by Abby Ayles
“Come,” Abigail cooed again as if she were calming a skittish animal. “Lay down, and we will both catch our breath. Please, don’t shut me out again,” Abigail added in a pleading tone.
Colton softened at her words. The adrenaline that was pumping through his veins had finally begun to lessen and he felt like the sting in his lungs from the dream was dissipating.
He sat down on the bed, still keeping a hold on her two hands. He took a deep breath and let it all out again.
Abigail came and sat down next to him. She gave him a few moments as he collected himself.
“Perhaps,” Abigail said, “it might help if you told me. Whatever is bothering you is too much of a burden to bear alone. Share it with me and together we can find a way through it.”
He looked over at his wife in the darkness. They had yet to light a candle, and for the most part, he could see nothing but an outline of her frame. Reaching up, he grabbed one of the long locks of her hair that had spread around her shoulders. He didn’t have to see it to picture the copper shine that glittered in the light with every movement.
Colton had no desire to burden her with the guilt that was bursting to come out of him and the nightmares that plagued him constantly.
Abigail was patient as she waited for Colton to speak. She remembered the advice of her brother all those months ago. She knew that there was no fast way to help Colton overcome his demons as Isabella and Louisa had hoped for. Instead, he needed time, and he needed someone to share his burden with.
She was ready to be that one if he was prepared to share. However, Abigail was preparing herself that he might not be ready for this step. If that was the case, she only hoped that he would not again shut her out and away from him.
“Remember I told you my father was against my commission,” Colton finally said softly as he continued to feel the silky smooth lock in his hand.
“Yes,” Abigail encouraged just as softly.
“He wasn’t just unhappy about my choice, but actively against it. I more or less blackmailed him into putting on a front of support.”
“You wouldn’t do that,” Abigail retorted.
“I did. I told Father that it was in my mother's best interest that he go along for her sake. My mother was always his weakness. He cared for her so dearly. And so he did as I asked.”
Colton released another long sigh and removed his hand from Abigail’s hair to rub his chin. Abigail could hear the sound of his palm against the rough stubble already growing along his square jaw.
“When I was injured, at first they didn’t think I was going to make it. In all honesty, I probably shouldn’t have. The stress of it all, well it killed my father. I killed my father.”
“Why would you think that?” Abigail said, shocked with the revelation. “No one else believes the same.”
“My mother does.”
“She would never say such a thing. She was so excited to have you home. I can’t imagine she would ever put such irrational blame on you for your father’s death.”
“She may not have said the words, but she didn’t have to. I can see it clearly in her eyes. She holds me to blame for the loss of her husband."
"I lost so many over the years I was fighting. Men under my command. The boy whom I was meant to see safely from the surgeon. That guilt I think I can manage, but the added knowledge that I have taken my own father’s life is too much. It was the last life I took and the one that broke me.”
“You are not broken, first of all,” Abigail replied with a determined tone.
“Abigail,” he said with a huff of disappointment in himself. “Look at what I just did. If that is not the mind of a man destined for Bedlam, then I am not sure I know what is.”
Abigail scooted closer to her husband so that they were right next to each other on the bed. She lifted his left hand, not caring a whit for the scars, and kissed it softly.
“I promise you, you are not broken,” she repeated, this time softer.
Abigail laid her head gently on her husband’s shoulder and sighed in contentment. Her heart was breaking for the turmoil inside of Colton, but at the same time, she was relieved that he had in fact opened up to her instead of running away as he so often did.
“Your mother loves you and doesn’t hold you responsible. But I fear it is your own heart that needs to let go of guilt for the situations you couldn't control.”
“And if I can’t? What if I am this way forever? Are you sure you can bear to be around such a monster?”
Abigail smiled against her husband's shoulder. After the night she had shared with him, she was confident she would die if she were ever to be separated from him.
“You may call yourself a monster if you wish, but I don’t see you that way. You are my husband and my love. I will stay by your side always whether you want me there or not.”
Colton smiled down at the tenacious lady at his side. He lowered his lips and kissed her softly on top of her head.
“I will never know how I got so lucky as to trick you into marrying me,” Colton whispered against her hair.
Epilogue
“Abigail, I am beginning to think this is not a very wise decision,” Colton said as he watched his wife go over the list of supplies and luggage one last time.
“What isn’t a good idea?” she asked, not removing her eyes from her page. “Oh, I must tell Mildred only to pack my cotton dresses. I am told that Virginia can be quite stifling in the heat of summer.”
“That is the decision I am speaking of."
"Cotton dresses?" Abigail retorted, knowing full well that wasn't what Colton meant.
Colton gave a heavy sigh. It was probably his own fault that such a teasing nature was rubbing off on his wife.
