Lily felt her insides lurch at the same time the Colonel started pulling her toward a stump. He stretched her hand out on the top and held it there despite her attempts to pull it away. She heard herself whimper, unable to keep quiet.
“Do you want to hear what it feels like to lose your hand one finger at a time?” Out of the corner of her eye, Lily saw Sven approach with a hatchet in his hand. She tried to pull harder and she bit her lip to keep from screaming. Kingsley gave a maniacal laugh that echoed around her.
“Come on out, Sampson. She's almost out of time!” Kingsley laughed again and Sven, now in front of them, raised the hatchet over his head. Lily couldn't help it, she let out a cry and pulled frantically under the Colonel's vice-like grip. She heard Sven's dull laugh as he leaned back for more power. “Only one finger now!” Kingsley's voice rose with excitement and Lily allowed a sob to escape her lips. With sickening slow motion, Lily saw the hatchet falling toward her hand. She held her breath, waiting for the pain.
Suddenly, the hatchet, traveling in a perfect arch, stopped its descent then fell to the ground as a loud bang ripped through the air. Lily's head jerked up to see Sven fall dead to the ground. She stared in disbelief, then saw the bullet wound in his temple. Twenty feet in front of them stood Eric with James. Mark and ten other soldiers. They must have been the reinforcements Tracker had sent for. Lily let out another sob, this one in relief.
She tried to pull away and run but Colonel Kingsley was holding on to her with all the strength he had and she didn't even budge.
“You killed one of my best men,” the Colonel growled.
“You kidnapped my son. You're trying to kill me and marry my wife.” Eric cocked one eyebrow, as he reloaded his pistol.
“Fair enough. Frankly, she is nothing but trouble. She has turned several of my associates against me, including my partner.” Kingsley nodded his head toward Andrews, still struggling to breathe.
“Are you sure that's Lily's fault?” Eric seemed perfectly calm and Lily felt herself relaxing slightly, her head clearing.
The Colonel waved his hand, dismissing Eric's comment. “You don't hope to beat me and save your wife with that small group do you?”
“No, I have plenty more men waiting in the wings, but as you asked me to step out, I brought a small amount of reinforcements.”
Lily felt Colonel Kingsley twitch slightly and she began to feel more nervous. Would he kill her out of spite if he thought there was no way he could win? She feared the answer was yes.
“Bargain for your freedom,” she mumbled to him. She saw Eric frown but she didn't know if Eric was aware how much Kingsley disliked her or how unstable he was becoming.
He yanked her hair again. “I don't need help from you!” He whipped her to the ground by her hair and Lily felt like every strand was being pulled out of her head. The force of it sent her flying six feet from him and she allowed herself to roll, to gain some more distance between them. Her proximity to Kingsley must have been the only thing holding back the attack because as soon as she was clear, guns started firing all around her and the air was quickly filled with smoke. She stayed close to the ground and headed for the woods but it wasn't an easy journey. She looked back twice to see if she could see her brother or Eric but could find neither. Twice a man dropped in front of her, hit by a bullet and, as they were all wearing the same uniforms, she had no idea whose side they were on.
The firing of guns and the screams of men were deafening. If she wasn’t so afraid, she would have cried. She said a prayer that Toby wasn't there and that Toby and Kurt were all right. Now she could hear the clash of metal on metal and knew that some of the men must have drawn swords. The smoke began to clear and she could see that she had almost made it to the cover of the woods. Lily doubled her efforts. She was just crawling into the cover of the underbrush when a hand grabbed her ankle and started pulling her out. This time, she wasn't going to be a victim. Kingsley was behind her and she used her free foot to kick him as hard in the face as she could. His nose began to instantly spurt blood and she felt some small measure of satisfaction after all the bruises he had caused her. She reached to her left and grabbed a large branch, an inch and half thick and three feet long. She got up on her feet ready to defend herself.
