Carved in Love

by Savanna Sage

Chapter 2

  Curtis Locken’s attention was rudely yanked from the oncoming train when someone struck him. Expecting to see either a vagrant or a ruffian, he turned with annoyance and was startled to see a lithe young woman with her arms flung out. As he blinked in surprise, she spun her arms in circles. At first he wasn’t sure what she was about, but in a moment he realized that she was tipping over the edge of the platform toward the unforgiving metal tracks below. His gaze met her wide, blue-eyed plea for help as her long dark hair whipped around her head in a frenzy.

  Instinctively, he lunged toward her just as a male voice from behind him cried, “Eleanor!,” but Curtis’s grasping fingers only caught hold of her sleeve, ripping it partially free from her bodice as she fell.

  Without a second glance at the iron wheels rolling toward him as the train whistle moaned a warning, Curtis leapt from the platform and bent over the young woman. Blue eyes staring down the track at the oncoming train, her full pink lips tried to take in a breath.

  In thought as quick as a lightning flash, Curtis knew that even though the train had slowed to stop at the station, it couldn’t brake in time to avoid running over her. Curtis wasn’t sure he could move her in time, but he would not leave her to suffer an awful fate alone.

  With no time to lift her back up onto the platform, Curtis grabbed her beneath her arms and dragged her off the tracks on the far side from the station. Just as the toes of her scuffed boots dragged over the rail, the heavy train wheels cut past. Startled faces peered out the windows at them as they train rolled by more and more slowly until the engine came to a halt further down the track.

  Curtis let out a heavy breath.

  As the girl squirmed in his grip, he suddenly realized that his hand was touching the smooth, warm flesh beneath her arm instead of pink dress fabric. Startled, he nearly dropped the young woman, but managed to lay her on the ground instead. He knelt down as she sat up and put a shaking hand on his arm. She was strikingly beautiful, with stormy blue eyes and luxuriant dark hair that had an intriguing streak of white waving about her head like a banner. She turned her lovely face toward him and stared up through her swaying curtain of hair.

  “Why?” she asked, her voice low and slow, as if she’d just woken. Her lovely eyes blinked slowly, captivating him.

  He leaned closer. “Why what?”

  She swallowed before mumbling in that same slow, husky voice, “Why’d you tear it?”

  Startled, he pulled back. “I don’t believe I did.”

  “Mama won’t like it,” she continued. Then her eyes began filling with tears. As if confessing her worst sin, she clutched his jacket and whispered, “Big stitches…” Her voice trailed off, her hands relaxed, and her eyes closed.

  Alarmed, Curtis grabbed her shoulders and gave her a slight shake. His hand touched a gooey patch of something on her back. With a start, he pulled her closer to his chest so he could quickly look over her shoulder to check for blood. Her head lolled against him, and he pressed her closer as if that would be enough to will her to live. She just couldn’t die. He wouldn’t let her.

  To his relief, she wasn’t bleeding. He grimaced at the sight of a rather fresh patch of brown cow manure clinging to her dress.

  Ellie stirred and asked, “What’s that smell?” Ellie asked, turning her head to lean her cheek against Curtis’s chest. Her arms slid up over his shoulders and clasped behind his neck as if begging him to protect her. “What’d you do?”

  Startled, Curtis replied, “I assure you, Miss… Eleanor, I did not do anything, except save your life. In the process, you appear to have landed on a… bit of dirt.”

  Ellie pulled back and stared up at Curtis, her lovely eyes narrowing in suspicion. “How d’you know my name?”

  “I heard someone say it as you were falling.”

  Ellie’s eyes softened. “Oh. David.” Then she looked up at Curtis again. Swaying, she murmured, “He fancies me, you know.” A slow blink. “Does your mother know that her baby grew up to be a handsome man?” Then her eyes closed again, and she leaned her head against his chest. “You know my name, so I must know yours. Have we been introduced?”

  He wanted to brush the hair from her face, to cup her chin in his hand, to make sure she was looking at him so she would be certain to remember his name. “I’m Curtis Locken, at your service, ma’am.”

  “Curtis,” she said as if tasting something sweet. She smiled, then pulled away just enough to look up at him through her lashes. “Your voice sounds as sweet as warm molasses. Why is that?”

  “I’m from Georgia, ma’am.”

  Ellie let her eyelids slide shut again. Curtis memorized the sight of her long, dark eyelashes resting on top of her cheeks, her skin appearing as soft as magnolia petals. He lightly brushed the side of her face, proving himself right.

  Snuggling in against him, she said, “I like it. It rumbles in your chest. Say something else.”

  At that moment, David climbed between the train cars, followed by a scowling station master with mutton chop whiskers. Trotting along beside was a round-faced man wearing a conductor’s uniform. “Eleanor, are you alright?!’ David cried.

  Ellie raised her hand and mumbled, “All of me is here.”

  “You should be up there!” The station master growled, gesturing in the direction of the platform.

  “Now, Gilly, she didn’t fall on purpose,” the conductor said. Taking in the sight of Ellie’s arms around Curtis’s neck, he said, “Glad to see you’re alright, Miss.” Extending his arm, he asked, “Do you need a hand, Mr. Locken?”

  “What are you doing off the train?” Gilly barked. “Isn’t it the conductor’s duty to make sure everyone disembarks safely with all of their belongings?”

  “Yes, but I thought this was more important.”

  David’s gaze traveled to the hole beneath the arm of Ellie’s dress, which afforded a view of an indecent expanse of her chemise, along with skin that should have been covered by her dress.

  HIs blazing eyes spearing Curtis, David shouted, “What did you do to her?”

  “Now, hold on a minute.” the conductor grabbed and held David’s arm as he strained to move closer. “Curtis Locken traveled my train a few weeks back on his way here from Georgia, and he was nothing but a gentleman.”

  Curtis managed to pull away from Ellie enough that he could slide out of his frock coat. Ellie moaned and reached for him again. As he eased Ellie’s arms into his coat, she cried, “Ow!” and tried to get away from him. He finished putting the coat on her so she was adequately covered.

  “Stop!” David commanded, yanking his arm free. Running to Ellie, he scooped her up in his arms and headed off toward her house.

  “I’ll take care of this,” Gilly said grimly as he watched David carry Ellie away. “You get back to your duties.”

  The conductor gave him a nod. Turning to Curtis, he said, “Good luck, sir.”

  But Curtis Locken seemed not to hear. He stood and watched Ellie being carried away, the wind beating his shirt against his body as rapidly as his heart beat within his chest.