"I don’t know it is wise for you to make the journey. It will not be an easy one.”
“Plenty of others have sailed the Atlantic, why not I? Plus don’t you think it is a little late to be having these second thoughts? We leave for Liverpool in the morning, my love,” Abigail expounded quickly and waved him off.
“You are not just anyone,” Colton replied, reaching to wrap his arms around his wife. “You are the most important person in the world to me, and I couldn’t bear it if something were to happen to you.”
“If you haven’t noticed, Colton, I am not a very dainty and delicate lady. You will not stop me from going, not now,” Abigail said, wrapping her arms lovingly around her husband's shoulders.
Colton smiled down at his wife. Try as he might, she was as stubborn as a wild horse. He doubted he could force her to stay even if that was what he wanted. In honesty, however, he was sure he couldn't bear the time away from her.
“What if those natives pick you up and take you away?” Colton retorted with narrowed teasing eyes. “What if they chop you up and turn you into stew?”
“Well I fully intend on you rescuing me before that happens, or you will feel the wrath of my words.”
“I shan't want that to happen; you can be so fierce when you want to. Like poor Sir Blanchard. If you do to the natives as you did to that man, I fear they would run at the mere sight of the color red,” he added with a flick of a copper lock that dangled down her neck.
“I wasn’t that horrible to the man. I simply told him the truth that no one else had the courage to say.”
“You called him a disgrace to society and that you would be sure to inform every person you met of that fact until he was willing to treat his employees better.”
“Well, it was true,” Abigail retorted like an errant child. “Something had to be done. The vicar’s words did nothing to move the man.”
“Yes, and you found his weakness. He had a desperate need to get in with societal connections,” Colton said with pride in his wife's abilities.
“And so I threatened to rob him of it, is that so wrong?” Abigail asked, looking at her husband innocently.
“For you, my love,” Colton said with a great big grin, “absolutely not.”
&n
bsp; “And now I am happy to report,” Colton continued, “that Sir Blanchard has increased the pay of all his workers and made conditions much safer for them. They all have you to thank for it too.”
He leaned down and gave his wife a soft kiss. He removed his lips from his wife’s to look her over again.
“Now that I think about it,” he said with his wicked teasing grin, “it might be best if you come with me. That sharp tongue of yours can protect me from any native or scoundrel I might encounter.”
“You rescued me once,” Abigail retorted, “so it only seems fair that I return the favor.”
“I promise you,” Colton said, placing a soft kiss now on the tip of her nose. All humor was removed from his face, and he spoke with deep sincerity. “You have already saved me from the misery I was trapped in. You are the light that helped me through my darkness.”
Epilogue 2
“Mildred, will you bring me the wash bin,” Abigail called to her lady’s maid when she entered the large suite of the bedroom.
Mildred, who had insisted on taking the trip along with her mistress, did as she was bade before returning to her tasks for the day. First Mildred went about opening the long wall of doors that opened out onto a veranda.
In her mind, Lady Gilchrist did seem a bit pale that morning in bed, and a fresh breeze might do her some good. Before she was even able to push back the sheen curtain of the first set of doors she heard the sound of Abigail being sick in the basin.
Mildred turned to the lady with concern.
“Are you alright, m’lady? Should I send for a doctor?”
“No, thank you,” Abigail said as the wave of nausea finally subsided.
“Let me have someone bring up Lord Gilchrist in the least, ma’am. I don’t believe he has left the house yet,” Mildred said as she went back to letting in some air for her mistress’s sake.
Abigail could already hear the sound of insects singing on the warm breeze that blew in. The sun had scarcely risen and already the day was hot and sticky.
“No, please don’t bother him. I assure you I am fine.”
“Well you don’t seem fine to me,” Mildred said, placing her hands on her hips. “Why on earth would you be trying to empty your already barren stomach if you were fine?”
“Because,” Abigail said, realizing her lady’s maid was much too young to have any idea what was actually happening, “I am not barren.”
She waited for her meaning to sink in with the maid. It did take a few seconds of thinking before Mildred's face lit up and she squealed with joy.
“Oh, how wonderful, m’lady. Does Lord Gilchrist know? I bet he was just beaming with pride.”
“I haven’t told him yet,” Abigail confessed. “I only realized myself halfway through the voyage. I didn’t want to tell him then. Plus it was easy enough to hide with seasickness.”
Abigail placed a hand on the small round bump at the base of her torso. It was barely there at all really. They had only just settled into their new lodgings on the plantation. She was planning on telling Colton, but just waiting for the right moment.
That moment came two nights later. Colton had finally finished his tour of all the property and buildings on it. They were sitting on the porch drinking a warm spiced wine as the sun was slowly sinking over the fields before them.
