Rogue Highlander: Played Like a Fiddle

by Sondra Grey

  Elizabeth drew back quickly but once again the girl was quick. She held on to Elizabeth and locked eyes with her.

  “Did you tell him?” she hissed and Elizabeth was once again terrorized by the vacant gaze and the madness in her eyes. She once again remembered the experience she had had at the asylum, and she pushed the girl hard backward.

  The girl collapsed among the herbs and Elizabeth turned and ran from her in fear.

  “Tell him…I came…I did not betray him... Tell him I came.” The girl let out a wail and keened. The Alvarez Mansion was built on a hillside, and the wind was strong. The mad woman’s voice trailing on the moaning wind sounded ghastly and bone chilling.

  In her haste, instead of turning towards the house, Elizabeth ran down the hillside through the manicured lawns towards the wooded area beyond. The girl had quickly recovered from her fall and was now running behind Elizabeth.

  “Tell…himmmmm…tell him please…pleeeease.” She was crying as she ran after Elizabeth

  Elizabeth was scared for her life. She regretted having agreed to come here with Franco. She once again experienced the fear of never again seeing her beloved Nicholas. The thought of him made her run faster. She ran for so long her limbs ached, and her chest burned like two white-hot iron balls sat inside her lungs. She was not even sure where she was anymore.

  The trees were thicker here, and she could now hear horse hooves. She was terrified. What if it was Juan coming back from town? What if it was one of his men? That would be equally bad. She had gathered from the men’s meal time talks that they were all skirt chasers.

  She ran for her life, huffing and panting, not knowing where the rumble of horse hooves was coming from. Suddenly, the noise became thundering and then from above the trail she saw a group of men riding down. She was in the middle of the trail and stood frozen to her spot, unable to move a muscle.

  The horses all thundered past her and stopped a few yards down the trail. Nic jumped down from his and ran towards her and all the men followed as Elizabeth went weak with relief.

  Nic carried her into his arms and took her back to his horse. Now that the danger had passed, Elizabeth couldn’t get a word out of her mouth and she was shivering uncontrollably.

  “How did you come here?” Nic asked.

  “Franco…Alvarez house.” She pointed, but then she was taken up by yet another fit of shivering.

  “I am going to kill that fool!” Nicholas snarled, as the men all quickly mounted their horses and set off for home.

  When they reached home, Nic carried Elizabeth directly up to their room and covered her in heaps of covers. Slowly the shivering subsided and as Nicholas caressed her and soother her, Elizabeth fell asleep.

  Chapter Twenty

  E lizabeth woke to the sound of terrible noises from below. Revived after her nap, she quickly threw off the blankets and went down the stairs.

  The scene before her froze her in her tracks. Vincent was standing near the table with his hands on his hips. Nic’s other men and Lydia were gone for the day. Only Franco remained and Nic…Nic was lashing Franco with his belt while the cripple was getting thrown every which way and dashing against every possible surface in the kitchen.

  “Nic... stop…what are you doing?” Elizabeth came running down the stairs.

  Nic stopped and turned back. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was shaking with rage.

  “Nic he did not do anything,” Elizabeth said rushing forward.

  “He kidnaped you. Took you to the Alvarez house.”

  “Kidnaped? Nic, what are you saying? I went with him myself.” She said incredulously.

  “Then what was he doing chasing you into the woods?”

  “Chasing me? Nic, you have got it all wrong. Franco was not chasing me. Oh my god, what have you done!” She said going to Franco who stood holding one corner of the table for support. She eased him into the chair and looked at his whips. Mercifully Nic had just started on him when she came down, and there were no marks yet. Elizabeth went quickly to one of the kitchen cabinets and pulled out a jar of ointment.

  “Take off your shirt.” She said to Franco, but the poor young man just shook his head.

  “Franco just do as I say,” She said, and Franco obeyed. Elizabeth called on to Vincent and asked him to rub the ointment on his back. Then she whirled on her husband.

