Spellbound: The Awakening of Aislin Collins Page 15

  I offered him some of my stew but he politely declined, “Where do you live?” I asked.

  “I have been staying on the outskirts of town, renting room and board. I am planning on moving into town soon, before the first winter storm comes.”

  “Will you be close to me?” I felt hope welling up inside me.

  He looked concerned, “Yes, but I do not know how our interactions will be . . . It all depends upon tonight.”

  “Tonight?”

  “I will talk to your father about your wedding arrangement and see if I can sway his hand towards accepting my proposal.” He looked anxious and I felt his grip on my hand tighten just slightly.

  The butterflies in my stomach were fluttering so hard that I could not eat anymore. I was trying my best not to show how happy I was, not in front of all these eavesdropping strangers. Even so, a smile slipped passed my guard.

  Greer was smiling too. His nose crinkled a little and his teeth shone perfectly white—they almost sparkled. He was so handsome, so perfect, and he loved me.

  “Are you done eating?” he asked. I nodded and we stood to leave the tavern.

  “Where will we meet the gentleman who is giving us passage home?” I asked.

  “He walked into the tavern only minutes ago. He is sitting over there,” he pointed to the far end of the room. Greer's back had been to the door the whole time.

  “How did you know he entered the tavern?”

  “I could hear him. He has a limp. It gives his gate a distinct sound.” He took my hand into his, gathered up all my fabrics and purchases, and made his way to the old man.

  The man waved happily at us and then bade us to follow him out of the tavern and to a small, enclosed carriage. It was pulled by two beautiful brown horses whose breath looked like smoke in the cold dark air.

  Greer lifted me into the carriage, loaded all our possessions into it next, and then finally found a place next to me. He was far too big for the tiny seats and I sat on his lap to allot him as much room as possible. Neither of us complained about this arrangement.

  We were completely alone in the carriage as we were driven back to town. I rested my head upon his shoulder and he wrapped his arms tightly around me. The night air was frigid and I clung to him for warmth, although I found that his body did not radiate heat the way mine did.

  “I am sorry that I am not doing a good job of warming you my love,” he said, as he tried to pull his coat around both of us.

  “I am comfortable. It is nice to be alone with you,” I sighed contently.

  He kissed my cheek and hugged me into his chest. I felt happy, more so, I felt complete. Yet the carriage ride ended all too soon and thrust us back into the cold night air, giving us a sudden slap that awoke us back into the reality in which we lived.

  ********************

  Greer stepped out of the carriage first and then he lifted me out. He paid the old man who had kindly driven us back. The little man tried to refuse Greer, but in the end, he took the money, wished us well, and then rode off. The door to my house was open, and the light from inside silhouetted my father's frame as we walked up the path.

  “Thank the Lord that you are safe,” he said, as he hugged me.

  Greer waited patiently on the front steps while my father examined my face, placing both hands on my cheeks and looking into my eyes. “I heard what Zachariah did today. Let us get you inside and warm you by the fire.” He turned to Greer next. “How can I thank you for seeing my daughter home safely?”

  “There is no need for thanks,” Greer said while balancing all my purchases in his arms.

  My father noticed the bundles and bade Greer to come into the house. “The least that I can do is to offer you some food and the warmth of the fire sir,” he insisted.

  My father took some of the bundles from Greer's arms, and then properly introduced himself, “I am Gerald Collins and you are . . . ?”

  “Greer Ruthven, of Perthshire, Scotland.”

  My mother embraced me, “We did not know what happened to you. We have been praying the whole time.” Her voice was weary and I could tell that I had frightened her. I knew she thought that the Puca and its master had finally gotten to me.

  “Greer protected me from Zachariah and found someone to give us a ride home.”

  Greer and my father went into the kitchen, and my mother and I followed. My mother quickly set up tea and I helped to place down cups.

  “I did not know that Zachariah was such a fiend. If I had, I would never have agreed to let Aislin marry him,” said my father in a feeble voice.

  “Is she still promised to him, even after his behavior today?” Greer questioned.

  My father sat quietly and thought about how to answer the question. As I poured his tea, his eyes caught mine and he shook his head. “Aislin never wanted to marry him. It was by my force that she was committed. You must understand that his father wields great power in this town and my business, our whole livelihood, could be destroyed at his word.” He looked from Greer, to me, and then to my mother. “I think that I now possess enough leverage to withdraw from our agreement . . . although I dread what the consequences will be.”

  “What if Aislin wanted to marry someone else?” Greer asked with a forced casualness.

  My father lifted his gaze to me and I smiled slightly, acknowledging that I indeed wanted to marry Greer.

  My father seemed to understand, “Aislin has not been raised like other girls. I have tried to force her to behave the way a typical girl would after years of giving her the same freedom that a boy would enjoy. I cannot take away her liberties again, so the choice of who Aislin will marry now rests in her hands.”

  Greer and I smiled at each other and I felt color flood into my cheeks.

  My father raised a hand to quench our excitement. “Of course, I will require that you demonstrate that you can aptly provide for her before I will allow you to take her as your wife. I do, after all, need to look after my daughter's welfare.”

