to deserve his empathy, though doubt and simple fear overrode the promise of anything better, as they always did, and I said woodenly, “I am unable to leave this place. Ginny would never let me go. She would kill me.”
Angus studied me in what appeared to be amusement. He said, his voice kind with its soft Tennessee drawl, “You are indeed going to accompany us, Lorissa. I will not leave without you in my company. Have you any relatives? Anyone to care for you?”
I shook my head wordlessly, the familiarity of despair weighting my chest.
He continued, “Then I will look after you. Fate has caused our paths to cross on this night, I am sure of it.”
I regarded him in amazement. I said truthfully, “Surely you can’t mean that. I don’t know you, I haven’t anything of my own. I would be nothing more than a burden to you.”
“No, it would be an unspeakable indecency to leave you here,” he said, looking intently into my eyes. “I will not. You will accompany us, and no harm will come to you, that I am able to promise.”
“Why would you do this?” I whispered, letting myself believe that he meant his words. I trusted him, improbable and perhaps illogical as it was to do so, I trusted Angus Warfield.
“Because it is the right thing,” he whispered back, taking my hand and pressing his lips to the back of my folded fingers. He added, “Thank you for the gift of your body. Please understand I will not be expecting this again. Christ, I am ashamed of myself.”
That he would tell me this was a testament to him as a man. I said, “Please don’t be ashamed. This is all I’ve known for years. It would be the only way I could possibly compensate you for allowing me to journey with you.”
“No, Lorissa, it would absolutely not. You are not in my debt. I am in yours. What belongings have you?”
Everything was happening too quickly. My head spun as I pushed myself to a sitting position, my hair loose and flowing over my arms. I reeled for a moment, and his hands upon my bare shoulders steadied me. I opened my eyes to his iron-gray gaze; he swallowed once before his face resumed its dignity, forcibly removing any last hints of undiluted desire. I said, “I have my clothes, my shoes. And my valise, just there,” and I indicated with an extended finger.
“Dress in clothes for travel and pack your things,” he instructed, moving efficiently into his own discarded garments. I watched, somewhat stupefied, as he collected my valise from the corner of the room. For a moment I felt the edge of panic beginning to rise within my belly; this room had been my home for nearly three years. It was all the security I possessed in the world. What would happen to me if he abruptly chose to rescind his generosity?
Oh, Lorie. Trust him, daughter. Let him take you from here .
Perhaps it was the nothing more than the essence of a memory, but my mother’s voice suddenly pleaded with me somewhere in the recesses of my desperation. I resolutely pushed aside the doubt and climbed from the narrow bed, God help me, for the last time in my life.
As we descended the stairs, I saw his companions were again at the bar, seated now and chatting easily with one another. Eva yet hovered near the man she’d been with, his hair now loose and hanging down his back. It was the glinting shade of corn silk, hair women would have fought over. Both men, though relaxed and enjoying themselves at the bar, exuded a sense of strength, a force similar to Angus; these were indeed men a person would do well not to take lightly.
I thought as we walked, Angus in the lead carrying my valise, made plump now with my belongings, that I might die before this hour passed. It was well into darkness outside, though the gaming tables were still crowded and the girls circulating, Johnny plunking out mellower tunes to suit the diminishing gaiety. I was wearing my only dress not crafted solely for the art of seduction, my plain, dark-blue muslin, buttoned all
Angus studied me in what appeared to be amusement. He said, his voice kind with its soft Tennessee drawl, “You are indeed going to accompany us, Lorissa. I will not leave without you in my company. Have you any relatives? Anyone to care for you?”
I shook my head wordlessly, the familiarity of despair weighting my chest.
He continued, “Then I will look after you. Fate has caused our paths to cross on this night, I am sure of it.”
I regarded him in amazement. I said truthfully, “Surely you can’t mean that. I don’t know you, I haven’t anything of my own. I would be nothing more than a burden to you.”
“No, it would be an unspeakable indecency to leave you here,” he said, looking intently into my eyes. “I will not. You will accompany us, and no harm will come to you, that I am able to promise.”
“Why would you do this?” I whispered, letting myself believe that he meant his words. I trusted him, improbable and perhaps illogical as it was to do so, I trusted Angus Warfield.
“Because it is the right thing,” he whispered back, taking my hand and pressing his lips to the back of my folded fingers. He added, “Thank you for the gift of your body. Please understand I will not be expecting this again. Christ, I am ashamed of myself.”
That he would tell me this was a testament to him as a man. I said, “Please don’t be ashamed. This is all I’ve known for years. It would be the only way I could possibly compensate you for allowing me to journey with you.”
“No, Lorissa, it would absolutely not. You are not in my debt. I am in yours. What belongings have you?”
Everything was happening too quickly. My head spun as I pushed myself to a sitting position, my hair loose and flowing over my arms. I reeled for a moment, and his hands upon my bare shoulders steadied me. I opened my eyes to his iron-gray gaze; he swallowed once before his face resumed its dignity, forcibly removing any last hints of undiluted desire. I said, “I have my clothes, my shoes. And my valise, just there,” and I indicated with an extended finger.
“Dress in clothes for travel and pack your things,” he instructed, moving efficiently into his own discarded garments. I watched, somewhat stupefied, as he collected my valise from the corner of the room. For a moment I felt the edge of panic beginning to rise within my belly; this room had been my home for nearly three years. It was all the security I possessed in the world. What would happen to me if he abruptly chose to rescind his generosity?
Oh, Lorie. Trust him, daughter. Let him take you from here .
Perhaps it was the nothing more than the essence of a memory, but my mother’s voice suddenly pleaded with me somewhere in the recesses of my desperation. I resolutely pushed aside the doubt and climbed from the narrow bed, God help me, for the last time in my life.
As we descended the stairs, I saw his companions were again at the bar, seated now and chatting easily with one another. Eva yet hovered near the man she’d been with, his hair now loose and hanging down his back. It was the glinting shade of corn silk, hair women would have fought over. Both men, though relaxed and enjoying themselves at the bar, exuded a sense of strength, a force similar to Angus; these were indeed men a person would do well not to take lightly.
I thought as we walked, Angus in the lead carrying my valise, made plump now with my belongings, that I might die before this hour passed. It was well into darkness outside, though the gaming tables were still crowded and the girls circulating, Johnny plunking out mellower tunes to suit the diminishing gaiety. I was wearing my only dress not crafted solely for the art of seduction, my plain, dark-blue muslin, buttoned all
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