The Princess and the Prepper

by Barbara Elsborg

  “You’ve changed,” he said.

  “You could change, too. You could be kinder, treat me as an equal and not a possession.”

  “I don’t need to change. You’re the one who needs to learn how to behave properly. You’re a princess. Act like it.”

  Lili swallowed hard. “Fuck off.” She turned away.

  He slammed his fist into her lower back and sent her crashing to her knees. Dieter grabbed her by the sweater and dragged her across the floor into the bathroom. She heard something squirt and then he rubbed his palm against her face, forcing liquid soap into her mouth and nose.

  “Don’t you ever use language like that again.”

  As she gagged and choked, he pushed her into the shower and turned it on, then stalked out of the room. Lili sank down, and when she’d finished retching, she turned her burning face into the flow. Maybe she’d drown.

  She didn’t.

  The clothes he wanted her to wear landed on the floor, together with her toilet bag. Dieter stared at her for a moment and to her relief, walked out. She stripped and left the saturated clothes in the bottom of the shower.

  Even after cleaning her teeth, the taste of soap remained. Her eyes stung, her nose was on fire, and she felt sick. He’d not done that before, but then she’d not sworn at him before. She dried her hair, put on makeup, and dressed in a dove-gray, short-sleeved dress and black high heels. She looked at herself in the mirror and hated what she saw. Not just the clothes, but the weakness. Still…she’d plan this time. No running anywhere without her purse. She needed to be a prepper and make a list of what she had to take with her. She smiled. Down but not out. That was how she would live day to day.

  When she emerged from the bathroom, Dieter closed his iPad and rose from the bed. “You look lovely, darling. Much better. You poor thing, out in the snow. When I heard they’d found your clothes, I feared the worst. I don’t know what I’d have said to your father.”

  She wasn’t fooled by this other face. When she reached for her coat, he took it from her. “You won’t need that in the car. I’m sorry you felt you should call your parents rather than me. Imagine how I felt when your mother contacted me.”

  She could guess. Controlled fury, rather like she could see now.

  “So did you have your business meeting?” she asked, guessing the answer.

  “Yes.”

  “Not that concerned about me, then?” she couldn’t help snapping.

  “I knew you’d turn up sooner or later.”

  No you didn’t. I might have died.

  “Where’s my purse?” she asked.

  “Packed.”

  Bastard. Change of plan. No running anywhere without his wallet. She picked up the pottery parcel and wrapped the kitchen paper more tightly around the fragments.

  As they walked out to the car, she had to take tiny steps so she didn’t slip. She knew his choice of shoes was deliberate. When Dieter offered his arm, she took it. The idea of breaking her ankle and being stuck with him filled her with horror. Not letting her have her coat was another attempt to dissuade her from running. She shivered as Dieter unlocked the SUV. It had stopped snowing but the wind was vicious, whipping straight down the street like a horizontal tornado. He put his jacket on the back seat, and she saw their two suitcases in the rear. She had to think of a way of getting his wallet out of his pocket.

  As Dieter drove down the main street, she expected to see lots of stores, but there were only a few open. Her stomach rumbled as they passed Mountain Rail Donuts. Some places were boarded up and there were several gaps. She assumed the town was still recovering from the tornadoes. Her gaze landed on a gift shop with pottery displayed in a corner of the window.

  “Could you stop, please? They might be able to replace this mug.”

  “Really, Liliane. We’ll send them money.”

  “No. The mug was important. Please.”

  He sighed and pulled in. No surprise he accompanied her, and that he didn’t let her have her coat. There was a mix of everything inside, from paintings, to jewelry, to books. The woman behind the counter looked up from a newspaper as Lili approached.

  “Good afternoon,” Lili said. “I wonder if you can help me.” She unwrapped the parcel on the counter. “I broke this mug. It’s handmade. I know you won’t have one like it, but I wondered if you knew of someone who could make a replacement.”

