Behind Your Eyes

by Susannah Woods

  “Well, if you want to save your precious lover over here, you will most certainly have to go through me.”

  Anne couldn't think of a better invitation than the one Louisa just dropped into her lap.

  “Gladly,” Anne spat as she threw her pistol at a vase, breaking it. While Louisa was distracted, Anne lunged at her.

  If there was ever an unladylike moment in Anne's life, it was most certainly this one. She never wanted to hurt anyone, but right now, she hated Louisa with all the fires of hell. So she tackled her, causing Louisa to drop her gun and her sherry glass. The glass splintered into pieces and Anne could feel small shards dig into her skin. The stinging sensation only fueled her rage.

  Startled, Louisa tried to push Anne off her. Anne responded by pinning her down and backhanding her across her face; causing Louisa's cheek to bleed. Now enraged, Louisa struggled and successfully kicked Anne off of her. Anne recovered quickly, posing in a crouched position, eying her enemy. Louisa was up on all fours now, her eyes narrowed, her lip curled. They stayed like that for a heartbeat when Anne lunged again, knocking Louisa off balance. Louisa grabbed and pulled at Anne's hair, eager to gain the upper hand, but Anne punched Louisa square in the nose and blood instantly squirted down to her chin. Outrage flared in Louisa's eyes and she landed her own punch into Anne's midsection, throwing her backwards. Leaping onto Anne, Louisa grabbed another handful of Anne's hair and banged her head against the hard wood of the floor.

  Alex could only watch in astonishment as Anne struggled against her tormentor. He strained against his bonds, to no avail.

  Anger welled in Anne's chest, giving her the strength to throw Louisa off her. With a splitting headache coming on, Anne punched Louisa again, then jumped on her and pinned her hands above her head. Louisa managed to wriggle out of her captivity with a savage bite to Anne's wrist and, with flailing legs, landed a square kick in Anne's face. Now cut just above her eyebrow, blood dripped down Anne's face, rendering her temporarily blinded in her left eye. Undaunted, she bounced back with a solid punch to Louisa's midsection. Then she pulled her hair as hard as she could.

  Louisa tried to reach for the gun, but Anne caught sight of her intentions and kicked the gun away. Louisa escaped Anne's grasp once again and lunged for another vase. Anne ducked just in time and the vase sailed into the fireplace, shattering into pieces. Luckily, Anne was not hit.

  “Are you afraid to fight me with your hands?” Anne taunted.

  Louisa responded with a low growl and lurched for Anne. Anne neatly sidestepped and Louisa went crashing into the wall, narrowly missing the hard marble of the fireplace.

  Before Louisa could regain her ground, Anne leaped onto Louisa, once again pinning her hands; this time behind her back.

  “You can't win,” Anne ground out between clenched teeth.

  “No way will I allow a slip of a girl like you to beat me,” Louisa said through heaving breaths.

  “I just did, you stupid bitch,” Anne spat triumphantly.

  Alex's jaw dropped to his knees.

  “Remind me never to anger you, sweetheart,” he laughed.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  “I never told you because it never mattered to me that Phillip was legitimate and you were not. I love you both equally. But now that you are going off to fight in India, I must tell you the truth of your birth.”

  About the time that Anne was swearing at Louisa, Charles and Jack arrived to untie Alex.

  Charles then used the rope to bind Louisa's hands.

  “The authorities are on their way. So is the Duke of Barnsley. He had a meeting tonight with Geoffrey. Too bad Geoffrey never showed up. Now Barnsley is on his way here and wants some explanations,” Charles told Louisa gleefully, “I sure have an earful for them, as I am sure you do. If you cooperate, we might find a way to be a little lenient. Maybe send you off to Australia for a little hard work instead of prison?”

  Charles led Louisa from the room so Anne and Alex could talk.

  “Are you alright?” Alex asked Anne as he led her to a chair. She looked a wreck.

  “You know Alex I do, indeed, feel marvelous,” she replied sardonically.

  He laughed then poured two brandies. She looked as if she needed something and, Lord knows, he had to steady his nerves. Sitting across from her, he cleared his throat.

  “Anne, we have to talk about something important.”

