Part 36
Liz's eyes felt heavy with the exhaustion that had driven her to her bed as soon as she had climbed up the ladder and entered her room through the window, with Maria's assistance. Derrick stood watch over the both of them, his orders plain. Liz foggily recalled the words Max had used as he stared sternly at him. They were terrible and to the point. Derrick could not possibly misunderstand his meaning.
' Should anything happen to them, you won't live to regret it"
Derrick remained their large, looming shadow till Liz was safely through the window, and no doubt, till Maria was safely through hers. Her heart skipped a large leap as her mind and body were warmed with thoughts of Max.
Her eyes drifting open she stared sightlessly ahead, not seeing the dawn that broke over the horizon, or the beautiful painting of colours that greeted her eyes. She hardly felt the gentle breeze that caressed her from the still open window. All she could think about was Max.
Oh Max.
Tears filled her eyes as she remembered the tender way he had gazed at her, the gentle touch of his callused fingers as they trailed down her cheek. And the gruff way he had said goodbye.
Liz wondered if it was forever.
She couldn't bear the thought. She couldn't believe that he wouldn't come back.
It was an irrational thought she knew. For why should he! He was a criminal, fleeing for his life. Should he return here, he would be hanged on sight! And why should he return in the first place? surely not for her! Liz feverently hoped so regardless of her skeptical mind.
As far as she knew, she had not heard one word of tenderness, of love, of anything...to prove that he cared for her, even a little, even enough for him to want to never let her go, never live without her.
Liz closed her eyes in despair and buried her face in her pillow. He knew she loved him. She had as good as told him when she had come to him in his cell that first night. Granted he couldn't answer her because of the guards untimely return, but he ad plenty of chance the second time, plenty of time.
And he had not said the words she desperately wanted to hear.
I love you. I can't live without you. Come with me. I'll come back for you. I promise.
It was like a dagger through her heart, and she had returned home, hardly aware of the chilly, dark night, nor of her two silent companions as they walked through the streets. Maria brooding over Michael, Derrick his hand always close to his sword and pistol, keeping close eyes on them and the darkness around them.
Liz wondered where he was now. If he was alive and well. If he had successfully escaped the soldiers that will undoubtedly be looking for him now. It was to be his hanging today after all.
Liz felt her stomach heave at the very thought. Oh heavens. All of a sudden she was feeling rather sick.
Perhaps it was the vision of Max dangling in the air with a tight rope around his neck. His neck broken, his eyes blank and lifeless...
Liz couldn't control the urge any longer. She bolted off the bed and painfully stumbled to the chamber-pot that lay in the corner of her room. In seconds, the meager contents of her stomach were deposited in the pan.
To her further horror, that was also the moment that the door opened to let a young maid enter the room. No doubt to wake her and help her dress for breakfast. Oh lord, just the thought of it made her bend her head over the pot again to throw up once more. Except there was nothing left to deposit, only dry, loud heaves that alerted the maid to the fact that Liz was not in bed after all, but huddled in the corner emptying her stomach.
Her eyes widened and she gasped. "Oh my lady!" she exclaimed, rushing toward her, spying the chamber pot. " Oh my lady what's wrong, are you all right, are you sick? Should i call for a physician?" she spoke in a tone close to hysterical. Liz was mortified.
" N-no ..."
"Mary" she eagerly supplied when Liz could not figure out her name.
"...Mary. I am quite all right. I seem to have eaten something unagreeable yesterday. Nothing to worry about. I am fine." She lied.
Mary visibly relaxed, then seemed to remember herself, and stood and bobbed a curtsy. " Should i assist you in dressing now my lady?" she asked demurely.
Liz felt terrible, and could not say she minded the help.
"Yes Mary," she spoke softly, wanting nothing more than to crawl back into bed and sleep the pain away.
In her own manner, Mary appeared to have picked up on her mistress's distress and was very gentle as she helped her wash and dress. Liz was determined to meet her parents for breakfast. She must have news of Max and she knew they could supply it. Word of his escape would surely have reached them, even at this early hour and they would be up and anxious. Liz knew she must seek confirmation about her worst fears. She hoped they would prove false.
Glancing at the mirror as Mary did her hair, Liz observed the paleness of her skin, her red rimmed eyes, and her trembling mouth. She only hoped no one else did. When Mary was done Liz did her best to compose herself and went down to the breakfast room to breath a sigh of eternal relief, or to die inside.
Her body trembling she walked through the door to the breakfast room, ready to confront her parents. However when she walked in, there was only her mother there, who was quietly eating breakfast as if it were an ordinary morning with nothing exciting happening.
Liz was not fooled.
"Good morning mother." she forced a cheery note into her voice. Lady Parker looked up, an anxious look crossed over her features at the sight of her daughter, but was gone in an instant. If Liz had not been watching for any sign in her mother's face intently, she would have missed it. Now she knew that something was the matter. Nancy smiled invitingly.