  “Love your accent.” The woman picked up the largest fragment. “Oh I recognize this. My daughter used the same glaze on one of hers. She and Serena Houston were in the same pottery class. There’s SH, Serena’s initials. Very sad—”

  “Could your daughter or the pottery teacher make another?” Lili interrupted. She hoped Dieter hadn’t picked up on the last thing the woman said.

  “I’m not sure. I can ask her.”

  “That’s great. I’ll write down the address where I’d like it sent, if that’s okay. Dieter, could you pay, please?”

  “I don’t know how much to charge,” the woman said. “I don’t even know if Erin or her teacher could do it.”

  “We’re leaving town so I’d be grateful if you could just try,” Lili said.

  The woman handed her a piece of paper and a pen, and Lili hesitated. She’d wanted to leave a message for Grant, tell him she wasn’t married, but she couldn’t risk it. Dieter was too close and in any case, what difference would it make? It was just sex, nothing more, no matter what she wanted to think.

  Dieter put a fifty-dollar bill on the counter. “I should think that will be enough. If she can’t make the mug, just send the money instead.”

  “Stupid of me,” Lili muttered. “I don’t know the address. Perhaps you could ask the sheriff. He picked me up there. He’ll know who I am.”

  “Princess Liliane Saxe-Melckenburghausen,” Dieter said.

  She tried not to squirm. She didn’t go around calling herself a princess.

  “I guessed you were the one who went missing. We don’t have many princesses stop by.” She smiled. “Glad you’re safe. I’ll take good care of this for you.”

  “Thank you.”

  As they walked back to the car, Dieter took her arm again, pinching her hard. “You don’t know the address, or you don’t want me to know the address?”

  She whimpered. “It was a cabin in the woods. I don’t even know the name of the highway. Thank you for the money, Dieter. If you unpack my purse, I’ll pay you back.”

  “I can wait.”

  Lili was afraid of that.

  Chapter Seven

  “What a dump.” Dieter scowled as they drove down the main street.

  Lili kept quiet. She didn’t think it looked a dump, but she didn’t want to argue. They passed a spectacular frozen fountain at the head of the street and then the town petered out behind them and Grant was gone forever.

  Which had to be for the best and probably why it hurt so much.

  How stupid to think he could come to care for her. Love at first sight had to work both ways; otherwise, what was the point? She swallowed over and over, but the lump remained in her throat. She owed Grant a lot, more than her life. He’d gone a long way to restoring her self-worth. Now she had to be patient and wait for the right moment to escape Dieter. But she would escape.

  “Call your parents. Tell them you’re okay,” he said.

  “No.”

  He glared at her. “What do you mean no?”

  “It’s the opposite of yes.”

  His hand smacked down on her thigh and his fingers dug into her flesh. She couldn’t stop the gasp flying from her mouth.

  “What’s gotten into you?” he snapped.

  She pressed her lips together.

  “Was that cabin this side of town?”

  Oh God. “I don’t remember.”

  He put both hands back on the wheel, and she resisted the urge to rub her thigh.

  “How can you not remember?”

  “I wasn’t paying attention.”

  “What the hell?
” he muttered and slowed.

  A police car sat across the road, its lights flashing. Dieter lowered his window as the officer walked back to them.

  “Road ahead is closed, sir. Where you headed?”

  “Yellowstone.”

  The guy winced. “Well, you haven’t got much choice unless you’re gonna drive the long way around. It’s a couple of hundred miles in the other direction. Best find a place to stay in town. The road should be clear by tomorrow.”

  Dieter mumbled under his breath but turned the car.

  He pulled up outside the guesthouse and took the keys from the ignition. “Sit still. I doubt very much if someone has taken the room we were in but I’ll check.”

  The moment he had his back toward her, she unclipped her seat belt and reached for his jacket. She hoped to find his wallet, but her fingers settled on the unmistakable thin, rectangular shape of two passports. Lili pulled out one, prayed it was hers, and as she sat straight in the seat, Dieter walked back. A quick glance showed she’d chosen her passport, and she lifted her dress and pushed it into her panties with a gulp of relief.