The Colonel stood and lunged for her but she jumped out of the way and came down with stick across his back. Clearly the exertion of the fight had tired him and Lily played her advantage by moving several feet away onto the edge of the woods. She looked quickly around but saw only a few groups fighting here and there. Several men were strewn on the ground but she assumed many were being chased through the woods. Where was Eric?
“Know this. If you do not leave with me and marry me, I am going to make you suffer until I kill you slowly and painfully.” Kingsley practically snarled at her and, despite herself, a small laugh bubbled out of her mouth. It's not that she didn't believe him, she did. His offer was so ridiculous that it was no choice at all.
Kingsley, however, did not appreciate her reaction and pulled a knife from his belt. Her stick suddenly felt a great deal smaller but she held it tightly.
“Feeling confident, are you?” He sneered. “Your husband is most likely dead, along with your brother, and no one is coming to save you.”
She felt the color drain from her face and the stick in her hand dropped a few inches. Lily raised it up. “Then I choose death. I would rather die a slow and painful death than be married to you.”
“Oh, I think it will be both. I am not going through all this without first getting your inheritance. Originally, I planned to settle down. Now, I will discard of you at the first possible convenience.” He smiled a very cold, cruel smile. Lily set her jaw.
“Then you are doing me a favor. I would much rather be dead than settled down with a vile man like you.” He was moving slowly closer and Lily realized that she needed to come up with a plan. Fight, run, or stall, she had to do something. She backed up a few more feet.
“You can't keep backing up, my dear. Eventually, I will catch you.” The colonel took two more steps, further closing the gap and Lily felt her heart hammering in her chest.
Suddenly she felt a hand at her back and she jumped to the side, unaware of who it was. She swung the stick with all her might but Eric ducked just in time.
“Eric!” Tears stung her eyes, she was so relieved to see him and she wanted to throw her arms around him but he gently touched her cheek then tucked her behind him.
“Sampson, not dead yet, huh?” The knife in the Colonel's hand shifted but Eric didn't move.
“If I'm going down, you're coming with me.” Eric sounded extremely casual while Lily's heart was hammering a mile a minute.
His relaxed attitude was clearly making Kingsley more nervous and Lily realized Eric was strategically placing the Colonel at a disadvantage.
She was feeling more confident but then four men joined the Colonel's advance. She recognized Bags but none of the other men. None of them were in uniform and she guessed these were his real smugglers and thieves. Lillian held her stick higher but she could feel herself trembling. From out of the woods, however, she clearly saw the silhouettes of James and Mark Summers in the dim morning light. Just behind them, the swarthy figure of Kurt lumbered, as if on deck, directly toward her. Her heart soared.
The Colonel paused for just a moment then covered the last few steps in a run “Kill them all! Leave the girl.” And he tried to jab his knife into Eric's stomach. Eric was ready for the attack however and sidestepped the move, making a sweep with his own knife at the Colonel's side who just stumbled out of the way. The two men squared off again, as Bags and another man made a move toward her while the other two engaged James and Mark.
Kurt knocked one of them off balance but Bags swung at him, just skimming his arm with the knife and leaving a shallow gash. Kurt seemed not to notice as she shoved Bags to the ground and the other man attacked again. Kurt spun him around and sent him head first into a large boulde
r were he crumpled to the ground. But Bags saw his opportunity and stuck his knife into Kurt's side. She heard Kurt's grunt of pain but he grabbed the knife and Bags’ hand and Lily took the opportunity to come around Kurt and hit Bags over the head with her stick, using every ounce of energy she had. He fell to his knees when Kurt then grabbed the stick from her hand and hit him hard upside the head. The man crumpled to the ground.
“Kurt, are you all right?” Her hands trembled as she helped him to the ground.
“I'll be fine. You stick close to me.” She nodded, then turned to see the Colonel miss again as he lunged for Eric. He was clearly besting Kingsley and it was only a matter of time before Eric would win. James and Mark were slowly subduing their opponents as well when Lily saw the flash of metal from Colonel Kingsley's belt.
