“That’s the problem, I’m not Annabelle,” there she said it. Lizzy took a deep breath and looked up, meeting Ian’s eyes. “Annabelle is my best friend. She was the one, who started writing to you, but somewhere along the way lose interest and asked me to write the letters instead. I helped her and wrote most of the letters after that.”
Elizabeth paused and tried to read Ian’s face, hoping to understand what was he thinking, but the man looked at her with lifeless eyes and said nothing.
“My mother died last month and I had to leave my home,” she continued, determined to tell him everything before it was too late. “Annabelle had just discovered that the man, who she always loved, might feel the same way and offered me to take her place. The truth is that the last months it was me, who wrote to you and Ann wanted me to tell you everything, but I was afraid and decided to come here and meet you in person instead.”
Her voice trailed away, while she looked pleadingly at him, hoping that Ian won’t be too angry. For a long while, Ian said nothing and Lizzy was about to ask him what he would do when he asked, “What is your name?” The man asked in a cold voice, a complete opposite to what it had been a few moments ago.
“Elizabeth, my name is Elizabeth Davis,” she muttered. “The letters… I described myself in them…”
“You lied to me,” the man stated calmly. “For months you pretended to be someone else, then you came here and still didn’t tell me the truth… What do you expect me to say?”
“Nothing, I realize that all this must be a shock to you,” Lizzy agreed, feeling tears fill her eyes. “I suppose you want me gone now?” She asked, still unable to hide the hope from her voice.
“As I said there is nothing I can say. I have to admit that I liked what I read in your letters and maybe if you had been honest with me from the start, I would have accepted it, but now? Now, all I feel is anger and resentment against the woman, who came here to become my wife.”
“I understand,” Lizzy stood up, her legs barely holding her. “I don’t want to impose on you any longer. If you have spent something on me, let me know and I’ll pay you back. You don’t have to worry about me anymore.”
“Where are you going?” Ian asked, surprised when the woman turned around and headed towards the path they had followed to come here.
“I will find my way into town,” Lizzy said in a barely there voice. “You don’t have to worry…”
“Don’t be stupid,” Ian interrupted her angrily, feeling offended that she’ll think that he would leave her all alone in the middle of nowhere. “I’ll take you back.”
Lizzy wanted to protest, but she saw no reason to make him angrier and patiently waited for Ian to prepare the horses. However, when the man tried to help her climb on her horse, she refused to take his hand, and awkwardly managed to do it by herself. Ian let her do whatever she wanted and rode towards the town ahead of her.
The way back to town seemed to be endless and Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief when they finally reached the guest house. She almost broke her leg in her hurry to get down from her horse and ran towards the house. She opened the door and went inside, without sparing another glance at the man she already loved.
“Is everything fine, dear,” Mrs. Stevens asked her when Lizzy ran into her in the hallway. “You look horrible.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Stevens, I’ll be fine,” Lizzy answered the kind woman. “I need some time alone, that’s all.”
The other woman knew better than to insist and let her go to her room. Elizabeth had already confided in her about the letters and her friend Annabelle, so she had an idea of why was she so sad.
“May God help them both,” Mrs. Stevens prayed in the empty hallway.
Chapter 7
Almost two months later…
Elizabeth Davis hurried towards the small school building, situated at the end of the town, near the beautiful woods, surrounding the town. It was Friday, the last day of the school week, and she needed to take care of a lot of small details before the children could arrive.
She had already started to think of Summitville as of her home and was trying to be happy in here. After the horrible scene between her and Ian, Lizzy had tried to leave the town, but after paying for her stay in the guest house, she had been left with so little money that leaving had been impossible.
Thankfully, Mrs. Stevens had been there for her and with her help, Lizzy had been able to find a job as a teacher in the local school. There weren’t many children in the small town, but the pay was enough for the young woman to rent a room and have some food on her table.
