Chapter 17
Nathalie hurt terribly, but she was triumphant. The second the door closed and she heard the key turn in the lock, she climbed painfully from the bed and went to the basin. Pouring water from the pitcher, she washed herself as best she could. She was bleeding badly and could not seem to stop the flow. The tears flowed as she worked. It was the first time since her ordeal began that she allowed herself to sink into self-pity. Her misery was interrupted by shock when she again heard the key turn in the lock.
I cannot bear it again! she told herself, sobbing frantically but when the door opened, it was Astrid and Hedda and Roald.
"Ohhhhh!" she cried and jumped behind a drapery.
"Nathalie, you are bleeding!" Hedda cried.
"Get in that bed!" Astrid commanded.
"Make Roald turn a-w-aaaay." Her words faded as she slumped slowly to the floor.
"That damnable modesty!" Astrid snapped. "Get her in bed," she ordered but Roald had already scooped the girl up into his arms. The girls followed, carrying the basin and pitcher. They turned her onto her belly and examined the rents in her anus.
"I shall kill him for his," Roald growled ominously.
"To hell with him, Roald," Astrid snapped. "It's the girl that needs our help now. We will have to pack the bowel."
Roald nodded and headed out for fresh linens. He was back within a moment.
"Poor baby," Hedda moaned. "That damn dog probably jerked out of her before the knot went down."
"I never knew he had a dog trained for assholes," Astrid snapped.
"Well, he's not trained very well or he would not have ripped her like this," Hedda observed.
"It was not the dog," Nathalie moaned.
"You mean Arne did this?" Hedda asked incredulously. "I never heard of him touching a woman."
Nathalie was still groggy but the fury of her anger was fully awake. Not realizing that Roald was there, she said, "He made me suck him, Hedda.
First the dog and then him and when that horrid stuff spurted into my mouth I vomited for many minutes. It was terrible, but still he would not leave me alone."
"He is a dead man," Roald said in an almost frighteningly lethal voice.
Nathalie's hand flew to her mouth as she heard his voice, and she was so ashamed that the tears again began to flow.
"Forget it, pet," Hedda whispered. "You cannot bury all this. We understand. What I cannot understand is what suddenly got into Arne. He would never touch any of the rest of us."
"And you certainly tried," Astrid said edgily.
"Well, he would beat the dog."
"Oh!" Nathalie cried. "The dog. Oh!"
"What did the dog do?" Roald demanded.
Nathalie looked up into his big gray-blue eyes.
"Nothing," she said. "I did not have time to use the oil, and the salve worked on it exactly as it worked on me, thanks to you."
"And Arne did not even notice?" Astrid gasped.
"No," Nathalie admitted. "That was whenwell, you know."
"What worries me is how long this will have to go on," Hedda said thoughtfully.
"What do you mean?" Nathalie demanded.
"Well, dear, you evidently have something none of the rest of us have. He's apt to keep you up here for a long time."
"No," Nathalie answered with a smile and on this she had confidence.
"What makes you so sure?" Astrid asked.
"He came to me after he was dressed. He said, You are frigid, are you not, Nathalie? Then he said, You gave me something I had almost forgotten. 'Tis a pity. We might have made it. He said he was sorry and he left."
"Sorry? My God!" Hedda whispered.
"I never would have believed it," Astrid admitted.
"Then you will be coming down with us soon," Roald said, "and we can plan our escape."
"Is it really possible?" Nathalie asked anxiously.
"It is a certainty as soon as you are well enough," Roald promised.
"I shall report them first off," Nathalie said thoughtfully.
"It will not be necessary," Roald told her. "I do not intend to leave the house intact when we leave."
Nathalie shivered at the ominous sound of his voice. He spooned some liquid into her mouth and told her not to worry.
"This will help you to sleep," he said.
"The bleeding has stopped," Astrid announced. "She'll be sore as the devil for a few days but she'll make it."
"Thank heaven!" Hedda said. "She could have bled to death."
"Thank you all," Nathalie whispered. "I hope we can all leave together soon. It is impossible here."
"The next fiesta," Roald promised. "We'll leave then."
"But that is far too soon!" Astrid gasped. "Nathalie may not be well enough then."
"She will make it," Roald said, "if I have to carry her all the way to the coast."
Gently, they tucked her in and slipped from the room. Nathalie's pain had turned to a dull ache, but she felt warm and loved inside. And soon she would be free!