by Lynn Landes
“Oh, I’m so glad you’re okay. The bad man didn’t hurt you!”
Aiylin wraps both arms around her and presses a kiss to the top of her head. “No. Just a bit tussled, but I’ll be better tomorrow.”
“You’re supposed to be resting,” Sebastian says, watching her closely.
“I know,” she replies and avoids looking at him. “I’m sorry that I ruined your trip to the market,” she whispers.
“It’s not your fault,” Tinley says and tugs her over to the rocker next to the fireplace. Aiylin sits, and Tinley grabs a blanket to tuck over her legs.
“My brilliant daughter is right,” Sebastian grins as he watches Tinley take care of Aiylin. “We brought you a treat,” he smiles.
“Oh?” Aiylin struggles to hide the emotion raging behind her eyes. “Melting chocolate, Oma said it cures everything,” Tinley helps her father pour, and he hands her a cup. Aiylin’s hands are shaking too hard to hold it alone.
“I’m sorry,” she murmurs.
“I’ve got you,” Sebastian murmurs and Tinley nods as he places the cup back on the tray.
His eyes lock on to hers, and she with retreats into herself, refusing to look at him. “Perhaps some food would help,” Sebastian turns to Aiylin. “My heart, would you go ask Oma to have soup and biscuits sent up?”
Tinley is happy to help, and she runs from the room. Aiylin leans back, wincing when she bumps her head. Sebastian grabs a small pillow and offers it to her. She leans forward allowing him to help and sits back with a sigh of relief. She clutches her hands in front of her.
“Thank you,” she jumps when he takes her hands in his.
“What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours, Aiylin?” he demands.
“Tomorrow we will talk, Sebastian. I need to rest,” she murmurs and squeezes her eyes closed, as a tear slips down her cheek.
“I’m sorry. Of course, rest.”
When he leaves, she doesn’t try to stop her tears. How could he ever forgive her for bringing this to his door?
Chapter 24
Jacob sits across from the jail cell the next morning, holding a glass bottle in his hand. Tasha explained what the drops were and how some people abuse them. Now staring at the deranged man in front of him, he’s decided to try to use that to his advantage. Two deputies are working at their desks but watching in case he needs them.
“Release me!” Langdon demands, “I’ll have your badge for this. I didn’t do anything wrong, Aiylin is my fiancé.”
“I don’t think so, Mr. Barnett.” He lifts the bottle and opens it to take a smell. “Mmm, smells good.”
Langdon goes still, like a predator who has spotted his dinner. “Those are mine, I need them,” he whines and reaches through the bars. Both deputies stop working to watch.
Jacob seals the vial and places it on his wooden desk. “I’ve heard about these drops. They are supposed to take away pain.”
“Yes, I can get you some!” his eyes never leave the bottle.
“That’s a promise you can’t keep, Mr. Barnett. The U.S. Marshall will be here soon to take you into custody.”
Langdon feels the rage building and tries to stamp it down. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Well, witnesses say that you threatened to kill an innocent young woman. Our victim gave a statement that you threatened the Becker family as well as a young child.”
“Lies! They fall from her lips!” Sweating profusely, he struggles with stomach cramps, headache, and tremors. “Please, give me my drops they make it stop…” he pleads.
“Tell me why you came here first and I’ll let you have them,” Jacob lifts the bottle in front of the bars and shakes his head in disgust when Langdon leaps forward reaching through with a clawed hand. He shouts in outrage when Jacob smiles.
“You won’t be smiling when I get out of here, Sheriff! That pretty little store clerk of yours will beg for mercy before I’m through with her!”
Both deputies leap up and grab Jacob before he can get to the cell. “You don’t threaten mine!” he shouts.
“Not so calm now,” Langdon laughs and lays down on the cot.
Jacob shrugs off the deputies and seizes the bottle, shattering it on the floor. Langdon leaps from his bed, with a roar of outrage. “No!” He stretches through the bars, reaching for the liquid amongst the debris.
“Disgusting,” Jacob murmurs. “I need air. Give it some more time, Doc says he’ll tell us everything when the tremors hit.”
