She sighed and lowered her head to the side, resting it on her bent knees, but still looking at him. “I’m not a very good seductress.”
He laughed, his free hand reaching forward to run over her head and down her back, eliciting a shiver. “Of course you are. Look at you. Gorgeous and tempting, sitting in your bath.” He cleared his throat and shook his head. “Come. Let me wash your hair, before I become even more distracted.” Leaning forward, he stole a quick kiss, before he found her homemade shampoo. Lifting up a small pitcher, he rinsed water over her head to dampen her hair again, smiling when she tilted her head back.
When he began to gently massage the shampoo through her hair, she moaned with pleasure. “I’ve always loved having my hair washed. Or combed. It’s one of my favorite things.” She nearly purred with delight, when he slowed down his movements, deliberately massaging her scalp. “Oh, that feels so good.”
Finally he rinsed away the shampoo, brushing her hair to one side of her back, so he could kiss one shoulder. “Do you desire more of a bath?” he asked in a raspy voice.
She gasped when his marauding hands moved to her front and tickled her belly. Arching into his touch, she exclaimed, “No!” as he touched a sensitive spot. She turned in the tub, her gaze now lit with passion. “Take me to bed, Philip. Please.”
He ran a finger over her cheek, nodding. “Let’s get you dry,” he whispered, helping her to stand. After lifting her out of the tub onto a small towel, he ran a large towel over her, his tender touch eliciting more gasps and moans. “I wouldn’t want you to catch a cold.”
“I’m on fire,” she moaned, her fingers tangling in his hair. “Please, love.”
He rose, his fingers busy stripping away his clothes. Soon he had maneuvered them to their bed, and they were lost to their passion.
Afterward he held a dozing Maggie in his arms, a chuckle bursting forth. Her fingers played over his chest, and he had never felt so lighthearted. So full of hope for the future.
“What amuses you?” she murmured, battling sleep.
“I’ll never think of that bathtub the same again.”
“Good,” she said, as she kissed his chest. “I’ll never want you on the porch again.” She raised her gaze to meet his. “I love you,” she whispered, as she tumbled into sleep.
He kissed her head, his fingers stroking through her silky locks. “As I do you, beloved.”
Chapter 14
A few weeks later and only a few days before Christmas, Maggie raced to the Bordello, after receiving a message that Aileen was ailing. Her scarf flapped around her, as she skidded along a patch of ice, flinging her arms out to keep her balance. Although a part of her knew she should have looked for Philip or a brother to escort her, she had felt such an urgency to help Aileen that she had dashed to the Bordello without a second thought. She had also felt tremendous relief to no longer live in fear that she wanted to celebrate that feeling, even though she was afraid for Aileen. Upon arriving at the Bordello, she heaved the door open, frowning at not seeing the bulky man Kevin had told her always stood as sentry. “Madam?” she called out.
“Back here, Maggie,” Nora called out from her office at the rear of the building. Her voice sounded aggrieved rather than agitated, but Maggie knew the Madam was well able to handle a crisis.
Rushing down the hallway, Maggie barreled inside, her frantic gaze searching for Aileen. She saw two chairs by a lit fire, a desk, a darkened corner, but no sign of Aileen. “Where is she? What happened?” She spun at the sound of the door closing behind her. “No!” she screamed, taking a step back, as she faced Jacques. “No,” she whimpered, as she looked to Nora in utter betrayal. “How could you?”
Shrugging, Nora ran a hand over her shiny royal-blue satin skirt. “How could I not?” She smiled at Maggie, her gaze hard and calculating, with no evidence of the warmth and the friendship she had always shown Maggie in the past. “I run a business, Maggie, a business that hasn’t had as successful a year as I’d hoped.”
“My da would help you. You know he would,” Maggie pleaded, instinctively backing up a step, as Jacques took a step toward her. Her breath caught at the rage in his gaze, and soon she was against a wall, her hands searching for anything to use to protect herself.
“Ah, mon petite chou,” Jacques murmured. “How disappointed I am that you aren’t more delighted to see me again. I have missed you.” He took another step closer, smiling when she gasped in fear at his proximity. He slammed his hand against the wall by the side of her head, grinning when she whimpered in terror. “You did not believe something like a marriage would keep me from you, non?”
