by Aileen Fish
“I tried to convince him that I was the better choice but he wanted to marry you and I...” He stopped talking, frowning.
“But you are so much younger, more handsome, and more suitable as a husband. Why let the Colonel decide? Shouldn’t we make the decision?” She smiled again and he touched her cheek. She could see his head leaning toward hers. She closed her eyes and pictured Eric. She was doing this for him and for Toby.
His lips felt revolting but she forced herself to kiss back with enthusiasm and she felt his breath quickening. He turned her around, crushing her to his body and Lily felt the fear rising in her chest but she forced it back down. She had to do this.
He lifted up his head. She could see the uncertainty in his eyes and she smiled, again wrapping her arms around his neck. “I don’t want to marry him, I want you.”
All the uncertainty vanished in his eyes. Lily could have rolled her own. Andrews might be the vainest man she had ever met and he was willing to believe her because she was feeding into his vanity. He kissed her again and then lifted his head. “We’ll have to kill him.”
Lily felt panic rise in her chest. Was he talking about Eric or Toby? “Who?” Her confusion and fear showed momentarily and he frowned.
“The Colonel, of course!” He looked uncertain again, and he was staring at her suspiciously. Lily tried to cover her tracks.
“Slim too.” She smiled hoping it would reassure him. “He’ll try to kill both of us as soon as our backs our turned.”
Andrews returned her smile and nodded. Lily breathed a sigh of relief. “We’ll pretend that I am dropping you off to him but we’ll ambush him instead. I don’t need him anymore, I can run the business myself.”
This next part she had to do very delicately. She didn’t want to arouse any suspicion. “How many men does the Colonel have with him?”
Andrews thought for a moment. “A fair number but I am hoping that your current husband takes care of several of them before we arrive. He is trying to recover his son?”
Lily was unsure if she should divulge Eric’s plans but she glanced quickly at Kurt who gave a small nod yes.
“Yes. He is.” Lily kept her voice calm but it was inside she was shaking with fear.
“Excellent. Two birds, one stone.” Lily felt herself go pale but she kept her head down and said nothing. She didn’t have to ask what he meant, he was planning on killing Eric. He didn’t notice her reaction because he was gathering a few of her things from around the room.
“I have a bag in the closet. Should I get it?” She asked smiling sweetly. He gave her a long look, clearly he did not completely trust her, then shook his head.
“Allow me.” He bowed then walked over to the closet. She took two steps toward him, which also put Kurt by her feet. The other soldier was watching his commanding officer and Lily slipped the knife from her sleeve and bent ever so slightly to put it in Kurt’s reach. They had tied his hands in front of him and in a flash the small knife disappeared into his hands. Lily could already see him working at the knots.
Andrews came out of the closet and Lily herself began gathering a few articles that she tossed hastily in the bag. It didn’t matter what she brought. Lily only wanted to give Kurt the opportunity to cut himself loose and follow. She knew that it was safer if she stayed at home, but she was in it now and she had to help her husband and her son.
“Ready?” Andrews asked. Lily nodded hesitantly. Her plan was working but she felt a sudden knot of fear at what she was about to do. She pushed down the fear, took Andrews hand and he led her to the window.
It was amazing, maybe five soldiers materialized and began filing down the ladder from her window. It was more difficult for her, with her petticoat on but Andrews seemed to wait patiently. She hoped Kurt had cut his knots.
They quickly left Eric’s property and crept down some side streets until they reached the horses. Once she looked back and she could have sworn she saw someone following but then the shadow was gone again. Lily bit her lip. She hoped she wasn’t alone.
Andrews helped her onto a horse then climbed behind her, snuggling her into him. She felt nothing but revulsion but allowed herself to be moved into him. “We are going to be king and queen of great empire. Kingsley has been holding me back. With your dowry and my knowledge, we will make a fortune!” It was clear why she was so easily able to persuade him to turn on his partner. He had already wanted to do it. Andrews hoped that Eric killed Kingsley but Lily’s hope was that Andrews and Kingsley destroyed each other before her husband got involved. She said a prayer for herself and Toby as they left the city limits. She hoped she could find Toby and protect him.