Tasha is working in the back on the accounting books for her Father when Jacob walks in. He stares at her for a minute, before she realizes he’s there.
“Jacob!” she lights up the room with her smile. “Is everything alright?” she stands and walks around the desk towards him.
Dark thoughts are pushed aside as he whispers a prayer of thanks for placing her in his life. He reaches out and takes her hand, pulling her close to him.
“Better now,” he smiles. “Tasha, I’m not good with flowery words, or sentiments.”
Surprise has her looking up at him. “I don’t need them from you.”
“No, but you deserve them and more,” he cups her face, thrilling her. “Tash, I’ve known you for five years, and I’ve loved you since the very first moment you smiled at me.”
Tears fill her beautiful eyes, and he drops to his knee.
“Marry me?” he asks softly. Tasha can’t speak, she nods, and he shouts, calling her Father from the front only to find her in Jacobs arms.
“That’d better be a yes,” her father laughs.
Chapter 25
The moment the sun starts to rise, Aiylin jumps up and begins packing. For the first time since coming, she’s thankful for the lack of luggage. It takes only a few minutes to get her one bag packed and suitcase.
“I’m sorry, Sebastian,” she murmurs as she sits at the desk and pens a letter, hoping it will be enough. She sneaks quietly downstairs and avoids the kitchen. Slipping from the house, she hurries to the stable and finds a stable hand moving around inside.
“I need a ride to town. I have to give my statement to the Sheriff this morning,” she lies and prays he won’t question her too long.
“Of course, Miss Miller,” the young man says and harnesses up a horse to attach to a carriage.
“Thank you,” she says when he drops her off in town. It’s still early, and the town is starting to come to life. She glances at the Sheriff’s office and notes the light on inside. Giving a quick wave, she grabs her suitcase and bag and waits for him to pull away before heading to the train station.
“One ticket to Lockhaven, please,” she tells the clerk. This time she gives her suitcase and her guitar to the clerk. “Can you hold this for me?”
“Yes, Ma’am. That train will be leaving in thirty minutes, miss.”
“Thank you.” She tucks the ticket in her pocket and walks over to the Sheriff’s office. Aiylin paces, trying to build up enough nerve to step inside. When a deputy comes out, she sighs in relief.
“Good morning, I’m supposed to sign a statement.”
“Yes, Ma’am, come inside,” he offers, but she shakes his head.
“I’d prefer not to be around him,” she murmurs.
“I understand, wait here.” He runs inside, grabs the statement and brings it out to her.
“My train is leaving in twenty minutes, deputy, can we do this quickly?”
“Yes, Ma’am. Let’s go over to the train station. They have an office we can borrow.”
Aiylin smiles in relief. “Thank you.”
Fifteen minutes later, she is boarding the train. As she leaves for home, the shakes start. Everything in her screams at her to stay, but she knows it’s time to go home.
It’s a relatively easy train ride. Two hours to Harrisonburg and two hours home. Five hours later, she is walking into the home she shares with her parents. The moment she sees her mother, she bursts into tears. Sobs rack her body, and her Mother guides her to the living r
oom. “Charles!” she shouts.
He comes out of his office and stares at them in surprise. “What happened? We got a telegram saying you were staying for Christmas.”
“Langdon happened!” she wails, wiping her eyes on a handkerchief her mother offers.
An hour later, she is exhausted from explaining and falls into a dreamless sleep.
Sebastian storms into the Sheriff’s office and stops to glare at the prisoner. Jacob stands quickly and walks over to him.
“Sebastian, are you here to give your statement too?”
“What do you mean too?” he demands.
“Aiylin gave hers this morning to one of my deputies.” Sebastian is stunned.
“Where is she!” Langdon screams and shakes the bars.
“He’s insane?” Sebastian asks glaring at the deranged man.
“He goes from raging about Aiylin to sobbing and begging for his drops.”
“Where is she?” Sebastian asks softly.
“She left on the eight a.m. train,” Jacob explains.