  “Madison came by this morning to call me to help Caroline in labor.” Everyone looked up in shock. Elizabeth recounted the whole story of the day and Vincent seemed relieved when he heard that both Caroline and her baby were well.

  Elizabeth made it clear how Franco had taken her permission to go to the Alvarez Mansion when she came to that part of the story. Her husband who was still standing now came and sat at the table.

  “Then why was he chasing you through the woods?”

  “He was not chasing me. He was at the house.”

  “Then who was? You were so scared, and you kept pointing up at the Alvarez house.”

  What had seemed so real and terrifying then suddenly seem so trivial now, and Elizabeth hung her head.

  “The madwoman up at the Alvarez house. She was chasing me.” There were audible gasps around the table.

  “What madwoman? There is no madwoman at the Alvarez house.” Nic said looking around for support. but Franco and Vincent avoided his gaze.

  “Tell him!” Vincent ordered in a firm voice, looking directly at Franco.

  “It was Miss Jessica. Mrs. Rhymer met Miss Jessica.”

  What Elizabeth saw on her husband’s face then, she would never forget. All color had drained out of his face, and he looked terror struck.

  “Jessica...Jessica is dead…She died five years back.”

  “No, she did not,” Franco murmured.

  “Yes, she did!” Nic shouted then went back to whispering. “She died in my arms.” He said looking down at his arms as if to see Jessica there.

  Elizabeth suddenly remembered the soft sighs and uneasy groans of Jess, her husband let out during his nightmares. And everything seemed clearer than before. But she had to confirm.

  “Nic who is Jessica? What happened to her? Is she the Jess, you keep calling in your dreams?” Elizabeth asked. Nic looked at Elizabeth as if he did not recognize her.

  “Yes. It’s her. I loved Jessica.” Nic said stoically, and Elizabeth felt something shatter inside of her. “We were going to get married. But her brother and her father did not want it. So, we decided to run away. We were supposed to meet in the shack by the brook. We were going to go away for some time, get married then come back. But she betrayed me and never came. She sent her brother instead, and him and his men took me by surprise and beat me up.” Nicholas pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at his brow and upper lip.

  “Juan found Jessica lurking outside the shack and pulled her into his carriage and took her away. But the wagon lost control and fell over the cliff side. Juan jumped at the last moment, and saved himself. But Jessica went down with it. When I reached the debris, she was still alive. She said sorry, and then she died. She died in my arms.” He said again, his arms outstretched in front of him as if holding a ghost. Elizabeth could not bear his pain.

  “No, she did not,” Franco said. “She became unconscious, and everybody thought she was dead. They brought her body home and she woke up. But Juan and the old man did not want you to know. So, they buried an empty casket, had a proper service and all. Only me and the Alverez’s housekeeper, my aunt Paloma, knew about it.”

  “Where was she if she was alive? Why did she not come to me?”

  “They sent her away. For the last five years, she has been living with relatives in Denver. She was quite disturbed after the accident. Just sat in her room looking at the wall all day. Sometimes Juan would take the whip to her. He and old Mr. Alvarez thought that she had gone mad. And they gave up on her. They sent her away to avoid the disgrace.” Franco replied, answering Nic’s first question. The answer to the second, no one dared t
o guess.

  “Why didn’t you tell me when you came to work for me?” Nic asked Franco pitifully.

  “You were so crazy about her back then. I was afraid you would abandon Dr. Rhymer,” he said not looking up at Nic. Elizabeth was stunned by his loyalty.

  “You knew,” Nic said, turning to Vincent. Vincent nodded.

  “When did you know this?”

  “Recently,” Vincent said looking away.

  “How recently?” Nic persisted.

  “That evening I came back from the roundup and found you sleeping in the barn? Well, I saw her on the moors with Franco that day and guessed what must have happened.”

  “Then why did you not tell me?” Nic asked aghast. Vincent stole a look at Elizabeth and said, “Elizabeth was scheduled to arrive the next day. I was afraid you would send her away and go back to Jessica. She used you, deceived you. She was bad for you right from the beginning. I did not want you to end your life with Elizabeth, before it even had had a chance to begin.”

