The Secret of Her Guardian Sailor: An Inspirational Historical Romance Novel

by Chloe Carley

  “Hey, boys. Why don’t you come over here and talk to us for a bit?” one of the women called across the street.

  Morgan was shocked and couldn’t believe what his eyes were seeing. “That’s not a boarding house…”

  “It’s a brothel,” Spencer finished for him. “No wonder those men didn’t want us going over there.”

  Morgan clearly remembered a town they’d visited several weeks back where the men of the town had been warning passersby about sticking around for very long. The local boarding house and the saloon had doubled as a brothel and three men had died one night when they took exception to being treated unkindly by the townsfolk. A gunfight had broken out and Morgan and his brothers had barely managed to avoid getting caught up in the skirmish. Since that time, they had been more careful about the towns they happened upon, checking out the atmosphere of the town before deciding it was a place they wanted to spend time in.

  Many of the small towns they had encountered since leaving the Great Salt Lake had been founded by miners who were hoping to strike it rich. These towns were usually controlled by company men or individuals who preyed upon the misfortune and luck of others. This led to an atmosphere where honesty and integrity were sacrificed for the pursuit of men’s greed and failure.

  He wasn’t sure what was fueling the atmosphere in Percy’s Crossing and he wasn’t willing to stick around to figure it out. Morgan wanted no part of a skirmish with the men he’d just encountered and his gut was telling him that he and his brothers needed to leave Percy’s Crossing as soon as possible.

  Morgan nodded in response to his brother’s assessment of the situation and then he turned and addressed both of them. “You two head back to the livery, get the wagon and bring me my horse. We’ll leave town from here.”

  Riley and Spencer both nodded and turned around, heading back the way they’d just come. Morgan took one last look at the women trying not to wonder about the circumstances that had caused them to act so wantonly and unladylike. Morgan and his brothers liked women. They all three hoped to get married and start families of their own one day. Their mother had been the perfect example of how a loving wife and mother acted and she’d taught her boys to act like gentlemen and to treat every woman with courtesy, despite their station in life or personal appearance.

  Even if the women’s actions didn’t command that kind of respect. Morgan had a hard time reconciling any situation where a woman would feel like selling herself was her only option. Where he came from, men protected their women, cherished them, provided for them, and, above all, they respected them. He’d been hoping the closest town to his uncle’s ranch would become a place he and his brothers could feel free to visit. That didn’t seem to be the case here.

  He and his brothers would have to steer clear of Percy’s Crossing as much as possible. Not because the women were that big of a temptation, but because in Morgan’s experience, there was always a man to blame when a woman devalued herself to that extent. Morgan had promised himself that he wouldn’t cause trouble here and that meant he didn’t have the luxury of trying to fix whatever was wrong with the women living in the boarding house. Someone else would have to champion them. He had his brothers and his uncle to look after now. That was more than enough.

  Chapter 3

  Later that same night.

  Brianna slowly woke up, the pain in her body reminding her how dire her situation truly was. She started to move from her curled-up position on the bare floor, but her ribs screamed in protest and she bit back a whimper and did her best to lie as still as a statue. She’d lost track of time and had no idea if she’d been locked in this small room, really no more than a closet, for a day or a year. Time didn’t seem to matter, and a part of her mind was angry that she’d even woken up again. The room had no window, so she wasn’t even sure if it was day or night, she only knew she didn’t want to be a part of a world where only pain and humiliation awaited her.

  It was only a few days ago that she’d come to realize where she was. The boarding house. At least, that’s what the sign hung on the front of the building proclaimed the establishment to be. Brianna now knew better. The boarding house was really a brothel inhabited by half a dozen women who seemed to delight in saying and doing shocking things each time one of them brought her food. From their scantily dressed bodies to their vulgar words and conversations, Brianna dreaded each of their visits.

  The sound of boots on the wooden floorboards outside the door caused Brianna to tense and struggle to sit up. She pulled the torn pieces of fabric that had once been a lovely house dress around her body, holding her sides in an attempt to maintain some sense of modesty and try to assuage the pain each movement sent reeling through her body.

  “Please, just go away,” she whispered brokenly as she stared at the door. When the knob turned, and it slid open, Brianna couldn’t stop the tears that leaked from her eyes. Percy stood there looking smug and very pleased with himself. He stepped into the room, murmured something to whoever was standing outside, and then closed the door.

  “Brianna. You’re looking… Well, let’s just say I hope you’ve come to your senses by now. I’m feeling very generous and am willing to forgive your previous behavior. We’ll just chalk it up to your grief getting the best of you. Now, I can have the girls come up and help you bathe, then you can change back into one of your new gowns. We’ll pretend all of the rest didn’t happen and go forward. Just say the word and all of this goes away, Brianna. You’ll take up your place by my side.”

