There was a tattoo of hurried footsteps against the ground as Pearl ran, not walked, from the prison that had been the Carrington house. Sobs choked at her as much as she gasped in air, heart beating like thunder against her rib cage. The hat her brother had given her to wear had fallen off not minutes after her dash out the gates of the manor. How long had she been running? God, she was tired.

She slowed to a trot, then a walk and then stopped. Pearl dropped to her knees beside the road, glad to be out of sight from that gilded cage. She tried to catch her breath, head bowed. How could her own family do such a thing to her?

The dusk was starting to set in and she couldn't find it within her to get up just yet. In fact, she began to tremble so tremendously that her teeth chattered, and she began to let loose with a torrent of tears. She was sure that Joe would be there soon, that he would find her and take her into his arms, hold her, love her, and make the world better once more.

Then she finally pushed herself to her feet and started the long walk toward town.

The only real sound was Joe's boots striking the road as he walked. His pace was quick with long strides, he wanted to reach the Carrington place as soon as possible. He wasn't giving too much thought to his father following a ways behind, though he did wish the man would hurry up a bit.

She heard the sound of footsteps before she saw him. Pearl scrambled to her feet and launched herself toward her husband. She barreled into him, shaking like a leaf as she sobbed and said, "Joe! I knew you'd come for me!" But she had been rescued by her brother instead, the one brother who loved her, she thought.

Joe had been trying to come up with a plan for how to free his wife when he got to the Carrington estate. So far all he could think of involved punching. As it turned out, he didn't have to. As he walked, there was the sudden sound of a scuffle, and he was hit smack in the stomach by the form of a person. The impact knocked him back a step or two.

A precious second or two rolled by before his brain recognised the scent of her perfume, or the shadow of the curls of her hair. Yet there was no mistaking her voice.

Pearl!

Christ! she was shaking. Joe wrapped his arms around her. Joe let out a large sigh as a heavy wave of relief washed over him. She was safe. That was all that mattered. Still, there was still a part of him eager to show those Carringtons, particularly that bastard Robert Carrington the business end of a hobnail boot repeatedly.

"Pearl! Thank God. How - " Joe stopped releasing the situation. They couldn't stand in the middle of a country lane all night. "Look ne'er mind that now. Come on we've got ta get ye away."

She sighed when she felt his arms envelope her. "My head hurts," she said softly, pulling away to look into his eyes. "Let's get as far away from that wretched place as we can." She had a somber expression on her face as she pulled back to look at him. Assuming he went with, she started walking away from the manse, her head moving to rest on his shoulder as they moved down the road.

"I am sorry to have gotten you tangled up with the likes of my family, Joe," she said softly. "I knew they were bad, but I never imagined my own brother would hit me on the head and kidnap me. Thank God for Darius; he got me out." Her words were hushed and her voice ragged.

Joe wrapped his arm around her shoulder in an effort to protect her as they walked away from the mansion.

"Your family are..." Joe wanted to be kind, but the Carrington family was full of more shit than an outside toilet. Their recent behaviour was equally as disgusting "erm, difficult. That's a word. Darius? Have I met 'im?"

"No... he is my only decent brother," she muttered, "It's clear that I should not be there." She wanted nothing more than to get away from the toxicity that oozed from her family. Her mother especially, something just wasn't right about the way the woman treated her. Yes, we caused a scandal, but they are no better than I am, she thought to herself.

She took him to the house that was still technically hers for the moment, surprised to be able to turn the key. Perhaps her father wasn't going to disown her after all. But her heart sank when she noted that Tilly was no longer there and there was a note left for her.

 

Mrs. Blacke, I am sorry to have to leave your employment, but your father has informed me that there are no more funds available for me to be your maid. I have to seek other employment after many years of service to you and your family, and it breaks my heart. I am sorry. I will be here long enough to pack the house up, but beyond that, I cannot. You must seek another home.

Sincerely, Matilda

Joe sighed, quickly scanning some of the note.

"I'm sorry, Pearl." he said. Tilly was a decent sort, keeping Pearl safe and being a companion for her. Did the newlyweds need a domestic servant? No. Goodness knows most people didn't have one. Hopefully, she'd be okay. They had still had the house for now, but Joe needed to sort his job situation out.

She sighed and the letter fell from her hands. She had paid a high price for loving Joe. It didn't matter that she lost her family, they hated her anyway, but Tilly had been a confidant, a friend. Swallowing heavily, she said, "We will figure it out..." but she didn't know how or when. She buried her face into his shoulder and hardened her heart toward her family. There was no room for them in her life. "I'll take on work too, Joe, we'll do this together."

Her head pulled away and she looked at him miserably. "You're my family now." she whispered and then rubbed her forehead with shaking fingers.

Joe smiled weakly, for though he loved her words, he couldn't shake the feeling that much of their misfortune had been his doing. Joe shook his head, for he had blown her father's offer of vast wealth and a whole new life by running off half-cocked and marrying Pearl. No. That made it sound like a marriage forged by finishing a bottle of gin. He had whisked Pearl away to protect her. There was no shame there.

"For richer or poorer, that's what they said in Gretna, right?" Jo answered with a dash of bravado. "I'll go talk to Meekford at the station, maybe I can get me old job back." For that was the only plan at the moment.