It hasn’t been easy at the beginning, but Lizzy was grateful for the small things in life – Ian had kept to himself their problems and for almost a month she hadn’t seen him around. He had returned, however, about two weeks ago and that was when Lizzy learned that he had found gold and was now the richest man in town. Elizabeth had just smiled sadly at the news, thinking that the gold was one more reason for Ian to turn his back to her. After all, she was no one, had no money and had lied to him.
“Miss Elizabeth, Miss Elizabeth, good morning,” the children came running into the schoolroom, interrupting her thoughts. The teacher was glad for the interruption and invited them to sit down and get ready for their first lesson.
In the evening, when it was time to return home, Lizzy was the last one to leave the wooden building. She was about to close the windows and go home when someone knocked on the door and opened it. Lizzy turned around, thinking that it was either a parent or a kid, wanting to ask her something, and almost fell off the chair, she was standing on.
“Ian!” She exclaimed before she could stop herself. “Sorry, I meant, Mr. Johnson. What can I do for you?”
The man didn’t seem surprised to see her here, so Elizabeth supposed that he knew about her new position as the town’s teacher. Ian looked good, she noticed, dressed in well-tailored clothes and wearing a beautiful black coat. She felt a bit self-conscious in her old brown dress, but then she had never really cared about money, so she raised her head and waited for him to speak.
“I wasn’t expecting to find you still here,” Ian said in a matter-of-fact voice.
“I had nowhere to go and no money to pay for a train ticket,” Lizzy admitted, wanting to show him that she wasn’t staying here because of him.
“I see,” Ian said in the same tone of voice and walked further into the room. “You know, who I am.”
Elizabeth wasn’t sure if it was a question or a statement, but she answered him nevertheless. “Yes, I heard about your gold mine.”
“Did you know before coming here?” The man asked, looking into her eyes, and Lizzy couldn’t help it remembering the time when Ian had kissed her with desperate passion.
“No,” she answered him proudly. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have come.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t come here for your money,” Lizzy said honestly and it seemed that her words finally reached him. Ian’s eyes softened and became bright blue, the same color she remembered from their time together. And then, just as quickly as the change happened, it disappeared and Ian became the cold man from a few moments ago. “Now, if you excuse me, I have to close the school.”
Elizabeth could tell that she was about to cry and she couldn’t let the man see her weakness. She turned around and went to close the last of the windows, hoping that Ian will be gone when she finishes the job. The man, however, remained where he was and Lizzy had to walk past him in order to reach the door. The schoolroom was filled with small desks for the children, so there was little space for her to pass through.
She was almost standing beside him when the man raised his hand and successfully trapped her against his body. “I haven’t finished yet,” he said firmly.
“Let me go,” Lizzy hissed desperately, hoping that this day would be finally over.
“You never told me that you were a teacher,” Ian continued talking as if she wasn’t struggling in his
hands.
“I wasn’t, my mother was one,” Lizzy decided to answer him so that he would let her go. “What do you want?”
“How funny that you should ask that,” the man commented sarcastically and then continued in a deeper voice. “I want you.”
“What?” The woman looked horrified by his words and started struggling again.
“I want you,” he repeated and leaned down to claim her lips in a passionate kiss.
At first, Elizabeth tried to turn her head away, but Ian didn’t let her. He cupped her face with his other hand and prevented her from moving. Lizzy had expected his lips to be hard and demanding, but Ian surprised her by kissing her softly, almost worshiping her lips. For a long while, Lizzy managed to resist him, but when Ian let go of her head, she realized the she was kissing him back.
The sound of a cart arriving in front of the school interrupted them and Elizabeth jumped away from him, turning around and almost hiding behind her desk. Ian gave her a long last glance, before walking out.
Chapter 8
Elizabeth returned home more confused than ever after the unexpected visit from Ian and the kiss they shared. The man had surprised her, but what really worried her was her own reaction to his touches. The truth was that Lizzy thought that she was over him and that there was nothing to worry about when it came to Ian. Mrs. Stevens had warned her that it was not so easy to command to your heart, but in her innocence, Lizzy believed that everything was possible.