"Elizabeth sweetheart, how are you this morning? Did you sleep well?"
Liz walked to the table and took a seat next to her mother. "Yes mother. It was very restful." and said nothing more.
Nancy grew silent as well, as if unsure where to go from there. It was as if suddenly, her daughter was a stranger, and they never before have sat around the breakfast table and talked endlessly of anything and everything.
"Where is father?" Liz suddenly inquired casually.
Nancy grew suddenly agitated at the mention of Jeffery. Oh yes, Liz thought. They have definitely received news.
"Oh, he is in his study. Business you know," she waved her hand airily. " Something that required his attention." She was silent after that, and Liz contemplated simply asking her outright, but refrained from doing so. Let her mother think she was oblivious. She would go to her father instead, he would be the one with the most answers.
At the moment, a steamy breakfast plate was placed before her. Liz stared down at the contents in horror. The strong aroma filled her nostrils. When it should have made her mouth water and her stomach growl hungrily, all it did was make her feel sick.
Tearing her eyes away from the plate she shoved her chair back in a very unladylike way, at the present time not caring about her mother's astonished expression. Quickly she excused herself, not able to give an explanation. Instead she hurried upstairs to her room and gently climbed onto her made bed, where she lay for a full hour, waiting for the pain to go away. The effect this entire ordeal had on her was too large. She could not even look breakfast in the face!
There was a knock on her door. Liz opened her eyes lazily, and uttered a faint 'come in', thinking it was Mary or some other maid, or her mother come to check on her. Her mind raced to think of an excuse for her behavior.
"Elizabeth?" came the decidedly masculine voice.
Liz's eyes widened at the sound of her father's voice. She gingerly sat up to see him standing hesitantly by the door.
"I hope i am not intruding?" he asked.
"No-" she started but it came out like a croak. She cleared her throat. " No not at all father. What is the matter?"
Slowly he came into the room. " Your mother told me that you behaved very oddly at breakfast-" he paused, as if unsure how to continue," she believes it might be because of today's significance." He need not have elaborated. Today's 'significance' was Max's hanging.
"Father i-"
"No no, please Lizzy, do not say anything," he cut in quickly moving to the side of her bed to sit by her." I know it is something very unfortunate that should happen. I-I know that you did not wish for him to thus convicted. But..." he took a deep breath, " I hope you can understand that his piratical crimes also lay against him,and that my position as your father made me want justice for my daughter." He said in an emotion thickened voice.
His hand touched her hair. " You are my only child, and the thought of losing you was unthinkable. It would have torn me apart." Liz blinked back tears at the words and feeling coming from her father.
"Oh father," she moved in to hug him. He held on tightly to her. " I love you father. Very much. I understand your need, but...I cannot help but feel terrible over the fact that this man never harmed me, but too care of me. It did not seem fair." she too, attempted to explain her own opposing position. Jeffery nodded his head, suddenly very sober.
"Well Elizabeth, it appears your wishes have been granted by some miracle." he said. Liz's breath hitched in her throat as those words ran through her mind.
"What?" whispered. She had to be sure!
Jeffery sighed in a resigned manner. His tone was both helpless and angry as he spoke. " I received word very early this morning, that he and his crew have escaped. It appears to have been some time during the middle of the night. They do not know how it had happened, but they believe that someone from the outside assisted them. The guards seemed to have been drugged, and hit over the head." He shook his head at his own words, as if he couldn't quite believe them. " They have searched and searched, and they are still searching, but there is not sign of them. They have..disappeared."
He was so intent on his thoughts that he did not see the visible relief and joy that lay in his daughter's eyes.
Liz thought that would be the end of it, however it appeared not to be so. It all began with the damning words that next came out of her father's mouth. " Lizzy...there is something you must know now."
Her eyes quickly turned suspicious as she watched him. She held her breath and wondered what he had to say.
" Lord Di Galvani is waiting in my study at the moment." The breath she was holding left her in a whoosh. " He was the one who arrived with the news.. He also told me, that the gossip will turn very vicious and wild over this, especially for you Elizabeth. He said that there will be suspicions and poisonous lies that would spread around about you and that pirate. They all know you had been abducted by him. There is enough gossip circulating about that, yet they have managed to remain kind and sympathetic to your plight. However now that he has escaped, tales will be told, about you, about him. This time, they will not be so kind."
His hand reached out to take hold of hers. " He is right Lizzy. I know how unhappy it will make you and the rest of us, should they turn on you. I cannot let that happen."
Liz swallowed a large lump in her throat. Touched by his speech, yet horrified at what he had to say next. She knew Lord Di Galvani. He did not come only to warn them. And considering her father's worried state, she knew he would agree to almost anything Di Galvani suggested to save his daughter any pain.