After half an hour Andrews pulled up in a clearing. She let out a sigh of relief. She was not sure she could stand anymore of his self-grandeur. He had talked of nothing besides how successful he was going to be and how good he was going to look with her on his arm. It was astounding one man could be so in love with himself.
“I have to talk to my men, they must be aware of the change in plans. Don’t worry about Lieutenant Surrey, he is my closest aid and can be trusted.” He must have been talking about the man who had stayed in her room and knew the plan. She nodded, unconcerned. It didn’t matter to her as she hoped this whole charade would be over soon. The Lieutenant Colonel sat her on a rock, by the edge of the clearing and began preparing his men. Lily wondered how willingly these men participated in crime. Andrews claimed that Kingsley had forced them to do something illegal and was now attempting to have them take the blame. She could hear the men becoming stirred up. One thing was for sure, Andrews was an effective liar. She was completely absorbed in what he was telling them when she felt a small tug on her sleeve. She turned startled and saw the face of Tracker smiling up at her, finger held to his lips for her to be quiet.
“How did you find me?” she whispered as quietly as she could.
“Turn your head and face forward,” Tracker whispered back.
“I discovered Kingsley’s camp this afternoon, you’re not that far away. I overheard the plan to kidnap you using Toby as bait to lure Eric away. I didn’t have time to stop the kidnappings but I was able to call in reinforcements to capture Kingsley and Andrews. I just hope they make it in time. As soon as they are not looking I will hide you and...”
“I am going.” Lily mumbled so that Tracker could hear her but, hopefully, Andrews couldn’t see her talking. “Andrews thinks I want to marry him and he plans on taking out the Colonel. If your reinforcements are not in time, Eric will need help.” Lily’s jaw was set at a determined tilt and Tracker said nothing.
“Someone else is following you,” he added.
“Kurt. He’s a friend.”
“Swarthy looking sailor?” Tracker asked, double checking that they were talking about the same person. Lily nodded. “Good, I will ride on and see if I can help your husband, he’s going to need it. Good luck.” Then he was gone.
Lily sat up a little straighter, bolstered by the fact that both Tracker and Kurt were there to help.
Andrews walked back from the group of men smiling in a satisfied way. He held out his hand to pull her up and then pulled her into his arms kissing her neck. She smiled through gritted teeth as he led her to his horse.
“This is going to be an amazing night.” He inhaled deeply.
“I agree,” Lily responded sincerely. She was not sure how it would turn out but she had the feeling that tonight, this would finally come to an end.
The group rode for another half an hour when they heard the distinct voices of a camp set up nearby. Lily could smell fresh water and assumed that they had set up camp near a pond or lake. She wondered if Eric was already here and if he had tried to recover Toby. She guessed that he had not since the camp seemed so calm. She hoped that Tracker had warned him of her plan. It would be easier for him if he knew.
Andrews leaned in and whispered. “I have to turn you over the Colonel initially. It will keep you out of harm’s way and allow me to move freely against h
im.”
Lily nodded but the knot of fear tightened in her stomach. She wondered briefly who was going to double cross whom tonight. Was Andrews just playing her now? She had to do something.
She turned in the saddle and kissed him with everything she had. She pretended he was Eric and he had just pronounced his love. When she pulled away his eyes still looked slightly glazed and the men around them were looking uncomfortably at them, a few with suspicion in their eyes but she couldn’t worry about that now. She had to make sure she had Lieutenant Colonel Andrews on her side.
“I just don’t want you to forget me while we’re apart. Promise you won’t.” She smiled as sweetly as she could. He returned her smile, looking slightly drunk.
“I won’t.” He looked at her lips, clearly thinking of kissing her again.
“How will I know when to rejoin you?” she asked.
