by KT Grant
“You and father must make certain those two are punished for what they have done. Isn’t it bad enough Ellie was not only mentally abused by her witch of a stepmother, but possibly sexually—” She covered her mouth, shaken to her core.
Simon pulled her into his embrace. “Let’s hope for the best and we made it in time before the countess could do any lasting damage to Ellie.” Simon ran his hand over her hair. “If the worst has happened, we’ll be there to pick up the pieces.”
“I’ll never forgive myself if Ellie is broken by this. She’s been through so much pain.” She closed her eyes and soaked up her brother’s warmth.
The door next to them opened and the nurse came out. She smiled and motioned for them to enter the room. Kristina went in first. She grabbed the bedpost, staring down at Ellie huddled under a blanket. She sat down and rested her hand on Ellie’s leg. No response came from the sleeping woman.
“Doctor, how is she?” she asked, keeping her eyes on Ellie.
“As well as can be expected, under the circumstances,” the doctor responded.
“Care to explain?” Simon asked as he stood next to Kristina.
The doctor gestured for Simon. Both men talked in low voices by the window. Kristina listened carefully, and when she caught such words as enflamed, bruised, and swollen, she ignored the nurse who told her to stop, and moved up to lie on her side facing Ellie. She gently rested her arm on Ellie’s waist and stared at her face. Her eyelids twitched and every breath she took came out as a soft rattle. She wanted to join Ellie under the covers, but she had caused enough questions with her recent actions. Instead she stayed where she was, wishing Ellie would awaken so she could tell her she loved her and would protect her always.
The door opened and closed. Only Simon remained. He stood at the foot of the bed. His eyes showed extreme tenderness when he glanced at Ellie.
“Should I ask what the doctor told you? Or will the knowledge make me run from this room and want to string the countess up by her neck?”
“Ellie was drugged, but not enough to do any permanent damage. When she awakens, she’ll have a headache and some nausea. We’re to give her fluids and not move her right away.”
“And what about the rest?’ She swallowed, her stomach turning.
Simon cleared his throat. “Other than bruising and bite marks on Ellie’s chest and throat, she appears unharmed. The doctor did find fingerprints around her thighs and scratch marks on the inside of her legs but he believes she wasn’t abused in any other way.”
“The countess didn’t force her attentions on Ellie by using her fingers or… tongue?” Kristina swallowed again, bile burning her throat.
“Ellie isn’t a victim in that way.”
She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer in thanks. She moved her face in closer to breathe in Ellie’s sweet scent.
“I’m going to order food. Would you like me to bring you up something?” Simon asked.
She shook her head. “I’m not hungry. You should go downstairs and eat. I’ll stay here and wait for Ellie to wake up.”
“That could be hours.”
“I’m not leaving until Ellie opens her eyes and says my name.” She snuggled against her. “I don’t have an appetite right now. Go have a pint of ale on me.”
“I’m stationing a footman at the door in case you need anything.”
She nodded faintly. “Thank you.”
Simon came over to her side, bent down, and kissed the top of her head. “I love you. I’m sorry I don’t say it enough.”
“You don’t have to. I know.”
“I’ll be an hour or two at most.” Simon walked over to the door and opened it. It then closed it with a soft snick.
Ellie slept on. Kristina caressed Ellie’s cheek, urging her to wake up. She needed to see her happy smile. Most importantly she had to tell Ellie she loved her.
She whispered her plans she had for them. They would see the world together and wear the best dresses and eat the best food. She described in great detail about her grandmama and their adventures together. Midway through her speech, a sob caught in her throat and she gasped for breath. Her chest shook as she started to cry. Laying her face against Ellie’s shoulder, tears fell down her cheeks unchecked.
Wake up…wake up….wake up…
“Please wake up,” she beseeched through a shattered breath.
Ellie shifted. Kristina’s head shot up. She wiped her eyes and under her nose, blinking away hot tears. Ellie stared at her.
