Old & New Friends
"Well, well, well – if it isn't Mrs. Heath Barkley!" A cold voice taunted, as the person came into the room. Lily's heart sunk, as she heard the menacing tone in the voice. She turned to face the person and saw an older woman wearing a black dress, with a lace trimmed collar. It reminded her of the garb that Catherine's maid wore, and she wondered who the woman was.
"Do I know you?" Lily asked, trying to control her quavering voice, but it wasn't working. The woman coolly appraised her, and Heath's wife was reminded of how inferior she had felt all afternoon.
"Rather disappointing, quite frankly. A Barkley scion should have done much better for himself, but of course you married the bastard son, right?" The black garbed woman advanced into the room, until she was standing next to Lily. The taunt's sounded like the woman was enjoying herself, which sent shivers through the reddish haired girl
"Your sister-in-laws are so much more impressive – a titled heiress and an acclaimed actress! And then there is you!" The voice was filled with contempt, but also had an undertone, as if the woman had read her most private thoughts. It had been hard for Lily to feel that she was being compared to Samantha and Catherine, by everyone she met. That was part of the reason she'd felt the overwhelming need to flee the main salon.
"God, how pathetic can someone be? You look like melted pink pudding, crumpled and wrinkled! I can see how Heath would marry you – he is a weak spined fool who would want a nobody for a wife." The voice was harsh and accusing, and Lily had a moment of clarity – the woman's agenda was with Heath, not her.
"I don't know who you are, but my husband will be here shortly, and he will take care of you!" Lily declared, her temper flaring up among her feelings of inferiority. It was disheartening to hear the woman laugh dismissively.
"Oh please, where has your husband been all afternoon?" The woman in the black dress took a white rag out of her pocket. "With Heath, at the end of the day, it is always all about him, my dear; have you not figured that out yet? Not only are you pathetic, but you are stupid also!" The words rang in Lily's ears, as the rag was forced over her mouth while something too sweet smelling filled her nostrils.
Lily felt like her limbs were weighed down with lead, and when she tried to move her arms she couldn't. Her head hurt, and she felt dizzy, as she looked around the room. She was surprised to see that she wasn't in the sitting room anymore, rather a dark, dirty room lit by candlelight. Lily realized that she was tied to a chair, and being watched by the woman in the black dress. That made her remember the scene in the sitting room, and what the woman had said.
"Who are you?" Lily managed to croak, her throat feeling like someone had poured sand down it. The woman advanced toward her, with a glass of water that looked none too clean. She turned her head away, to avoid drinking it, but to no avail.
"Please, it is just lukewarm water, nothing in it! I've already drugged you to get you here." The woman told her in a patronizing voice, sounding like a governess talking to a disobedient child. Lily realized she was parched with thirst, and drank some of the brackish tasting water. Having her thirst quench gave her hope, but she saw that she would need her wits about her, to get out of the situation.
"Why am I here? So you can throw insults at me? I'm not the one dressed like a servant!" Lily summoned every ounce of bravo she had in her, as she replied to the woman. She had not spent the last month at the big house, not to understand about servants.
"Your husband is the reason why I'm dressed like a servant! If Heath had not been so concerned about his own skin, I would not be in this position." The woman's laugh rang hollowly around the room. "Of course, you are in the position you are in for the same reason – at the end of the day, Heath only cares about Heath!"
"Why do you hate my husband so much? And how do you know so much about our family?" Lily was trying to figure out what the woman's agenda was. It had been hard to hear her cutting comments about how she compared to her sister-in-laws, but she knew that she had to rise above the hurt she'd felt all afternoon.
Her safety depended on it, and she also had faith in her husband, as well as Zack Morton. It was disheartening to realize that her life came down to her husband who had always put something else ahead of her feelings and needs, and a man who had feelings for her that he shouldn't have.
"My husband and Heath were partners in a mine in the Sierra Nevada's – they struck gold fairly easily. Mind you, not a lot, but some, with the promise of more. Your husband decided that he was done and wanted to move on – he took his profits, and signed the rest of the mine over to my husband." The black garbed woman, with her flat brown eyes and grey hair under the lace cape explained.
"There was more gold in the mine, and but it required deep rock mining! That takes money, and my husband tried to raise capital for that. If Heath had stayed with him it would not have been a problem, but he baled before the going got tough!" The woman splattered, drops of her spittle hitting Lily in the face.
