by Advocate
The room was as quiet as a grave and Faylinn was seconds away from an all out panic. Then she squinted through the near darkness and took in her companion’s ghostly pallor. "Sit down, love. Before you pass out." She gave Bridget’s sleeve another tiny tug and it tore away from the rest of the shirt, ending up a rag in her hands. She rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised?"
The candle hissed and released a tiny plume of inky smoke before the room went black.
Bridget dropped limply back onto the bed. She looked to where she knew Faylinn was sitting and with eyes as round as saucers exclaimed—
* * *
"Pregnant?" Kayla and Liv chorused.
Badger burst into laughter and slapped his kilt-covered knee. "Oh, lasses, that’s just what Bridget said."
"Wow," Liv said. She blinked a few times, trying to absorb the news. "I didn’t see that coming at all."
Badger nodded. "And according to family legend, neither did Bridget."
"Cyril was a first class asshole," Kayla muttered darkly, her thoughts still swimming in the past. "How could he do that? He raped her."
Badger’s and Faylinn’s expressions both went very serious. "Ay, that’s what people would say today."
Kayla glanced up at him and he wasn’t surprised to see a storm brewing behind her eyes. Faylinn reminded her so much of Liv that she couldn’t stop herself before the words were out. "Are you saying differently?" she challenged.
"Kayla," Liv warned softly. She could feel the upset in her partner and wondered if perhaps it wasn’t time to leave Cobb Manor and come back another day. The restless waves of dark, edgy energy flowing from her lover were causing an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach. "He didn’t say that."
The white-haired man met Kayla’s level gaze, his own every bit as steely. "No, lass. She was taken against her will and that the man was her husband doesn’t change that. Although at the time I don’t believe that Faylinn herself would have called it rape, it was that. What I was laughing at before was the surprised expression on both your faces when I told you she was with child. Not how she got that way."
Kayla suddenly felt ashamed and she glanced down at her hands, threading her fingers together nervously. She twiddled her thumbs a few times. I need to get a grip. It’s over and done with. I can’t change it or help. It’s not Liv. She’s right here, looking at me as though I’ve lost my ever-lovin’ mind. "Of course. I uh…." She paused and chewed the inside of her cheek. "I just said the first thing that popped into my head. And I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry."
"Well." Awkwardly, Badger stood and cleared his throat. "No harm done. As I said before, some of the tale is dark in the tellin’." He tried to smile at Kayla and let her know that he wasn’t angry, but she refused to meet his eyes. Lord knows the first time I heard the tale I was fit to be tied myself. "Do you lasses have to be getting back to town? There’s more to tell if you’re willing and have the time."
Liv’s worried eyes shifted from her lover to Badger. "I’m not sure." She turned back to Kayla and moved aside a dark shock of hair so she could rest a reassuring palm on the back of Kayla’s neck. "Maybe we could just take a break?"
"Aye. Of course." Badger stretched his thick arms above his head. "Let me get some blood moving around in these old legs. I think the last tour for the day should be coming through the parlor soon." He looked at Liv, his eyebrows raised in question. "I’ll drop in on them and say hello, then stop back?"
Liv smiled kindly and mouthed ‘thank you’ to their host.
Badger gave her a ghost of a wink and left the room without a sound.
As soon as he cleared the doorway Liv focused on Kayla. "You wanna tell me what just happened?"
Kayla’s eyebrows pulled tightly together as she thought.
The silence went on so long that Liv was sure she wasn’t going to answer. Then, seemingly out of the blue she said, "This is why I spend my time alone. I don’t know how to do this."
Liv hadn’t been expecting such a serious, general answer. Oh, boy. "Do what, honey?"
Kayla gestured aimlessly. "This. Talk. Chat. Be nice."
"You are nice," Liv insisted, stroking Kayla’s neck.
"Uh huh. That’s why after one evening together on vacation you knew more about my own sister than I did. That’s why your brother Dougie looks at me like he’s afraid I’m just going to lose it any second and cause him to wet his pants. That’s why, when we go someplace together, taxi drivers, waitresses, hotel stewards, all of them, talk to you and not me and look grateful that they have a choice."
