In the early hours of the morning, exhausted from her spent tears and her weakened soul, sleep finally came. Jillian dreamt of Nathan in the arms of his lover. In the dream, they both turned and saw her watching them and began to laugh. Jillian just kept saying over and over, “I trusted you . . . Why did you do this? . . . I trusted you!”
Jillian woke with a start. The sun filtered through the lace curtains and made beautiful patterns on the wall across from her bed. Any other day, she would have stayed in bed a moment and pondered the wonder and beauty of it, but not today. She immediately climbed from her bed, washed and dressed herself, and began quickly packing her things. She took them into the parlor and set them by the door. She and Marcus had originally planned on spending most of the morning in town and heading back home to Providence in the afternoon. But now that there was no longer any need to stay, Jillian felt the need to leave forthwith.
She crossed the parlor, knocked on the door to Marcus’s room, and entered. Grabbing his bag, she began tossing his belongings inside, calling him awake as she did.
“Marcus! Marcus, wake up!” He was not easily awakened, so she went to the bed and shook him. “Marcus, you need to get up. We need to leave this minute.”
“Jillian? What’s this all about?” he said groggily. “We have a whole day to get back home. You go meet Nathan alone. I’ll take breakfast in my room.”
At the mention of Nathan’s name, a sob escaped Jillian’s throat, and Marcus was instantly awake. He took in her countenance, untangled himself from his bed, and walked over to her, deeply concerned.
“Jillian, what happened? Is it Nathan? Has he been hurt?” He was holding her shoulders, looking into her face. She saw the worry and concern in his face, but he would have to wait for an explanation.
“Marcus, I cannot speak about it right now. Just trust me. We must leave. We’ll talk on the way home,” she said quietly as she continued working.
“But, Jillian,” he pleaded, “please tell me what happened. Are you hurt?” Jillian shook her head and fought to hold back the torrent of tears that threatened to break free.
“Please, Marcus. Not now . . . not here. I’ve almost got your things packed. Get dressed so that we can go. I’ll be waiting.” She turned and walked out into the parlor. Marcus did not argue this time; he just let her go and dressed hurriedly.
As they checked out of the hotel, Marcus kept giving his sister worried glances. Jillian was grateful that he had stopped asking questions. She knew that if he found out what happened before they left town, he would search out Nathan, who would suffer greatly for having done her harm. But she wasn’t concerned for Nathan’s safety. No longer would she care for anything having the least bit to do with him. In fact, he would surely deserve anything Marcus would give him. She just needed, for her own sake, to get as far away from Boston and her former fiancé as possible.
So, in less than an hour from the time she had awakened, they were headed home. She knew she would have to hold Marcus off a little while before she confessed what she had seen so that he wouldn’t insist on turning around. Jillian sat glumly back in her seat, watching the scenery out the window while listening to the tapping sound Marcus was making with his fingers as he waited, not so patiently, across from her.
She had been right about him. When she finally confided the whole sordid story to him, Marcus had been so angry that he’d insisted they turn the carriage around and go back at once. It was only her pleading, bordering on hysteria, that finally convinced him that she needed to get home first and foremost. She could not endure being anywhere near Nathan ever again. For the rest of the trip home she had watched as angry flashes, along with the worried looks he intermittently directed at her, crossed his face.
When they arrived home, Marcus, uncharacteristically silent, helped her down from the carriage. He then immediately went to retrieve his horse from the stables. Before she was even inside the house, he had ridden past her at a gallop, back up the road in the direction they had come.
When Jillian remembered Marcus heading back to Boston so earnestly, the note scribbled at the end of his letter finally made sense. He had obviously found Nathan, but he had never confided in her what had transpired between them when he had gone back.
Jillian wondered for a moment what Nathan had done after Marcus confronted him about what she had seen. Did he marry the woman he had been kissing that night more than four months ago? She disregarded the thought instantly. She didn’t care what had become of Nathan Shaw. She never wished to see nor hear of him again. Instead, she turned her thoughts to Marcus and Bethany and their impending visit. Thoughts of seeing her brother and friend again soon caused her to drift off into a contented and pleasant slumber.
Fourteen
Nathan Shaw sat in the tavern, waiting for the card game to begin. He’d already had more to drink than he should have and would have a difficult time keeping his head in the game. He had lost too much money this month already, and soon his father would notice if he kept dipping into the business funds. Oh, what do I care. It’ll all be mine someday anyway, he thought. Besides, he’d been angry with his father ever since Nathan’s reputation had been tarnished and his father refused to let him work. He said it would be bad for business because people didn’t like what they were hearing about Nathan. Not only had he lost his standing with the upper echelon because of his actions toward Miss Grey and her family, someone was spreading rumors all around town about him that attacked his moral character even more.
From the far side of the saloon, he heard a woman laugh. The laugh reminded him of Jillian and sounded out of place for the dive he was sitting in. He had to look, even though he knew it wouldn’t be her. The woman turned and flashed him a more-than-friendly grin. Self-consciously, his hand went to his nose, and he felt the crooked ridgeline there. He would forever hate Marcus Grey for breaking his nose and blackening his eyes. The bruising had healed long ago, but his nose would never be the same, forever marring his good looks. Bitterly, Nathan thought back on that disastrous business trip to Boston.