"I'm sorry, Mrs.? What is your name?" Lily hoped that by keeping the woman talking it would prolong her life.
"I am Mrs. Tobias Collins; however, since I've become a servant, I'm known as Maud Collins." The woman answered in almost a conversational tone, which gave Lily some hope.
"What do you mean, enter service?" Lily wanted nothing more than to keep the woman talking, hoping that Zack had found Heath. She hoped that her husband would come to her rescue, once he knew the situation.
"Oh, aren't you the grand lady – 'enter service'?' please! My husband died trying to get gold out of that mine. I was trying to keep body and soul together, and a sharp dressed man offered me money for my husband's share. Imagine my surprise when a year later the mine hit a deep vein gold. If my Tobias had not had to pay Heath off, he could have bought the equipment to have found that vein. However, your husband took that all away!" Maud Collins screeched, as she regarded her captive.
"Tobias worked himself to death for nothing, leaving me a burning desire for revenge. I made it my goal to track Heath down, and get even with him." The black garbed woman was suddenly calm again, as she went on "I have supported myself as a house maid, while tracking Heath. I followed him to Stockton, where he came into the Barkley largesse, and then heard that he had married." Maud huffed, "I couldn't get a job in Stockton, but in San Francisco. I work for an agency that places maids in rich households, so I was able to keep track of everything happening with the Barkley's, especially Heath."
"I don't understand why you came after me, instead of Heath?" Lily inquired, getting concerned about the odd look in the woman's eyes. It was apparent that her hatred had consumed her mental sanity.
"Do I have to explain everything? Heath will come after you, and then I will kill him. You can watch, and then you will be a wealthy widow, which trust me is better than being a poor one!" Maud explained simply.
"But you've already said Heath only thinks of himself; what if he doesn't come? Or, find me?" Lily was puzzled by the mad woman's contradictory statements. She wanted to keep the conversation going, while figuring out a way to get loose. The ropes were very tight though, and every time she moved they cut into her skin. She was also shivering, due to the fact she was only wearing her pink gown.
"He'll come, don't worry – you are his wife! Plus, his brother was at the party too, and Heath cares what the family thinks of him." Maud retorted with certainty, "I made it a point for the doorman to hear the address I gave the cab drive. They will track us down!"
Lily shook her head, seeing all kinds of holes in the woman's theory. The most obvious one though begged to be answered "What are you going to do if he brings the police?" Even if Heath thought he could do this all on his own, she was sure that Jarrod would provide the voice of reason.
"It won't matter. I will threaten to kill you, unless he comes in alone. I have it all thought out!" Maud declared, with a toss of her head.
Maud didn't know, but Heath had heard the whole conversation and knew the woman was dangerous. He had not thought of Toby for years, and was sad to hear that he'd died like he had. Heath knew he wasn't responsible for the man's death, but understood why his widow blamed like she did.
It was taking all of his self control not to go rushing up to Lily, to save her. Heath saw though how the black garbed woman was waving the gun around. He was afraid that she might accidently discharge it, killing anyone of them. He snuck back to where Harris was waiting, and explained what was happening. They then motioned for Zack to come in, and told him what was going on. Heath proposed a plan that both Harris and Zack disagreed with, but in the end went along with.
Heath made his way outside, and around to the front door, while Harris and Zack silently moved into position inside. The youngest Barkley found the police officer, and told him the whole story. After discussing what was going to be done, the police officer moved slightly back from the house. The three other officers did the same, which was the signal.
Walking up to the front door, where he made pretence of knocking loudly, before turning the knob to enter. Heath walked into a dark room, and then saw faint candlelight coming from the back storage area. He strode over there, calling Lily's name as he did so. Taking a step into the store room he stopped when he saw her tied to a chair, with a gun held to her head.
"Heath, please get out of here! She wants to kill you!" Lily had never been so relieved to see anyone before, but the notion that the man she loved was going to die was too much to bear. The tears started coming down her face, and Heath had never felt so helpless in his life.
"Maud, you want me, not her! Please let her go." Heath appealed to the woman, even as he noticed the deranged look in her eyes. "Why do you want to kill me?" He already knew, but needed to buy some time for Harris and Zack to get into place. Maud went through her whole story again, while the blond haired man slowly moved closer to where she was standing.