  “Elizabeth…Elizabeth…Elizabeth.” Nic shouted bringing down his fist hard on the table. “It’s my life you people have been trying to run. I have a choice here damn it. I have a say.” Elizabeth looked up sharply at his outburst. What did he mean by that? What choice was he talking about? Would he really have sent her back then?

  “Nic…” Vincent started to say, but Nic stopped him.

  “Don’t say another word…just leave!” He said looking at Franco and Vincent. Then pushed himself up from the table looking defeated and lumbered out of the room, his head hung low.

  Elizabeth stood nodding at the men with understanding as they regarded her with sympathy before turning to walk out of the room. Just as they were about to leave, Elizabeth called out to them.

  “Vince…Franco…. bring the girl. Bring her to me right now.” The two men looked at with wide eyes, nodded and went out to do as she bid.

  Elizabeth finally allowed the torrent of tears to pour forth from her. It was too much for her to take that Nic was once so deeply involved with another woman. Another woman whom he claimed to have loved, and thought had died in his arms. But the fact that he might have still chosen that woman on the eve of her arrival was something she just could not bear.

  She loved this man! No matter what, she loved him, Elizabeth suddenly realized. Of course, she had loved him from that moment she saw him at the railway station leaning against that pillar looking at her. But today was the first time she understood the depth of her feelings. How foolish she had been.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  E lizabeth stood up straight and wiped at her tears with determination. She knew what she had to do. She walked up the stairs to their room and saw Nic sitting on the bed, facing the window, his back towards the door. A soft fire burned in the hearth to one side of the room and a big red moon hung outside.

  The sight of that moon brought fresh tears to Elizabeth’s eyes. It was red and huge just like the day Nic had brought her home and taken care of her after her arduous journey to Jacksonville. And this was the bed, she thought looking down, that she shared with him. This was where the deepest of their passions had come alive and where they had reveled in their veneration for each other.

  “Leave me alone Elizabeth,” Nic said, and her heart sunk within her chest. He had never used that tone with her before, harsh and cold. At that moment, Elizabeth would have readily chosen death than the detached indifference of her husband.

  “I just came to tell you, she spoke to me.” He did not turn, but he did not order her away either and encouraged by that, Elizabeth continued.

  “Today at the Alvarez house and that day on the moor, she said something to me that now makes complete sense. If I had known about her before, I would have told you this right then. But since I had no knowledge of your association with her, I did not understand what she was trying to say to me. Now I do.” Elizabeth paused, still standing in the door. She somehow felt inadequate to enter. Nic sat perfectly still, his head hung low, and she continued speaking to his back.

  “She asked me to tell you that she did not deceive you. She came to you that day. She did not betray you. I think her brother must have somehow known and gotten there before her.” Elizabeth said, and it tore at her insides when she saw Nic sobbing, his shoulders shuddering with the effort of it.

  He still had not moved from his place, and Elizabeth ached to go to him. She wanted to take him in her arms and wipe away all the tears and make all that pain he was feeling go away. But something still stopped her from entering the room. This was a moment in his life where she had no part. It was sorrow she could not share. He wouldn’t let her in, so she only stood there trying to soothe from a distance.

  “It’s going to be all right Nic. I will make it all right darling. You will see.” Then she turned and went down the stairs, walking slowly and taking each step carefully. She was tired. They had been at it all night, and she had no clue of what time it was. She approached the table and slowly lowered herself on the bench.

  That was when she heard it. The hauntingly forlorn music of the harmonica coming from above her head. It broke her heart into a thousand tiny pieces and each one of them throbbed with the wretched helplessness she felt in reaching out to the man she loved. She wondered how it was at all possible to be connected so acutely to the sentiments of another person. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and she hurried to open it.

  Vincent and Franco stood there, Jessica between them, a lost and clouded expression on her face. As they entered the kitchen, the sad tune of Nicholas’ melody flowed down from the stairs and Jessica’s eyes were suddenly focused in that direction.