Everything had been going fine until the night Jillian came to see him. Nathan had been in Boston for two weeks and in between his duties with his father’s business, he found himself spending time with Miss Lorelei Davis. She was an attractive little thing, and that woman did things to him. She acted the “good girl” part well, but secretly he suspected she was not as virtuous as she pretended to be. He had heard rumors. Rumors that led him to believe that she was precisely the kind of girl he was looking for.
They spent the evening together, and Nathan finally talked Lorelei into coming back to his hotel room to bid him good-night. He hoped it would finally be the night she gave in to his desires. He even played his final hand and asked her to marry him. He had made pretense of courting her for months, and lately he finally felt her defenses slipping away.
His plan didn’t work out quite the way he wanted. When they arrived at his hotel, Nathan tried to seduce her with his kisses, but when he tried to coax her into his room, she stood her ground. Well, he was through with her. He never had any intention of marrying her. She had a shady reputation, at best, and she was penniless to boot. It had all been a waste of his time and money. As much as he enjoyed the little game of cat-and-mouse, he should have just found himself a nice, sassy tavern maid instead.
After Lorelei left, Nathan let his mind wander to Jillian Grey. She was the real beauty. He had always known she would grow into one. He had watched her transform from a silly, awkward girl, always following him around, into a woman any man would dream of owning. He also knew she was sweet on him and had been for a few years. He had pretended not to notice, but when the timing was right, he turned on just the right amount of charm and stepped in by her side. They were going to be married in a few months. She was just what he imagined he deserved in a wife.
Nathan hadn’t allowed himself to take any liberties with her, even though they were engaged. Restraining himself had been particula
rly difficult, especially when he could tell she wanted so ardently for him to kiss her fully. He would make her wait in an effort to increase her desire. Deep down, Nathan feared her affection was only an infatuation—that she didn’t truly love him. He feared if he kissed her now, she would realize her mistake and break off the engagement, and she was too good a catch to let go.
Besides her looks, Jillian stood to inherit a great sum one day. Her fortune was a benefit almost equal to the rest of her, especially with some of the habits he had grown so fond of. So he could wait for her affections. Besides, he had plenty of women with whom to fill his time whenever he was in Boston on business, a habit he wasn’t sure he would be giving up, even after he and Jillian were married. He hummed as he thought of it.
He rose early the next morning, despite his late night. The clerk took his time retrieving his messages, irritating Nathan. He liked the evening clerk a lot better, but in his haste the night before to get Lorelei up to his room, he hadn’t picked up his messages, just his key. He usually had at least a few cards or messages having to do with his business, but he knew they could wait. That morning there were three messages. One was from the manager of their warehouse, which probably meant more work for Nathan. The next message had been from Lorelei, which he ignored. He waited to read the final message until he left the hotel lobby. The doorman had greeted him as he held the door open.
“Good morning, Mr. Shaw.” Nathan was not in the mood for pleasantries, so he only gave a slight nod in return. “Looks like it’s going to be another beautiful day,” the doorman continued, but Nathan still did not respond.
When he raised his head, he saw the backside of a nicely shaped woman climbing into an expensive carriage. Something in the way she moved and held her head struck him as familiar. He disregarded the thought and turned his attention back to his third message.
It was puzzling to him. It simply read, “Come to room 35 as soon as you get in. I have a surprise for you.” Just then, a breeze ruffled the paper and he smelled a light, familiar scent. He held the paper closer to his nose to smell it again. “Jillian?” he said out loud. The paper smelled exactly of her. That’s nonsense, he thought. What would Jillian be doing in Boston? The message probably wasn’t even for him. That simpleton clerk probably gave it to him by mistake. He would have to talk to the hotel manager about that one. Instead of throwing the message away, however, Nathan tucked it into his waistcoat pocket. The strange message gave him an odd, unsettled feeling. “Ridiculous,” he muttered. Miss Jillian Grey was waiting—probably even pining—for him back in Providence.
“My dear little Jillian, not so little anymore,” he said as he thought of her, picturing her shapely figure wrapped in his arms. She would be all his, soon enough. He continued walking up the boardwalk, humming the wedding march like he had done in his hotel room the night before as he’d thought of her.
It wasn’t until later that evening that he had found out that Jillian had indeed come to see him and had actually been staying in the hotel room just a few doors up from his. She had heard Miss Davis and him when they were out in the hall and witnessed the whole interlude. Of course, he hadn’t known any of this until Marcus had burst through the door of the tavern and proceeded to break his nose with one solid punch. Yes, he hated Marcus Grey.
It was no matter though. He would find out where Jillian had gone. She would yet be his. He had waited too long to have her. She couldn’t just walk away from him. It was of no consequence to him if she was already another man’s wife. He would find her sooner or later and take back what rightfully belonged to him, in spite of her brother. He took another drink of his whiskey and tried to focus on the poker game.