  “What could we possibly have to discuss,” she wondered aloud. Alex winced. She was so cold now. Her face betrayed no emotions. There was a time when he could see the love in her face, in her eyes. Now she was stone. It was very unsettling to see his wife in such a fashion. Especially when he was completely in love with her.

  “Well, we need to talk about me.”

  “Alright,” she acquiesced, “What about you?”

  “Well, about the other night at the Benoit's,” he breathed out quickly.

  “What about it?”

  “I wasn't...I mean, I didn't...I was just pretending,” he stammered.

  “Okay,” Anne said simply.

  “Is that all you have to say?” He was dumbfounded.

  “Is that all you have to say to me?” Anne countered.

  “Isn't that enough?”

  “I would think, Alex, that if you had anything to say to me, it would not be that.”

  “Well, what am I suppose to say?” He exploded, never realizing how much was riding on her answer.

  “I would be alright with it, if you would have been more upfront with me. If you had told me you didn't want me to come with me so you could get close to the duchess. I would have understood, Alex. But you shut me out. You shut me out enough to ruin the best relationship you ever had.”

  “Oh.” Alex was dumbfounded again. He felt like the world's biggest idiot.

  “So, are we done here?” She asked brusquely.

  “Yes, I suppose,” he muttered.

  “Good. I could use a bath and some food. And something for this raging headache.”

  Didn't she care? Was she walking away from him? She was his wife!

  “Anne, I think we have a few more things to discuss.”

  “Alex, I am tired. Please, if it can wait until later, then let it wait. If you are leaving for the Caribbean in the morning, safe journey and I will see you another time. Write me a letter if you wish. You know where to find me.”

  She was putting him through Hell. And he deserved it. Because this is exactly what he had done to her for the past month.

  Anne felt better than she had in months. She just wondered if Alex would call her bluff or if he would run away again. She hoped he had learned his lesson. She left him standing in the parlor, head down, heart breaking.

  ******

  The next day, the Duchess of Barnsley confessed to ordering the murder of Phillip Montgomery, the Earl of Redbridge; the attempted murder of the Duke of Barnsley, and the kidnapping of Christopher Taylor. Her hired thug was sent to prison and sentenced to hang. Geoffrey was charged as an accessory and was also sent to prison. He paid off a guard and disappeared one night from prison. He chose to run away to France and there he remained until he died a few years later after a jealous husband caught him in dalliance with his wife. He never learned his lesson.

  The Duchess was sent to Australia and remained a penniless convict for the rest of her life. She died in obscurity. The Duke of Barnsley remarried and had the children he desired. With Alex's help, he recovered a bit of his fortune. Just enough to save his plantation and his title.

  Anne, well, Anne was another story. It took a bit of doing, but Alex was determined to win his wife's forgiveness.

  ***********

  Alex gave Anne two days alone until he sought her out. When he did, he got down on his knees and said, “Forgive me for being a blackguard?” He looked right into her eyes with such tenderness, she knew he was sincere.

  She wasn't going to let him off easy, though.

  “No,” Anne shook her head.

&nb
sp; Alex was taken aback by her answer. Is this not what she wanted? Here he was on bended knee and she would not forgive him.

  “Please forgive me, Anne,” he pleaded.

  “No,” she said resolutely.

  “Well, why the hell not?” He responded furiously. Standing, he ran a hand through his hair. He expected Anne to give in easily and here she was, refusing. Now he expected she would be as stubborn as a child and tell him something inane, like 'because I said so.'

  What she said broke his heart.

  “Because you are a selfish bastard. You are cruel, Alex. First you consent to court me without meeting me. You confuse me with stolen kisses and flirtatious words. Then you accuse me of manipulating you into marriage. After that, you take me from my home in the middle of the night, and tell me that we are to be married and live on your island and I should accept my fate. After a while, you tell me you desire me and want to give me pleasure beyond my darkest fantasies. So, I think you want me as your wife and I determined to be a good wife to you. You seemed to agree. After telling me all your secrets, we fight to save our home and then you leave me for three weeks to rot in your castle tortured with the thought I could lose you. Imagine my pain at the thought of losing the husband I love more than anything. But you were not there to see my suffering. I endured a harsh sea voyage to an unknown country, only to see to your safety and I find you openly flirting with a woman I despise. I defended you and you went running back to her like a trained puppy. You cut me out of your life time and again. Now you come to me, asking me to forgive you and wonder why the hell I won't? Give it some time and think it over. Then you might have a clue as to why I'm just a little reluctant to forgive you.”

