Love at the Tower by Barbara Cartland

Robina Melville!” he snorted. “Except that you’re not so little any more!”
    He laughed and the sound filled her with terror.
    She tried to pull herself free, but he was too strong.
    Pulling her close to him, she could smell stale drink on his breath and heard his heavy breathing.
    â€œAnd just why are you wandering around the Castle at this hour? In fact what are you doing here at all?”
    She swung the lamp round and then she saw who her captor was.
    â€œ Ellis ! Let go of me!” she shouted, hoping that she might be heard.
    He pulled her closer so that she almost dropped the lamp.
    She felt herself pressed against his damp chest and it revolted her to her very core.
    â€œLet go of me, please,” she whimpered, hoping that pleading with him would work.
    â€œNot until you tell me why you are here,” he snarled, “and besides, I think it’s time we re-acquainted ourselves, don’t you?”
    He tried to kiss her, but she pulled away from him.
    In the struggle the lamp smashed to the ground and the wind blew out the wick seconds before it hit the floor.
    They were now both in total darkness.
    Ellis renewed his grip and she battered him with her fists as he moved his face towards hers menacingly.
    â€œYou always were a high and mighty little miss,” he grated, holding her so fast that she could neither move nor breathe. “And now you are going to be nice to me – ”
    Robina closed her eyes and opened her mouth to scream, while behind her the French doors banged noisily in the wind.

CHAPTER SIX
    Robina closed her eyes and clamped her lips shut.
    â€œPlease, Ellis, don’t!” she shouted, twisting her face away.
    But Ellis only laughed – a low horrible laugh full of menace.
    Suddenly from behind her came a full-blooded yell.
    â€œEllis! What on earth are you doing? Let go of her at once!”
    â€œ Robert !” cried out Robina, too terrified to consider that she had addressed him in a rather familiar fashion.
    Pushing her away with a dismissive gesture, Ellis now let out a cruel laugh. She had heard that sound before when, as a child, he had pulled the legs off insects.
    Robina fell to the ground and cut her hand on some fragments of glass from the smashed oil lamp.
    â€œNow, get out of here,” bawled the Earl to Ellis, in a cold voice that chilled Robina’s blood. “I will deal with you later!”
    As Ellis slunk out of the room, the Earl rushed over to where she was nursing her cut hand.
    Tenderly brushing back her hair, he held her for a fleeting moment.
    â€œAre you all right?” he asked very gently.
    He was staring into her face with a concerned air.
    â€œMy hand is bleeding – oh, Robert.”
    He took a large handkerchief from the pocket of his dressing gown and deftly wound it around her hand.
    â€œShhh, you are safe now. I will ring for Mrs. Osidge to take care of you. I am certain that all this rumpus has awoken her.”
    â€œI am so so terribly sorry!” she sobbed, holding the handkerchief firmly around her hand. “I had to get away from home and you said that I was always welcome here.”
    â€œWhat can have happened to make you run away in the middle of the night?”
    â€œMy Stepmama drove me to it. The man she invited to dinner was horrid! Old, fat and disgusting and the way he looked at me made me feel sick. His eyes raked over me as if I was only wearing my undergarments!”
    â€œAnd was the subject of marriage raised?”
    â€œI believe so. At the end of dinner he disappeared off with Papa for a talk and then, I was summoned into the drawing room and told he would be taking me for a drive the next day. I assume he intended to propose – why else would he seek to get me on my own?”
    He did not like to say what was in his head, but he feared the worst.
    Robina continued,
    â€œAnd so I decided to run away. I thought that if I was not at home when he