  Brianna’s anger burned strong within her breast, but she held it back, not wanting to anger the man before her. She’d seen what he was capable of and the last thing she wanted was to bring more punishment upon herself. She’d managed to put Percy off for several days after burying her father, but she’d known she wouldn’t be able to do so indefinitely. She’d been right.

  Four days after her father’s death, Percy had let himself into her bedroom after the house had gone to bed. He’d told her he was tired of waiting for her to decide and wasn’t prepared to take ‘no’ for an answer. Brianna had heard Percy’s men talking outside her locked bedroom door and their words had been shocking. They’d had the gall to place a wager on how much longer Percy would put up with her refusal to wed him before he simply took her innocence and forced the issue.

  Unbeknownst to him, Brianna wasn’t willing to be a passive player in his game. She’d heard two of the maids talking about the best way to dissuade a man from taking liberties that hadn’t been freely given and weren’t his to take. Brianna had been silently shocked at their suggestions, but not so much so that she didn’t immediately bring their words to mind when Percy attempted to join her in the bed.

  She’d only hesitated for a brief moment before she’d followed the two maids’ advice and sharply brought her knee up, driving it into Percy’s lower stomach and between his legs. She had tried to push him off of her person so that she might get away from him. Percy had let out a sharp cry and given her an incredulous look at first. Then he reacted by cursing at her and grabbing her around the neck.

  His yelling had drawn the attention of the entire household, including Charlie and several other men. They’d wanted to drag her to the jail, but Percy had instructed them to simply teach her a lesson. They had done so, mercilessly. Percy had taken great joy in watching as she was beaten by two of his men. He’d not laid a finger on her himself, at least not with the intent to hurt. No, Percy had left that to others. At some point, she’d passed out and been unaware that they’d moved her to the boarding house.

  “Nothing to say?” Percy asked, taking a step closer and peering down at her. “Are you really willing to suffer more and become just another whore here when you could be the envy of all other women as my wife?”

  Brianna wished she could remain strong in her refusal to comply with his demands, but she was in pain, hungry, and scared that at any moment they would let some strange man into this room with permission to do whatever h
e wanted to her. Brianna had never been treated so roughly in her life and she knew that she was totally at this horrible man’s mercy. She looked up at him and slowly shook her head.

  Percy’s face drew closer as he squatted down and took her chin in his fingers, tipping her head up unnaturally and sending a new wave of pain through her battered body. “No, you don’t want to stay here? Or are you still refusing to become my wife? I need an answer.”

  Brianna tried to pull her head away, but Percy simply tightened his fingers, his free hand brushing over her tangled hair and then slowly moved down to her shoulder. He squeezed lightly and Brianna felt new tears course down her cheeks. She couldn’t stand the thought of his goons coming back again. Through her tears, she stammered, “Please don’t leave me here.”

  Percy’s fingers gentled on her chin and he cupped her cheek, offering her a tender touch that further confused her. “Hush, dear. I’ll send Maggie up to help you bathe and get dressed. The circuit preacher should be in Percy’s Crossing sometime next week. He’ll make our marriage official then, but as far as you and I are concerned, you are mine from this moment forward.”

  He released her chin and then stood up. He dusted off his hands as if they had become contaminated. “I have business to take care of at the bank. I’ll have Charlie escort you back to the house once you’re presentable.” He paused at the doorway, looking back at her with a hard glint in his eyes. “I trust you’ll never make me discipline you like this again? I think you now know there’s nothing I won’t do to get what I want.”

  Brianna shivered beneath his stare, relieved when he exited the room and pulled the door closed behind him. She’d just agreed to do what he wanted to get out of this room but instead of feeling better, she felt like she’d just made a deal with the devil himself. That feeling didn’t go away as Maggie arrived minutes later and scowled at her.

  “Well, it’s about time you started using your head. Anyone of these girls would gladly take your place, but Percy doesn’t want anyone but you.”

  Brianna kept her eyes down as she pushed herself up off the floor, her breath drawing in sharply as her ribs protested the movement. She got to her feet all the while Maggie stood in the doorway giving her a hateful look. Brianna had never before been the object of someone’s hatred and she felt the need to try and defend herself.

  “I never asked for Percy’s attention. He offered to help my father and…”

  “How naïve are you?” Maggie sneered at her. “Did you think a man like him was offering his help out of the kindness of his heart?”

  Brianna slowly nodded her head as that’s exactly what she’d believed. Naïve as it had been. “I guess I didn’t really think beyond getting help for my father.”

  “My advice to you from here on out: don’t think. Percy just wants a beautiful doll to parade before the other men in town and to make him feel important when visitors come to town.”

  Brianna shook her head. “I’m not beautiful…”

  Maggie looked her up and down and gave a snort of laughter. “You can say that again.” The woman sniffed and then her brow furrowed. “You also stink.” Maggie shook her head and then stepped back into the hall. “A bath will take care of that. Come along. Charlie is waiting downstairs for you and he’ll only be patient for so long.”