Liv’s mouth went a little slack at the steady stream of words coming from her quiet partner.
"That’s why Glen deals with all clients unless they insist otherwise. My telling them to ‘go to hell’ or walking out in the middle of a meeting if I don’t think they’re sincere in their claims is always a great way to win friends and succeed in business." Her eyes begged Liv to understand. "I’m just not good at this."
For a second, Liv was stunned. She let her hand drop from the warm neck she was stroking, wrapping her fingers around Kayla’s instead. "The way you’re good at everything else?"
Their eyes met and Kayla felt as though Liv was looking right through her. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, that was a little part of it too. Her eyes darted back to her hands. "I suppose."
"It’s really okay, Kayla." Liv softened her voice and that did the trick as Kayla’s head lifted, and once again they were looking eye to eye. "Badger wasn’t angry and I do understand." And she did. Being a genius gave Kayla obvious advantages in almost everything she tackled. She’d succeeded most of the time – so long as intellect was the key. But when it came to the highly illogical and volatile things like emotions, Kayla was truly a babe in the woods. At heart she was a loner, and many social situations were trying at best.
"You do?" Kayla eyed the blonde woman warily.
"I think so. You’re a natural introvert and no amount of socializing is ever really going to change that. As a teen you were taller than everyone else, gangly," she paused and smiled affectionately, "probably clumsy and definitely impossibly beautiful—"
Kayla opened her mouth but Liv silenced her with a raised finger. She wasn’t finished yet.
"You liked girls not boys and were so smart that nobody knew what to do with you."
A startled look planted itself on Kayla’s face.
"As if all that wasn’t enough, you had special telepathic abilities that set you apart from everyone else and even you couldn’t fully understand and appreciate them. People hurt you because of it, and you moved deeper inside yourself where you felt safe and comfortable." She leaned forward and kissed Kayla’s forehead. Her lips lingered on the spot. "And you’ve been living in there as much as possible ever since." She sighed and backed away. "I know that interacting with people is hard for you and doesn’t always work out the way you want. But that will change with practice," she assured. "I promise."
The painfully open expression on Kayla’s face made Liv’s heart clench.
"You think?"
Liv nodded. "I know so. I’m not shocked in the least that you’re a quiet person who is more comfortable in their own head than anywhere else. After everything you’ve been through, I’m actually surprised you don’t stay there more often."
The younger woman’s face relaxed into a smile. She was utterly charmed by Liv’s keen insight and the fact that she’d obviously taken the time to understand her on a level that no one else had cared enough to even consider. "The answer to that’s easy, Liv" She knocked on her own head. "It’s lonely up here."
As quickly as the words were out, Kayla watched in fascination as tears welled up in her partner’s eyes. She cupped Liv’s chin tenderly. "You’re out here." She gestured to the room. "And now I’m not lonely anymore."
Liv sniffed and despite herself a tear splashed onto her cheek. Her smile was full of affection. "I’m not lonely anymore either." Her voice cracked and she sniffe
d again.
Kayla carefully wiped the salty tear away with her thumb.
They neither one quite remembered how it happened, but somehow their lips met and what started out as a kiss of comfort and affection sparked into something much deeper and infinitely more passionate.
"Well, now," Badger boomed from only a few feet away, his hands on his hips. He grinned. "I can see that everything is back to normal. If I came into the room and you two weren’t kissing, I’d think something was wrong."
Liv and Kayla separated and looked up at Badger with twin guilty grins and flaming cheeks. They’d been so absorbed in each other they hadn’t even heard him come in.
The old man scratched his white whiskers and shook his head. "Shall we give it another go?"
Kayla rubbed her red cheeks furiously, trying to remove the blush. How many times was she going to let Badger catch her making out with Liv like some horny teenager? Just then Liv scooted a little closer and the smell of her lover’s shampoo and skin gently flooded her senses, surrounding her in a sensual fog. She knew that as many times as Badger left her alone with this enticing woman was as many times as he’d catch them kissing.