She couldn’t get any sleep that night, but thankfully the next day was Saturday and there wasn’t school. Lizzy let her mind wander back so that she could remember why she liked him at all – the letters, the meeting at the train station, the picnic, and… what happened after that.
It had been almost two months since that picnic, but Lizzy still remembered the softness of his kisses, the gentle touch of his hands and the passion shining in his eyes. During those moments, the young woman had believed that Ian really loved her. But, all that was over now. It had been two months…
“Two months… two months…” she whispered out loud. “Oh, God!” She exclaimed when the realization came.
“Lizzy, dear, are you okay?” Mrs. Stevens knocked on her door, startled by her cry. “Can I come in?”
“Yes, but I’m fine…” the young woman answered, but Mrs. Stevens walked in any way.
“What is it? Are you feeling sick?” Her questions reminded Lizzy about all those mornings she woke up feeling tired and ready to throw up.
“I think, I’m pregnant,” the young woman whispered.
“Oh, dear,” Mrs. Stevens joined her on the bed. “You have to tell Ian.”
“No,” Lizzy might not know much, but what she knew was that she wasn’t going to ask Ian for help. “You have to promise me that you won’t say anything to him.”
“But, Lizzy, what are you going to do? A young, unmarried woman with a child. Now one is going to accept you.” Mrs. Stevens tried to reason with her. “You need his protection, and even if he doesn’t agree to marry you, he, at least, could help you.”
“I don’t want his money, Mrs. Stevens,” Lizzy said through tears. “You have been very kind to me, but it is time for me to go.”
“Don’t rush, Lizzy. Think about the future of your child, even if you don’t want to think about yourself.”
“Maybe, I will tell Ian some day, but now it is really not the right time for this.” Lizzy had already made her mind and there was no going back.
The next morning, she visited the local doctor and the kind elderly man confirmed her suspicions. Her next stop was the town’s mayor, who was responsible for the school and she gave him her resignation. The mayor asked her to stay until they find another teacher, but Elizabeth insisted that she was leaving in a week's time.
She didn’t have much, so Lizzy was forced to sell the only thing she had from her father – a beautiful gold watch, which was a family heirloom. She cried when she had to part with the watch, but now her baby was the most important thing in her life and she needed the money in order to take care of it.
Mrs. Stevens refused to take any money from her, so Lizzy was left with enough money to buy a ticket and settle down in some other town, where she could pretend that she was a widow.
Chapter 9
Ian was trying hard to concentrate on his work, but his mind continued to return to the woman, who had arrived and turned his life upside down. He had tried to forget her, but nothing he did was able to make him forget about the beautiful woman that had lied to him, but still remained the most exciting person in his life.
He was still mad at her and yet when he went to see her, fully intending to tell her what he thought about her, instead of yelling at her, he kissed her. That single kiss had reminded him of how much he loved that woman, how much he admired her for her courage and determination.
Still unsure what he would be doing, when he sees her again, Ian stood up and exited his house. There was only one way to fix this – he was either going to have her or forget her forever.
On his way to the guest house, Ian met with Mrs. Stevens, who insisted they go back to his house to talk. The lady had looked so determined that Ian couldn’t say no to her demands.
“What is it, Mrs. Stevens? I had some work to take care of.” Ian said when they walked into his house and sat in the living room.
“I’ll say it right away, hoping that the shock will put some sense into your head,” the woman said sternly, looking almost angry at him. “Elizabeth is pregnant.”
The words left her mouth quickly, but it took Ian almost five minutes to comprehend them. “Elizabeth is pregnant?!” He repeated her words. “But, how?”
“How? You two know better than me,” Mrs. Stevens answered him. “What I know is that Lizzy is waiting for the next train out of town, planning to disappear from your life forever. It is up to you to decide what to do next.”
