I know! I broke my promise again. But, I'm going to try to get myself back on a regular posting schedule. And I hope this post makes up for the wait. :)

Enjoy!

Linny

Two Worlds

Chapter Nineteen

The sun had long ago slipped behind the horizon, dowsing the world in its tranquil blanket of night. A large fire had been built in the center of the small village, everyone crowding around it not for warmth, but for comfort and serenity. It was a nightly ritual for the people, because they were more than just a small community, but a family of sorts. Everyone cared for everyone else; it was just the way of things around here.

And they'd accepted both Jack and Sue with open hearts, of course Jack did receive the shorter end of the stick when it came to Sue's story. He could swear that the other women around the fire were giving him the evil eye, though he just chalked it up to the confusion he felt when he looked upon the beautiful princess as she silently signed to both Troy and Amanda. A brother and sister both stricken by the same illness and they both seemed to love Sue. His Sue. Something was wrong with this picture.

Drowning his sorrows in the pint of ale Bobby had handed him, he still couldn't resist watching the beautiful blonde angel from out of the top of his mug. He ached to know what they were saying to each other, wondering how many more half-truths she was telling people. No… that wasn't true. He didn't care if she lied to them or told them that she was heiress to the throne.

All that mattered to him was getting a moment alone with her so he could explain why he let his fears get to him. The problem was that she was never alone. If she wasn't talking to Troy around the fire, it was Amanda she talked to, the child obviously wanting her to tell another story.

The girl was asleep, now, her head lolling on her brother's shoulder as she struggled to stay awake, but sleep had finally claimed her and Troy resigned to carrying her to bed. Lowering his mug, Jack couldn't help but notice the nervous flicker of Sue's hazel eyes in his direction. Her lower lip had been caught between her teeth, the soft flesh being slowly ravaged under her own ministrations.

He sucked in a deep breath of air at the sight and got to his feet. Some of the ale sloshed down the front of him at his eagerness to stand and a cursed exited his lips before he could stop himself. Setting down his mug, he walked over to a small reservoir of water. He promptly took off his shirt and began dabbing at the stain.

Tara chuckled as her eyes made contact with Sue's. She'd been avoiding the not-so-gallant hero all day and someone needed to do some apologizing before Tara did it for them. Sue looked at her like she was crazy, but the only response she received was a firm "Go talk to him."

She resisted the stern glare she was receiving from her friend, but Tara seemed to up it a notch and could only comply. Taking a deep breath and a drink from her own mug, Sue took her first tentative steps toward the very confusing, yet melt-worthy man.

Edward sighed heavily as he stared at the map laid out before him on the table. The map of Hudson's land had previously been situated there, but was now rolled up and set back in its assigned spot, along with the others.

The map of the entire kingdom now lay out before him, strategically placed markers holding the positions of the four teams. Each had sent their reports in via pageboy and he would not receive another notice until tomorrow night. He prayed that weeks would not pass by until he heard his daughter was safe. He would join in the search as well if it added any hope in finding her.

"Sire, it will do you not good if you don't get any rest. Your generals will find her and will bring her home," Pitts said, finally being the voice of reason for once in his pitiful life. "It will do neither of you good if you are ill."

"How can I sleep, knowing she's out there, scared and alone?" Edward asked as a soft whimper came from underneath the table. If she had Levi with her he probably would not be as worried. At least then she would have some sort of protection, but she had no one. He just couldn't sleep knowing that fact. "Whoever took her will pay for this crime." He would make sure of it even if he had to take care of it with his bare hands.

Coughing uneasily, Pitts shifted from one foot to the other and back as he fought with the scenario that had formed in his mind. "Your Majesty, what if… what if she hadn't been taken?" he asked nervously and instantly regretted it when he received a glare that would mean death for any man who suggested such a thing. He cleared his throat and tried to shed some light on the subject, "Perhaps she ran away," but that statement only seemed to dig himself further into the hole he'd created. He quickly apologized and retreated back to his own quarters before saying something that could cost him his head.

The study door closed with a soft thud and Edward's head fell back in internal agony. Pitts could have been right. After everything he'd forced Sue into, she'd probably had enough and decided to settle her future her own way. She didn't want to marry Leland and her heart had been torn apart by the young Hudson's departure. Perhaps she'd thought it would be for the best…

He settled into his chair and pounded his fist on the thick arm of it. He refused to accept that! She wouldn't have done that! She couldn't have! Of course, the only argument he had against it was that if she had run away, she wouldn't have left Levi behind. The dog was her constant companion and above that, he was her ears. She wouldn't have left the animal behind unless she was forced to.

The dog whimpered as his head rested upon the distraught father's knee. Those calm, chocolate eyes told him volumes and more about what he already knew in his heart. Pitts was right, as much as he hated to admit it, that sniveling little toad had been right. She'd run away.