Sebastian stares out the window and jumps when Langdon starts laughing. “She left you too! Now let me go,” he hisses. “I can catch up to her, make her understand that she needs me.”
“I can’t believe she played me for a fool,” Sebastian says and sits heavily in a chair near the cell.
“Exactly!” Langdon crawls over near him and tries to reach his pants leg. “Give me my drops, and maybe we can work together to make her pay.”
Sebastian glances at him, and the Sheriff nods, “I’ll get your papers ready for you to sign, Sebastian.” He steps over to his desk to gather his papers.
“I’m listening, Langdon. She can’t keep teasing men like this!” Sebastian hisses.
“Yes, you do see,” he wipes the perspiration from his brow and runs a hand over his red-streaked eyes. “Aiylin’s family has money,” he spits, and his eyes shift again. “I’ve done it before, it works,” he whispers loudly.
“What works?” Sebastian demands.
“Compromise them, and the family pays, it’s simple really,” he giggles manically before moaning and grabbing his head.
“Not with Aiylin?” Sebastian says.
“Aiylin is too smart. She needs to be taught, shown the way,” he hisses. He grips the bars and shoves his face towards the bar. “Like the girl, in New York,” he reaches out and tries to grab at him. “Help me,” he pleads.
“Jacob! I’d give him his drops,” Sebastian calls out.
Langdon sits up quickly and agrees with him, “Yes!”
“I would gladly give them to him, but the U.S. Marshall prefers his prisoners to be lucid to talk to him.”
“He’s done this before, Jacob. In New York,” he says. He blocks out Langdon’s screams of fury.
It turns his stomach to think of the plans he had prepared for her. They only become more sinister when the deputy returns from searching his room. He is pale when he speaks to Jacob in a soft tone in the back room. The bag is dumped on top of his desk revealing his toys. Rope, drugs, knives, and more.
“I think they know,” Langdon laughs rocking with his arms around his knees. “Aiylin is special. It had to be different,” he sneers at Sebastian, and for the first time, he thinks that he sees the man’s true nature.
“Be quiet,” Sebastian starts to walk away, but Langdon calls him back.
“You’re wondering why, aren’t you? Why I chose her?” Langdon stands up and walks to the bars stretching before he answers.
Jacob and the deputies listen from the doorway of the next room. “It was her light.” His eyes glitter when he thinks of her. “The light inside her burns so bright, everyone can see it. I wanted that light to glow for me and me alone,” he laughs when Sebastian rushes out the front door.
The fresh air washes away the stench of evil that is heavy around him. He closes his eyes and whispers a prayer of thanks that this creature did not touch his mother and daughter. When he opens his eyes, he relives the moment when Aiylin looked at them and stopped fighting. She did it to protect them. He didn't need a letter to explain her fear. After meeting this sick man, he understands. It’s a punch to the gut, and he runs a hand over his face.
“A woman who will fight to protect you and yours is the greatest gift,” Jacob says when he steps outside to speak to Sebastian.
“I agree, but she’s running scared, Jacob,” Sebastian replies.
“Do you blame her? He’s a sick man. I waited five years to tell the woman I love that I need her, don’t make the same mistake,” Jacobs insists.
“I’ll try. How long until the Marshall gets here?” Sebastian asks.
“Anytime now. They will leave in the morning, and we can get back to our lives. I have a wedding to plan,” Jacob grins.
“Congratulations,” Sebastian shakes his hand. “Let me know if you need anything else.”
Jacob watches him go and shakes his head. Poor guy is head over heels for her. “Maybe a little help from a friend is required.” Jacob whistles as he walks over to the general store to send a telegram.
Chapter 26
Charles is working on a Christmas gift for his daughter, Aiylin, when the mail is brought in and placed on his desk. “Thank you,” he murmurs and straightens looking at the time. ‘Where did the day go?’ He wonders as he walks over to go through the mail before heading home.
An envelope with his name on it has a telegram falling into his lap. He reads it and sits heavily. At last, he understands. Aiylin was tight-lipped about the details only to say that Langdon was arrested.
The Sheriff described a different story in the telegram.
