The Point of No Return
Chapter 6
"Going somewhere, Emma?"
My throat went dry immediately and I found myself moving backwards as I tried to put as much space between us as possible. He took that opportunity to step into my room and closed and locked the door. My heart stopped – that door was Tommy's only way in. And now Lovejoy could do whatever he wanted.
"Well, dear," he spat out the pet name. "I would like to know where you intended on going with that suitcase."
My once endless supply of smart remarks seemed to be missing. Maybe it was because I knew I was trapped until Tommy came and was able to break open the door. Maybe it was just genuine fear. But for whatever the reason may have been, I could only manage to stammer a small, "Nowhere," as I continued backing away. And that in itself was a bad idea, because within moments I was with my back to a corner with Lovejoy right in front of me.
"Don't lie to me, Emma." He grabbed my arms, digging his fingers in until the skin started to bruise.
Then I came back to myself. Trapped or not, I wasn't going to let him hurt me. At least not without putting up a fight. "Where I'm going is none of your business," I growled and tried to yank my arms away from him.
He dug his fingers in deeper and I wondered if he would end up breaking skin. "Like it or not Emma, you are my fiancée and where you go is my business. And you will not deny me."
I was confused by those last words. But then his mouth was on mine and I knew exactly what he meant. Then his hands began to drift and I fought even harder. Turning my head quickly to the side I let out a scream. He covered my mouth after that, but someone had to have heard me. They had to. And I hoped desperately that 'they' was Tommy.
I fought against his hand, even tried to bite him, but couldn't get him to budge. But I didn't stop trying to scream. And then I realized the way we were standing . . . without another thought I quickly brought my knee up.
I thought I was home-free when I started to hear Tommy pounding on the door, yelling for me to unlock it. I moved around Lovejoy while he was incapacitated and started towards the door. But not fast enough. Still groaning in pain, he grabbed my arm and pulled, throwing me to the floor.
I screamed for Tommy as loud as I could manage. Lovejoy used his arm to pin me to the floor, pressing down hard on my chest as he raised his other hand to strike me.
BAM!
I heard Tommy hit the door and the wood splintered slightly.
BAM!
The second time the door swung inwards.
"You stupid bastard," Tommy roared. In a flash he had Lovejoy off of me and began throwing punches. "Go Emma. Get your things and run," he told me. But I felt like I couldn't move. All I could do was sit there and watch.
It was an even match, and there was even a moment when I feared Lovejoy might overpower Tommy. And sometimes it became hard for me to distinguish exactly who and hit whom and where. But ultimately Tommy was a better fighter, in spite of Lovejoy's police experience. With a low growl, Tommy threw his last punch, his fist making contact with the side of Lovejoy's head. Lovejoy stood a moment longer before crumpling down to the floor, bloody and unconscious.
"Come on," Tommy bent down and put his arm firmly around my waist before helping me to stand back up. In his other hand he grabbed my suitcase, which had been abandoned on the floor after Lovejoy first showed up, and then we set out not for third class, but second where we hoped to find Father Byles.
OooOOooO
"Are you sure it can't wait until the ship docks?" Father Byles asked. He had a very calm manner about himself as he addressed us, despite the rather haggard condition we had shown up in. When we arrived he first handed me a blanket to cover up with – apparently, Lovejoy had torn my dress and I had been too upset to realize it myself – and then asked what we had come to ask him.
"I don't doubt that you two already care very deeply for each other," he went on. "But it would probably be for the best if you would spend some more time together before committing to a lifetime before the eyes of God."
Tommy still hadn't gotten his temper back under control. "Did you see her dress? Or her bruises? We don't have that kind of time!"
"Tommy," I said quietly and grabbed his hand. "Calm down, he's just trying to help."
"If it truly is that urgent," Father Byles sighed. "While this is very last minute, I'm sure I could do it after Mass tomorrow morning." He sent us both a soft smile. "Now, you'll need to select which prayers you would like me to use, and of course your vows as well. And would I be correct in assuming you don't have rings to exchange?"
