Chapter 3
No matter how much Elizabeth tried to forget, the nightmare would find her.
Not every night—not when she first slept—but in the wee hours of morning, when she was very tired, the horrors would slither in like a slimy snake and encompass her until she could no longer breathe, or think, or remember it was only a dream.
And so the dream began ...
She didn’t want to be here!
Who were these men?
Why had they kidnapped her?
She glimpsed her attackers just before they threw a sack over her head. They tied her hands, and then one of the men pitched her over his shoulder. She tried to kick but the man just tightened his hold on her legs.
Dressed in dark navy, they had looked like seamen, but they could have been anyone. Their voices were British, yet she was British, so why did they want her? Did they think her a spy?
The next thing Elizabeth knew she had been placed face down on something hard and rocking.
She smelled the salt air and knew it had to be a small boat because her feet could touch both sides.
She rocked against the rough wood planking as the men shoved away from the dock.
Droplets of water hit her arms as the oars lashed through the water.
And the faint sounds of men bustling around the dock grew faint as they rowed away from shore.
“Wh-where are you taking me?” she demanded from her awkward position. They didn’t bother to answer her.
Soon the little boat bumped the hull of a larger ship. Once again she was being hefted over someone’s shoulder, and they were moving again, this time up and over.
After they boarded, she was taken to a small cabin where they set her on her feet and removed the blindfold.
She tried to see who they were, but they deliberately kept out of sight.
Her gaze darted around the ship’s cabin, searching for a clue as to her whereabouts, but all she saw were the backs of the men as they left.
She knew the ship wasn’t one of Adam’s because she didn’t recognize anything. The room contained a bed, a small desk with a chair, and an unlit kerosene lamp suspended from the ceiling. The room smelled damp and musty. It was dark and unclean.
Her first thoughts were of escape, and she began to struggle with the ropes that bound her hands.
The bindings seemed to grow tighter as she struggled to twist her hands loose. Unfortunately, they hadn’t tied her hands in front or she could have used her teeth.
Elizabeth tried to see by the flickering light coming through the single porthole. She had no earthly idea how or why they had brought her here. The panic she’d tried so desperately to keep in check began to engulf her. Her heart raced. Chills crept up and down her spine. What was she going to do?
A squeaking sound caught her attention and she jerked her head toward the cabin door just as it swung open. A lone man strode through, kicking the door shut behind him.
She stared at the British officer before her, but had no memory of ever seeing him before. He stood tall and broad-shouldered and would have been considered handsome if not for an ugly, jagged scar that ran from his ear to the corner of his mouth.
He did not speak, but peered at her from hooded eyes. All the while, his finger absently traced the purplish mark on his face. What little of his eyes she could see in the dim light shone cold. And hard. Something about him made her think of death.
She shuddered with revulsion.
“What do you want from me?” she asked, dismayed at the quaking fear in her voice.
“I can think of a few things,” the man said. His stern voice held no vestige of sympathy. “Sit down.”
She didn’t like the coldness in his voice and she dared not disobey. She backed up to the chair, thankful to put some distance between them, making sure she didn’t take her eyes off him. “I am not a spy! I’m British.”
He grinned, but it was not a comforting sight. “Just like myself.”
“Then why have you kidnapped me? I don’t understand. I don’t know you.”
The man’s scowl was hot enough to burn leather, then he sneered, “But your brother and sister-in-law do. I am Captain Lee.”
Elizabeth became more uncomfortable by the minute. “Jewel knows you?”
“That’s right,” he acknowledged with a nod. He jerked his hand to his face and pointed a slender finger. “She’s responsible for this! Ugly, isn’t it?”
“Sh—she did that?”
Instead of answering, he pulled out a knife and ran his finger over the edge, testing it for sharpness, then lifted his gaze back to hers.
He smirked at her discomfort, then slowly moved behind her. Elizabeth felt his warm breath on her neck, chilling her to the bone. She gasped. But instead of cutting her as she had anticipated, he sliced the ropes, freeing her hands.
“Yes, Jewel did this. And with this very knife,” he said from behind her as she rubbed her wrists with numb fingers. She had no desire to turn and look at him.
