She couldn't bear to look at him. She'd never in her life been fully naked before in front of anyone except Penny. Even when she had visualized herself being intimate with the Earl, she had never been completely naked. The room would be dark with perhaps a fire lit in the fireplace, but never would she stand naked in front of him to be inspected like this.
"I'll take her, though I refuse to pay full price for a woman with a bruised up face. Some bruises go deeper than just the surface," Lord Aydan said as he turned her head again to inspect her cheek.
Charlotte wanted to yank her face away from him and cover herself. She felt to exposed, and .. she wasn't sure what she was feeling with this Lord's dark gaze on her. She let her own meet his briefly and saw a small smile appear on his face. "You're perfect," he whispered for her ears alone.
Finally, the men left and Penny crossed the room to her. She'd been standing in the corner, watching the entire thing. She helped Charlotte slip the dressing gown back on. "Are you okay, Miss?"
Charlotte let the tears she'd been holding back fall. "No," she whispered. "I think he's buying me to bed me."
Penny looked at her. "Yes, Mistress," she dropped her gaze.
"You knew?" Charlotte asked.
"I overheard the men say you were to be sold as a..," she stopped, her face turning bright red.
"As a what?" Charlotte asked sharply.
"..as a concubine to some rich man," Penny whispered.
Charlotte felt her heart drop. Of course. Lord Aydan wanted her as his mistress. His slave. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want to scare you," Penny said. "At least Lord Aydan is young and handsome."
Charlotte nodded. Penny was right. Lord Aydan was very easy on the eyes, and not two or three times her age. "Hopefully he's kind." She looked down at her trembling hands. "I'm afraid," she whispered.
Penny hugged her. "Be strong. We'll get through this, Mistress."
Baki returned a bit later with another servant. "You are leaving with Lord Aydan. Put this on," he said, indicating the garments his servant held. Penny stepped forward to take the clothing and the men left the room.
Baki had left a blouse and skirt, along with undergarments for Charlotte, and she pulled off the dressing gown quickly. She dressed with Penny's help, and slipped on some shoes. "I don't know what to do with my hair," she murmured. Baki had taken the pins with him when Penny had removed them from her hair.
Penny grabbed the dressing gown and removed the belt, then used it to tie up Charlotte's hair, and smiled at her mistress. She hugged Charlotte again, and the two girls hung on to each other tightly.
Twenty minutes later, Baki returned and motioned for Charlotte to follow him out of the room. Penny stepped forward as well but he stopped her. She looked up at him in fright. "I don't understand."
Charlotte turned around and saw Baki barring Penny from leaving. "What are you doing? She's coming with me."
Baki shut the door and locked it, then turned towards Charlotte. "I've decided to sell her to someone else. She'll bring in a good price by herself."
"No!" Charlotte ran towards the door, but she was yanked back by the servants. "No! Please! We can't be separated." She fought against the servants, trying to free herself so she could get to Penny. One of them grabbed her arm and yanked it behind it, causing her to cry out in pain.
Baki glared at her. "It's too bad your new master has already paid for you, or I'd punish you for that."
"I've got her." Lord Aydan came forward and hoisted Charlotte up and tossed her over his shoulder.
Charlotte suddenly found herself staring at Lord Aydan's back and she kicked and hit him, trying to free herself. "Unhand me, you knave."
Lord Aydan chuckled as he opened the door of his carriage and deposited Charlotte inside before climbing in himself and shutting the door. The coach immediately took off, but that didn't stop Charlotte from trying to open the carriage door back up.
Aydan grabbed her before she could manage to get the door open and yanked her back and over his lap.
Charlotte found herself upside down again, her skirts tossed up over her head as Aydan held her down over his lap. "No!" She screeched, fighting him for all she was worth as she suddenly felt cool air on her bare bottom. A hand came down hard on her skin, causing her to gasp in shock, as it smacked her several more times. She'd never been spanked in her life, and having it happen now caused her to burst into tears.
Aydan pulled her upright, seating her on his lap. "Enough. Stop acting like a bloody child."
Charlotte could barely see him through her tears, and she stopped struggling, giving up. Penny was gone. Her last attachment to her old life had just been ripped away from her. She was still on his lap, but at this point, what did it matter anymore? Her life was no longer her own. She now belonged to this man. She was his property, and he'd already seen her bare body. More than likely, he'd take her virginity before the end of the night. She stared straight ahead from her place on his lap at nothing as the tears rolled down her cheeks.
Lord Aydan gently rubbed her back, watching her quietly until she'd stopped crying. "What is your name?"
"Charlotte," she whispered.
"Charlotte, as long as you promise to behave, you can move back over to the other seat. We're in for a long trip, so get comfortable. You might as well sleep."
Charlotte moved off of his lap. Even if she tried to jump out of the carriage now, she had no idea where she was or which way Penny was. She was too tired to try to outrun Lord Aydan. She glanced up at her captor who was studying her in the dimly lit carriage. It would be dark soon. "Why didn't you buy her too?"
His eyes flickered. "Who? Your friend?"
She didn't reply.
"She wasn't offered to me. Do you know her?"
Charlotte looked away from him and out the carriage window. "She was my maid in my previous life."