by Natalie Dean
“Of course I worry. Sometimes I wake up in a cold sweat at night, and I swear I see him at the foot of our bed. I worry every day about the fact that he might come get me and drag me back to that place, but that’s no way to live my life. I’m so very tired of looking over my shoulder all the time, and I refuse to do it anymore. Whatever happens will happen, and we just need to live our lives. I’m not giving him any more control over me,” I said firmly.
He nodded and stood, kissing the top of my head. “You’re a brave woman, Mari.”
I just smiled and rested my head against him. I had finally found a reason to fight.
Chapter Thirteen
We were settling into our new home well. Everyone around us welcomed us with open arms and would often invite us over for meals. We were quickly becoming a welcomed part of the community. The town was small, and all of the women fawned over me and my round belly. Spring was coming, and they were excited that my child would be the first baby of the season to be born.
Every day someone would come to our quaint and cozy cabin to drop off knitted booties and thick quilts made of animal fur. The townspeople were so kind that it was almost overwhelming. I’d never been shown kindness like this before. Up until this point, my life had been a revolving door of stuffy parties and sneering looks. Women turned their noses up to me and men undressed me with their eyes. There had never been warmth like this in my life until I met Liam. He’d rescued me from being sucked under the current of upper-class society and brought me to shore.
There was a tickle in my throat as the wind blew pollen from the trees. Things were starting to bloom, and I was happy my child would be born amongst the orange blossoms, even if they sent me into sneezing fits.
It was late Saturday morning, and the sun was high in the sky, throwing its warmth over the bustling crowd of people who’d gathered to trade their wares in the marketplace. Our farm was doing well and we’d even been able to hire a young girl from town to help us sell our harvest. It was one of the first warm days of spring and I was happy to be out and enjoying the day.
I waddled slowly, my hand resting on my round belly. I looked like I was about to pop! I had a basket full of fresh fruit and spices looped over my arm. I was determined to carry my own basket, even though many people around me had already tried to insist that they help me.
“Mari!” The young woman who helped us run our stall in the marketplace waved her hand excitedly, the simple gold wedding ring on her finger catching the midmorning sun.
I closed the space between us, wrapping her in a hug before anything else. “Hello, Kristine. How is our harvest doing today?”
“Great! We’ve already made twelve dollars!” She pulled the crumpled bills out of the metal box and presented them to me proudly.
“Wonderful!” I was excited to see that we were doing so well. Kristine recently found out that she was with child and I wanted to pay her more to help prepare for her baby’s arrival. “Is there any good gossip going around town?” I asked curiously, settling on a wooden barrel.
“Nothing too enticing, but there was something strange that happened yesterday.”
“Oh?”
“There was a man looking for you.”
The words made my heart drop into my stomach. I didn’t need Kristine to tell me anything else to know exactly who was looking for me. I considered excusing myself and running off to find Liam, but that would have just upset her.
There was a thick lump in my throat, but I managed to swallow it down before taking the blonde girl’s hands and squeezing them.
“Kristine, it is crucial that you do not tell that man where I am,” I whispered, keeping my voice down.
Kristine’s brows furrowed and she ducked her head. “I told him I didn’t know you but Mrs. Abernathy is very old and I do not think she realized how dangerous he seemed. She may have…she may have told him where you live.”
“No…” My voice was weak and shaking. “When did he come looking for me?”
“When the market first opened.”
I jumped from the barrel as fast as my belly would let me move and I walked towards the inn and started unraveling the leather reigns of a stranger’s horse. It was dangerous for me to ride when I was so close to giving birth, but I couldn’t waste any time. I needed to get to Liam and warn him.
“Ma’am! Where are you going?” Kristin called.
“Liam is in danger!” I didn’t wait to answer any more questions, I didn’t have the time to answer any more questions.