Kayla smiled to herself and glanced at her watch. "We can stay for a while longer. But not too long." She nudged Liv. "Our readings from the Keith House should be ready to go within the hour."
Liv nodded and settled the blanket that had fallen to the floor during her groping of Kayla back on their knees. "Anything you can start and finish in an hour, Badger?" she asked the old Scot, seeing an immediate spark of competitiveness flare in wise eyes.
"Aye." He puffed up his barrel-chest a bit. "I am the family storyteller, you know. I think I can manage."
Kayla and Liv both nodded gravely and Kayla bit back a smile. If she sat back and was quiet long enough, she figured she was sure to learn a lot about handling people from Liv. "We know," Kayla said as she finally let go of her impatience at Badger’s insistence on spinning his tale according to his own time line and not hers. "We’d love to hear more."
He sensed Kayla’s quiet surrender and gave her a respectful nod as he moved back to his seat. "Very well." Badger tugged at his belt and shifted back and forth in the seat until he groaned happily.
Liv figured that meant he’d finally found a comfortable spot.
Badger smoothed his kilt with one hand, tempted to take out his pipe. But his audience was ready and so he would have to wait for a soothing smoke until later, when he could annoy Sylla with the stench. "Faylinn was with child and though Bridget cursed her brother’s name for the way he treated his bride, she loved Faylinn no less for it. She vowed to take care of both mother and child as best she could, loving them with all her heart and protecting them with her dying breath. But no matter how Faylinn reassured her, she knew that only having one good arm would be a constant source of worry and self-doubt. So she set about fixing that problem the only way she knew how. And in doing so, she got back two pieces of her life that she thought she’d left behind on Cobb Island forever…."
CHAPTER EIGHT
Virginia (Mainland)
January, 1691
New Year’s Day
BRIDGET SAT COMFORTABLY on a large driftwood log on the beach. She watched the short, foamy waves crash rhythmically against the shore, sending up a spray of salty mist as water met land. A strong, cold breeze blew her hair from her eyes and caused her cloak to billow and flutter. She’d taken the long walk here every day for a week. And waited.
Cobb Island loomed dark and barren in the distance, and she was bound and determined that no ship would dock there without her knowledge. It was, she knew, almost time for the Royal Navy to return. They would have undoubtedly heard of Cyril’s death by now and would ferry her nieces, and whatever slaves that hadn’t already escaped, to a larger port in South Carolina or perhaps New York, where they would book passage on a ship returning to England. The girls’ tender ages and the lack of a male guardian in the house would insure they would not be permitted to stay on the Island.
Bridget wondered if Judith would have the wherewithal to keep control of the family property and not allow it to wholly fall into the hands of her father’s slave trader business partners or the male cousins in England who would use this chance to try and increase their own holdings. She smiled to herself. Her niece was a smart, sensitive girl whose gentle demeanor went a long way towards hiding her strong will. Though it wouldn’t come easily, Bridget was confident that Judith would grow into her role as family matriarch and would be a force to be reckoned with. Bridget tried not to think of Judith’s twin, Elizabeth. The girl’s betrayal had cut Bridget to the bone and was still a source of shame and sorrow.
"You’re looking awfully serious," came the soft voice. Faylinn sat down beside her and the brittle wood shifted and creaked under the added weight.
"Faylinn! What are you doing here?" Bridget instantly scooted closer to the younger woman. She pulled the edges of Faylinn’s cloak tightly together and frowned at her pink, wind-burned cheeks. "You’re cold."
Faylinn laughed. "I am fine, truly." She shrugged one shoulder and looked a little embarrassed. "I just wanted to be with you."
In mild exasperation, Bridget lifted one of Faylinn’s legs and dusted her calf free of snow.
Faylinn grinned indulgently and held her tongue as Bridget fussed.