“It is quite beautiful here,” Abigail remarked.
“Terribly uncomfortable heat, however,” Colton retorted casually.
“How long do you think we will stay?” Abigail asked slyly.
“Not long at all. I am hoping to organize a boat back to England before the end of summer. We should be home in time for the holidays,” he said looking to her.
“Unless that is not what you want?” Colton questioned, seeing a different look in Abigail’s eyes.
“I do agree, it would be nice to be home for the holidays. I am afraid that we may not be able to leave quite so early though.”
“And why would that be, my love?" Colton asked with affection in his voice.
He would have been happy to stay if Abigail wanted it. He didn’t particularly like the heat or the chafing way his sweat-soaked clothes rubbed against his scarred body, but he would stay as long as his wife wanted.
“I have found myself in a condition that won't allow for traveling for some time,” Abigail said, looking over her husband’s face.
Mildred might have thought that Colton would be happy at the news, but Abigail wasn’t entirely in agreement with that assumption.
“A condition?” Colton asked, looking his wife over.
As far as he could tell she looked to be in good health. She had been very sick on the voyage over and because of it lost a significant amount of weight. He wondered if perhaps she wanted more time to recover before stepping back onto a boat.
“I’m going to have a baby, Colton,” Abigail said softly when he didn’t catch her meaning.
Colton sat stunned next to his wife for a few moments. He wasn’t sure he had heard her right. She was going to have a child, his child.
“You’re going to have…we are going to have…here?” Colton managed to stammer out.
“Well yes. Apparently this little one doesn’t have any qualms about heat.”
“I hope you won’t mind terribly,” Abigail added timidly.
“Mind,” Colton said with a hearty laugh before standing to pull his wife into his arms.
“I promise you, I don’t mind at all. In fact, quite the contrary, I couldn’t be more excited.”
He leaned his head down and kissed his wife wholly on the lips. He cared not for the servants who passed by after the day’s work. Let them see. Colton loved this woman with all his heart and he would be damned if he didn’t make sure the whole world knew it.
The Extended Epilogue
Saving Lady Abigail
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The Lady’s Patient
Chapter 1
Kitty looked at the pile of suitcases on her bed and smiled in relief. It was time to return home. At last!
It had been a pleasant stay at the resort. She had enjoyed her usual week, plus an extra two days when, during a massage session, her elbow had become too loose and almost came out of its socket. But now everything seemed to be in place again.
Suffering from rheumatism, even only a mild case, was not easy. Kitty knew she was blessed to be as strong as she was and to have the money for proper care.
The doctor knocked on the door and walked in looking pleased. He smiled warmly. “How are you feeling, Miss Langley?”
She smiled back. “Very well, thank you. I feel revitalized and prepared for my journey.”
“We have not yet had news about your coach, but no doubt it shall arrive soon,” the doctor reassured her. “How is your elbow?”
“No complaints, doctor,” she replied.
“And everything else is as it should be?” he asked.
She nodded. “A thousand times better than when I first arrived.”
The doctor smiled and scribbled some notes into his journal. “You have done very well, very well indeed, Miss Langley,” he said. “I am sure that Dr. Allen will be able to pick up from where we're leaving it off.”
Dr. Allen was the family doctor. He had cared for Kitty ever since she was a little girl
, for her mother when she became ill. And now, he tended to her father as well ever since a terrible bout of pneumonia left him with a painful cough.
Dr. Allen would have appreciated his three-week long holiday, but would no doubt be home several days before her coach arrived, and her room would be perfectly prepared for her as if she had never left.
As soon as her coach was announced, Kitty made her way to the entrance. They always offered her a wheelchair, although she had not needed to use one for years. It was as though nobody believed she was able to get better rather than worse.
“Oh, we'll miss you, sweetie,” the head nurse said, adjusting Kitty's bonnet.
“And I shall miss you,” Kitty replied. “Everyone is so kind to me here, I feel truly at home. I cannot wait to return for my next rest.”
“Unless you require further treatment,” the nurse remarked.
Kitty felt a slight concern. “I am in no pain, I hope I shall not need treatment at least until the end of the year.”
“I hope so too, my dear,” the nurse replied.
Kitty made her way to the coach, where her last case was being firmly tied to the roof of the vehicle ready for the long journey home. Inside the coach sat a maid and Kitty's travel bags by her feet. She was ready to attend to anything that Kitty needed on her trip home.
As the coach pulled away and rolled down the hill towards the docks where the ferry would be no doubt just arriving, Kitty looked out of the rear window.
It was always a little sad to see the resort disappear into the distance. But she also knew that she would be back before long. Her father would not allow her to go more than a few months without treatment. She huffed a breath of indignation. She did not need it.
