by Aileen Fish
She gave a weak shrug. “Pardon me, once again for assuming, because I had just supposed you would bring my purse in here to keep it safe until I came for it.”
His mind went back to that evening, but for the life of him, he didn’t recall her bringing a wrist purse. A niggle of uncertainty sneaked in his head. Perhaps he should give her a little leeway, especially since he couldn’t recall her bringing that item to the dinner party. “I see your reasoning. However, you haven’t answered my question on why you came to my house when you thought I was gone?”
She swallowed hard once more. “I had actually dropped by hoping you were home, but the lights were out. I knew it was late, and…and I really didn’t want to bother you with something so mundane. I thought if I could sneak in and just peek in your study, no harm would be done.”
She offered a charming smile, but he didn’t believe it this time. Why did she talk as if they weren’t supposed to meet at the fisherman’s shack this evening? He’d play her game and see where it led.
“Miss Bastian,” he said, coming even closer, “do you make it a habit of going out after dark to visit men at their homes, and then sneak in when the lights are out?”
“Well, no, but—”
“Nicole,” he whispered her name and closed the space between them as he stood in front of her. “I have always wondered something about you from the very first time we met. I couldn’t quite understand what had me so perplexed, but I felt as if you were holding secrets.” He swept the fingers of his free hand along the curls by her cheek. “I now realize that you are not the woman you pretend to be.”
Her eyes widened, and he realized he’d hit a nerve. She was withholding secrets after all. Why hadn’t he kept that in mind all those many times they were together? Perhaps then he wouldn’t be feeling his heart break as each moment passed.
“I-I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”
“Oh, my dear, Nicole.” He shook his head slowly. “It is time to stop playing this game with me. I’ve suspected who you were for a few days now.”
She sucked in a quick breath. “You thought I’d been lying to you?”
“Not at first, but the more we talked, the more I realized your charade.”
Anger lit her big, brown eyes. “I, sir, do not have a charade. If anyone has one, it’s you!”
It was his turn to feel surprised now. Why on earth would she think that about him? “And how did you come to that conclusion, my dear?”
“Oh come now. You cannot tell me that you haven’t heard the rumors.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Rumors? Of what, may I ask?”
She gave a laugh that seemed forced. “The train robberies these past few months, of course. Have you forgotten about them so soon? Money has been stolen from your train—money that is going to help rebuild the south because of the disaster from the war.”
Good grief. She couldn’t be serious… “You don’t have to explain about the robberies. Because I’m one of the owners of the rail line, I know what is going on. But what does this have to do with me?”
She swept a shaky hand through the air around her, motioning to the room’s décor. “It’s rumored that your coffers have doubled in the past few months. Now tell me, Mr. Lee, is it just a coincidence that this happened around the same time as the train thefts?”
Words caught in his throat. She was accusing him of stealing from his own train? Unbelievable! Why would she even think that? Unless it was to take the focus off her. Well, he wouldn’t let her win. He’d keep the focus on her any way he could. And why had she reverted back to using Mr. Lee instead of his given name?
Slowly, he grinned and moved closer, not stopping until he was mere inches away from her. The bulk of her gown rubbed against the material of his trousers. Her flowery scent disturbed him in the worst way, just as it always had, but this time he’d not let it make him turn into a blubbering, love-stricken fool.
He lowered the pistol to his side as he stared into her eyes. Even now in her upset state, she was very lovely. “Nicole,” he said in a husky tone, “are you seriously accusing me of thievery?”
“I’m not accusing you of anything, Mr. Lee. I’m merely pointing out the similarities. Money was stolen, and suddenly, you have acquired quite a bit.”
“Didn’t I ask you to call me Ashton?” he asked, deeply.
“Uh, yes.”
“Then why aren’t you?”
“Because I thought…well, you see…I just don’t think—”
Heaven help him, but he enjoyed seeing her this way. It reminded him of when he thought she was innocent and sweet. “Nicole, do you know how lovely you are when you’re flustered?” He caressed her cheek with his free hand.
She shivered beneath his touch, which empowered him. Why did she still have the ability to make him feel like a man?
“You think I’m flustered?” she asked, her voice cracking.
He widened his grin. “Aren’t you?” He moved his touch from her cheek to her bottom lip and rubbed the pad of his thumb over her rosebud lips. “In these past few weeks of knowing you, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you stumble over your words. In all this time, you have been a confident woman. You say what’s on your mind. So to answer your question, yes, I do think you’re flustered.” He paused, and then added without thinking, “And I find it adorable.”
He didn’t know how, but being this close to her, brought back the stirring feelings he wished would leave his body for good. Yet, if he didn’t act on them, he’d go insane. Slowly, he dipped his head closer as his hand dropped to her shoulder. Her breathing quickened and she grasped his waistcoat with both of her hands.
As he covered his mouth over hers, she sighed deeply and leaned into him. Her response surprised him, yet delighted him even more. Even though they were in a bad situation now, he was still able to stir desire inside this woman just as she was doing to him.