  “Nicky.” she sighed audibly and Elizabeth had to gulp hard at the lump that had formed in her throat. She nodded gently at the girl before her.

  “Yes, he is up there. You wanted to say something to him? Well, go on then.” She motioned towards the staircase. A shuddering sigh escaped the girl’s throat, she looked at Elizabeth as if for confirmation and Elizabeth nodded once again. Then the madness, the fever she had always seen in Jessica’s eyes suddenly disappeared and pulling up her skirts slightly, she ran towards the sound of the music.

  The others stood in the door for a few more seconds as Jessica disappeared up the steps and the noise of the harmonica suddenly stopped.

  “You need to sit down Elizabeth.” Vincent said suddenly and he and Franco nearly carried her to the table, limp with distress.

  “What have you done, woman? Aren’t you the biggest fool in the world?” Vincent said under his breath when they heard firm angry footsteps coming down the stairs and Nicholas came striding towards her.

  “Elizabeth! What in the Lord’s name are you doing?” he said holding her upper arm in a vice like grip and shaking her hard.

  “I…I thought…I…she…” she stammered as he glared down at her with fury.

  “You send a maiden girl, the sister of a neighboring rancher who hates my guts, to my bed chamber, alone and unattended?” His voice raised with each word. Nic turned to the two men and for the first time ever, Elizabeth saw the two men cowering.

  “How did you get her here? You kidnapped her? Forced her? Threatened her?” once again his voice rose with every word.

  “I came on my own accord.” Jessica said, her eyes lowered. “Vincent just told Juan that they would bring the sheriff and the magistrate to show them how I was treated, and that Franco and Paloma would testify about the false burial. Juan knew that he could not stop me from coming after that.”

  “Well then, the two of you will go outside and await further orders from me. Miss Alvarez and I have things to talk about. And you my dear wife, will stay right here as the young lady’s guardian.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  W hen Franco and Vincent had left, Nicholas turned to Jessica.

  “Sit down Jessica, I am sure you have already met my wife Dr. Elizabeth Rhymer.” He said nodding to Elizabeth who was standing right next to him.


  Jessica sat at the head of the table and nodded as Nic and Elizabeth took seats further down the bench, the large table between them.

  “It was a shock for me Jessica, when Franco told me that you were alive earlier today. Myself and everyone else in Jacksonville had been made to believe that you were…well…killed in that accident,” he said not breaking eye contact.

  “They sent me away. After a while I lost all track of time.” Jessica said softly as tears streamed down her face. When Nicholas did not move from his place, Elizabeth went to her and folded her in her arms. The girl felt frail and breakable in her embrace.

  “You poor dear.” she said gently stroking her hair.

  “So, my wife tells me that you had something to say to me.” Jessica nodded. Nic waited in silence as seconds passed. Elizabeth sat now on the side of the bench, nearer to Jessica. She held her hand, stroked her hair and nodded in encouragement.

  “I just wanted you to know Nicky, that …”

  “Don’t call me that Jessica. I am not your playmate anymore.” he admonished and Elizabeth was startled at the harshness in his voice. Wasn’t her husband in love with this girl? He dreamed of her and spoke her name in his sleep. Then why, when she was in front of him now, did he behave so unkindly?

  “I wanted to tell you what happened that day. I was telling Paloma about us, that you had asked me to come and meet you at the shack so that we could run away, get married and come back only when we were husband and wife so that Juan could not do anything to stop us.” Jessica stopped suddenly and wet her lips.

  “And…” Nicholas prodded.

  “Juan heard us and he went wild with rage. He shut me up in my room and said he would take care of you for good. When he was gone, Franco and Paloma let me out and I came as fast as I could. But, he was already there, with all those men and they were hurting you…I got scared and I hid outside the shack.”

  “They nearly killed me that day Jessica. You could have gone and gotten me some help instead of hiding outside and watching the show.”