They filled the tub with the water, then turned to leave. Lily hesitated. Should she say something, anything and hope he recognized her voice?
“Just a second,” Eric's voice halted their progress. “Could one of you deliver a message for me?” Eric looked up and their eyes met, hers pleading with him to recognize her. Surprise momentarily crossed his face but he quickly masked it. He turned to Jake. “Perhaps you could deliver this message to the front desk. It is urgent. If you,” Eric turned to her, “wouldn't mind staying for a few moments, I have another that needs to be delivered to the store.”
Jake looked relieved and nodded. With all the work he had to do, Lily was sure that he found the arrangement satisfying. Lily herself could have cried with relief. Jake took the message and hastily left the room.
As soon as the door clicked closed, Eric stood from his desk and crossed the room. Lily was momentarily disappointed that he did not come to her but she realized that he was locking the door. She heard the bolt give a distinct click then he turned back to her and, in what seemed like two steps, crossed the room and gathered her up in his arms. Their lips met and Lily lost herself in the kiss. It felt so wonderful to be held in his arms, to feel safe. She didn't even realize that she was crying until he pulled away to wipe the tears from her eyes.
“Don't stop,” she murmured as she sought his lips again.
“Sweetheart, I would love nothing more to lay you on the bed and keep you there for several days but...” he paused, “I think I should tell your brothers that I found you and—”
“Just a few minutes, please. It has been so difficult to get to you and I have been so alone,” a sob escaped her lips and he wrapped her in his arms, sitting them both down on the bed.
Lily sat there in the warmth of his embrace and wanted nothing more than to cry out all of her frustration, anger, and loneliness but she had to be strong. They were still in danger and she had to warn her brothers.
“Okay, I'm ready,” she lifted her head up and he kissed her again, long and deep. It was intoxicating and Lily almost felt as though Eric loved her the way she loved him.
As the moment lengthened, Lily felt herself growing dizzy and when he stood up, she swayed back into him.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Fine, I just haven't eaten very much today.” Lily shrugged but Eric had placed his hands around her waist.
“My God, Lily, have you eaten anything at all?” He felt her arms, then her shoulder.
“A little. We didn't stop very often.” Lily rested her head on his chest.
“I am going to go get your brothers. I will get you some food as well. Why don't you take a quick bath,” Eric started to turn away.
“We're being watched,” Lily told him as he turned to go.
Eric nodded as his lips pursed, “I'll be back soon.” He kissed her one more time then left.
She heard the lock click behind and she turned to the hot bath she had just poured. A quick soak would be lovely.
Lily wasn't aware that she had fallen asleep until she heard the key turn in the lock. She bolted up then just as quickly sunk under the soapy water to try to cover herself somewhat. She sagged with relief as Eric walked in.
“Your brothers will be in a few minutes. I have to warn you James is not himself. Deep frown lines marked Eric’s face.
“Why?” Lily’s own brow furrowed.
Eric sighed. “Lean back, we may as well wash your hair while we have a few minutes.” He poured water over head, then began to lather her hair. “He is angry at me for starters. James thinks I am to blame for getting you in this mess. He's most likely right. I think he's angry at you as well, for choosing me...”
“Technically, I didn't choose you,” she smiled at him although she was amazingly aware of his gentle hands in her hair and the fact that she was naked. At the same time, she was surprised by how natural it felt.
He smiled back, a chuckle breaking through his lips. “Too true,” he rinsed out her hair and Lily turned slightly in the bath to be able to better see him. “I'm sure he thinks that if your reputation had been intact, you would have had more options.”
She looked at him and burst out laughing. “What is so funny?” Eric looked at her incredulously.
“I wouldn't want to marry anyone but you anyway.” Lily smiled at him softly and he leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips. When he started to pull away, she reached up a wet hand and wrapped it around his neck, deepening the kiss. She had never done this before but she wanted to kiss him so much.
“Lily, we have to stop,” he said as he pulled away for a moment before the kiss resumed.
“I don't want to,” her arm wrapped tighter around him as he tried to pull away a second time.
He cupped her face. “There is nothing I would like to do more than pull you out of that tub and carry you to the bed but I can't. James would...”
“Eric,” Her voice was full of her desperation. “Please.” Was all she could get out. She took a breath. “I barely made it back here alive and with my...” she paused, blushing slightly “I don't want to wait. What if...”
He pulled her up out of the tub and handed her a towel to rub herself dry. “You are going to be fine. We'll get you out of here,” he kissed her forehead. “Get dressed. We'll talk about this later and I promise, we will keep you safe.” He smiled reassuringly but Lily remained unconvinced.
She turned away from Eric and began to wrap her breasts. Now that they were not being intimate she was feeling more awkward about her nudity. She turned briefly to see him staring at her from across the room and she blushed.
He smiled a little but said, “You look too thin.” Concern colored his face.
“I haven't had very much to eat.” She pulled on her pants, then socks but groaned at the thought of the boots.
Eric smiled more broadly. “Leave them off for now, Tom should be up with some food any minute.”
Lily's face could have split with a smile. She didn't know if she was more happy about seeing her brother or eating a real meal.