  The rear of the SUV opened, and Dieter pulled out their cases.

  “Bring the coats,” he snapped.

  Lili slipped her coat on, thought about walking away, then looked at her feet and knew she’d manage no more than a couple of yards before he caught her. She made her way carefully to the front door, where Maggie waited.

  “Lucky you caught me. I’m just off to a town meeting. Help yourself to anything you need. I’ll be back in a couple of hours. Want a meal tonight, or are you eating out?”

  “We’ll eat out,” Dieter said.

  He closed the door after Maggie and then nodded to the stairs. “After you.”

  Back in the room they’d left a short while before, she took off her coat and slipped her passport into the inside pocket. She draped the coat over the back of a chair and then sat, her heart hammering. Dieter locked the door and put the key in his pocket. He checked his watch, took out his phone, pressed a couple of buttons, and stared at her.

  “Helen, it’s me,” he said.

  Her mother. Lili tried not to sag.

  “Sorry to call so late but I thought you’d want to know that Lili is with me now, safe and sound…. Yes, she has been childish…. No, of course not.… Is Oskar there? Oh, all right, I’ll e-mail him. ’Bye.”

  Dieter ended the call, frowned, and made another. “Hi… I’ve spoken to Roy Smart and e-mailed details of their requirements.”

  Lili let her mind drift as he talked business. One of her father’s companies, Segentex, was at the forefront of solar energy generation, a step beyond solar panels. She didn’t understand the technology, but the company engineers had come up with a new generation photovoltaic cell. It sounded the sort of thing a town of preppers would be interested in.

  “Where’s Oskar gone?” Dieter asked.

  Lili could see how Dieter had clenched his fist. Uh-oh.

  “I didn’t think we had anything scheduled for this week…. No, no, I’ll e-mail him…. Yes, she’s fine.” He glanced across at her. “More than fine.” His laugh chilled her. “See you next week. ’Bye.”

  His smile morphed to a glare. “It’s your fault we’re stuck here.”

  Usually, she’d have said sorry. She didn’t. “Yes, I asked especially for a heavy fall of snow.”

  “Don’t be facetious. If you’d not thrown a tantrum, we’d be in Yellowstone by now.”

  Dieter was never to blame for anything. An expert in apportioning responsibility to others, she was certain that if he tripped over his own feet, he’d find a way of making it her fault.

  “We’ll be married tomorrow, and all this nonsense will stop.”

  As if I’d say yes. Lili stayed silent.

  “Nothing to say? You were the one who wanted a small, intimate wedding.”

  What? I never asked for any sort of wedding. What was the point in arguing? He made up what he wanted to hear.

  “The sooner you’re pregnant the better, though you’re going to have to improve your behavior so our children don’t copy your bad habits.”

  “What bad habits are they?” she muttered through gritted teeth.

  “Using that tone of voice, for one. Constantly complaining, for another. Not taking enough trouble with your appearance. Not behaving in a manner commensurate with your position. Not listening to my opinion.”

  He never allowed her one. Lili tuned him out.

  “And tuning me out,” he snarled.

  She looked up to see if by some miracle he was joking. No.

  “I can’t think why you want to marry me, Dieter. You seem to hate everything about me.”

  “You can change. You will change.”

  “I have to assume it’s my father’s company you want, that you think he’ll make you a partner if you’re married to his daughter.”

  “He’ll make me a partner whether I’m married to you or not.”

  Probably true. So what did he get out of marrying her? Did he really think he could make her love him? His behavior was perverse: vicious one moment, kind another. She’d suggested he should see a doctor. She paid dearly for that and never mentioned it again. Instead, she’d Googled the words “cruel and critical, self-contradictory, no guilt, no awareness of others’ feelings, false memories of events being perfect.” The answer, though she didn’t know whether it was correct, was narcissistic personality disorder. Sounded right. The only person Dieter would ever love was himself.