  Brianna cringed at the mention of the man who seemed to be Percy’s right-hand man. It was his hands that had tried to beat her into submission, a fact that seemed to have worked given the present situation. She walked carefully after Maggie to another room where a large washtub was set up. No screen existed to provide the occupant of the tub with any privacy and when Brianna tested the water with her fingertips, she found it was not even close to lukewarm. It was cold.

  Maggie was watching her and once again sneered, “If you were hoping the other girls were going to cart hot water up here for your bathing pleasure, think again. Everyone here wants you gone.”

  “But why? What have I done to any of you?”

  Maggie looked at her and then shook her head, “You’re getting out. Something the rest of us have lost all hope of ever doing. This is our life now. Take advantage of the second chance you’ve been given and give Percy whatever he wants. This is no life for anyone.”

  With that, Maggie left the room, the sound of the door closing almost as if Brianna’s chance for escape had just been taken away. She looked around the small room, spying a dress hanging on a hook by the door, one she recognized as having been purchased for her by Percy. It was also the most indecent dress of the lot, the neckline so low that the tops of her breasts were visible, and she had to use her largest piece of lace to make the dress suitable for polite company. She walked to the door and secured the lock, not wanting to chance anyone walking in on her.

  She removed the tatters of the dress she’d been wearing when she’d been taken away from Percy’s house and then stepped into the tub. The cold water caused a chill to seep into her bones and made her teeth chatter. She quickly used the cloth on the side of the tub to rinse off, refusing to submerge her body in the cold water but feeling cleaner for her efforts.

  She dried off with the too small piece of cloth which quickly became wet and then she did her best to get dressed. There were several dark bruises on her ribcage, large bruises on her arms where Charlie and his friend had grabbed her, and her feet were bruised and scraped. The act of simply dressing had her struggling for breath, a cold sweat breaking out on her brow, and a feeling of weakness was slowly invading her bones.

  She had just finished doing up the last buttons when a large hand pounded on the door. “You about done in there? I don’t have all day to wait around for you,” Charlie’s harsh voice sounded.

  “I’m…” Brianna started to answer him and had to stop and swallow before she found her voice. “I’m almost finished.”

  “Hurry it up!”

  She listened as his boots walked away from the door and then she turned to the small looking glass that had been hung on the opposite wall. She peered at herself, raising an arm towards her tangled hair, despite the pain and trouble breathing the action caused. There was no brush to be found in the small room. She opened the door and spied one of the other girls at the end of the hall.

  “Excuse me?” Brianna called to her.

  The girl turned and stuck her hand on her hip, “What do you want?”

  “My hair—”

  “Is not my problem.” With that said, the girl shook her head and gave a derisive look. “Charlie’s tired of waiting.”

  Brianna nodded and realized this girl wasn’t going to give her any help. She decided she could stand walking back to Percy’s house with her hair untamed, anything to get away from the establishment and the hatred everyone seemed to feel for her. “I’m ready.”

  She made her way down the stairs, each step jarring her bruised body, but she couldn’t let a little pain stop her. She ignored the stares and sneers of the other women including Maggie. She headed straight for the front door, relieved when Charlie followed her and was content to walk at her side as she made her way across the dirt street.

  Brianna only wanted to reach the refuge of Percy’s house and hopefully find some way of consoling her heart that this was the best and only choice she could have made. She was thankful that her parents weren’t alive to witness her humiliating circumstances. What was happening to her was much worse than the humiliation she’d felt when her father had announced they were practically destitute and needed to leave their gorgeous house. She’d been able to turn her nose up and ignored the pitying looks of her acquaintances. At least I don’t have anyone in this horrible town I care to impress.

  Once at the top of the stairs, she paused for a moment to catch her breath. She turned right, heading straight for the bedroom she’d been using when staying here before, but Charlie stopped her with his words.

  “That’s not your room now,” he told her with a smirk she didn’t quite understand.

  Brianna looke
d at him and then away. “What?”

  Charlie nodded. “Percy was very specific that you are now his and as soon as the preacher shows up, you’ll be his wife. You’re to stay in his room. Your things have already been moved.”

  Brianna knew she should have expected this, but she felt let down that her chance for solitude had been taken away. She turned to her left and walked towards Percy’s room. Charlie didn’t follow her and she let out a shaky breath once she’d entered the room and closed the door. She glanced around, seeing that many of her belongings had been retrieved from the farm as had her clothing and other personal items. She opened up the bureau drawers, looking for her supply of lace pieces, but not a one was to be found. It seemed Percy expected her to wear the dresses no matter how indecent she personally found them. It seemed her opinion no longer mattered.

  Percy had stated he had business at the bank, so she took a few steps and looked out the window. She could easily see the bank from this side of the house and as she watched, she saw Percy and the banker exit the building, shaking hands and both smiling. She’d only ever seen the banker smile once and that was when Percy had paid off her father’s debt.