She repeated the process with Faylinn’s other leg and set it down gently. "So you tramped several miles through the snow to find me?"
"I knew where you were," Faylinn answered reasonably. She stretched her legs, and kicked her feet out in a mixture of snow and sand. "You told me yourself."
Bridget slid her hand out of one of the warm leather gloves Faylinn had given her for Christmas. She parted Faylinn’s cloak carefully and laid her palm on the still flat belly she found there. "How are you feeling?" Her eyes narrowed slightly and she considered collecting some wood for a fire. "Still nauseous?"
Faylinn laughed, absorbing the warmth of Bridget’s hand and her concern with almost giddy pleasure. "No," she replied dreamily. "I feel absolutely wonderful. But I do love you so for asking." For the millionth time she counted herself lucky that Bridget had been so accepting of her pregnancy. It had, she knew, complicated things to no end, but she couldn’t really bring herself to think of it as a bad thing. She firmly believed in her heart what Bridget had assured her on Christmas Eve: a child is a blessing to be treasured and cherished, a gift whose value cannot be measured, and that any future trials they would face would be handled together.
Bridget leaned forward and gently brushed her lips against Faylinn’s, drawing a soft sigh of pleasure from her friend. Then she wrapped her arm around Faylinn’s shoulder and they both looked out at the sea, content to share the gray afternoon together in comfortable silence.
Their physical relationship had not progressed past kissing, and though Faylinn wasn’t sure what they could even do past that, Bridget most certainly was. She’d been courted by several young men during her teenage years, all of whom would have been suitable mates and potential business partners for her brother and father. But even then, she’d already decided that marriage was not for her. Her mind, her will, and most certainly her body, were hers alone, and to her parents’ great distress and her brother’s endless censure, she’d outright refused to surrender them to anyone. Little did she know, a pair of soulful green eyes and a young woman’s fiery spirit would capture her so completely.
Whether or not to surrender every part of herself was never a really a question at all.
Bridget’s male suitors had been turned away without so much as a peck on the cheek. That did not, however, keep her from engaging in several brief but pleasurable liaisons with some of the Court’s most eligible young women. She snorted softly at the hypocrisy of these girls, who had privately been eager to taste the forbidden, but in public were among the first to vigorously scorn such disgusting, sinful behavior.
The noise drew Faylinn’s attention from
the water and she turned to Bridget, bestowing on her a lovely, youthful smile that made Bridget’s heart beat faster. Yes, dearest, we do need to have an intimate conversion.
Faylinn turned back to the water, enjoying the salty mist on her face and the warm body nestled close to hers.
The small hand on Bridget’s knee slid innocently up her thigh, stopping just short of the crease between her hip and leg. She swallowed hard. That talk would have to be soon.
"Bridget!"
The taller woman jumped and pushed Faylinn’s hand off her thigh, instantly feeling guilty for her lascivious thoughts. "What?"
"Look." Faylinn pointed to Cobb Island.
Approaching from the northwest was a large ship, sails of all three masts flying high.
"At last." Bridget sighed.
Faylinn looked at her curiously. Her memories of the Island were a mixture of joy and stark misery, and while the many good times with Henry and Bridget went a long way towards canceling out some of the horror she’d experienced, she shuddered at the thought of going back. "Why should it matter when the girls leave the island?"
"Because I intend to go back there and they must be gone before that can happen." Bridget looked at her companion compassionately. "I don’t expect you to join me, Faylinn. Though maybe someday you’ll feel differently. There is a beauty even in the harshness of Cobb Island."
"But—"
"You’ve been vomiting for weeks. Do you really want to embark on even a short trip across rough waters?"
Faylinn turned a peculiar shade of green at the mere idea. Bridget did have a point. "Can I ask why you feel the need to go back then? Surely, the house will be empty and your possessions gone?"
Bridget stood and brushed off her cloak. She offered her hand to Faylinn. "Because there is something important there that I want to reclaim. And if I know Judith the way I think I do, it will be waiting for me when I return."