  “You’ve really disappointed me, Liliane.”

  She stayed perfectly still, sitting upright as she’d been taught, legs together, tilted a little to one side, hands clasped lightly on her lap. It was impossible to predict what would set him off.

  “I wish you had a better relationship with your parents,” he said. “You’re lucky you have wonderful parents, though they’re not as wonderful as mine.”

  She mumbled something noncommittal. He’d once told her his father had beaten him regularly. That was something else narcissists did, repress painful memories by making the past perfect. She fully expected that her little jaunt into the snowy wilderness would be rewritten by tonight with Dieter as her heroic savior.

  He paced on the other side of the room. “Something’s puzzling me,” he said.

  She suspected she wouldn’t like it. Dieter didn’t like to be puzzled. He liked every box ticked.

  He stopped walking. “Why would a rancher have a cabin in the woods?”

  Oh damn. Ice water flowed in her veins. “I don’t know. You’d have to ask them.”

  “Them. That’s the other thing puzzling me. The sheriff said ‘a local’—singular. I assumed it was a couple and you led me along that path.”

  “It was the wife’s mug,” she pointed out. “Serena.”

  “Ah yes. So what was very sad?”

  “She’s ill.”

  Dieter gave a heavy exhalation. “Liar.”

  “No, I’m not.” She forced herself to meet his gaze.

  “He fucked you.”

  Her heart stuttered. Fine for him to swear and not her? “Dieter, don’t be crazy. Why—”

  He was moving before she’d started to speak. Hauled out of the chair and flung onto the bed, she scrambled to get off the other side.

  “You weren’t even going to come back, were you, you little whore?” He grabbed her arm and thumped his fist into her ribs.

  Lili cried out and curled up to try and protect herself against the blows. He didn’t touch her face, but it felt like he hit everywhere else.

  “Stop sniveling, you bitch. I’m hardly touching you.”

  Even in his fury, he was controlled enough to know he had to be careful. Nothing anyone could see, nothing that required treatment in the hospital. But it still hurt. When the blows stopped, she lay still, tears trickling down her face. He settled next to her on the bed, his mouth inches from hers. This was usually when he was suddenly kind again.


  “Did you fuck him?” he whispered.

  Not this time. “No.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I think I’d have noticed.”

  “Because if you did, I’d have to kill him.”

  Lili’s mouth lost all moisture. She looked into Dieter’s dark eyes and thought how normal he looked, considering he was insane.

  “Nothing happened,” she said. “He saved my life. I would have died.” Why wasn’t he incensed about the truck driver? Did Dieter even know about him? Maybe she could distract him. “The guy in the truck tried to rape me.”

  His jaw twitched. “That was your own fault.”

  Oh God.

  She’d rather die than marry this man. The thought wrapped around her heart and squeezed.

  ***

  Grant pulled up in front of the patrol car. “Stay down, Shadow.”

  The cop walked back to him. “Road’s closed, sir. Won’t be open until morning.” He looked at the wolf sitting in the foot well and raised his eyebrows.

  “How long’s it been closed?” Grant asked.

  “Three hours.”

  “Thanks.” He turned and drove back into town.

  He’d been prepared to drive all the way to Yellowstone but now he was fairly sure Lili was still in town. To take another route in this weather was crazy. So where was she? He needed a list of guesthouses.

  There were a surprising number of cars in the library lot, and he had to park at the far end. He lowered the window a tad, and Shadow curled up on the seat.

  “Won’t be long,” he said.

  As a kid he’d used to hang out here, mostly inside while his brothers were in the cool group, outside. He’d been in twice in the last year when he’d lost his Internet connection at the cabin. It had been impossible to resist the temptation to check the shelves for his books, and he’d been pleased to see how many times they’d been borrowed. Less pleased that Mrs. Moody, his English teacher, was working there part-time and on his last visit, she’d gushed for ten minutes while he’d stood there feeling like a fraud.