His head instantly fell into his hands in despair. Dear, God! What had he done?!

Her steps were slow and calculated as she fought not to trip over her own feet. The fire and the people surrounding it were long forgotten as her eyes traveled over the firm, tanned muscles of his shoulders. Each one was highlighted by the flickering flames, making it seem like they all moved of their own accord.

With each step she took, she found her breathing to be labored until she was certain she wasn't breathing at all. She'd never seen a naked man before. It was from the waist up, but he was naked nonetheless. She wanted to reach out and touch the sinewy muscles as he worked at the offending stain, oblivious to her close proximity and her eagerness to just touch him. Holding her hands at her sides, she resisted temptation and continued to take her struggling steps toward him.

She started when he quickly turned, his shirt returned to his back with one swift motion. She fell back as she lost her footing and closed her eyes in wait for her backside to meet the hard ground. But, the contact never came. She felt his firm grip upon her as he caught her, holding her safely from the marring earth underneath her.

One eye opened tentatively and then the other as his breathtaking gaze and handsome smile came into focus. "We've got to stop meeting like this," he quipped and was greeted by an amused smile from her. Setting her quickly to her feet, he apologized in sign. His hand curled into a fist and it circled his heart. "Sorry." It was the one sign he'd been able to pick up from her storytelling and Tara had been more than eager to tell him what it meant.

"You'll be using it a lot, I'm sure," she'd said with a chuckle before leaving him to his thoughts in front of the fire.

Sue nodded in acceptance of the apology as she smoothed out her casual skirt, although impressed that he'd been willing to learn any sign language. Even David had thought it ludicrous for her to talk with her hands when her mouth worked perfectly fine. There was something different about this Lord Hudson… or was it Stable master Jack? There was the real question… which personification had he assumed today?

"It's just Jack today, I'm afraid," he said as she stared at him in mortification. She said it out loud! She swore the heat that rushed to her face was hotter than the blaze of the fire pit and she wanted to run and hide from the ridicule that was bound to come her way. His shoulders were shaking with laughter and her thoughts instantly shot to the terrible things he could be thinking about her. Fool! Idiot! Simpleton! Those were all words she'd read on others' lips when they thought she wasn't looking. He was bound to think the same.

She lowered her head in embarrassment and tried to turn away, but the sudden pressure of his crooked finger underneath her chin made her stop and look back up at him. It wasn't anger that she saw, though neither was it humor. It was something in between that she simply couldn't describe. He almost looked like he thought he deserved her disparagement.

"It's okay," he finally said to put her out of her silent misery. He'd seen the storm clouds working overtime behind her eyes and knew it needed to be put to rest. "I deserve for you to think that way. I haven't been very honest with you or to myself as well." His mouth curled to the side in a cute little grin that made a lump form in her throat. "I'd like to change that, though. Is it possible for us to start from the beginning?"

His honestly had been more than she'd ever expected from a Lord and she was almost uncertain of what to say. His eyes were almost pleading, begging for a second chance; she had to comply despite the inner turmoil that still raced through her. She didn't know him and frankly it seemed like he didn't know himself. But, there was something inside of her that told her that he could be trusted and that he would do whatever it took to protect both her life and her heart.

Taking in a deep breath, she let it out as she finally nodded in agreement. "I'd like that." She wasn't sure how her voice had sounded, but her mouth felt extremely dry and her tongue had tumbled over itself to form the words. It was either the man who was doing this sweet torture to her or the situation. Either way, she was enjoying every moment of it.

"Great," he agreed as he stuck out his hand for her to shake. She gave him an uncertain look, but his gaze held and his hand never wavered. She was almost unsure of what to do. Princesses didn't shake hands all that often. A kiss upon the knuckles was all she knew how to accept. This… gesture of agreement was new to her, but she followed through anyhow. She allowed her fingers to be folded into his, a tingling sensation running up and down her spine at the same moment that it was driving her crazy and exhilarating her both at the same time. "I'm Jack," he smiled, unable to resist pulling her to him. One hand rested firmly on the small of her back to hold her steady, while the other rested upon the small bicep of her arm. His fingers ran lightly up and down the slight muscle, sending a chill through them both. He smiled with manly pride as she trembled in his hold.

"I'm Sue," she said breathlessly. She licked her suddenly dry lips as his loomed above hers in a taunting manner. He was testing her to see how well her resolve held up, but one look into those gorgeous coffee-colored eyes and she knew all of her clarity had flown out the window, along with her common sense. She wanted him to kiss her, to claim her lips with his own just as she'd wanted him to do the night before.

She felt her eyes flutter closed of their own accord as his lips descended toward hers, but the shot open once again when his nose only lightly brushed against hers. Curiosity shined in her eyes as he smiled down at her, teasingly. "You still owe me a dance." She was startled when she was suddenly flung from his grasp and turned about as he twirled her.