She ate voraciously as the three men sat in silence. She knew that they must have a hundred questions for her but she couldn't wait another second to eat. She felt her energy returning and her head clearing from the fog it had been in. When every ounce of food had been consumed, James cleared his throat.
“Lily, we need to ask you some questions.” James shifted in his chair.
He didn't say anything. Perhaps he was unsure of where to start. Tom began. “Lily, you said you were followed here. How do you know?”
Tom was right. The story of the kidnap could wait, what was important was who was here at the inn and what they knew. “I was in the tavern while you were having breakfast.” All three men looked startled by this information and Lily shrugged. “I was trying to blend in.” Tom and Eric both grinned but James ran his fingers through his hair. “I was in the corner when Bags, Rings, and a man I believe is named Jack came in. He wasn't traveling with us, though. I could hear their conversation and they said that they had come to watch you because they thought I would come here to try and find you. They were hoping to intercept me, I guess.”
Eric looked thoughtful. “They know who we are, what we look like and what direction we might be heading. We will have to find a way to disguise ourselves. At least until we can get to Portland.”
Tom nodded his agreement. “We will have to find new clothes and horses. Perhaps we could find another traveler to accompany us, look like a completely different group.
“I agree.” Eric thought for a minute. “Maybe even a wagon to make us look like settlers.”
James had said little but finally spoke. “For now we will have to keep Lily out of sight. She will eat here and sleep here but not with Eric. Eric can stay with Tom and I will stay with Lily.”
Of course Lily knew that James would not allow her to stay with Eric even though he was to be her husband but she couldn't help but to feel disappointed. Fe
ar that she would be kidnapped and assaulted again tore at her insides. She didn’t want her first experience with a man to be forced. Lily wanted Eric to take her virginity before someone else had the chance.
Suddenly an idea occurred to her. “What if Eric and I got married?” Lily blurted out.
“What?” James shot up out of his seat.
“Hear me out, James. The reason I was kidnapped was because the Colonel wants to marry me. What if I am already married? Doesn't that make all of this unnecessary?”
“Your reputation is already in tatters. There is no possible way I am going to return you to Boston already married. It is suspicious enough that you disappeared in the middle of Tom's wedding. Absolutely not.” James’s face was rigid.
“But James...” Lily began.
“He's right, Lily.” Eric shook his head. “If the Colonel finds out you are married, he may stop trying to kidnap you but will most likely try to kill both of us. It is far easier to keep you safe when everyone wants you alive.”
“Do you really think he would try to kill us?”
Eric grimaced. “I think he is capable of anything. I made a huge error in allowing you to be kidnapped.”
“That was not your fault.” Lily grabbed his hand.
“It was his fault.” James spit out.
“James.” Lily turned to her brother. “He cannot control the actions of other men, of Kingsley.”
Eric reached for her hand. “Regardless, it is my duty to keep you safe. I will do whatever it takes to make sure nothing happens to you. For now, we will keep the wedding at its scheduled date.”
Lily wanted to cry in frustration but said nothing. She could feel a fire building inside of her, a fire of anger and resentment. She felt like her mother again, always so bold and brash. She had the urge to slip out in the night with Eric and leave her family behind, to be married and escape from all the pain. It scared her because her family had always been the most important thing to her, her safe harbor.
“Hey, are you in there?” Tom gently touched her arm. She snapped back to the present and nodded, unsure of how long the conversation had been going on without her. Eric was looking at her with a great deal of concern.
“How did you get away?” James asked. He seemed to have forgotten his anger at Eric for the moment.
“To tell you how I got away, I have to tell you who I was with and—” she paused it was painful to say it out loud but she mustered up her courage. She couldn't meet any of them in the eye “What I have done.”
She felt the tension rise in the room and James looked angry again. She couldn't help that, though. She had to be honest. Lily tried not to share the fear, the constant fear. Instead, she focused on the facts. She told them what she knew about Tracker, the Colonel, Slim. When she got the part by the river, she couldn't express the danger she knew Slim posed.
Tom interrupted for the first time. “How did you know he wanted to hurt you?”
Lily paused, collecting her thoughts. “He thought I had fainted, he made a reference to another woman, like me, that he had killed or maybe Tracker brought it up. Something he said told me that he would do the same to me if he had the chance.”
Tom nodded and, this time, when she looked up the dark expression that had colored James’s face had spread to Eric. Taking a deep breath, she continued.
Lily glossed over the endless riding and skipped to the night Tracker left her with the gun. Eric was gripping the side of his chair, his knuckles growing whiter by the second.
“When Tracker left you, he came to us. He told us that he would deliver you to us here at the inn,” Eric’s voice sounded rough with emotion.
“I’m glad you believed him.” Lily’s own voice nearly broke with emotion.
“He was convincing.” James quietly added.
Lily nodded and continued her story. She told them how Rings fell asleep and she slipped into the woods. She got to the part with Slim and she stopped. She didn't know how to share this part.
“What happened, Lily?” Eric's voice was soft but there was an edge.
“I don't think I can, it was too...” She couldn’t find the words.