“I will come for you when I have disposed of my competition. You must stay where it is safe.” He stroked her cheek but she tried not to be sick as she thought of Andrews trying to kill Eric.
“But what if someone else tries to capture me, Slim or someone else. How will I protect myself?” She wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to smile persuasively.
He seemed to think for a moment then nodded his head. “You are right. But could you really shoot someone?” He slipped a small revolver in her hand. She tucked it into the bosom of her dress and nodded.
“Unfortunately, I have had to do it before.” He could hear the sincerity in her voice and smiled again.
“We are going to be a great pair.” And he kicked his horse into a trot to head into the camp.
Lily felt her heart beating wildly but she tried to remain calm. It was important to keep observing and to pay attention to the people around her. Immediately she recognized the Colonel and Slim with a few other men. She didn’t have to fake shrinking into Lieutenant Colonel Andrews. He was her protection at the moment, small as it may be. He squeezed her arm and she reminded herself to look around.
There must have been thirty men milling about and Lily wondered if they were all loyal to the Colonel or if some of them were under Andrews. Lily hoped it was the latter, otherwise the odds were not good.
Colonel Kingsley looked up at their approach and smiled a cold smile that sent chills down her spine. “At last,” he said as he held up a hand to her to help Lily off the horse.
She took it hesitantly and Andrews let her go. As soon as her feet hit the ground he held up his other hand and struck her hard across the cheek. Without thinking she let out a cry and stumbled back. Slim cackled and Lily couldn’t keep the hate and loathing out of her eyes as she stared at the man who had tried to kill her.
“That was for making me wait so long. If you are with child there will be further reprimand and the child will never survive the first day.” Lily’s eyes shifted to Kingsley but she couldn’t keep the fear out of her eyes. How could he be so cruel?
“Now, my dear,” he grabbed her roughly by arm. “I want the truth about how you escaped.”
Lily took a deep breath. Tracker was not under Kingsley’s employ but she did not want to implicate him. Slim on the other hand, she had no trouble sharing his part.
“Slim intended to rape and kill me. He thought you would never find out and that everyone would assume I had escaped and gone into hiding.” The Colonel turned to look at Slim as the smile slowly left his face.
“It’s a damned lie! You know it was Tracker who let her go free.” He sounded like a man trying to cover his tracks though and the sincerity of her story shone through.
“How did he get you out of the camp?” The Colonel stared at her with hard eyes that made her mouth go dry. She swallowed, the truth would be best, as much as she could tell.
“My guard fell asleep. I walked out.” He stared intently at her but she met his gaze, despite her fear.
“Tracker fell asleep?” The Colonel’s eyes narrowed.
“No, Rings, Tracker left.” She shrugged, finally breaking eye contact.
“Where?” The Colonel’s eyes narrowed and his face leaned closer to hers until their noses were almost touching.
“I don’t know.” She did know but she was afraid to implicate him.
“She’s lyin’. He was always jabberin’ her ear off!” Slim sounded panicked and the Colonel grabbed her chin forcing her eyes to again meet his. His grip was hard and she knew that she would have bruises.
“Did he tell you?” She forced herself not to cry out at the pain.
“He said the less he told me the better off I would be.” Lily spoke the truth, Tracker did say that to her and the Colonel seemed to believe her because he released her chin but not her arm.
The Colonel looked at Slim, thought for a second, then motioned to a man nearby. He wasn’t in uniform but was in ragged clothing. He had a blank expression on his face that was difficult to read. Lily couldn’t tell if was skilled at remaining impartial or just not very bright. He was huge, at least two hundred and fifty pounds and tall. He frightened Lily as much as the Colonel. “Sven, kill him.”
“No hold on, just cause some good for nuthin’ girl says...” Slim was backing away but the man reached out, grabbed him by the arm, then the head and just like that snapped Slim’s neck. He crumpled to the ground, dead.