Panting, Maggie attempted to corral her fear. “I have a husband. He will—he will …” Maggie moaned, when Jacques leaned forward to whisper in her ear.
“He will do nothing, ma chérie. You are mine again.” He ran his nose over her cheek, and she quivered at his touch. “Who are you to reject me? Nothing more than a bastard.”
“I’m not a bastard,” Maggie said in as strong a voice as she could muster. “I’m Maggie O’Rourke Dunmore.” She squealed when Jacques roared at her use of her married name and slammed his hand against the wall again, this time incrementally closer to her head. He had never struck her in her face before, and the threat of such violence momentarily froze her, as fear enveloped her. The memory of her previous beatings almost overwhelmed her, and she fought to remain in the present, rather than lost to the horror of the recent past.
“Jacques,” Nora said in an exasperated tone. “Leave her be for a moment and come celebrate your victory with me.” She met Maggie’s baleful stare, as she fidgeted with the pendant hanging around her neck. Holding up a snifter of whiskey, she cast a flirtatious glance over him. “You know you’ll be more satisfied by a woman with more experience than a mere girl.”
Jacques pushed away from Maggie, ignoring her gasp of relief to be momentarily free of his immediate presence, and approached the Madam. “When I’m done with Maggie, I will have my fill of you.”
Nora took a sip of her whiskey and smiled lasciviously at him. “I can hardly wait. It’s been too long since I’ve had a real man in my bed.” She raised her glass, clinking hers with his. When he downed his in one sip, she took a step back, watching him with a speculative gleam in her eyes.
“Ah, you shared your private stash with me. I’d heard it was exquisite. It is.” He made a gasping sound, tugging at his neckcloth to loosen it. Clearing his throat, he lurched forward, his hand clasping the desk. Gasping, he gazed at Nora in horror, as he fell to his knees. “You … You …”
“Yes,” Nora murmured. “I protect what is mine.” She stood impassively, as she watched Jacques continue to struggle to breathe.
“Madam?” Maggie whimpered, as Jacques gave one last painful gasp and fell to his side with a loud thud. “What did you do?”
“I invited a man for a drink in my office. It’s unfortunate he had a heart convulsion, while visiting me.” She waited for Maggie to contradict her, but she merely gaped at her. “Never, for one moment, would I have risked you, Maggie.”
A sob burst forth, and Maggie covered her face, as she slid down the wall until she sat on the floor.
“You’re safe now,” Nora whispered. “He’ll never hurt you again. I’m only sorry you were afraid for a few moments.” Nora approached Maggie, ignoring the corpse on the floor, and knelt beside Maggie. “He barged in here today, wild and intent on finding you, and I knew he would find a way to hurt you.”
“Why didn’t you warn me?” Maggie gasped, swiping at her cheeks, as she tried to control her sobs. “I … I would have played along.”
“No,” Nora murmured, as she ran a hand over Maggie’s head. “I couldn’t risk him suspecting anything was amiss. And, to do that, you couldn’t know anything.” She looked to the door to find Ezra standing there. She met his impassive stare.
“What will happen?” Maggie whispered, her gaze flitting in the direction of Jacques again, before she closed
her eyes.
“It’s a shame, Madam, that such a strong virile man became so drunk on your fine whiskey that he tumbled into the freezing river,” Ezra said, as he heaved up Jacques’s body.
“It is,” Nora agreed, as she watched the Bordello’s bodyguard carry the body from the room.
“You killed him,” Maggie whispered, as she stared at Nora, with a mixture of horror and awe.
“Yes, I did.” When Maggie remained silent, Nora said, “I had to protect you, Maggie. He would never have stopped in his pursuit of you, until he was dead. And I fear he might have killed you in his pursuit of you.” She paused, as Maggie shivered at the prospect. “If your father or Dunmore had killed him, I worry the sheriff would have felt propelled to act in a way that would have harmed your family. A few men in this town have a vendetta against the O’Rourkes. Jealousy has a way of turning friend into foe.”
“But what will the sheriff do to you?” Maggie whispered. “You’re our friend, Nora. I rely on you.”
Nora beamed with pleasure at Maggie’s words. “I’ll be fine. The sheriff rarely takes an interest in the Bordello, unless a man he considers respectable dies. Jacques was not such a man.”