This was the moment she had been waiting for. But she couldn’t seem to find the right words. They were lodged in her throat.
“Kristina, you found me,” Ellie said, her voice clogged with sleep.
“I’m sorry!” She dropped her head back down on Ellie’s chest, hugging her tightly.
No other conversation was shared between both women, only hugs and tears of joy.
Chapter Eighteen
Kristina stood by the window in the library, watching Ellie and Noah talking near the entrance of the garden. August wrapped around Ellie’s legs and swiped at the hem of her dress. She bent down and lifted the cat in her arms, placing a kiss on top of his head.
The basket next to her feet hid her other pet, but he didn’t make an appearance. Kristina still couldn’t believe Ellie had a mouse for a pet and August treated the rodent like it was his offspring. But whatever made Ellie happy, made Kristina feel the same.
She turned away when the duchess entered the room with Simon and Mina, who held hands.
“Has tea been called for?” Kristina asked and sat down in a chair.
The duchess sat down next to her, but Simon and Mina remained standing.
“I can’t stay for tea. Father and I are leaving for London in an hour. We want to be in court when they announce the charges against the Countess Tremaine and the Baroness de Saltin.” Simon said, curving an arm around Mina’s waist.
Mina didn’t crack a smile or glance at Simon in adoration like she usually did. Her face showed a deep sadness that reminded Kristina of Ellie when she had first met her.
“Simon thinks it’s best if I stay here until the trial. I wrote a letter to my mother, but she hasn’t responded. I guess that’s to be expected, seeing as she’s busy trying to prove her innocence.” Mina suddenly broke away from Simon and turned away, hugging herself.
The duchess rose from her chair, but Simon waved her away and went over to his fiancée. He turned her around and tipped up her chin. “This will be a rough time, but we’ll soldier through.”
Mina gave Simon’s chest a pat. “There’s going to be a great deal of talk about my mother. My reputation is already in tatters. Perhaps it’s better if we break off our engagemen—”
Simon pressed the pad of his finger over Mina’s mouth. “We’re not calling off our engagement. I want to marry you. No other woman will do. You accept me for who I am and keep those demons eating inside of me at bay.”
“Demons?” the duchess mouthed to Kristina, who in turn just shrugged.
When Simon kissed Mina, the two ladies looked away to give the couple their privacy.
“I’d better pack. Noah has come to talk to Mina about her wedding trousseau,” Simon announced, his arm low around Mina’s hip. “We’ll be in my bedroom if you need anything.”
“Simon, do you think that’s wise, having Mina in your bedroom without a chaperone? Perhaps Kristina should join you?” the duchess asked.
Simon gave Mina a look. Both smiled at one another as if they shared a secret. “Mina and I are engaged now. Noah can be Mina’s chaperone. What inappropriate things could occur between two men and a woman alone in a room?”
The duchess coughed and her face flushed. “Ah, I can see your point. But for propriety’s sake, leave your door open.”
Simon bowed in his mother’s direction, gave Kristina a wink, and escorted Mina from the room. Noah stood in the hallway. He lifted his hand in greeting, and when Simon and Mina met him, they all wal
ked out of sight.
“That boy loves to tease me.”
Kristina lips twitched in humor. “Your son is a grown man who’s going to be a husband. He cares for Mina deeply. They’ll do well together.”
The duchess twisted her wedding ring on her finger. “Simon is so much like your father, standing by the woman he loves in the face of possible ridicule and scorn.”
She waited for her mother to explain further, but she didn’t. The duchess stared across the room, lost in her thoughts. When the clock on the fireplace mantel struck the top of the hour and rang, the duchess shook her head and gifted Kristina with a bright smile. “As for you, my lovely daughter, you have made me very proud.”
“Me? What have I done?”
The duchess rubbed Kristina’s arm. “The way you have supported your friend is commendable. Eleanor is delightful. It’s such a shame how much pain she has experienced in her young life.”
