by L. L. Muir
He took a deep breath. “Lilith, I hate to bring up the reminder, but you have to be out of the house by five p.m. on Monday night. If you’re not, I fear things will get ugly, and I don’t want that for you, your grandmother, or your daughter.”
She nodded, stood, and offered her hand. “Thank you, Mr. Porter. I know you’ve done all you can.”
Mr. Porter rose and took her hand. “And I’ll continue to do so. As I said, I’m taking off work on Monday, and I’ll be there bright and early to help you move. If you want to start tomorrow, just let me know. That would give us an extra day.”
She shook her head. “Monday is fine.” Feeling slightly sick, she turned and walked away, and Alan followed after.
She made it outside and took a deep breath of the warm summer air. “Come on. I’m not quite ready to go back yet. Besides, if you’re leaving later today, let me show you a few of the sights first.”
Lilith went out of her way to drive on Derby Street toward Pickering Wharf so they could pass the restaurant where she worked. “Do you see that? The long two-story building right on the wharf? That’s where I work. The Crab risotto and lobster rolls are amazing, if I do say so myself. It overlooks Salem Harbor and has a spectacular view of the waterfront. You can walk down to the bay. Do you see all the sail boats? And the big ship? I can often hear the ocean while I’m working.”
“Do ye like it there?”
“Sure. I always thought I’d run a bed and breakfast, but it’s fun, loud, and we laugh a lot. My boss loves me.”
“I’ve nae doubt of that.”
Was she imagining things, or was there a bit of jealousy in his voice when he said that?
She laughed. “Actually, he loves the fact that my family’s been in this area forever. He says my history brings a touch of mystery to the place.” Her laughter faded. “Of course, he probably won’t feel that way now that we’ve lost Herrick House.”
“I’m sure it willnae change the man’s feelings a jot.”
She drove to downtown Salem, and parked the car. When they got out, she glanced up and down the road. “Do you know anything about Salem?”
“Only what ye told me about the witches and such.”
She laughed. “Yes, we have witches aplenty here. That’s the rumor anyway.”
She hooked her arm in his and as they walked along the sidewalk, she pointed out all the witchy elements in town.
“We’re considered a New England bedrock of history. The Puritans settled here and made it a thriving concern. But when most people think of Salem, they think of the witch trials. Not a good time in the history of this place.”
He squeezed her hand for a moment. “It doesnae sound so.”
“Still, to this day, we identify with that event. The police cars have witches on them, we have an area called Witchcraft Heights—even the school is called Witchcraft Heights Elementary School. The High School team is named The Witches, and Gallows Hill is believed to be the site of the public hangings all those years ago.”
“Sounds gruesome.”
“I’m sure it was. Lest you think that is all that defines our history, you should know that after the witch trials, Salem comported itself very well during the Revolutionary War.”
“’Tis good they tried to redeem themselves.”
“We have the House of the Seven Gables, which was built for a captain and his family, but became famous because of the book written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, called, of course, The House of the Seven Gables. We are also known for our early Federal-style architecture. Have you ever seen the Halloween movie Hocus-Pocus?”
“Nae.”
“If you were to spend more time here, I’d watch it with you.”
He patted her hand, but didn’t comment.
Her heart sank. “Anyway, it was filmed here. Parts of it, anyway. We get a lot of tourism. Pickman House is popular, though it’s not open to the public. Then there’s the Salem Witch Trials Memorial, and Burying Point Cemetery. We actually have a lot of museums. The Witch House is popular, and so is Hamilton Hall. In October, we have Haunted Happenings. It’s a busy month. We have fireworks on Halloween.”
He wasn’t commenting much, and she was starting to feel ridiculous, like she was trying to sell him on the place, when he’d already told her he was leaving.
“Of course, not everything is related to the witch trials. We’re quite proud of our seaport history as well and have several Maritime museums and have a replica of the ship, The Friendship. The big one I pointed out earlier.”
When she still didn’t get a response from him, she finally gave up. “Anyway, there’s more. All in all, it’s a great place to live, with a lot of history.”
She glanced up and caught him watching her. “What?”
“Ye are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”
She smiled at him, then glanced away. That was more like it. “Oh, quite the charmer when you lose your shyness, aren’t you?”
“I dinnae know about that, all I know is I’m right.”
As they walked, a group of chattering tourists headed right toward them.
She pointed out a few more areas of interest, and they stopped in front of a statue. “Do you remember the TV show Bewitched?”
He shook his head.
“Really? They must not have shown it in Scotland. Anyway pretty much a favorite of everybody. Since this is a witch town, and they directed some of the shows here, they erected a statue of Elizabeth Montgomery, the actress in the show.”
He obviously had no idea what she was talking about.
She entwined her arm with his, and glanced up to see if he minded. He gave her a small smile that let her know it was okay, and she relaxed.
“How is it ye live here with yer grandmum, rather than yer parents?”
She shrugged. “My parents were so ashamed of me when I got pregnant, that I moved in with my grandma to make it easier on them.”
“Have ye considered living with them again?”
