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ordered her.
    Verity was frozen with fear and so he grabbed her by the neck and forced her down on to the bed. Still holding her there, he hit her with the belt once. That hardly hurt at all, as he hadn’t been able to swing his arm, but he soon rectified that by standing up straight and raining blows down on her back and buttocks.
    Normally when he beat her it was four or five strokes at the most, and not that hard – but even so, it stung like mad – but this was frenzied, almost as if she was responsible for all his misfortunes. The pain was red hot and searing. Despite wearing a dress, petticoat, knickers and a liberty bodice, it felt like the belt was biting into her bare flesh.
    She could hear him ranting at her as he hit her, but over her screaming she couldn’t hear what he was saying. She thought fleetingly that no one could be beaten this hard and survive, and then she stopped screaming and prayed that she would pass out with the next blow.
    Maybe her prayers were answered because, through what felt like a thick fog, she heard her mother’s voice, ordering him to stop. Then Miss Parsons’ voice joined in, and suddenly the blows stopped.
    But not the pain.
    That was like a fiery blanket on her back, bottom and legs.



CHAPTER FOUR
    ‘Oh,Verity, what has he done to you?’
    Verity heard her mother’s horrified question through what seemed to be a thick red mist. But she was in too much pain to open her eyes or reply.
    ‘I’ll get clean linen, she’s had an accident.’ Miss Parsons’ voice came from close by her.
    Verity realized then that it was the housekeeper’s hands that were gently examining her – not her mother’s – and unusually for Miss Parsons, her voice was soft and concerned. ‘I can’t believe a father would inflict such injuries on his child!’ she said. ‘I’ll get water, a cloth and some soothing cream to try and make her more comfortable.’
    ‘If he wasn’t about to be arrested for embezzlement, I’d call the police to him now,’ her mother said, her voice tight with anger. ‘Has he got up and slunk away yet?’
    Verity heard the sound of the door opening. ‘No. He’s still out there on the landing, where I dragged him to.’ Miss Parsons sounded angry now. ‘He’s trying to get up, though, so I didn’t kill him. More’s the pity!’
    Much later that evening, Verity learned that her beating had ended abruptly because Miss Parsons ran upstairs armed with a golf club and hit her employer over the head with it, knocking him unconscious. Then she took his feet and dragged him out of Verity’s bedroom on to the landing. That in itself was astounding; she had never imaginedMiss Parsons could attack or defend anyone. But clearly this woman, who had always seemed so chilly and uncaring, did have tender feelings for Verity. From the first examination of her back till several hours later, when she gave Verity a herbal sedative to help her sleep, she was unbelievably kind and concerned.
    Those hours were filled with searing agony. It was hardly surprising Verity had lost control of her bladder; her clothes were torn to ribbons with the force of the beating and her whole body, from her shoulders down to her knees, was lacerated and bloody. She could only lie on her stomach – there was no question of being able to turn over, or sit up.
    Miss Parsons did all of the nursing, bathing the wounds and applying some healing cream. As she worked, Verity’s mother merely sat on a chair and went on and on incessantly about her husband’s crime.
    ‘I wish I was dead,’ she exclaimed at one point. ‘The shame of it! I can’t even begin to imagine what our neighbours and friends will say about it. It seems he not only robbed the company but many small investors too. I wouldn’t blame them if they came here to lynch him. I’ll have to move away,’ she said repeatedly. ‘They’ll take this house and all our fine furniture anyway. I’ll have nothing.’
    Verity did try to rally