Frowning, Maggie murmured, “But Connor was?” She remembered the sheriff visiting after the death of Niamh’s first husband, Connor Ahern.
Nora made a sound of disgust. “The sheriff was egged on by Chaffee and was blinded by the thought the man was a lawyer.”
Maggie nodded. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. “I can’t believe he’s really dead. I don’t have to fear him anymore.” She looked at Nora. “This must be what Niamh felt when she had to feign sorrow at Connor’s death. I always wondered why she didn’t cry and wail. Now I understand she wanted to dance and to rejoice—to be free of such fear.” She gripped Nora’s hand. “I’ll never think less of you for protecting me. I told Dunmore once I wish I’d done the same for Niamh. I could never condemn you for doing what I wish I’d been able to do.”
Nora’s gaze filled with relief, and she gave Maggie a quick hug. “Come. It’s time for you to return home.” Nora rose, helping Maggie to stand.
Now outside, Maggie walked beside Nora, her pace slow and halting, as she leaned against the Madam. “Home is where I live with Dunmore,” Maggie whispered. “Not my parents’ house.”
Nora smiled. “Good. I’m glad you’ve learned that, Maggie. Your husband needs to know you’ll value him above all others.”
She smiled. “I do.” She stumbled and groaned. “Oh, why do I feel so weak?”
Nora wrapped her arm more firmly around Maggie’s waist. “It’s common after a terrifying event. I am sorry I couldn’t forewarn you.”
“Maggie!” Dunmore called out, as he raced toward them, on his way back from the livery, Kevin beside him. “What’s happened?” Dunmore asked, as he tugged Maggie into his arms, subtly pushing Nora aside. “Who hurt you?”
Nora smiled at the concerned man. “Perhaps we could speak in your cabin? I find I’m not as fond of the cold as I once was.” Her gaze warned Dunmore to cease his questions out here.
Kevin raced away, while Dunmore bit back what more he would have said, lifting Maggie into his arms. He kissed her brow, as she settled her head against his chest, striding to their cabin. Once all three were inside, Dunmore stripped Maggie of her coat and scarf, running his hands over her. “I can see no injury,” he murmured, kneeling at her feet. “Maggie, beloved, what happened?” he asked, as he rose and cupped her cheeks. When her eyes filled, and she began to gasp, unable to speak, he guided her to a chair and spun to Nora. “Madam? What happened to my Maggie?”
Nora cleared her throat. “Jacques was in town.”
Dunmore dropped his hands from his hips and took a menacing step toward the door. “He’s a dead man.”
Smiling mischievously, Nora murmured, “It’s ironic you would say that because he is a dead man.”
“What?” Dunmore asked, staring from Maggie to Nora. He gripped Maggie’s hand, holding it between both of his, when he felt how cold it was. With a sigh, he motioned Nora closer to the stove in their small cabin. He sat on one chair, tugging Maggie onto his lap, and pointed to the other for Nora. “Please be comfortable, while telling me your tale. And don’t bother lying. Maggie will tell me the truth eventually, and I’d like for us to continue to be friends.”
Nora smiled and sat with a grateful sigh. Just as she was about to speak, the door burst open, as Seamus, Ardan, Kevin, Declan, and Niall burst inside. The small cabin felt even smaller at their presence.
“Maggie!” Seamus called out, shutting the door to keep the cold out. “What’s happened to the lass?” He looked from Dunmore to the Madam, his gaze filled with terror.
“Madam Nora was about to explain,” Dunmore said, before he murmured calming sounds against Maggie’s head. “Nora?”
Nora sat regally in her chair, smiling her greeting to the O’Rourke men. “Jacques visited me today. Said he had a proposition for me. He realized it would be near impossible to steal Maggie away in the middle of winter, but he remained obsessed with her. He believed she would come to the Bordello, if I asked, and then he could have her. Ruin her, so that you, Dunmore, wouldn’t want her, and she would be his. That she would be his own private Siren.”
Maggie shivered in Dunmore’s arms, and he whispered soothing words in her ear.
The O’Rourke men stiffened, as though readying for battle. “Where is he?” Ardan asked. “Wherever you’ve hid him, he’ll pay for what he’s done to Maggie.”