“No. I have my job here, and my parents live in Boston. We were estranged for a while, but things have gotten better the last few years. They’re proud of what I’ve done. Although they did want me to give Olivia up for adoption, they love her and spend as much time with her as possible. They adore her, in fact.”
They walked along and she pointed out a few more areas of interest, and when a large tourist crowd walked toward them, he took her under his arm so that not one person jostled her as they walked by.
She felt tears spring to her eyes.
It was stupid that such a simple gesture of courtesy would affect her so, but no one had ever done such a thing for her. She’d been pregnant at seventeen, given birth at eighteen, and had very little time to date as she’d been raising her daughter and taking classes to become a chef.
The last few years she’d worked full-time, and dating was entirely sporadic. But the gesture seemed so natural to him he probably hadn’t thought anything about it. Still, it warmed her heart.
She kept her gaze down so he wouldn’t see her sniffling like a baby over nothing.
He’d said he was leaving. But if he felt anything even close to what she did, maybe he’d come back.
If she had her way, she’d be keeping him.
Chapter 11
Lilith went back to the house to get some packing done.
She was grateful for all the help coming on Monday morning, but wanted to have as much boxed up as possible. She’d just opened a box and bent back the edges when her daughter came in. “What are you doing, Mama?”
She held her breath for a moment and debated. It was time. Even though they’d talked about leaving, and Lilith had tried to ease her into the idea of it, she knew her daughter didn’t really understand. She couldn’t put off explaining to Olivia any longer.
She knelt in front of her daughter so she could get down on her level, and took her hands. “Sweetheart, do you remember how your friend Brittany packed up the things in her
house, and they moved away?”
Eyes going wide, Olivia nodded.
“Well, it’s our turn to do that. We’re going to pack up our things and move to a new place.”
Olivia was already shaking her head, as tears welled in her eyes. “No, Mama.”
She squeezed her daughter’s hands, then let go of one of them so she could brush Olivia’s dark curls behind one year. “Yes, sweetie. I’m sorry, I know this is a bit of a surprise, but we’re going to be moving to a new place. All of us will still be together, and you’ll still go to your same school.”
“But why can’t we stay here?”
“The house is just getting too big, too hard to take care of.”
“But Alan is here now. He can take care of it.”
A sudden ache took up residence in her chest. “Unfortunately, Alan has to go too.”
“No!” At that, her daughter started to cry. “No, Mama, no!”
Lilith’s heart hurt. She pulled her daughter into her arms and held her while she sobbed. She’d never wanted to admit before that they’d really lost the house, and this was her lowest moment yet.
She noticed Alan come into the room, before he spoke. “’Tis going tae be all right, lass.” He knelt down to pat Olivia on the back. “Sometimes change leads to better things.”
She appreciated the effort he was making. Again, she realized she didn’t want to lose this man. She wanted to keep him.
Who was this girl coming for him? Sudden jealousy twisted inside her. He couldn’t be too taken with her, as he’d kissed Lilith like a starving man. Several times. Whether he admitted it or not, his heart was definitely available.
And somehow, someway, she’d like to claim it for herself.
Maybe this was one of those moments where God closed a door and opened a window. Losing the house was going to be quite a blow, but if she was able to keep Alan in her life, that would make up for a lot.
When she’d lost Olivia’s father, she’d been young, afraid, and devastated. It had taken her a long time to get over the shock. Now, she was about to lose the house, and though she certainly didn’t like it, she’d accepted it.
But she didn’t want to lose Alan. She wouldn’t accept that!
She wanted him to stick around so they could see if these feelings growing between them could go anywhere. She knew it was awfully fast, but for her own part, her feelings were already fully engaged. Maybe the love stories got it right and true love did happen in an instant.
Somehow, someway, she was determined to keep him.
In the meantime, she had a daughter to cheer up.
“Come on, go get your tambourine. We’ll go down to dance in the meadow one last time.”
Olivia danced in the meadow, and the high-pitched rattling noise from her tambourine filled the air, as did the little girl’s laughter.
The dog danced around her, barking, as the kitten jumped in the grass off to one side. Alan had even carried out the birdcage.
He sank down beside Lilith where she sat on the slope on the hill. She glanced at him. “I remember doing the same thing here when I was a little girl. I hope she remembers this too.”
He wanted to hold her hand, and as he had the thought, his own twitched, once, then twice, before he clenched it at his side. He didn’t have the right. Not when he was leaving. “Does she miss having her father?”
Lilith seemed to hesitate a moment, then sighed. “When I met Nate, I thought he was the love of my life.” Her laugh was humorless. She glanced at him, her eyes uncertain. “By the time I realized I was pregnant, we weren’t even seeing each other anymore. He left me feeling like I wasn’t good enough for him.”
“Ye were too good for him! He was not good enough for ye!”
She smiled slightly at his vehemence. “Thank you. But to answer your question, no, she doesn’t seem to. He’s got a family now and even before he did, he wasn’t interested in Olivia. I never pushed the issue because I didn’t want him treating her the way he’d treated me. Like I said, he pays child support, and I’m good with that. Olivia doesn’t even question it, so I don’t think, at least right now, it’s something she even realizes is missing.”
