Yuri's hand covered Louisa's when they both tried to take hold of her suitcase handle. They glanced at each, blushing deeply. She smiled, her eyes lowering to their hands when he did not let go.

"I can get it. It's not heavy," she assured him.

"Then let me carry it." His eyes met hers when she raised them again. "Let me help you...please."

Yuri had already helped her a lot. That morning he had stopped by the train station on the way to her house to purchase their tickets. Since he had already bought one for himself, she could not protest his coming with her. He had also made arrangements at a hotel, two rooms of course, for an overnight stay. Flowers had been ordered for her mother's grave. Dinner reservations were made as well because even though she did not feel like it, she would eventually have to eat. He thought of everything, and she was grateful because she found it difficult to do anything besides cry.

When he called Yor to inform her they would not be able to attend the family picnic due to the unforeseen tragic news, they were invited to dinner the next after their return. Then his family would learn of their engagement. It would be a source of happiness and celebration to bring the sunshine back to her life ridding her of the black cloud of sadness and mourning that presently plagued her.

"You've already done far too much. You really don't have to do all this," Louisa said, giving up and letting go of the suitcase handle. Yuri sure could be stubborn.

"But I do," Yuri insisted, keeping hold of her hand a little longer. "You're going to be my wife after all. It's my duty to take care of you. In all ways."

As soon as he felt her fingers release, he opened his fingers to allow her to slip her hand from between his and the handle. His bag was a small duffel slung over his shoulder. He picked up her brown leather suitcase, extending his arm in an invitation for her to board the train first. With his free arm, Yuri loosely encapsulated her waist to brace her as well as give her a little boost while traversing the steps despite the fact the porter already had taken her hand to assist her.

Louisa glanced around momentarily confused when she saw a corridor with windows on one side and doors spaced at intervals on the other side. He had gone as far as buying them tickets for their own private compartment. Suddenly, Yuri's hand touched her shoulder, steering her forward.

"Right there," he said, pointing at the door with a number three above it.

"It really is too much, but thank you," she murmured, sliding open the door to walk inside.

Louisa took a seat on one of the bench seats upholstered in blue fabric the color of the sky. She pulled on the string to roll up the blind covering the window. At least they would have a beautiful view. The trip was a bit long. She had gotten as far away from home as the little bit of money she had would take her.

She watched Yuri as he stowed their bags on the shelf above the seat across from her. The thin rope strung across the front of the shelf did not look like it would prevent the baggage from falling off should there be a sudden start or stop.

Louisa wore a plain sleeveless black sheath dress and a pair of her chunky heeled black shoes. She used a large silk scarf as a wrap to cover her shoulders and arms to maintain modesty. Giant red poppies decorated the delicate fabric. It could be considered inappropriate for mourning clothes but to her it was perfect because the scarf was the last present her mother gave her before she left.

Yuri had dressed in a black suit with a black tie and black shoes as well. She wished she had told him to wear a red tie. No matter how inappropriate some would have deemed it as funeral clothes, her mother would have loved it. Red was her favorite color. Her mother most likely would have approved of him as a husband as well.

Louisa pressed her hand flat to her belly as if that would stop it from turning somersaults so violently she felt nauseated. Closing her eyes, she inhaled and exhaled a long slow breath.

"Hey," Yuri said in a low voice, placing his hand over hers that clutched the fabric over her thigh in a fist. "Cry if you need to." He patted his shoulder. "I have a shoulder right here for you to lean on. I know I don't look it, but I'm pretty strong."

Although she had been holding back tears, him saying that made them completely vanish. She smiled, her lips quivering ever so slightly, then leaned over to kiss his cheek. She lay her other hand over his, threading her fingers between his.

"I'm so glad you're here with me," she said in a voice hoarse from the overwhelming emotions that had kept her awake all night long.

He returned her smile and patted her cheek affectionately. "There's no where else I would rather be than by your side."

"Oh, Yuri," she whispered when the tears sprang to her eyes for a different reason. Laying her head on his shoulder, she closed her eyes which squeezed out the film of tears that had covered them and blurred her vision.

Yuri handed her a handkerchief. He had brought a dozen in order to be fully prepared to dry her tears. Her fingers uncurled from his to take the flawlessly pressed and folded square of cloth to dab at the salty moisture on her cheeks.

"All aboard!" the conductor yelled.

The train whistle tooted twice to announce the train's impending departure. There was a hiss of steam from the release of the brakes then a screech of metal against metal when the wheels started to turn on the track. With a bump and a lurch, they were on their way.

Louisa slept three of the four hours required to make the trip back to her home town. The last hour she spent gazing out of the window not saying a word. She was too busy thinking, dreading the return home, and desperately trying to make peace with herself to alleviate her crushing guilt.

She had begged her mother to come with her, to leave that place and start a new life but she had refused stating the old adage "Sometimes the devil you know is better than the angel you don't." Her mother had been too afraid to leave the life of violence she knew to pursue the unknown. Maybe she feared getting herself into a worse situation. Single women, particularly divorced women, were not viewed kindly or with compassion in their society.