Without warning, Lee jerked her head back and rubbed the blade up and down her throat. “You can rest assured that your precious sister-in-law will pay for her deeds, one way or the other. Then we’ll see how much your brother thinks his Jewel is worth.”
Elizabeth tried to contain the whimper that escaped her lips. She trembled with horror. She had no doubt Lee would cut her throat. She hated knives. She always had. Would this be the end?
Just as she felt the knife prick her skin, he moved away. After what seemed like an eternity, she could breathe again. Taking several deep breaths, she touched the spot where the knife had pricked her and drew fingers red with blood. Her blood.
She tried to calm herself while she rubbed her wrists again to get the blood flowing.
She knew she should probably keep her mouth shut but she didn’t always heed smart advice.
She couldn’t allow this arrogant bastard to think she feared him.
“Adam will never let you near Jewel,” Elizabeth finally managed to blurt out.
“You are as spirited as your brother, I see.” Lee grinned and closed the distance between them.
“I won’t have to get close to Jewel.” He bent over, inches from Elizabeth’s face, and whispered, “Jewel will come to me.” He pulled Elizabeth up to him, wrapping his arms around her, his eyes gleaming with hatred.
Elizabeth struggled against his iron grip, but Lee merely laughed. “Your brother owes me. And you’re just the person to pay his debt. Jewel will be the other half.” Lee sneered before his mouth closed on hers.
The cold, revolting kiss made Elizabeth’s skin crawl.
She pushed hard against Lee’s chest, but couldn’t break his hold.
His hand moved to her breast as he groped her, tearing at her clothing.
The bile rose in her throat and she began to push harder.
“No. Not this—please—” she protested. But he was too strong. ...
Then the dream was over.
The snake slithered away just as it had come in the middle of the night... quick and deadly.
Elizabeth jerked straight up in bed, laboring for air. Her gown, soaked with perspiration, clung to her damp body.
A dream.
Only a dream.
Or more a nightmare, one she’d relived over and over again.
If only she could forget.
She wiped the tears from her face. Would the past ever release her? If she was ever going to have a life with Jonathan, she had to forget.
Thank goodness, she hadn’t been a virgin when Lee attacked her. That much she could be thankful for.
Jonathan had been her first, and because of that she knew what physical love between a man and a woman could be like.
It definitely wasn’t what she’d experienced with Lee.
Somehow, she was going to have to find the words to tell Jonathan what had happened, but for now he was much too ill.
She didn’t want to think of the possibility that he might walk away from her.
She couldn’t lose him! She’d loved him all her life, and she didn’t want to think about a life without him.
Shoving the covers away, she was thankful for the burst of frosty air. She straightened her gown and slid from the high four-poster bed. The smooth wooden floor felt cool on her bare feet as she hurried to the window, nudged the curtains back, and peered out at the brightening sky.
Good. At least it was morning and she didn’t have to worry about sleeping again. Perhaps a good hot bath and some food would help ease her fears and leave her dreams behind.
She went to the bell pull and rang for the claw footed tub to be filled. Several servants arrived with buckets of steaming water and emptied them into the hip tub. As soon as they had finished, Sally came in with bed sheets draped across her arm and a saucer full of dried rose petals.
As Elizabeth relaxed in the rose-scented water while Sally fussed around her, the warm water began to ease her tense muscles. She closed her eyes and rested her head on the back of the porcelain tub and whispered a prayer that Jonathan would soon be his old self again.
“You goin’ look like a prune ifen you stay in that tub much longer, Miss Elizabeth,” Sally said as she wandered over to the wardrobe.
“But it feels heavenly,” Elizabeth said with a sigh as she sat up in the tub and began to lather, feeling much more like herself than she had before her bath. “What do you think I should wear today?”
“It’s still awful chilly outside, but I think you need somethin’ bright. Somethin’ cheerful. Folks been mopin’ ’round here way too much,” Sally said as she peered into the wardrobe.
All Elizabeth could see was Sally’s big rear end sticking out of the doors. “How ’bout this one?” Sally held up a pelisse of apple green gros de Naples material that fastened in front with circular slide buttons of the same color.
“I shall wear whatever you choose, Sally. You never fail to pick out the dress that suits me best.” Elizabeth stepped out of the tub and rubbed herself off in a soft bath sheet. She slipped into her chemise, then Sally helped her into the lovely dress.