  Greer nodded in earnest understanding, “I would expect nothing less. I will send a letter to my estate and request proof of my wealth. I assure you that you will find my financial status to be more than adequate,” he said confidently.

  “We can find a post boy to carry your letter with the next ship out, although it will be quite expensive,” my father added hesitantly.

  Greer did not flinch at the suggestion of expense, “I will hire a post boy first thing in the morning.”

  “As soon as I can hold verification in my hands, you can make her your wife. I will inform the Marthalers of the relinquishment of our agreement in the morning.”

  I could hear a tinge of anxiety sneaking passed my father's businesslike mannerisms. Mr. Marthaler terrified him.

  I could not help myself. I threw my arms over the table and hugged my father, “Thank you Father. You have made me so happy.”

  He returned my hug and smiled, “It is nice to see you in high spirits again.”

  Greer was smiling too, and graciously shook my father's hand. My mother rushed over and gave Greer a hug, welcoming him into the family.

  “Where do you stay?” my father asked.

  “I have been staying outside of town, but I will move to the Inn tomorrow. It is closer and I can make sure that Zachariah does not bother Aislin again.”

  “What about tonight? It is late, and you cannot walk out of town by yourself.”

  “I can manage.”

  My father stood from the table and looked at my mother, “We have an extra room that you can have for tonight. I do not think it would be appropriate for you to stay more than one night now that you are in pursuit of my daughter's hand. But I would be honored for you to stay here for the time being, and tomorrow I will help you gather your possessions and move to the Inn.”

  “That is very kind of you sir,” Greer said thankfully.

  My mother and I went up to the extra bedchamber and made it ready for company, while Greer and my father talked
of his wealth, land and education.

  I was not allowed to go back downstairs, but was told to change into my bedclothes and try to rest. It was already passed midnight.

  ********************

  Sleeping would be impossible. Greer was only a room away from me and I could not think of anything else. Sneachta thumped me with her tail in aggravation and stuck her claws into my foot more than once when I had shifted in the bed. She may be faerie, but she is also a cat and has the sharp needle-like claws to prove it. I threatened to raise her in the air and she swiftly stopped her temper tantrum.

  I heard movement downstairs and flew out of bed. Was Greer leaving? I wondered as I quietly made my way down the stairs. I was almost half way down when I saw a dark figure looking up at me. Two hands reached up and lifted me from the steps, placing me gently on the floor.

  “I have to hunt. I have not fed in a long while,” he whispered to me.

  “Will you come back?”

  He ran a hand through my hair and carried me silently back to my room. “I will return as soon as I can. You can wait up if you like, and we can talk when I return.”

  In an instant, he was gone. I ran to the window to see if I could catch a glimpse of his shadow in the moonlight, but I saw nothing.

  I flopped back into bed and snuggled Sneachta against her will. I was daydreaming about our wedding and being forever with Greer. I thought of the look on Zachariah's face when he discovered that I would not be his bride, and that made me smile.

  It seemed like hours went by and Greer had not returned. I busied myself by practicing lifting, spinning and dropping objects onto my bed.

  “You are getting very good at that,” his soft voice said from the corner of my room.

  I smiled and opened out my arms for him to come to me. He leaned in to kiss me and I spotted something on his lips. I reached up with my finger and wiped it from his bottom lip. In the darkness of the room, the liquid looked black upon my finger. I held it close to my face so I could see what it was, but Greer placed my finger between his lips and licked the droplet away. I knew then that it was blood. I did not want to know what type of animal had lost its life tonight. I felt very connected to all the animals that dwelled in the forest by my home.

  “Did you find enough food?” I asked.

  “Yes, my energy is restoring now. I feel much stronger than I did earlier today.”

  He climbed onto my bed and held me near him. I could feel how powerful he had become after feeding. His grip was stronger than it had been before, even though he was trying to be gentle with me. He was warm too: heat was radiating off his skin, which even in the candlelight, was now quite dark in comparison to mine.

  “What about my parents?” I asked.

  “They are sleeping. Do not worry about them.”

  I rested my head upon his chest and played with his hair, “Greer?”

  “Yes my beloved?”

  “Why did you decide to ask my father for my hand? You told me that we had to be as discreet as possible and that I had to pretend to be Zachariah's fiancé . . . . and now . . . .”

  Greer breathed in deeply and pressed his cheek against my hair, “Do you remember earlier today when you asked me if I wanted to marry you?”

  “Yes,” I said while looking up into his face, his eyes were shining back at me.

  “That is why. When I saw Zachariah near you at the port after being with the whore, when I saw the look on your face as he came near you, I could not tolerate it any longer. I realized that by hiding this way, I was denying my love for you. You had every right to question my intentions towards you. I need you to know that I love you and that you are more important to me than anything else that exists in this world. If I would not come out of hiding, I could not prove that to you and I risked losing you in the process.”

  “You would never lose me.”

  “I lost you for a long time.” As the memory of my death returned to him, he pulled me even closer into his embrace.

  “What are we going to do about Lamont?” I questioned, almost afraid to hear the answer.

