Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.
Chapter 4:
A baby, how on Earth can his Sookie have a baby? While taking his bath Eric's mind was a battlefield. His happiness at seeing his very own love goddess in the flesh excited him more than any vision he could recollect. But the child called her mama…how could that be? Sookie was now his as far as he was concerned and he would do everything in his power to make it permanent…. but a child? Where is the father? Was she married? God she must have been a child herself…..perhaps she was ravished by that bastard Walker!
Eric's thoughts were interrupted by Mrs. MacTierney's knock at the porch door. "Dinner will be served shortly My Lord. We would be pleased to have you join us. Little Maggie will not move an inch from this door until you show your face, so don't be alarmed to find her lying by the door. She refuses to come to the table until you take her. Forgive me My Lord, but she thinks you are her father. Please don't be upset with her, you look very much like the portrait of Master Corbett. I told the child he was her 'Da'; instead of that no good bastard…oh, forgive my language…..please join us for dinner."
Now Eric's mind was certainly scrambled as the words 'that bastard' echoed in his ears. I have to get to the bottom of this.
Dinner was a simple shepherd's pie, only with rabbit instead of lamb. Making do with what food they had left from summer canning and what game Sookie and Jason brought home, had become more and more difficult and the tradable heirlooms were getting scarce. Sookie would not part with her mother's jewelry or the toys and souvenirs she and Jason collected from their travels, so everything else of value was already gone.
As far as Eric was concerned the food was delicious compared to the food he was given on the ship as a child. Food, however, was not his top priority….Where the hell was Sookie? Eric certainly had a one track mind when it came to Sookie.
"Mrs. MacTierney…..it would please me very much if you would call me Eric. My mother was a beautiful Scottish lass from the clan MacEwen and I am very proud of my Scottish heritage." The smile he received from the maid-cook-nanny was so sweet; Eric felt another chunk of ice melt from his heart.
"My father is from a very old and prominent English family, but he went against his father's wishes and married not only a commoner, but a Scott as well. So you see it would please me very much if you would consider me a friend, we might be related for all I know. Now….since we are friends…..where is Sookie and could you please tell me when she had little Maggie. Also, who the hell is the father you started to call that bastard?" Eric just couldn't keep his anger to himself. He needed to talk to Sookie now and she was avoiding him!
Earlier when Eric opened the porch door to find little Maggie fast asleep, he picked her up and carried her to the table. He continued to hold her as Mrs. MacTierney offered to fill his plate. Maggie's angelic face mesmerized and soothed his anger as he asked the questions about Sookie.
He didn't know why it was so important to him for Sookie to be untouched. He certainly was not an angel. He knew he already loved little Maggie, so why should he care who her father was?
Mrs. MacTierney began by acknowledging his name and asked him to call her Emmy as she told him a little about herself and how she came to be with the Stackhouse children.
"First of all, I too am very proud of my heritage. I married my dear Willy MacTierney when I was just 15 years old. As more and more Scotts were driven from either their land or the land they farmed as tenants, work was scarce so remaining in Scotland was impossible. He took a job on a merchant ship and we moved to a small flat in London. He was out to sea most of our marriage and when the telegram came telling me my Willie had perished, I went crazy with grief. I rushed to the docks to see his sweet face again. The captain informed me he was buried at sea and I had wasted the trip. I wanted to throw myself off the ship, but a little girl caught my attention. She told me I was pretty and I shouldn't cry and that her father would help me. That's when Corbett Stackhouse came to my rescue and gave me the job as governess to Sookie and Jason and made me a part of their family."
"Now I want you to understand that I love these children as if they were my own and when Joshua Walker came into their lives, he knew I despised him. He fired me and expected me to leave these defenseless children so he could control their inheritance. I never left them and his threats did not scare me. That being said, Sookie is not Maggie's mother. She is, however, the only mother this little angel has known." Emmy explained as she softly rubbed Maggie's silky hair.