Kristina nodded. The duchess had been made fully aware of what had happened to Ellie and how her stepmother had treated her. When they returned home, Ellie was invited to stay with them. Five days later, Ellie had settled in the household, with August and Jack in her possession. Five days of Kristina spending the late night hours tossing and turning in her bed, her thoughts filled of Ellie. She had wanted to share a bed with her, only to sleep, but had abstained. Ellie didn’t invite her to spend the night in her bed. Most of the time Ellie read or sat in the garden. They only talked among others and never in private. She had wanted to continue tutoring Ellie, but was never asked.
“Darling, what is it? You seem troubled,” the duchess asked in concern.
She jumped up from her seat. “It’s Ellie. I can’t seem to get through to her. She’s unreachable and looks troubled most of the time. I want to help her recover.” She expelled a shuddering breath.
“You must be patient. It takes time. But I may have something that may move along the process.” The duchess wandered over to a desk where she wrote her daily correspondence. Picking up an envelope, she held it out for Kristina.
“This letter arrived from your Aunt Melinda a few days ago. She’s planned a European tour in honor of your cousin Rosa’s eighteenth birthday. She has invited us to join her. I think this is the perfect time to go on a holiday. You should ask Eleanor to join us. It would do her good to get away from all this…drama.”
Kristina took out the letter and scanned the words on the page. “Three months traveling across Europe, then staying a month with grandmama in Finland? Father approves? And what about Simon’s and Mina’s wedding?”
“We can prepare for the wedding when we return. I spoke with your father last night and he agrees with me. It’s been far too long since I saw mother and Melinda. They will return with us and stay for the winter.”
“The hardest part is getting Ellie to agree. She’s never been outside of Aulnory. That is, until…” She waved her hand around, refusing to mention the events of the last week.
“You can convince her. It’s obvious she cares about you.”
Kristina went still. Her mother’s statement seemed innocent, but what if she knew the true dynamics of their friendship? “How can you know?”
“The way she looks at you and how attentive she is when you speak. I also had time to chat with Eleanor and she couldn’t stop praising you.” The duchess sat back down and picked up a bell to ring for a servant. “It’s obvious you both have bonded.”
“We have. In the short time I’ve known Ellie, I feel as if we’re meant to be together, as friends. I’ve never been this close to another woman before,” she admitted, hoping her mother wouldn’t read too much into her words.
The duchess smiled in returned. “I’m going to have some tea and read. Go find Eleanor and tell her about the trip.”
“I saw her outside near the gardens. Perhaps we’ll take a walk,” she said, hopeful she and Ellie could finally talk alone and uninterrupted.
“It’s a gorgeous day for a walk. Take your time with one another and enjoy the air and sunshine.”
“Oh we will. I’ll make certain of that,” she announced, and with a kiss to her mother’s cheek in farewell, she went in search of the woman who owned her heart.
* * * *
She found Ellie near the stables watching one of the stable hands grooming a horse. She leaned against the fence, unaware she was being watched. She held August against her chest, stroking his head and back. Her basket sat at her feet and Jack was nowhere to be seen, hidden away from view. Ellie wore a light green day dress Noah’s father had given her, along with a white shawl. She wasn’t wearing her clogs, but a pair of slippers donated by the town shoemaker.
Kristina smiled, thinking back to when she first saw Ellie’s feet. It had been that day on the beach where they had talked and gotten to know one another better. She only realized now that was when she started to fall for this seemingly fragile woman who on the inside had a strong will and a very generous heart.
The blazing mid-morning sun encased Ellie in incandescent light. Kristina’s heart skipped a beat. She was overcome by the glow emanating from Ellie that accentuated the highlights in her hair and hue of her alabaster skin.
August lifted his head and yawned. Ellie gave his head a pat and looked in Kristina’s direction. She didn’t smile in welcome or wave her over. Her face was blank and not entirely inviting.
She approached her anyway. Her hands itched to hold Ellie and her lips twitched with the need to kiss the bewitching mouth she was currently destroying with her teeth.