He wrapped her tightly against his body and deepened the kiss. Her hands slipped between their bodies to hook around his neck as she pressed herself against him more intimately. Immediately, the kiss turned wild, and she responded just as eager to please him, slanting her head from side to side.
This woman had always brought him pleasure, and right now was no different. She knew how to stroke his neck, how to sigh into his mouth, and he couldn’t stop his heart from softening. No other woman had created such havoc inside him, and no other woman would be able to accomplish this again once she was out of his life.
His heart twisted painfully. Indeed, he’d end their relationship. How could he fall in love with a criminal? Yet the thought only brought more heartache and agony.
Slowly, he softened the kiss until they merely nibbled at each other’s mouths in pure enjoyment. Even though she was a thief, she couldn’t mask the fact that she cared deeply for him. No woman was that good of an actress.
When he finally broke the kiss, he had difficulty breathing, as did she. He stared into her mesmerizing eyes and wondered what he could possibly say to explain himself or his actions just now. But he had to say something. He couldn’t allow her to think she’d won, because she hadn’t.
Anger built inside him once more. Indeed, something was not right about her. He scowled. “You kiss too well for an innocent woman. Just as I had suspected, you are not whom you proclaim to be.” He released her and stepped several feet away, pointing the pistol toward her once more. Perhaps if he threatened her, she would confess her true identity. “Such a shame I have to shoot you. We could have been good for each other.” He shook his head. “Believe me, Nicole, I wish things would have turned out differently.”
Tears swam thick in her eyes. “No, Ashton—”
Suddenly, the room exploded with the fire of a pistol and within seconds, she collapsed on the floor in a motionless heap.
Chapter 13
Shock vibrated through Ashton as he stared at Nicole. Her body lay on the floor, still as death. Blood soaked the bodice of her gown as well as her
left shoulder. Fear immobilized him for several seconds. What had just happened? Had he really shot the woman he loved? There was no smoke coming from the end of the pistol barrel.
His mind scrambled to comprehend what was going on. He hadn’t meant to pull the trigger, even though he’d threatened to shoot her, but when the pistol fired, the sound came from somewhere in back of him. Prickles of awareness danced over him, hinting that he wasn’t the only person in this room with a pistol.
He swung around, aiming his weapon on the unknown stranger. Glynn Nickerson stood in the doorway. He held the still smoking pistol as his wide-eyed gaze rested on Nicole.
“What have you done?” Ashton gasped.
“I…I stopped her, that’s what I’ve done.” He took one more step into the room. “Is she dead? I don’t see her chest moving.”
Ashton glanced back at Nicole. His partner was right. She wasn’t moving at all. There was so much blood covering her chest he couldn’t tell where the bullet had entered her body. He dropped his pistol and rushed to her, kneeling beside her. Immediately, he placed his fingers on her neck, searching for a pulse. “Why did you shoot her?” He turned his attention back to Glynn. “She wasn’t even armed.”
“I got scared, and I… Well, I only did what you were not able to do.” He pursed his lips and nodded. “Now at least one of the train thieves will be out of the picture so the police can concentrate on capturing the others.”
“This cannot be happening,” Ashton grumbled. He swiped his shaky fingers through his hair. “Glynn, if you’re caught you will be arrested for murder.” Why couldn’t he find a pulse? His throat tightened. She couldn’t be dead. He wouldn’t accept that answer!
“No I won’t. I was only taking care—”
“Glynn,” Ashton yelled, “believe me for once in your life. If you’re caught, you will be hanged for murder. She was unarmed! Now get out of here now and let me take care of this.”
Nickerson’s face lost color. Nodding, he spun around and dashed out of the house so fast Ashton wondered if demons were nipping at his boots.
Ashton focused back on Nicole. The deathly pallor of her skin made his stomach churn. Please be alive… When a slight movement pounded against his fingers, he breathed a sigh of relief. She was alive, but barely. He needed to stop the blood somehow and keep her alive until he could have a doctor fetched to the house. Yet, all the servants were gone to that blasted ball tonight. Who would get a doctor since he couldn’t?
But he had to find a physician soon. If not, she would indeed, die! However, he first must somehow stop the flow of blood and get her comfortable.
He yanked off his coat and threw it aside before shucking out of his waistcoat. As he balled it up, he searched carefully through the blood painting her chest for the bullet hole. He found it near her shoulder. Perhaps she wasn’t in as much danger as he’d first expected. Cautiously, he placed the garment on the wound and pressed hard.
“Nicole, my darling. Can you hear me?” With one hand still holding the cloth against her injury, he used his other hand to swipe the hair away from her pale face. “Please hear my voice and let me know you’re all right.”
Pain twisted his heart and brought a lump to his throat. He hadn’t planned on shooting her at all. He’d figured his threats would do the trick and she would confess. So why had Glynn… Ashton gritted his teeth. Why had his friend felt the need to shoot an unarmed woman? What could he have been thinking? None of this made sense. Ashton blew out a frustrated breath and shook his head. He couldn’t think of his friend right now. He must concentrate on Nicole and keeping her alive.
“Nicole, sweetheart. Can you hear me? Please say something.”