Miss Lorelei Davis was angry. Her thoughts wandered once again to Mr. Nathan Shaw as she waited tables at her new job in a tavern near downtown Providence. She had spent months working him and making him want her, and finally he had proposed. She’d known the first time she’d seen him come into the tavern in Boston that he was the man she’d been waiting for. She was tired of working the tables and having all those drunken men’s hands on her all the time. She hated the smell of whisky. He was her ticket out of this life, and she was catching the ride.
Deep down, Lorelei knew she deserved it too. She’d always known she was meant for finer things. Her mama had always told her, “Lorelei, you’re too beautiful to be wastin’ yer life in a tavern like your old ma. You need to find yourself a rich man so he can treat you like you deserve to be treated.” After she met Nathan Shaw, she surely wasn’t going to miss her chance to do just that.
When Nathan walked into the tavern that day, Lorelei was taking her break in the back room. She’d watched him play cards for a while, more than a little interested in the load of money he had laid on the table.
Lorelei knew she couldn’t let him see her working there if she was going get his attention, so she pretended to become suddenly ill. Frank, the bartender, was upset with her, but she promised she would work longer the next day and hurriedly slipped out the back. She waited in the dark alley until Nathan finally left the tavern hours later, a little too drunk, and watched as he stumbled back to his hotel.
The next day, dressed like a proper lady, she went into the hotel where he was staying. She had to wait almost two hours before he finally left his room and came down the lobby, where she easily caught his attention. After that, she played all the games, letting him kiss her enough to ignite his passion but never giving into his desires. He’d been wantin’ her real bad. She’d had him right where she wanted him, all right.
Lorelei almost ruined everything the night Nathan finally proposed. She was in a good mood when she left him wanting more at his hotel room door. She could almost smell the expensive perfume and feel the satin gowns draped around her body. His wealth would all be hers shortly. But something went wrong that night.
Lorelei dropped by the hotel early the next day, hoping they could talk about their wedding plans, but he hadn’t come down yet. She decided to wait around for him, but after a long while, she left a message at the front desk and went outside for some fresh air. A few moments later, Nathan came through the door. She stepped up behind him and got ready to surprise him when he brought a slip of paper up to his nose and inhaled deeply. Then he said a name, and the name was not hers. He tucked the message in his pocket and threw the others, including the one from Lorelei, away. She watched as he smiled a very satisfied looking smile and heard him say, “My dear little Jillian, not so little anymore.”
Who was Jillian? Was Nathan stepping out on her? She wanted to race across the few feet between them, yank that handsome hair from his head, and slap that smug smile from his face. “Whoever this Jillian is, he better get her out of his mind,” Lorelei thought. She had worked too hard for Nathan, and she was not about to be put off now. She would be Mrs. Nathan Shaw, no matter what!
Just then, Nathan stepped into the street and crossed the road to the tavern. Lorelei knew then that she needed to get him married to her before he left town again. Her eyes narrowed slightly. She thought her plan had worked.
Lorelei simply waited patiently—for hours—before Nathan came out of the tavern. When she approached him, she knew he was well intoxicated, in spite of the early hour.
“Nathan, darling,” she began and slipped her arms around his waist, right in the middle of the street. “I’ve been looking for you all morning. Didn’t you get my message?”
“Message?” She cringed at the smell of alcohol on his breath, “I didn’t have any messages today.” He lied so easily. “Must have been that morning clerk. He can never get anything right.”
“Well, no matter.” She leaned in closely and pressed her body to him. “You’re here now, and that’s all that counts really. But we do have so much to talk about. We are gettin’ married, you know. We need to start makin’ plans right away.”
“Well, it’s not a good time right now, Lorelei—I’ve got work to do. But if you want to come by my room tonight, I
might be able to find the time to discuss it.” He pulled her in close and kissed her lips. She had to hold her breath.
“I was thinking maybe we could talk over a late breakfast. You haven’t eaten yet, have you?” She was hungry, and she wanted him to buy her breakfast.
“Yes, actually, I ate a bit earlier than usual.” She knew he was lying again, and it made her angry.
“Well, maybe we can get together for a late lunch then?” she asked hopefully.
“To be honest, Lorelei, I think the soonest I’ll be free is late this evening. We could have some dinner brought up to my room.” He tried to kiss her again, but she held him off. So he was going to play it that way, was he? She was better at this game than he knew. She leaned in closer to whisper in his ear. He got an evil grin on his face.
“Why don’t we make a quick visit to the justice of the peace? After all, I told you I don’t like long engagements.” She pressed her body even closer to him this time, saying slowly and seductively, “And when you come home tonight, I’ll be waiting in your room.” She smiled when she heard him groan.
“Well, you do make it hard for a man to wait.” Her heart jumped with delight. “I’ll tell you what. I have some appointments right now that will take me most of the afternoon.” He reached into his pocket, took out a large bill, and handed it to her. “Why don’t you get yourself something nice and spend the day getting all dolled up. After all, it is your wedding day. When I get finished, I’ll get cleaned up myself and meet you at the courthouse at about four o’clock.” Lorelei squealed in delight and kissed him hard before heading for her favorite boutique with the money clutched tightly in her hand.
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