I leaned forward, focusing all my strength on staying balanced. I needed to be quick and as careful as I could possibly afford to be. The horse’s hooves kicked up chunks of soft, dry earth, leaving a trail of thick dust behind. I was terrified, clinging to the reigns and praying that I wasn’t too late. My heart pounded in my chest as hard as the horse’s hooves did on the ground.
I saw a gray plume of smoke before I saw the cabin. It was so close. I was so close. I nudged the horse with my booted foot, silently begging it to move faster. The horse leaped forward, and I nearly fell off but managed to cling to the saddle and the reigns. I knew the horse could sense my urgency.
Finally, the cabin came into view, and I jumped off the horse, stumbling through the expanse of tall grass that surrounded my home. My legs gave, and I fell to my knees before pushing myself up and running towards the house.
Chapter Fourteen
Nothing seemed out of place just yet. There were no strange horses in my yard, and nothing appeared to be disturbed. The door creaked when I pushed it open, and I found myself standing in my empty living room. No one was here. It was just me. The burning embers that had once been a fire crackled loudly as if they were trying to alert me to their presence.
I could see through the kitchen and out the small window that led to the vast sea of crops just outside our home. Liam was working hard, pulling up various crops and wiping dirt off them. Maybe Mrs. Abernathy didn’t tell Reynold where I lived.
A sigh of relief left me, and I leaned against the sturdy cabin wall, my legs quivering. I put my hand on my belly and rubbed it as if it would calm the child inside of me, but it was mostly for my own comfort. I knew I needed to tell Liam that Reynold was looking for us, but for now, the world was silent and safe. I needed to catch my breath and calm my racing heart.
I pushed against the wall and started towards the back door, but just as I crossed the threshold that separated the back room from the main room, a meaty hand snapped out and clamped itself over my mouth. My eyes widened, and I tried to scream, but no sound came out. The familiar hand pressed to my mouth had effectively silenced me. I didn’t even need to turn around to see who it was. I knew it was the same man who’d been silencing me all this time.
Reynold yanked me from the back room and pulled me through the living room. I kicked and thrashed in any way I could, trying to get away from him. He didn’t budge, however. He had a tight hold on me and made it clear that he wasn’t going to let me go without a fight, but if he was under the impression that I wasn’t going to fight he had another thing coming.
“Stand up! Stand up, harlot!” His voice was full of visceral rage, and it sent a shiver up my spine, but didn’t stop me. I went as limp as a ragdoll, trying to keep calm and plan my next move. He continued to curse and scream. “I will drag you out of this house if I have to!”
In dragging me, his grip on my mouth loosened just enough for me to open my mouth and bite into the soft, fatty flesh of his palm. My teeth sank in, and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. I could feel the thick, warm liquid spilling down my chin, but I didn’t let go.
Reynold howled and pulled his hand away, ripping off a chunk of his hand as he did so. I spat it into the grass and screamed for Liam, scrambling away from Reynold. I couldn’t move fast enough, though. My belly was too large to allow me completely free movement and soon Reynold’s bloodied hand grabbed me by the back of my dress and yanked me back towards a carriage, which had been h
idden behind the neighbor’s barn.
I grabbed the doorframe of the carriage, clinging to it and making it impossible for Reynold to pull me in. Finally, he grabbed my long locks and yanked so hard I saw stars from the pain. I swore I heard the tiny screaming tears of hair ripping from my scalp. The sheer pain made my grip on the door loosen and then he had me. He dragged me into the carriage as I struggled to regain proper eyesight.
As he threw me into the carriage, I feared that this was it. He was going to take me away and kill me. I knew he wouldn’t want me in his home anymore, but his pride wouldn’t allow him to give me up to someone like Liam. Reynold was just here to make a point.
I could feel the panic start to rise in my chest, and I swung my head around, trying to find a way out.
“Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you?” he whispered in my ear, yanking my hair again.
I screamed but didn’t answer, shaking my head back and forth in a futile attempt to get him to release my hair. It only made the pain worse, but I wasn’t about to give up. I could practically hear Liam’s voice in my ear.