"Her mother was seduced by that bastard Lord Walker and he forced her to marry him. Anna was Sookie and Jason's step-mother and she was a beauty. Lord Walker used her to get to my sweet babies' inheritance and now he lives off of their monthly allowance. Anna died the day after she gave birth to sweet Maggie, Magdalena is her full name, and Sookie promised her step-mother she would raise her as if she were her own. She has done quite well so far, but this winter has been very difficult for us all. Needless to say, that sweet angel you are holding will never know who her true father is because we all despise him. Since he spends his time in London, I doubt we will ever see much of him…unless he wants something from Sookie…but we will cross that bridge when we reach it."
Just then there was a knock at the door. When Emmy returned, she held a telegram clutched in her hand and tears in her eyes. "That no good devil has finally lost everything and needs my sweet Sookie. Now that bridge is much closer. He instructs us to prepare for a wedding. Seems London has had more snow than we have and the roads are icy. He intends to acquire a special license and he will grace us with his presence soon. Sookie's complete cooperation is demanded or else Maggie and Jason are destined for an orphanage." Emmy looked to the heavens, "Oh lord, help us all!"
Sookie was so embarrassed by what had happened earlier between her and Eric that she lied and said she had a headache and would not be down for dinner. I can't possibly face him again. I was hoping he would help us after he saw how we were faring, but now he is probably horrified at seeing my naked body.
Just then, Sookie's doorknob began to turn. "Please Emmy, I can't face Lord Northman. Tell him I will see him tomorrow and that I have a terrible headache."
"You look perfect to me." Eric whispered as he walked into Sookie's room.
"What do you want?" Sookie froze as Eric locked the door behind him and walked slowly toward her. She rose from her bed in her virginal white nightgown. It didn't matter if Sookie was wearing breeches or a white nightgown, she was sexy as hell and Eric's entire body hardened at the vision approaching him.
"Why my sweet Sookie…..don't you see, we must prepare for a wedding." Eric said in a matter-of-fact voice. "I came here to let you know we must leave tomorrow. We will all spend Christmas at Summer Hill Estate with my family. Since my mother's death…. and my need for revenge…..Eric thought to himself; our Christmases have been quite somber. I know your family and our wedding will make the holiday more pleasurable. My father's estate has acres of woodland and I am sure we will find the perfect tree." Eric kept waiting for the outburst from Sookie, but it didn't come. "Make sure you pack your special Christmas ornaments and don't leave anything of value behind….Lord Walker is on his way."
"You must be crazy if you think I will marry you just because you saw my body!" After the shock of the word married sunk in, Sookie once again became livid. "Wait…did you say that bastard, scum sucking, worm mouthed, devil spawn is coming here?"
"I did…but more importantly I also said we- are- to- be- married and you should get busy and pack. We must leave first thing tomorrow. I have already requested two carriages and a wagon from my father's estate." Still Eric waited for the argument.
"And….I also said there is no need for marriage. It was an accident and I won't hold you to making me a respectable woman. No one else knows, except Maggie, that you saw me naked, so…"
Eric interrupted and didn't allow her to finish, "Let me tell you a story and when I am finished…..then my sweeting, then you tell me whether we should marry or not." Eric softly rubbed the back of his hand along Sookie's velvety cheek as their eyes met. Slowly she nodded as her pulse quickened. How does he make me feel this way? She thought.
"When I was 12 years old Joshua Walker and his sister Miriam, took it upon themselves to rid my father of his family. While my father was away on business, my mother was accused of theft and sent to prison. My sister was taken to an orphanage and I was enslaved on a merchant ship." Sookie's eyes got huge with realization.
"One night while I was kept in a dark cabin," Eric watched Sookie's face as he continued with the part of his story that would forever join them, "a beautiful little girl came to me and asked a few silly questions…two days later my life was saved and the rest of my seafaring life was more tolerable. I never forgot that little girl and even envisioned her as mine."
Tears formed in Sookie's eyes as she understood what Eric was trying to tell her. She took two more steps toward him and hugged him around the waist. As she raised her tear stained face from his chest she asked, "You were that boy?"