Lily could not contain the cry that escaped her lips and she clamped a free hand over her mouth to keep from sobbing. She had never seen death so close and, as much as she hated Slim, it was revolting and frightening.
“Now.” He roughly pulled her to look in his face again. “I have waited a long time for you and I wanted a virgin for a wife but I will be content if you are not with child. A doctor will be examining you shortly. Pray that you are not carrying Sampson’s brat!” He roughly let her go and Lily fell to the ground.
She looked briefly at Andrews, wondering if he would step in at any point or if he had lost his nerve. Kingsley had always frightened her and, apparently, before today he had been on his best behavior. Perhaps he frightened his partner as well. Andrews face was unreadable and he did not glance at her at all. Lily wondered if he was just trying to keep the Colonel from becoming suspicious or if he had changed his mind.
“Take her to my tent.” He motioned to Sven who frightened Lily even more than the Colonel, he could kill her by sheer accident. She shook her head and a slow smile spread over his face, Lily had been right. The man was slow. Slow and mean was a bad combination.
Andrews swung down from his horse. “I’ll escort her.” And he reached his hand down to pull her up from the ground.
Kingsley’s face went absolutely black. “Are you questioning me?”
“We are partners, and I am protecting one of our assets. If she is dead before you can marry her, this will all have been for nothing. You don’t give a beast fine china.” Andrews did not flinch and Lily thought that he was either incredibly brave, foolish, or he knew something about Kingsley that she did not.
“You are right, of course. I am forgetting how unaccustomed to female company Sven is.” The Colonel’s expression had not changed and he glared at her, then Andrews, but allowed the other man to escort her.
Andrews did not look at her but mumbled. “We do not have much time. Your first husband’s advances are of little concern to me but Kingsley will positively ruin you for anyone else.”
Lily swallowed hard, sure that his words were the absolute truth. He brought her in the tent, kissed her briefly, then turned to leave. She turned to survey the room. There was a desk piled high with papers on one side and a narrow cot on the other. As desperate as her situation was, she was exhausted. She desperately wanted to stretch out on it and fall asleep. As Andrews opened the tent flap, she heard his voice.
“If you were planning on walking over to the tent, why didn’t you escort her yourself?”
“I find I am not all that interested in her company. Are you?” The Colonel returned.
Andrews ignored the question. “If yo
u are not interested in her company than why marry her, generally men spend at least some time with their wives?”
“There are things I am interested in, which will keep me content for a while. Don’t pretend that you would be any better. We all know how your relationships end.”
“They were not ladies, they were whores!” Andrews was clearly getting upset.
“It doesn’t matter, we stick to the plan and don’t you forget it.” Kingsley must have left because Lily heard nothing else.
She gave a shudder and said a silent prayer that someone rescued her before she had to face either of those men again. She looked around the tent again. She was only in the front half of the tent, it was divided into two sections. She could hear a faint crying coming from the other side. Lily peaked through the flap to see a small figure huddled on another cot.
“Hello,” she said softly. She did not want anyone to hear her and stop her.
The little figure turned over and Lily clearly recognized the face of Toby, bruised as it was. “Toby!” She rushed over to the bed and picked the little boy up in her arms.
“Lily is that you?” he mumbled. He looked disoriented and she wondered if he had had anything to eat or drink.
“Yes, sweetheart. I’m here.” He snuggled into her.
“Where’s Daddy?” Lily could hear the tears in his voice and she wanted to cry too. This was too much for a little boy.
“He’s coming soon.” She said and held him as he fell asleep in her arms. Despite the danger, she felt an overwhelming love for her new family. She didn’t know when Andrews or Kingsley might be back but she couldn’t leave Toby alone. She lay down with him in her arms and fell asleep.
It felt like only minutes had passed when someone shook her awake and she swallowed a scream. She had been dreaming of the doctor who was supposed to examine her. He had been attempting to force her to miscarry. It had been a horrifying dream.
Her blurry eyes worked to refocus to see the person in front of her and she nearly cried when she saw the face of Kurt.