“Where is she now?” Ian jumped up and walked towards the door.
“At the train station…” Ian had already left the house by the time she said the last word, so Mrs. Stevens looked around and shook her head in wonderment. “This house really needs a woman’s touch.”
Ian ran to the train station, thanking God for the fact that the town was small and everything was situated nearby. It wasn’t difficult to find Lizzy at the almost empty station. She was standing alone, looking sad and lonely, with only two suitcases near her feet.
“Elizabeth,” Ian called gently from behind her, not wanting to scare her.
“Ian,” she uttered, looking scared. “What are you doing here?”
“We need to talk,” the man said, looking her in the eye. “You should come with me.”
“But, I’m waiting for the train,” Lizzy protested, pointing at her luggage.
“Jimmy,” Ian called the boy, who was standing nearby. “Take these suitcases to Mrs. Stevens’ house. Tell her that they belong to Miss Elizabeth Davis.”
“Yes, sir,” the boy answered, and gladly took the money, which Ian offered him, before taking the luggage and carrying it away.
There were people staring at them now, so when Ian offered her a hand, Lizzy silently accepted it and followed him to the main street and then to Ian’s house. The man opened the door for her and then guided her to the living room, where Lizzy sat down on the nearest seat.
“Can I offer you something to drink or eat?” Ian asked her, a bit nervous himself.
“What do you want Ian?” Lizzy dismissed his question. “I don’t have time for this.”
“I know that you are pregnant,” Ian said bluntly. “And before you deny it, I want to stop you. I’m not letting you leave my side.”
“Why? I thought that you can’t stand me?” She said tiredly.
“I might be a hard man, but I have never claimed that I don’t like you, Lizzy,” it was the first time, Ian called her that, and she liked it.
“Okay, then you cannot forgive me,” she insisted.
�
��Actually, I might have already forgiven you,” the man once again surprised her. “Listen, I know that I was hard on you, but you have to admit that what you did was disturbing.”
Elizabeth couldn’t find the strength to answer him, so she simply nodded, settling back into the sofa. Ian quickly joined her and took her hands in his.
“Elizabeth Davis, will you marry me?” He asked out of the blue, surprising both of them, but not taking his words back. “We might have a lot of things to learn about each other and we might have done it all backward, but I’m not going to leave you to take my child away from me. I love you, Lizzy, I think that I have always loved you. It was just too hard to admit it.”
Elizabeth couldn’t stop the tears falling down her cheeks. “I love you too, but I’ll understand if you…”
“Stop it, Lizzy,” Ian put a finger on her lips. “Nothing matters anymore. We are going to have a child together. That is what we should think about. Would you marry me, Lizzy?”
“Yes, yes, I’ll marry you,” the woman whispered, looking him in the eyes and transmitting all the love, she had for him.
Chapter 10
One month later…
Ian looked exasperated and beautiful with his hair wet with perspiration and his chest moving heavily with every breath he took. Lizzy couldn’t imagine letting the moment go, so before anything else could come and change their plans, she opened the door of their bedroom and simply threw Ian inside.
“What are you doing?” Ian demanded, surprised by the sudden turn of events, but Lizzy didn’t answer him, still trying to hear what was going on below them.
They still could hear their guests moving downstairs, celebrating their wedding. Ian huffed Lizzy’s hair out of his eyes and wormed his hand around her waist. Their position at the door was putting Lizzy right into his lap and he had every intention to take advantage of it.
“So, we are hiding!?” He demanded with some humor in his voice and made sure to press his erections against her. Both of them enjoyed the feeling to be plastered against each other, although there were some inconveniences, such as the doorknob that was pushing against Lizzy’s belly and the people downstairs.
Romance: Alien Romance: Having The Kings Baby (A Paranormal Science Fiction Shifter Romance ) (Sci-fi Alien Invasion Abduction Romance) Page 131