“If you keep chewing your lip like that, you’ll start bleeding,” she teased and brushed up against Ellie.
Ellie released her bottom lip. “It’s a bad habit of mine.”
“You do it when you’re nervous. Am I the cause?” She dipped her head down near Ellie’s ear. “Or perhaps you’re…excited?”
Color filled Ellie’s face. She ran her hand down Ellie’s back. “Take a walk with me. I have something important to share with you.”
“Can I bring August and Jack?” Ellie asked.
“Of course.”
They left the stable area and walked side by side, not talking. She wanted get far away from prying eyes. She was anxious to share her news and to give Ellie a special gift that waited for her at the cottage.
“Interested in walking along the river?” she asked.
Ellie nodded and hitched her basket up higher. “Shall we check out the cottage while we’re in the area?”
Kristina almost halted in her tracks. Ellie had an innocent expression on her face although the tone of her voice sounded very different.
She slowly reached out and clasped Ellie’s hand. A soft smile appeared on Ellie’s face and she linked her fingers with Kristina’s. The ball of tension in her stomach dissipated and she sped up her walk. Ellie kept up her pace and soon they were running.
When they reached the cottage, she stopped to catch her breath. Ellie had a healthy color to her face. August popped his head over the rim of the basket. A small squirming ball of fur climbed on top of his back and she giggled over the sight. Opening the door, she allowed Ellie to walk in first.
The cottage was exactly as she had left it. The pallet where she introduced Ellie to her first taste of passion had been made. A box wrapped in gold paper sat in the center.
Ellie placed the basket on the table and August climbed out with Jack still on his back. He sniffed the top of the table.
“What’s in the box?”
She rested her hands on Ellie’s shoulders, thrilled when Ellie didn’t flinch or move away. “It’s a gift for you. Go ahead and open it.”
Ellie sat on the edge of the bed. She lifted the box and drew it to her, pulling apart the wrapping carefully. She then took off the lid and peeked inside. Her eyes lit up as she pulled out her clogs, decorated in different colored ribbons.
“I thought you would want them back. You forgot them when you left suddenly during our argument.” She folded her hands
in front of her stomach, waiting for Ellie bring up that night.
“Ah yes, that’s a night I will always remember,” Ellie said and put the clogs back in the box. A few stands of ribbons dropped on her lap. She fiddled with them and then did something Kristina wasn’t expecting at all. She held out her hand. “Come sit with me.”
She sat down on the other side of the box. Ellie frowned and removed the box, placing it on the floor. Kristina didn’t fill in the gap between them.
“What—”
“I have—”
Both spoke over one another, but stopped. Ellie twined a ribbon around her finger and Kristina spread her palms across her lap.
“Why don’t you go first?” Ellie asked, staring down at the floor.
Kristina felt nervous and she didn’t know why. It’s not like Ellie would refuse my offer. She has nowhere else to go and is all alone in the world. If she doesn’t count Mina or Noah and his—
Ellie closed the space between them and rested her hand over Kristina’s. A shudder left her and she turned her hand, palm up to link their fingers together. When Ellie whispered her name, she looked at her darling girl. She almost blurted out her love. But this wasn’t the right time to confession such deep feelings. She first had to tell Ellie her—their plans for the next coming months.
“I have wonderful news to share. My aunt has invited Mother and me to join her on a holiday in Europe. My cousin is doing her grand tour for their eighteenth birthday and Mother and I plan on joining the party. We’re going to roam the continent to our heart’s content.”
Ellie pulled her hand away. “When do you leave?”
“In a week or two,” she said and leaned in close, her shoulder brushing Ellie’s. “Will that give you enough time to put everything in order on your end?”
Ellie gave her a confused look. “I don’t understand what you mean.”
“Darling, you’re coming with us.”
Ellie’s eyes widened and nibbled on her lip. She cupped Ellie’s chin and flicked her lip with her thumb. She rubbed across the tender skin and slid her hand down until her palm lay over Ellie’s heart.