  “I do not know yet,” he said in a frustrated tone, “We will figure out something. Now sleep my love.”

  “I do not want to,” I protested.

  “Why? You must be tired. The sun is almost up.”

  “If I sleep, then you will leave and this will have been our only chance to spend such time alone together.”

  “I promise that it will not be our last night alone together,” he laughed quietly.

  I yawned and stretched and I fell quickly asleep in his arms.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  November 30th 1734

  When I awoke, Greer was no longer at my side. I felt my heart pounding against my chest and I frantically looked around the room. Had he left? Had he changed his mind about us? I bolted from my bed and pulled the bedroom door open. I was flying down the stairs in search of Greer.

  As I bounded down the steps, I heard the most beautiful sound, the sound of his laughter. I stopped abruptly and realized that I had not combed my hair, nor washed my face and that the linens had left creases on my skin. I froze in the middle of the stairway, and then tried to creep back up to my room.

  “Good morning Aislin,” his soft words seemed to be whispered directly in my ear, although he was nowhere near me.

  “Good morning Greer,” I groaned.

  I turned back and walked down the stairs, while I tried to smooth my hair with my hands.

  He was sitting with my father, who was having tea and bread for breakfast. My mother was busy cleaning the kitchen, while Sneachta was secretly being fed Greer's breakfast from underneath the table.

  “Aislin, I will be helping Greer get settled into his lodging today, and then we will be visiting my shop. I would like for you and your mother to meet us there at twelve o'clock and bring us lunch.”

  I nodded that I understood, and tried not to look at Greer. I would surely blush if our eyes met, and I did not need to hear my father's laugher.

  They stood from the table and my mother grabbed their coats. My father kissed her while Greer and I struggled not to embrace. I walked into the other room to avoid my father's suspicious glares and they left.

  “Help me wash the linens,” my mother said.

  I rolled my eyes at the thought, but went into the kitchen and placed the large copper pot on the fire. Then I went upstairs and collected all the linens from our beds. I absolutely hated this job but at least I did not have to fetch the water by myself anymore. That task has not been mine since the Puca showed up.

  “You can roll your eyes all you want,” my mother said in annoyance, “but you will learn that a woman's work is continuous.”

  I shook my head and piled the bundles of linens onto the kitchen table, while my mother gently placed them into the boiling water. After the caldron was full, she turned her attention to washing the dishes in another bucket that was filled to the brim with soapy water.

  “Get ready to dry as I wash,” she said to me while she seated herself next to the caldron and started to scrub.

  I stood by her side and wiped dry every dish that she handed to me and then placed them back to where they belonged.

  “Has Greer told you anything about Lamont?” she asked in a casual tone.

  “Nothing more then I have already told you.”

  “You must find out all he knows. If he has truly been following this man across the ocean, then he surely must know how to destroy him.”

  I looked up from what I was doing, “Do you not trust him?”

  She furrowed her brow and concentrated on her work, “I like Greer, but I find it odd that he is letting Lamont linger about you when he is obviously a threat to your well being.”

  “I do not think Greer knows how to destroy him, but he has been protecting me since he arrived in Burlington,” I said defensibly.

  The water splashed as she dropped a plate back into the bucket. “Well, I will talk to him and fin
d out what he is not telling us.”

  “Why?” I protested

  She pushed her auburn hair behind her and scrubbed the dishes instead of looking me in the eye, “He is not telling us all he knows . . . I can feel it.”

  “Do not treat him as though he is the enemy!” I growled.

  She stood and peered down at me, using her height against me, “Aislin there is so much at stake here. I like Greer very much and I am happy for your engagement, but I will not have my senses dulled and forget that you are in danger. Do not forget that you are being hunted by this man and do not forget that Zachariah and his family are going to create havoc once they learn of your rejection . . . and that Martha and Becky have been threatened as well,” she snapped.

  I looked down as the weight of her words sunk in. They pierced through the thin veil of my happiness and ripped it to shreds. I was so caught up in my relationship with Greer, that I had let all the problems that I faced fade deep into the background. Nevertheless, they were still present and they were inescapable.

  “I will talk to Greer and find out all he knows,” I said in a defeated voice.

  “Go and start to dress Aislin. We will leave for the print shop in half an hour's time.”

  ********************

  Jack sat slumped in a corner of the print shop, his arms were crossed and he was staring guardedly at Greer. The shop was large, and most of the bulk was designated to the printing equipment and supplies needed to run my father’s business. The main entrance was bright and cheery, with soft yellow paint and there were many open windows to let in the sunlight. Across from the front door was a long counter where my father could greet clients. My mother was unloading the food she had brought onto this counter and my father was behind it, in the back of the shop, showing Greer how the copperplate printing press was used to print currency.

  I followed them around and found a pile of unprinted news reports that I could read on my own. Most of the news was rather uninteresting, although a few articles mentioned the Governors Ball and on the very bottom of the stack was a note in my father’s handwriting, mentioning something about the disappearance of a slave. My mother called me to the front of the shop to finish helping her prepare for lunch, and I left the stack of papers where I had found them.