‘Fight!’
The carriage started to pull away, but it only moved a few feet before I heard Reynold curse under his breath.
“You double-crossing bastard!”
My eyes snapped open, and I swung my head towards the door, my heart fluttering excitedly when I saw Liam riding the same horse I’d borrowed from town. He had a hunting rifle in his hand and had it aimed at the driver of the carriage.
“If you want to keep your head, you best pull that carriage over!”
I couldn’t see the driver, but the carriage lurched to a halt. The rifle was aimed at the driver, who I saw scramble off the horse and run into the woods. It was clear that he had no idea a kidnapping would be involved on this trip.
The carriage creaked under Reynold’s weight as he squeezed himself out the door. He pulled a pistol from his jacket and aimed it at Liam.
“This is none of your concern!”
“To hell it isn’t! This is Mari’s home! You can’t take her away!”
“She is my wife, and I will do whatever I please with her! You stole her from me, and I could have you reported to the authorities!”
Liam slid from the saddle and marched towards Reynold, the barrel of his gun fixed on the fat man. My heart was in my throat, and I tried to call out to Liam, but no words came, my fear for him had silenced me.
“Report me then,” Liam said, gun still raised. “Report me, and we will explain why she left. Your abuse and infidelity will become public knowledge, and I don’t think your renters and business partners will take kindly to that kind of behavior.”
Reynold’s lips drew back into a snarl. “Who would believe you?”
“They might not believe me, but you know that a woman’s word holds up in public opinion. Times are changing Reynold. You can’t just silence your wife with the back of your hand anymore.”
Reynold started to close the space between them, his pistol raised. “I will skin you alive! I gave you a job and put you to work! I paid you well, and in return, you steal my wife?”
“I did not steal her. She ran because she was afraid for her life and the life of her child.”
“I will tear you to pieces! If you’re going to shoot me, then you better do it quickly!” Reynold snapped, cocking the lever of his pistol.
I was sure that one of them was about to be killed when the ground started to quiver and the sound of horse hooves hitting the dusty road filled the air. I managed to peek through the window of the carriage and see the whole town riding towards us. Kristine lead the charge, a gun tucked under her arm.
Reynold’s grip on the door loosened as he stared at the small army of townspeople in complete shock. I took my chances and shoved the door hard, knocking him off balance. He tumbled forward, and the pistol slid out of his hands and hit the ground. It was a wonder it didn’t discharge.
I hit the ground on my hands and knees, ignoring the throbbing pain as I reached for the gun and managed to snag it before Reynold could get his hands on it.
“Mari!” Liam called, running forward and pulling me to my feet.
I stumbled but managed to get my bearings and aimed the pistol at Reynold, panting and shaking from pain and fear. My knees were scraped, my head was throbbing, and tears stung my eyes, but I’d made it this far without crying, and I wasn’t going to start now.
Reynold fell against the carriage, wheezing and wide-eyed. “Mari…Darling-.”
“Don’t you say my name!” I snapped, my words dripping with anger. “Don’t you ever say my name again! I am not yours, and I am not your daring! I never was! You forced yourself upon me and made me believe I had no worth! You were no different from any of the other men in my life! You do not deserve to say my name. I may be a woman, but that doesn’t mean I’m not strong! Perhaps I was a weak, scared little girl when you first met me, but I am no longer any of those things. I am much stronger now, and you are going to listen to me!”
When I first started speaking, my voice had been shaking. Now I sounded strong, confident and unafraid. I aimed the still cocked pistol right at Reynold and stared him down. “You are going to get on your horse, and you will ride back to the city and forget about me. You will leave, and you will never utter my name again.” I motioned to the crowd behind me and then pointed the pistol back at Reynold. “These people know who you are now. They know your face, and they know what you are willing to do to get your way. If you come back here, you won’t make it ten feet into town before you are gunned down. We are our own authority, and we handle people like you swiftly and without hesitation. Do you understand?”