  The contempt in her voice was enough to shame him. But her summary of his actions did, indeed, embarrass him. He really had been selfish. All of his good intentions were nothing but cowardly actions. He had betrayed her in every way. He loved her so much and he had betrayed her. He had done this to her and now he expected her to just take him back with open arms. She shouldn't take him back, but he was determined she would. He could prove his love.

  “I am guilty of all of that. No matter what my reasons were, they were not justifiable. I should have told you everything from the beginning. I thought I was supposed to handle everything on my own. I know I cannot do it without you. I beg you to forgive me. I love you, Anne. I loved you since the day of our picnic when you told me you didn't want to marry me. When I kissed you, I knew it was much more than attraction. It scared me. I never had to take care of anyone before. Taking care of you was frightening. But I want to do it, Anne. Forever. I never thought I was good enough for you. It was never my intention to make you a fool. Anne, I have been burying my emotions for years. I didn't know how to express them until now. Teach me how. Please. I cannot live without you.” He held his breath again, waiting for her reply.

  When she did not say anything, he continued.

  “Please, Annie, I want to steal kisses when nobody's watching. I want to go on picnics that last all afternoon and I want to have lots of children who look just like you. I want to pick fresh flowers for your room everyday. I want.....” Alex shrugged, a tear in his eye. He dropped down to his knees and wrapped his arms around her waist. Pressing his cheek to her stomach he tried one more time.

  “Please Anne, please take me back. Forgive me. I love you.”

  She stood in stunned silence, absorbing his explanations and pleas. Finally, with a kiss to the top of his head, she said in a voice full of humor, “Well, I guess if I must forgive you, then I will.”

  He looked up at her for a long moment then leaped to his his feet, took her in his arms, and kissed her.

  EPILOGUE

  10 years and 6 babies later......

  “I lost my love. Don't ever make that mistake, Alexander.”

  One week after they returned to New Orleans, Anne realized she was pregnant. Nine months later, a baby boy was born. When Phillip was a year old, Anne discovered she was pregnant again. They welcomed their second boy eight months later. When Christopher was eleven months old, Anne realized she was expecting again. And, just like clockwork, another boy was born. William, thankfully, was three years old when Anne discovered another was on the way. To everyone's great surprise and delight, she had a fourth son. After that, Alex and Anne were ready to quit. But nature had other ideas when a fifth boy was delivered two years later.

  So Phillip, Christopher, William, James, and Jackson were happy, healthy, and content little boys. Until their sister showed up.

  “What shall we name her?” Alex wondered aloud.

  The Earl and the Countess of Redbridge were fawning over their newest addition, settled in their bed in their beautiful Caribbean plantation. Anne was exhausted but thrilled at the sight of her little daughter. Alex had one arm around her and his baby girl had a firm grip on his index finger.

  “We could name her after you,” Anne suggested.

  “Alexandra,” he agreed proudly.

  *******

  Sometime later, he took the baby to the nursery to let his wife sleep. He took a walk about the grounds, then down to the beach where he spotted his sons at play. Maria was watching the boys as they chased each other in the waves. She had come to live in the house with them, helping to raise their rambunctious boys. Her son had recovered and now worked as a farmer, having lost the heart to return to the mill. They had rebuilt the plantation and it thrived better than ever. When Alex had returned to the island with Anne, the workers had welcomed them both with open arms.

  How far he had come with Anne's help! Thanks to her, he was the man he always wanted to be. A man his father and brother would be proud of. Strong, confident, and loving. Thanks to Anne, he realized he could not do everything on his own. It was alright that he needed help once in a while. She had taught him so much in the years they had been together. And he intended to hold onto that with everything he had. After all, he had so much to love.

  Coming in 2012:

  Look for Jack's story, Unbridled, coming in 2012.