Alan’s heart ached for the young girl she’d been. “Yer parents didnae offer ye support?”
“Sure. If I gave up the baby. When I moved in with Grandma instead, it caused a lot of tension but I’ll be grateful until the day I die for the assistance she offered. I’d do anything for her.”
“Is there any way ye could move in with them?”
She was already shaking her head. “I don’t want to do anything that could jeopardize our relationship. My moving in? That would definitely be a risk. Anyway, I like my independence, I love my job, and I don’t want any interference in my life.
“Any chance they will give ye money for the house?”
Again, she was shaking her head. “They paid the payment for six months. They’re comfortable, but they’re not rich. It wouldn’t be fair to ask my father to take out a loan when he’s so close to retirement.”
“I wish I had an answer for ye.”
“Thanks. They’ve asked Grandma to move in, and told her they’d set her up in a mother-in-law apartment. She doesn’t want to leave her friends here in Salem, however.”
“What will ye do with all the possessions in the house?”
“I originally thought I would start selling them off on eBay, but Grandma wouldn’t hear of it. She was determined we’d find the treasure, and didn’t want to lose her belongings. Anyway, I’ll just store them for now, but we’ll probably end up selling them later.”
Alan’s hand clenched into a fist as he once again fought the impulse to take her hand.
She wouldn’t want him to do that. Would she?
But he might never have the chance to do such a thing again.
Taking a deep breath, he reached out and gently took her hand in his.
He held his breath as he waited for her reaction.
She turned her head to look at him, and her expression of surprise melted into one of pleasure and she squeezed his hand in welcome.
He released the breath he’d been holding and when she quickly twined her fingers with his, he worried she could hear the pounding of his heart.
She smiled shyly at him, and he’d no doubt his own smile was bashful in return.
He wished he could hold her close against him and let her draw on his strength, but as he’d not be here for much longer, it would be an illusion. He’d not want her to liken him to Olivia’s father, a man who gained her trust only to let her down.
So, they sat there, holding hands, and watched Olivia dance across the meadow.
Olivia wore herself out, and fell asleep in Lilith’s lap. Alan carried her back to the house, where they placed her on her bed for a nap. Alan looked at the little girl, helpless, and in need of his protection. Lilith gave him a wistful smile. “I’m going to be so sorry to move her away from all of this.”
On impulse, Alan unfastened the luckenbooth from off his sash, and pinned it to the collar of Olivia’s dress.
Lilith looked at the intricate piece of jewelry. “What is that?”
“’Tis a luckenbooth. My mother gave it to me when I was born. ’Tis one of my most prized possessions and used as a protection, and to ward off evil.”
“Oh, Alan.” She put her hand to her chest and looked at him with wide eyes. “It looks like a family heirloom. We can’t possibly accept that.”
“Nae, ye cannae. It can only be given.”
“But—”
He put a finger to her lips. “Nae. ’Tis for Olivia. ’Twill keep her safe.” If Lilith only knew, he’d do aught to keep them both safe and forever in his care.
Lilith looked at him with a warm expression. “Well, thank you.”
He nodded once.
Would that he could give her so much more.
Chapter 12
They headed downstairs and Alan couldn’t help but feel an impending
sense of doom. He knew he was going to have to leave soon. “Tell me what there is to know about ye.”
“What do you mean?”
“What dinnae I know about ye?” ’Twas like he craved to learn every piece of her, every bit—a lifetime’s worth of knowledge in the span of hours.
She laughed. “Well, when I was little, I wanted to learn how to fence, so Grandma found me an instructor and gave me lessons over several summers.”
“Ye can fence? Show me.”
They headed into the elegant, cove-ceiling ballroom with it’s white, gray, and blue walls and fine draperies. Lilith retrieved a couple of swords from a wooden chest.
Alan tested his, as Lilith fiddled in the closet for a moment until music filled the room. When she rejoined him, he grinned. “I like that, verra much.”
“It’s from Pirates of the Caribbean. The sword fight scene.”
“I doonae know what that is, but I like it.”
Lilith shook her head. “I probably watch too many movies, but you don’t watch enough.” She checked the rubber foil tip, and then swished her sword in the air couple of times.
Grinning, he did the same. “I’m better with the Claymore, ye ken. But I’ll try to hold my own.”
She playfully lifted her sword, pointed it at him, and smiled.
He parried, knocking her sword aside, testing. He couldn’t help but smile as well. “Lessons, ye say?” He retreated.
She advanced again, and his enjoyment of the game increased. She lunged, he parried, pivoted, and pressed forward with a couple of strikes as she retreated, testing him this time.
The music swelled in the background, seeming to guide her when she finally attacked.
He countered with a laugh, delighted by her skill. ’Twas his turn to parry, block, and her turn to dodge and skip back.
Soon, they both grinned, calculating as they circled each other, looking for weakness.
They skipped back, then forward, the blades meeting, kissing, sliding apart. She touched him on the shoulder, then laughed. “Point!”