Before she realized it, Heath was next to her, and lunged at her, causing her to loss her balance. The gun went flying, as Harris and Zack rushed up to subdue the woman. Heath jumped up and headed over to Lily, where he quickly untied her. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard, never wanting to let her go.
"You could have been killed Heath!" Lily announced, as the tears streamed down her face. She was snuggled up against him, trying to get warm. Heath felt her shiver, and pulled her tighter against him, as he told her how much he loved her. Lily heard the passion and emotion in his voice, as he talked, which made her tears flow even faster.
Zack Morton and Harris were busy wrestling with the woman whose madness had caused her to take on super human strength. Zack had been taught never to strike a woman, but Maud Collins was making it hard to keep that principle. Luckily for them, Phillip Harris, a hardened Pinkerton man had long since shed such scruples. He finally subdued her with a right upper cut that took her out, while Zack looked on in shock and awe.
"Is she possessed?" Zack asked, never having seen that kind of strength before, especially from a woman. He was breathing heavily, as he watched Harris tie her up, before the police came rushing in. The young man realized that his evening clothes were torn and beyond repair, while his ribs felt like he had wrestled a two year old steer to the ground.
His pain and discomfort were increased when he looked at Lily happily ensconced in Heath's arms, as he kissed her with abandon. Zack's earlier thought, about wanting to get drunk came back to him with a vengeance. The next ten minutes were spent with the police taking Maud Collins away, after getting statements from everyone involved.
"Can we get out of here, Heath? Lily asked, once the procedures were all one. Heath nodded his head, and smiled happily at her. They said thank you to Harris and Zack, Heath shaking the Morton's hand gladly. Zack was a good man to have in a fight, and he told him that, which caused laughter. He then led Lily out of the house, and into a waiting cab. Once inside he put his arms around her, and started telling her his plans for the rest of their life together.
Phillips Harris brushed off his tweed suit, and took out his side arm for a quick check. It was one of the new pieces from the German arms firm of Krupp, which Mrs. Nicholas Barkley had given to him. In his mind she was the most glorious woman he had ever met, and the fact that she had gifted him the gun only elevated her in his mind. The firing mechanism was state of the art, and he almost wished he could have fired it today. Glancing up from his gun he saw the young man in torn evening clothes standing alone.
Zack had a forlorn look on his face, as he watched Heath and Lily walk away, their arms around each other. Harris knew a thing or two about unrequited love, and felt bad for the young man in the torn evening clothes, with dirt on his face.
"Hey, do you want to go get a drink? There is a place that pours extra strong for law enforcement types – and the food is pretty good too." Harris offered, being pretty sure that his partner was more than ready to knock a couple back.
"Yea, why don't we? The drinks sound good, but I think the food is optional!" Zack stated, wanting to get so wasted that he couldn't make it back to his hotel room. He had been impressed with Harris already, and was sure that the man knew where to get a drink. It was going to be a long night, he decided.
Lily was very surprised when the cab stopped at a very elegant hotel, and not at Jarrod and Samantha's house. The signage announced it as the Empire Hotel, and stepping into the lobby she was taken aback at how elegant the décor was.
"Heath, what are we doing here? Shouldn't we be at Jarrod and Samantha's?" She was puzzled, and also tired, cold and dirty.
Looking at her tenderly, he smiled as his eyes twinkled. "We are going to go upstairs, to a lavish suite where you will take a hot, relaxing bath." He regarded her knowingly, as the continued on "After I've helped you out of that pretty dress, of course. We will then eat a very elaborate dinner, and drink champagne. Once we are done with that, Lily Barkley, I am going to spend all night showing you how much I love you."
The passion and intensity in his blue eyes took her breath away, and she wondered whether he would even wait until after the bath and dinner. Lily snuggled against him, sighing happily as she thought that. It was only as they were heading upstairs that a thought occurred to her.
"What are Jarrod and Samantha going to think when we don't come home?" Lily was trying to figure out how Heath was going to arrange it with his brother. It reassured her to hear Heath laugh, as he took her down the hall.
"I sent word to let them know that we are safe, and have plans for the evening. I'm sure they will figure it out." Heath got a wicked gleam in his eyes, as he added "Plus, it will be more considerate for them; they won't be woken up with you screaming in pleasure." Lily, in spite of being married for over a month, found herself blushing at what he was saying. It came to her that it was probably going to be a long night.