Her hands clenched tightly together she faced her father. " What did you agree to?" she demanded, trying to keep the anger and pain from her voice.
Jeffery wouldn't look her in the eye. He stood up abruptly, and gestured nervously toward her door. " Perhaps it will be better if you spoke with him yourself Elizabeth. Leastways, it should come from him." Liz knew there was no other recourse if she wanted an answer.
Nodding gravely she stood also and made her way past her father. He stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm. She looked at him blankly. He attempted a small smile.
" I love you Lizzy. I only want you to be happy."
Liz was too choked up with emotion to reply, but she nodded her head and smiled in returned. She understood. Her father was trying to save her, protect her, in the only way he knew how. She also knew it would be very hard for him to stand up to Di Galvani, being who he was. She was nevertheless apprehensive about what was truly decided in that study.
Whatever it was, it was enough to cause anxiety in her mother, and regret in her father.
Lord Parker preceded his daughter and opened the door that led to his study. Liz walked in, her heart beating frantically, her palms sweaty. She came face to face with the very devil.
Sean stood by the window where the sun rays streamed across, casting him in an unholy light. Liz involuntarily shivered. And even from so far away he seemed to notice, for his lips curved up in a cruel smile.
The trio stood in a long silence for a moment. Sean glanced at Jeffery and an unspoken message passed between them. Jeffery cleared his throat and made his way to the door.
" I shall-leave you to discuss things" he spoke hesitantly as he exited, closing the door behind him. It shut with an ominous click.
"Well Elizabeth. You are looking lovely this morning. It is as if you had not suffered the terrible ordeal you had." He spoke with such underlining mockery and sarcasm that Liz's ire was raised. She faced him squarely.
" You are mistaken my lord, it was no ordeal at all."
Sean gave a harsh laugh and looked her up and down. " I thought so."
Liz flushed beet red. Silence reined.
Sean broke it. " I suppose you are wondering why i am here." he said pointedly.
Liz feigned ignorance. " To tell my father of the pirate's escape." was all she said.
Sean shook his head. " Do not play games with me. You know i need not have come all this way to relay a simple message." He stepped toward her and Liz couldn't help the single step she took back. Sean's eyes glinted.
" Then what have you come here for?" she asked, regardless of the fact that she dreaded his answer.
" I came for you...Elizabeth." she spoke her name deliberately.
Liz glared at him. " Why?"
Sean laughed. " Have you not guessed yet? I want you...because Max wants you. I would not hesitate to be rid of you if not for that simple fact. After all, you are no long a maiden are you." He spoke it as a fact.
Liz blushed in total mortification. " And what makes you think that you shall even have me?" she bit out, stung by his show of absolute confidence.
He gave her a look that said she should have known the answer to that one. " Your father offered you to me once, he did not hesitate to do so again."
Liz gasped. Shocked. Her father! Her father had given her away once more to this-this beast? Oh heaven above...Tear clogged her throat as she thought of her fathers words in her bedchamber, his regretful expression. It all seemed to make sense now.
Lizzy...there is something you must know now...He is right Lizzy. I know how unhappy it will make you and the rest of us, should they turn on you. I cannot let that happen.
I only want you to be happy...
Oh father, Liz thought mournfully.
Gathering her courage around her she face Sean. " I will not accept you," she informed him coldly," and you cannot make me." She knew he couldn't force her to say yes. She thought she had stumped him there. She was wrong...
"You will accept me Elizabeth," he informed her causally. " because i can destroy the one person who matters to you most."
Liz's breath hitched in her throat as she stared at him in shock. " You-you're threatening to destroy my family-" she began incredulously, but was cut off by harsh laugh.
" No my dear Lizzy. After all..your family is more than one person." He gave her a knowing look. And slowly, every so painfully, it began to dawn upon her who he really was talking about.
" No," she whispered. Her eyes gazed up at him. " You can't get to him. Hes is gone. You can't get to him."
Sean came to stand so close to her she could feel his sharp breath upon her face. She fought the instinct to recoil. " I have my ways Elizabeth. He is out there, and he has nothing. I can easily find him."
She stopped breathing. Her eyes narrowed at him. " Then why haven't you already?" she demanded breathlessly. " Would it not have worked better to your advantage if he was already within your grasp? so you could better blackmail me?"
Sean shook his head. A small smile graced his lips. " That would just be too easy my sweet. Torturing you with doubts and 'what ifs' is much more satisfying. I could find me, and i could not. I could destroy him, or he could destroy me." He laughed then, as if the very last idea was quite absurd.
"However the important question is,." He gripped her shoulders, holding her cruelly still when she attempted to break free from him. His breath was hot against her ear. Liz shuddered in revulsion and despair. " are you willing to take that chance?"
Oh heaven help her. Was she!