Eric nodded. "And you were that angel. You saved me Sookie, I owe you everything. I was tortured physically and mentally until you went to your father. When Captain Wilson took over, I actually enjoyed the next four years. If I hadn't worried about my family, it would have been the most enjoyable time of my life. When my father finally found me and explained to the captain and your father's secretary that I was not a criminal and I was not hiding from the law, as Joshua Walker had accused, I was released to him. My mother died before I returned home and my sister, Pam was so traumatized she still cannot speak. So….my hatred for Joshua Walker has burned my soul since that horrible day I saw him drag my mother and sister away in chains." Eric continued to embrace Sookie.
"Now he plans to come here and force your hand in marriage! I will not allow it. You are to be my wife!" Eric calmed himself and continued, "we were destined to be together…..don't you see. We met, you saved me and we met again and now, I am able to save you."
"I appreciate what you are trying to do, but you don't love me. I don't want a loveless marriage and I am sure you don't want a wife like me. If your father is truly a Duke, then he will not approve of a merchant's daughter for a future Duchess!" She couldn't believe Eric's arrogance and high handedness so her only thought was to remove her arms from around Eric, but he stopped her.
"My father will see you not just for your physical beauty but for what you are inside. He cares nothing for social strictures or what society expects. Yes, he is a Duke, but he uses his rank to work for the poor. He has become a powerful voice in Parliament for the working class, but the homeless adults and abused orphans are his passion. So you see your family will please him as much as you all please me. Now look at me."
Eric's voice was low and demanding as he framed her face with his fingers. His strength and power surrounded her. He bent his head and before she realized what was happening their lips touched softly at first. His tongue swept across her bottom lip asking for entrance. Sookie had never been kissed before, but just the feel of his soft lips made her feel wanton in a way that she did not think existed. Her mouth opened and his tongue entered. She stilled for a moment, but the savage heat compelled her to follow his lead and their tongues slid together so sensuously she almost lost her balance. It was Eric's strength that kept her standing as his hard body seduced her.
At first Eric thought that kissing Sookie would be no different than kissing all the other women in his past. Wrong! Even though he had dreamed of this particular woman for years, the reality of finally kissing her and holding her was more than he could stand. He had only intended to kiss her senseless and get her to comply with what he was asking her, but passion overcame him and he could not stop himself. He had never lost control before. He prided himself at always being in control and never getting emotionally involved with a woman. Too late, he was definitely emotionally involved as his hand slowly rose to cup her very full breast. Sookie moaned at the contact as her nipples grew hard and the place between her thighs began to feel sensations she never felt before.
Eric couldn't stop himself from pressing his steel hard erection against her soft sensual body. Before he went any further, Jason knocked at the door, "Sookie, open up! We're packing. Headache or no, I need help. I am so excited…..Eric has Arabians…just like….just like we used to. Remember Sookie! Anyway, come and help me, I'll be in my room, struggling."
Sookie pushed away from Eric, but again didn't get far. "Just come, please. I need this…..you need this. Joshua won't be your guardian any longer and I don't need your inheritance. My father has the power to make Jason and Maggie my wards and I promise I will take care of you all…..for all time. Please, Sookie. Don't break my heart." Eric winked. "Joshua could be here anytime and I don't want him anywhere near you. Get packing." Eric kissed Sookie on the forehead and he was out the door to help Jason.
London:
This is disgusting. Joshua Walker couldn't understand why he was getting no help in acquiring a special license. He had no money and no respect among the Ton since his sister asked him to help destroy Sebastian Northman's family. Who would have known he was truly married to that common Scott? He needed Sookie's money now, so he would just have to kidnap her with…..laudanum….that should at least shut her up for the long coach ride to Gretna Green. To Joshua Sookie was just a means to acquire money, but taking her virginity would please him immensely.
As soon as the snow stopped, he hired a coach and was on his way. He sent a telegram to prepare them all, so they had all better be packed and ready for a wedding.
A/N: Will Eric and Sookie get married before Joshua gets there…..then there is consummation too. Sorry I was a little late with the update, but I will find more time this weekend to write. Next chapter Sookie's family meets Eric's father and Pam and Summer Hill Estate. Thanks for your reviews and alerts and of course, Christmas.