He stared down the barrel of my gun, his chest heaving and his face red with anger. “You won’t do it. You don’t have the heart to pull that trigger!” he snapped.
My finger shook but remained on the trigger as his eyes darted between the gun and my face. “Just turn around and leave, Reynold.”
“I didn’t come here to leave empty handed!” he roared, lunging forward.
It all happened so fast that I didn’t have time to react. My finger wrapped around the trigger and the pop of the gunshot rang in my ears. Reynold’s eyes widened, and he stumbled back, pressing his hands to the weeping wound. When he pulled them back, his fingers were bloodied, and he seemed surprised.
“Oh…” he whispered before falling back.
Liam rushed to me and wrapped his arms around me as the gun fell from my hands. We stared at Reynold’s unmoving body, barely breathing. “Darlin’, are you alright?” he whispered, the fear in his voice finally starting to crack with the fear he’d been holding back.
I looked up at him and couldn’t stop the sharp bite of laughter that forced itself out. “I’m fine. I’m okay,” I said, pressing myself against the warmth of his broad chest. “I feel incredible.”
I didn’t feel bad about killing my husband. I knew I’d been fighting for my life. The sheriff was standing there and just gave a small nod of approval as if to assure me that there wouldn’t be any repercussions.
“That was incredible, darlin’.”
I smiled and just leaned against him for a long moment. The townspeople were starting to head back towards the homes and marketplace, but Kristen stayed. She hopped off her horse and helped Liam get me to my feet. I leaned against them heavily, my legs still shaky from the shock of the situation.
“Are you going to be okay?” Kristin asked, wrapping her arm around my waist.
“Yes. I just need to get inside and rest.”
She nodded and watched as Liam lifted me off my feet, holding me bridal style despite the extra weight pregnancy had blessed me with. “You do not have to-,”
“Shhh. Let me carry you,”
I didn’t argue with him after that. I went limp in his arms and relaxed, allowing myself to drift off. I was exhausted emotionally and physically from the fight I’d had to put up. I knew Liam was concerned about our baby’s
safety, and so was I, but I didn’t want to worry him any more than I had to. The only thing we could do was wait and see.
Liam eased me onto our bed and pulled a patchwork quilt up to my shoulders. A woman in town had made it for me, and I was thankful for its warmth during the winter months.
“There you are, darlin’.”
“Thank you, Liam.”
“Don’t thank me,” he said, settling down beside me, reaching out and stroking my cheeks tenderly. “You were so brave, Mari.”
“I just…I wasn’t going to go back with him. I would have died before I let him have me.”
Liam kissed my forehead, and I looked up at him, smiling softly. “You saved me.”
“You saved me.”
“No,” he said sternly, even as my eyes started to close again. “You saved yourself.”
“We did it together.”
“I suppose I can agree with that.”
I could hear the smile in his voice, and I wanted to respond, maybe throw a few more playful jabs, but I was too tired and too sore. My eyes slipped closed as his hand rested on my belly. I could only hope and pray that our baby was okay.
Chapter Fifteen
Days passed, and nothing seemed wrong. The baby still kicked and squirmed like normal. The doctor dropped by just to check on me since Liam had been by his home, nervously asking for him to make a house call. The doctor confirmed that the baby was just fine and that within the month we would be meeting our child. I was not expecting it to come so soon, however.
A week after my encounter with Reynold I was lost in a deep sleep, curled against Liam for warmth. Even though it was Spring and the days were warm, the nights were cold. I liked the excuse to be so close to Liam, and he didn’t seem to mind either.
I was dreaming sweet dreams of the wedding we planned to have one day. When the people in town found out we weren’t actually married, I was a little worried that they’d be slightly less welcoming, but they could see we were happy and they seemed to understand why I’d fled my previous marriage.