Closing his eyes, he prayed—something he didn’t do a lot of—but he needed the Lord’s help now. Ashton didn’t know the first thing about caring for a person with a serious injury. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that he’d lose her no matter what. With no servants in the house, how could he keep Nicole alive?
She moaned softly, and he snapped his eyes open and looked at her face. Slowly, she blinked before meeting his stare.
“Oh, Nicole. You’re alive.” Relief poured through him, but he didn’t dare get too excited now. There was still so much to be done or she would surely die.
“Why did you…shoot me?” she asked softly.
“Oh, no, my dear.” His voice cracked, so he cleared his throat. “I didn’t shoot you. It was Glynn.”
“W-why?”
“Because well, he…” He grumbled and shook his head. “I don’t know why he did it, but right now we need to worry about stopping this bleeding. With the servants gone this evening, I need to leave and fetch a doctor.”
“No. I’ll walk you through it.” Wearily, she turned her head to look at his bloody, bundled waistcoat pressed against her shoulder. “Where did the bullet strike me?”
“Barely below your left shoulder.” He pointed to his own shoulder, showing her the location.
“Carefully, roll me in the opposite direction to see if the bullet exited my shoulder on the other side.”
Could she possibly know how to stop the bleeding? He didn’t dare move her. He didn’t want anything to bring her more harm. Right now, he wasn’t ready to ask—just follow instructions. “Are…you sure?”
“Yes. Now carefully turn me.”
Doing as she instructed, he gently turned her over and peered at the back of her arm. Blood coated his rug, coming from her body, but he was able to see another wound. “Yes. It appears the bullet did leave your arm.”
“Good, but I’ll need something…pressed up against that side…to stop the flow of blood,” she said faintly. “Pressure is the key to stopping…the bleeding.”
Nicole’s voice grew weaker by the second, and that scared him to death. Finding a doctor immediately was necessary.
He laid her on her back again before ripping off his shirt and bundling it in a wad. Using gentle care, he slid it underneath her shoulder, which tilted her slightly to the side. As he studied the wadded up garments, he worried this wouldn’t be enough pressure.
Glancing around the room, he searched for something that might assist him in some way. His gaze fell on the curtains and the ropes holding them open. He quickly stood and went to the curtains, yanking them off the ropes. The curtains fell together, shutting out the moon’s light from the window.
“What…are you going to do?” she asked in a weak voice.
Just the sound of her voice made his heart break that much more. “I’m trying to find something that will help hold pressure against your wounds.” He came back with the rope, then carefully wound it up and over her shoulder, pulling the two bindings together.
Closing her eyes, she sucked in a quick breath, making him stall. “Are you all right?”
“It just hurts…but I’ll be fine. Continue what you’re doing. It’ll work…I’m sure of it.”
“Nicole, I need to fetch a doctor.”
“No, you can do this…I know it.”
Once he had the rope tied securely around her, he sat back on his legs, staring into her face. Pain etched her expression and tore at his heart. Although she was the one shot, she couldn’t possibly be in as much agony as he was experiencing right now. Why had he allowed his anger to do this? True, he wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger, but the guilt flowing inside him was just as heartbreaking.
“Ashton? Why—why—” She closed her eyes tight and tears ran down the sides of her face.
His heart broke once more. “Why, what?”
“Why did you have a pistol on me?” She blinked her eyes open again. “I thought we had shared something wonderful.”
“Yes, I thought we had, as well.” He shrugged. “But apparently, we don’t know how to communicate well with one another.” He reached over and caressed her cold cheek. “I can’t believe you thought I was robbing my own train.”
“And you thought it was me,” she whispered.
�
�Tell me the truth, Nicole. I think you owe me that much.”
Slowly, she nodded. “And you also owe me the truth.” She shivered.
“Let me find you a blanket.” He jumped up and rushed out of the room. There were quilts in the hall linen presses, and he grabbed two. He hurried back, eager to hear what she really thought of him.
Carefully, he laid each quilt across her, bundling her like a cocoon. Then he went to the fireplace and added another log. He returned, sat down beside her, and stroked the side of her face. Gradually, heat warmed her, making her shivering cease.
He was torn between leaving to find a doctor, and staying so that she could hear his confession. He feared if he left now and she died, he’d never forgive himself. If she happened to die, he wanted her to know the truth.
“Nicole,” he frowned, “I’m not stealing from my railroad. I don’t know if you believe me, but I’m not sure how to convince you of my innocence. Tell me, and I’ll do it.”
Silence stretched between them as she studied his face. Another tear slid from her eye and into her hair. “Do you honestly think I have been pretending with you this whole time?”
It took him a moment to ponder her question before he shrugged. “Maybe not the whole time, but you have to admit that you haven’t been completely honest with me since we met at the masked ball.”
More tears leaked from her eyes. “No, I haven’t been at all.”
“Are…” He hesitated in asking her his next question, but he needed to know. “Are you the person robbing the train?”
Her eyes widened and she gasped. “Are you addled?”
The odd response, and the way she said it, made him chuckle lightly. “Well, that’s an entirely different subject, I’m sure. But my question was very serious.”