“No daughter of mine is going to run from her future,” he grumbles and storms from the room.
Aiylin counts the days. It’s been two days since she left them. Tomorrow Mena and Patrick return, and she is determined to make sure they are welcomed home.
“I’m here to see Mrs. Weisz,” she informs the doorman.
He shows her into a small sitting room, and Aiylin removes her gloves slowly and looks around. It’s lovely, and she is drawn to the tin-types on the bookcase.
“Why are you here, Miss Miller?” a voice says behind her.
Aiylin turns, expecting to dislike the woman, but the resemblance to Elizabeth has her smiling. “Forgive me, but you and Elizabeth could be twins!”
She smiles in spite of herself. “True enough, we’ve been accused of it many times.” Sitting down, she arranges her dress and waits for Aiylin to speak again.
“I’m here to speak to you about Mena and Patrick,” Aiylin says softly.
“Then you’ve wasted your time. Langdon explained to me what kind of woman you are, Miss Miller. Leading him on and abandoning him to go after my rich nephew.” She glares at her, hardening her heart against the pain rippling through her.
“Langdon Barnett is a monster, Mrs. Weisz. He was arrested after threatening your sister, her grandchild and your nephew.”
“What!” Mrs. Weisz gasps.
“I’m still not sure how he knew where to find me.” Aiylin sits and clasps her trembling hands together. “Thankfully Sebastian stopped him when he attacked me,” she sniffs and rubs her neck.
Tears threaten, and the older woman jumps to her feet, rushing to sit next to Aiylin. “Please tell me they are well?” she pleads.
“Yes, don’t fret. I’m sorry to say that he was after me. They are fine.”
“All of this is my fault,” Mrs. Weisz starts to weep. She spills the details of Langdon and her visit to his tailor shop. “I had no idea he would try to hurt you. Forgive me,” she pleads.
“Of course. Langdon is a very sick man.” Aiylin offers her a handkerchief from her bag. “He took advantage of your loneliness.”
She laughs and nods, “Call me, Darla.”
“Thank you, Darla. Elizabeth told me that loneliness and grief are a horrible burden to carry. What I’m learning is that it takes a strong woman to bare both. Why would you choose to do
that? Patrick loves you, and Mena loves him. If you force him to choose between you, it will only cause more pain.”
“What do you know of pain? You are but a child,” she stands and paces.
Aiylin stands and steps in front of her. “I’m broken, Louisa. I’ve walked away from the only man I’ve ever loved and his child to protect them, and it shattered me.” Her voice is trembling when she stares into Louisa’s weathered eyes. “I love my sister, as you love yours. I only came to tell you that we would be honored to have you join us for Christmas.”
Louisa wrings her hands, “What if they can’t forgive me? What if it’s too late?” she pleads.
“Nonsense. Patrick’s Christmas wish was for you to try to get to know the woman he loves. I think if you spend time with Mena, you will be surprised by what you learn.”
“Truly?” she asks.
“They arrive on the train tomorrow evening at five. I imagine they could use a ride to their hotel. Perhaps dinner with his Mother?”
“What will Mena think?”
“Mena will cry and hug you,” Aiylin laughs, “she’s very emotional that way.”
They laugh softly together and sit to talk over fresh tea. “Tell me about my sister. How is Elizabeth?”
“She’s lonely.” Aiylin watches her face, and she can feel her compassion. “I understand that,” she sniffs.
“Sebastian worries for her. He’s trying to get her to live with him, but she won’t leave the house.” Aiylin sighs.
“I will go visit her soon. Perhaps a kick in the pants is what she needs.”
Aiylin laughs, “Precisely.”
“How long have you been in love with my nephew?” she asks.
“I… I’m not, I didn’t say it was Sebastian,” she stammers.
“You didn’t need to. You’ve come here with fire in your eyes to protect those you love. Tell me why you ran instead of fighting for them?” she demands.
Aiylin gaps and stares at her. “Langdon said horrible things, he was going to kill me and go after them next. I brought that danger to your family. How could he ever forgive me?” she swipes angrily at her tears.