“Let's get this over with,” Kingsley said. Eric stood poised like a panther, ready to jump, as Kingsley took aim. Suddenly a figure streaked across the field, knocking Kingsley off balance, sending the bullet off in another direction. In an instant, Lily recognized Tracker. She heard his groan and stood, looking to see where Kingsley had stabbed him. “Traitor!” The Colonel yelled as he raised the knife again but another gun went off. This time, however, it was Eric who fired and he didn't miss. Kingsley dropped to the ground, dead.
Lily ran to her husband and Tracker. Tears of joy and worry flooded her eyes. Eric wrapped her up in her arms. Holding her tight for one second before he set her down and they both went running for Tracker. He was holding his leg, a deep gash oozing blood.
“Eric, get a fire going, needle and thread, boiling water. I need to get Tracker and Kurt stitched up.” Lily began ripping strips from her dress. She looked up to see James approaching, the other two men had run as soon as Kingsley had died.
“Thank you, James.” She wrapped her arms around her brother and he returned the hug. “Help me get some fabric from my dress.” He nodded and began working on her petticoats as Mark joined to help.
Lily wrapped Tracker's leg tight to stop the bleeding then went to stitch Kurt. She knew his wound had to be sewn up soon, it was to the body. She bathed the wound then sewed it as quickly and neatly as she could.
“I'd be worried if I hadn't already seen you do this.” Kurt gave her a weak smile.
“With two brothers, she stitched loads of cuts.” James patted Kurt's arm.
She turned to Eric. “Where is Toby? And Tom?” Panic filled her voice.
“Not to worry. Tom returned with Toby.” Eric gently stroked her cheek
Lily set to work on the wounded. She worked quickly washing wounds stitching both men then moved on to other soldiers who had been wounded. They quickly set up a medical tent of sorts in Colonel Kingsley's tent. Eric and the others began clearing the bodies and assessing the damage.
Hours passed and Lily could feel exhaustion setting in. As the final patients were treated, Eric walked into the tent.
“You must be ready to drop. We need to get you home.” He folded her in his arms. As he spoke, a caravan of soldiers arrived. Tracker gingerly got up and went to greet them. Lily saw the stripes of a general as Tracker motioned toward the bodies of Colonel Kingsley and Lieutenant Colonel Andrews. Was this who Tracker had really been working for? She was too tired to think anymore. She leaned into her husband ready to go home and go to sleep. A small smile touched her lips as she realized the nightmare was over.
The next day passed in a blur. Lily and Eric had to tell their story to General Wilson who had been leading an investigation against Colonel Kingsley for the past few years, trying to have him removed from service and jailed. By the end of the day, Lily finally collapsed into bed with Eric on one side of her and Toby on the other.
The next morning she awoke famished. She got out of bed quietly, not wanting to disturb Eric. A brief look in the mirror told her it had been all been real. Her face was bruised and battered and there were several more bruises on her body. Eric winced as he came up behind her.
“I am so sorry you had to go through all of this.” He winced again as he touched a particularly bad bruise under her eye. She turned to him. He, too, had several bruises and scrapes covering his body.
She smiled and touched his cheek. “I'm just glad we're both still alive.”
He returned her smile. “Me, too.” He grimaced again looking at a few more bruises. “How is the baby?”
She smiled. “Everything seems fine. The doctor seemed to think that everything was still going well. But I can tell you one thing. Baby is hungry and so am I.”
Eric laughed. “Then let’s get you down to breakfast!”
Lily had expected an air of jubilation when she entered the dining room but instead everyone was very hushed. She got several hugs but very few words. She was initially worried that everyone was put off by her bruised and battered face but finally she couldn't take the silence. “What is wrong?” She finally asked the general assembly.
No one spoke for a second, then Elise finally took her hand. “Kurt's not doing so well. The doctor isn't sure he's going to make it.”
Lily felt herself pale and she took an unsteady breath. She turned to Eric who looked equally shaken up. He nodded to her and she stood from the table and left the room heading for Kurt's quarters.
She knocked briefly then was told to come in by the doctor. Eric followed behind her and squeezed her hand.