He moved from his chair, and sat next to her on the bed. James started to stand but stopped when Tom put his hand out. Eric held her hand. “You can tell us.”
James cleared his throat. “It's all right; let her finish another time. We know enough to form a plan and we should start putting some pieces in place. Besides, Lily looks like she could use some sleep.” She nodded, relieved that she did not have to share. Eric was glaring at her brother but she couldn't concentrate on what was happening. Once she stopped talking, she could feel the exhaustion creep in and she was already falling off the edge of consciousness into sleep.
CHAPTER 13
LILY WOKE UNSURE of where she was or what time it was. She sat up and looked around but could find no clues. Her mouth was dry and she was relieved to see water on the nightstand.
“Feeling better?” James’s voice carried out of the corner and she started to smile, relieved to hear her brother. As his face emerged from the shadows, the tension in it was palpable.
“James, what is wrong?” Lily ignored his question, in favor of her own.
He shook his head. “Just trying to keep you safe and get you home and married.” The last word came out of his mouth as a sneer.
“I thought that was the point. I was to be married.” Lily felt her anger rising.
James’s face twisted. “Not to him. Look at this mess.”
“This is not his fault. It's the Colonel's. You should know that.” Lily's voice was rising.
James stood, a retort on his lips, when three firm knocks came at the door. He stomped across the room and yanked it open to let Tom and Eric in.
Tom smiled his good morning but no one smiled back. Eric came over to kiss Lily on the forehead and James jerked him away. “Until you are married, you are to keep your lips off of my sister.”
Eric turned. He had remained silent with James but Lily could see he was drawing himself up, ready to challenge her brother.
Tom stepped in between them. “Why don't I stay with Lily while you go down to breakfast?”
Lily started, “Breakfast? How long did I sleep?”
Eric softened immediately. “About fifteen hours. Feeling better?”
“Much,” she wanted to wrap herself around him to get lost in his embrace.
James cut in. “I don't want to go to breakfast with him.”
“Oh, good, then Eric can stay with Lily and we'll go down. Then I can tell Mrs. Embry that Eric is still asleep. It will stall her coming to make up the room and give me an excuse to bring up breakfast.” Tom’s logic was hard to argue with.
James’s mouth opened but he closed it and started out of the room. Before he stepped out, however, James turned to Eric. “You know what you promised.”
Once the door closed, Lily looked at Eric. She wanted to ask him what was going on but, more than that, she wanted the comfort of his arms. She launched off the bed and skipped the two steps to him. He caught her up in a hug and buried his head into her tousled hair. She had fallen asleep before she had had time to braid it.
“I must look terrible.” She giggled self-consciously but didn’t let go.
He chuckled back. “You look amazing but we have got to start feeding you more.” He touched the hollow in her cheek.
She turned her head so his thumb was against her lips then placed a small kiss on it. She looked at him and then leaned in to kiss him but he put his hand up to stop her. “I promised James that I would not.”
Lily snorted. “I don't care what James wants. What is the matter with him?”
“I told you, he thinks I am to blame and that you have not chosen well. If he could, he would find you another suitor.”
“But our engagement had already been announced, how could he?” Lily felt herself beginning to panic.
“It’s his right. I don't know how you w
ould be received in society. I am trying to appease him as best I can,” Eric's lips narrowed into a line. Lily knew it was not a role he was used to. He was usually a man in charge. She had seen it in his interactions with other men.
“Thank you. I know it must be difficult to deal with him. I love him and I am trying not to strangle him!” Eric laughed and she smiled, too. “Eric, are you sure you want to marry me? I seem to be bringing you an awful lot of trouble.”
“Lily, this is not your fault and neither James nor Kingsley is going to stand in the way of our marriage.” Lily felt his tension as his arms tightened around her. She knew she had been hoping for a declaration of his feelings but his commitment was something. It would have to be enough.
“Do you think we should run away?” she asked quietly.
Eric looked at her with surprise. “I didn't think it would be an option. It would alienate your brother permanently and you might lose all of your family.”
Lily looked at him and all the fear she had been trying to suppress rose into her eyes. “I need to feel safe. I don't think I can feel that until we are married.” He rubbed the back of his hand along her jaw line and their lips moved toward each other. A knock at the door pierced the room. It was not the three knocks from before and it was too soon for Tom and James to be back. Fear rippled through Lily as Eric motioned for her to hide under the bed. She climbed under, holding her breath.
The knock came again and Eric went to the door. “Who is it?” he asked sounding perfectly calm.
“It's Mrs. Embry, I know that Mr. Carter said he would bring up breakfast but I thought you might like it now.”
Eric slowly opened the door, he appeared to be checking to see if Mrs. Embry was, in fact, alone. “Thank you Mrs. Embry. So kind of you.”
She giggled, not unlike a schoolgirl, and Lily had to suppress her own laugh. Mrs. Embry was talking a mile a minute as Lily heard the other woman set down the tray. She was asking him how he liked the room, how he liked the inn, the town. Eric told her how wonderful it was and thanked her for the hand-delivered breakfast. She left with another girlish giggle and Lily was reminded how charming Eric was on top of being incredibly handsome. No wonder she was contemplating running away with him.
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