Nora glanced at Ardan and the irate O’Rourke men and then focused on Dunmore tending to Maggie and her fears. She waited until Dunmore looked up at her and nodded for her to continue speaking. “A man like Jacques would never stop in his pursuit of Maggie, until he died, perhaps killing Maggie in the process. I knew what needed to be done.”
“So you lured Maggie there? Under false pretenses?” Dunmore asked, his gaze flashing with rage. “How could you endanger her?”
Nora sighed, ignoring the grumble of agreement from Seamus and his sons. “I took a calculated risk. A man like Jacques would always believe himself in control. He would never believe a mere woman could outwit him, although Maggie had already done so at least twice.” She paused. “And I knew his penchant for fine liquor.”
Seamus gasped and then burst out in incredulous laughter. “You sly woman.”
Dunmore paled. “You … ?” He didn’t say anymore, just lifted an eyebrow. When Nora played with the pendant at her throat and nodded, he sighed, leaning heavily into the chair and squeezing Maggie tight.
Niall frowned, sharing a look with his father, before facing Nora. “You poisoned the man?” He grunted, when Declan slapped his hand against his belly. At their subtle nods, Niall whistled in awe.
“I regret that Maggie was ever in that man’s presence again, albeit for a short time. However, I do feel, in this one circumstance, the end justifies the means.” Nora sat, unrepentant and calm, as she looked at the men in the room.
“Jesus,” Dunmore breathed. “I hope the townsfolk know better than to ever cross you.”
Nora smiled enigmatically. “As I told Maggie, I protect my own.” She rose and bent over to kiss Maggie on her forehead. “Rest, darling girl. All is well.”
Maggie reached her hand out to grip Nora’s. “Thank you, Nora.” Maggie’s eyes filled, and she shrugged, as she knew there was so much more to say but no possible way to express it.
At Nora’s nod, the Madam left the cabin, while Maggie relaxed again in Dunmore’s arms.
Seamus approached Maggie, bending to kiss her on her head. “I’m sorry, my darling girl, that you were scared again, for even a moment.”
“Aye,” Ardan said, as he followed his father and kissed his sister’s cheek. “I’m only sorry I didn’t kill the man.”
Each brother followed Da’s lead, and soon they stood near the door again, as they watched Maggie rest in Dunmore’s arms. “I’ll be fore
ver thankful to the Madam,” Seamus murmured. “She’s a true and loyal friend, and we must ensure she never suffers for aiding us.”
“Aye,” Declan said. “I only wish she’d rid us of Chaffee at the same time.”
Ardan and Kevin nodded, while Seamus sighed. “I fear we haven’t heard the last of him.” Seamus looked at his daughter and nodded. “Rest, my girl. I’ll let your mum know what happened, and she’ll look in on you tomorrow.” He winked at her and gave Dunmore a knowing look. “For now, let your man tend you.” He ushered his sons outside, leaving Maggie and Dunmore alone.
* * *
“I can’t believe it’s really over,” Maggie whispered, at least half an hour later.
Dunmore gave a grunt of disagreement, rising to carry her to their bed. He stripped her of her dress and corset, leaving her in her underclothes, before he did the same, and then crawled in after her. “Let me hold you in my arms. Reassure myself that you are well.”
Maggie pressed herself close to Dunmore. “Help me believe it’s over.”
He sighed, holding her close. “Maggie, don’t you know what this means? It’s not over.” He looked into her gaze, smiling with love and devotion, as she stared at him in confusion. “It means our life can fully begin. We no longer have to think about him. Or worry about him.” He kissed her, groaning when she pressed into him. “Or have nightmares about him. We can let him go.”
Maggie collapsed onto Dunmore’s chest, her arms banded tightly around him. “Nora is so brave. I don’t think I could have done what she did.”
He chuckled, his smile broadening, when he saw her smile, as he traced a hand through her hair. “Of course you are. You fought him off twice. Once three years ago, and again in August. Although I hate you ever had a moment of fear, I’ll be forever grateful for what Nora did.”
Maggie lifted her head and met her husband’s adoring gaze. “She said there are some men in town jealous of you and Da. That if you had … killed Jacques, you would have suffered because of it.”
Pioneer Devotion: The O’Rourke Family Montana Saga, Book Six Page 19