“What is wrong?” She addressed the young doctor, a different man than had treated her wounds.
“He lost a great deal of blood. He has spiked a high fever that I am trying to control but it seems to continue rising. If I can't get it down, he will perish.”
Lily bit her lip then reached over and held Kurt's hand. It was extremely warm and Lily felt her brow crease. “Kurt, this can't be the end. You haven't told me any of your best sea stories. Or about your precious sister Annabelle. Besides, neither Eric nor I have a father so who is going to give Toby and our baby piggyback rides? We need you!” She knew she sounded like a fool but her words came from her heart and she realized that Kurt had become like family, much like a father figure to her. She didn't want to lose another man like that in her life.
She sat by his bed all that day, holding his hand, telling him stories, talking about plans for the baby. She took all her meals there and Toby came and sat for a while with her. When night fell, his fever seemed to worsen and Lily had a cot brought into the room. She was bone tired but she couldn't leave him now. If it was his time, she wanted to be there with him. Finally, she drifted off to sleep but her dreams were restless and fretful. At four in the morning she woke to the distinct croak of Kurt's voice.
“Water,” he mumbled through dry lips.
Lily quickly got up sprinted over to the bed. Shakily, she poured water into a glass then held it to his lips. He took a long drink then fell back to sleep. Lily felt his head. He was much cooler. She sighed in relief, and returned to her cot. If he needed anything, she would be here.
She woke a few hours later when the doctor arrived to check on his patient. After speaking with the doctor, Lily decided to return to her room. The worst was over for Kurt. With his fever down, the doctor was extremely hopeful Kurt would recover.
As she was walking back, she stopped to check on Tracker. She knocked softly on the door and poked her head in. Ann was sitting next to him, holding his hand and brushing the hair back from his face. Lily smiled and closed the door. She was so glad that two people who had seemed so alone had found each other.
Lily softly opened the door to her room to find Eric asleep in bed. She crawled in next to him and curled up against his side. He wrapped her in his arms. “How's Kurt?”
“Better,” she sighed, glad to be in her husband's arms.
“I could sleep for a week.” She snuggled in closer.
“Right now?” He nuzzled her ear as his hand ran up her side.
She laughed softly. “I suppose sleep can wait. I seem to have plenty of time for it now!”
“That is one of
the things I love about you.” He started to kiss her but Lily pulled away.
“Do you really?” She looked into his eyes and he touched the bruise under her eye.
“How can you not know that I am madly in love with you? I think I have been since the first time I met you all those years ago. I wasn't ready to love again and, honestly, you were too young. You wouldn't have been able to handle my feelings for you.” He kissed her again and this time she returned his kiss.
“But even when I returned to Boston this spring, you pushed me away!” There was a small pout to her lips that showed her hurt.
“I'm sorry, love. I just knew I could never remain detached from you. After Caitlin it was so difficult to allow myself to love again. I was afraid of getting hurt. But now I know it is totally worth it. You are worth it.” He kissed a third time and this time she did not protest or ask questions but let her husband fill her with love.
EPILOGUE
LILY SAT IN THE CARRIAGE with the nurse and her baby daughter. She smiled at the sleeping child, her heart full of love. Eric opened the door and helped Toby in. The boy was carrying two large bouquets of flowers. One he handed to her with a kiss.
“Those are for you, Mommy.” He smiled and hugged her again. Toby had gradually started calling her mommy as the baby grew bigger in her belly. Now it seemed completely natural to them all.
Eric winked and kissed her cheek as he snuggled her into his side. She smiled at her husband so glad to be with him and her family.
“Who are the other flowers for?” Lily asked, chuckling to herself. She knew the answer, of course.
“Kurt. He might like them for his room in Maine.” Toby nodded to emphasize his point and Lily had to laugh. Kurt had spent the summer at sea and was returning to Maine with them to spend the fall.
“I'm sure he will love them.” Lily hugged her son and snuggled in for the ride.
Lily in Bloom Page 23