Tommy and I looked at each other and grinned before nodding in response to his question.
The whole process took a few hours and by the time everything was set for the next day, we were both starving.
"You think there's any chance he'll come down here lookin'?" Tommy asked as we walked to the dining room after I had dropped my suitcase of in his cabin and changed into a not-ripped dress.
"I don't know," I shrugged. My stomach did a few flips while I considered that possibility. But then after a moment of thought I shook my head. "No, he probably had a lot of explaining to do to whoever found him passed out in my room. Besides, his ego is probably going to need a while to recover," I told him, laughing slightly.
"It probably will, at that," Tommy replied. He lit a cigarette for himself as we walked and then one for me as well. "And then come tomorrow morning, he'll have lost his chance with you."
I chuckled and shook my head, taking a drag of the cigarette. "He never had a chance with me," I said and grabbed his hand.
We were just about to walk through the doors into the dining room when a thought hit me. Rose had no idea what was going on. She didn't know I was going to be married just the next morning. I stopped in my tracks and bit my lip as I tried to decide what to do.
"What's wrong?" Tommy asked, stopping as well once he realized he was two steps ahead of me. He came back and rested his hands on my shoulders. "Why d'you look upset?"
"I need to have Rose there with me tomorrow," I told him, shaking my head as I spoke. "She's my best friend, and for a long time she was my only friend. I can't get married without her there. I need to go tell her to be there tomorrow."
He sighed, a torn expression on his face. "Emma, I can't let you go back up there after what happened this morning. It's not safe for you to be up there."
"I need her there Tommy," I replied, my voice firm. "She has to be there."
Another sigh and he shook his head at my stubbornness. Then he paused, a grin slowly forming on his lips as he got an idea. He grabbed my hand and pulled me away from the dining room and to the general room. At first I had no idea what he was doing, but then the answer literally ran into us as Tommy pulled us into their path. Áine and Sean Riley.
"Hi Miss Emma," Áine greeted me cheerfully and wrapped her arms around my waist in a hug as Sean put on a shy smile and waved at me. Not wanting him to feel left out, I bent down to hug him as well once his sister let go.
"How would you two like to do a favor for Miss Emma?" Tommy asked. I turned to gape at him.
"You cannot send them up there," I hissed at him. But Áine and Sean responded with enthusiasm, drowning out my protest.
"No one up there has seen them before, nothings gonna happen to them," Tommy told me.
I continued to glare, but I knew he was right. Besides, they had a much better chance of being able to sneak up to first class than any adult. With a sigh, I knelt down so I was at face level with them and smiled. "Do you two remember the lady who came to the party with Jack last night?"
"The one who stood on her toes?" Sean asked.
"That's the one," I nodded and grinned at the memory. "Now, here's what I need you two to do . . ."
OooOOooO
"Emma, what is going on?" Rose asked as Sean and Áine each pulled her by her hands down into the general room. "They told me it was urgent."
"I'm getting married-"
"Yes, I know, Mother and Cal announced your engagement to Lovejoy at tea," Rose interrupted me. Her nose wrinkled in disgust as she said Lovejoy's name. It was a feeling I could identify with.
"No," I waved away her comment. I grabbed Tommy's hand and smiled at her. "I'm going to marry Tommy, tomorrow morning. But I can't do it without you there. Can you please come?"
Her mouth dropped open in surprise and she looked back from me to Tommy several times before seeming to accept that it wasn't some kind of joke. "Yes," she nodded slowly. "Of course, I wouldn't miss it for anything." She pulled me into a tight hug and then hugged Tommy as well.
Yay updates! As always, I need to thank all of you Constant Readers for your kind reviews. And in this chapter I also need to send a special shout out to Rainbow Haired Girl, who helped me out of a particularly nasty bought of writer's block on this chapter. As always, I can't wait to hear what you all think of this chapter, and I will begin working on the next one as soon as possible, although it may take a bit longer than usual since it is finals week, but I will do my best!
With love,
Meagan