Even so, what could be worse than a daily onslaught of demeaning insults and emotional attacks? Words weren't the only thing hurled by her father. He also liked throwing fists and sometimes any heavy object within his reach.

Louisa had subscribed to the newspaper from her home under a different name in order to keep a check on the obituaries. In all honesty, she expected to learn her mother had died soon after she ran away, murdered during one of her father's fits of rage. Then she saw the news she had been dreading in the most recent paper she received.

She should have called or at least written letters to her mother. But then her father would have found out where she was and he would have come for her. For her own safety, she had no choice but to cut off all contact with her mother.

"I probably missed the funeral," she murmured, thinking out loud.

"What?"

"Yuri, I'm sorry. I didn't even consider time delay. It takes at least a week for me to receive the newspaper. There was no reason for you to miss your family picnic. You shouldn't have come with me."

"Stop it, please stop it," he said in a gentle but firm voice. He pressed his fingertips against her jaw to turn her face toward him. "There will be more family picnics, okay? You're going to be my wife. I'd be a pretty terrible husband-to-be if I made you deal with this alone."

"You really do love me," she whispered. He could say things that took her breath away whether they be profound or romantic and that was both. She watched dark pink color spread across his cheeks.

"Don't sound so surprised." He withdrew his fingers from her face and looked away.

"Well, considering how things began, do you blame me?"

"Hmm," he hummed pensively, casting a sheepish glimpse her way. "I suppose not." He took her hand laying on the seat between them to hold it tightly. "But things have changed. I know real feelings were never supposed to get involved, but they did."

"Strong feelings neither of us ever expected," she added, leaning toward him.

"Nope, never," he agreed, inclining his head to press his forehead to hers in an affectionate gesture. "I am glad it happened though."

"Me too."

The train whistle blew once for an extended blast to announce they were coming into the depot.

"We're here," Louisa gasped, her fingers squeezing his hand.

Yuri gritted his teeth against the discomfort of the bones in his hand grinding together from her crushing grasp. The compression of her fingers made the joints in his fingers ache as well. Her strength shocked him.

It was two o'clock in the afternoon so the platform was covered with scores of people. Some were waiting for their arriving parties while others were preparing to board the train to travel to their chosen destinations.

Louisa remembered standing on this very platform, terrified and literally shaking in her shoes. Her anger for her mother had dissolved as she stood there facing the unknown completely alone. Glancing around constantly, she had searched every face for that of her father in case he followed her and tried to stop her. She held one small suitcase, the handle clutched in both hands. After paying for her ticket, there was enough money left in her purse for one small meal and one night at an extremely cheap hotel.

"Yuri, I'm so scared," she confessed as the train slowed to a stop, the metal wheels shrieking.

"I know. And that's why I'm here with you. But..." Yuri peeled her fingers away from his hand so he could hold her face. "You are strong and courageous. You left and became a success despite your father and his abuse. You can do this. Do you believe me?"

Louisa nodded her head. She inhaled and exhaled deeply. When Yuri patted her cheeks mimicking giving her soft, sobering slaps, she started to giggle and she wasn't even sure why. He smiled broadly at her.

"Feel better?" he asked.

"Uh huh."

"I'll get the bags, and we're off to the hotel. Then we can go to the cemetery."

"I have no idea where she might be buried," she sighed growing more frustrated with herself by the second. She really had not taken so many important details into consideration.

"That's okay. We'll find it," he assured her, pulling down the suitcases.

Since it was Saturday, no government offices were open for them to inquire about the location of her mother's grave. Louisa did not want to go to too many places and see too many people. Someone might recognize her and inform her father she had returned - or worse yet she could run into him. He was once the police commissioner and might still be the mayor. He was a prominent and respected citizen which is why she and her mother had to keep his dark side quiet and pretend that monster inside of him did not exist. Besides, who would have helped them anyway?

"Should we get a taxi to the hotel?" Yuri asked as they exited the platform using the steps on the side rather than walking through the depot building.

"Let's walk. It's only a few blocks. I need to stretch my legs after that long ride," she explained, reaching for her suitcase. "I can carry this."

"No, it's fine. But I think you're procrastinating."

"Maybe so."

They passed a soda shop, a café, a general store. The restaurant where he had made their dinner reservation was across the street from the hotel which was a relatively small three story establishment that actually looked more like a large white house with a big porch and tall columns rather than a business.

The front desk clerk, a man about their age, eyed them suspiciously while checking them in. Perhaps he wrongly assumed they were there for their honeymoon and did not understand why they had separate rooms.

Whatever the reason for his questioning glances, Louisa wanted to slap him because it was none of his business regardless. With a severe frown on her face, she snatched the two keys from his hand. Yuri followed her up the stairs with their suitcases. She turned to the right as the nosy desk clerk had instructed her. Rather than side by side, their rooms were across the hall from each other.

"Ugh," she grunted in annoyance. "I know he did this on purpose."

"It's okay. We're still close. If you need me, all you have to do is call out. It's probably better we have separate rooms," he said, going inside after she unlocked and opened the door.

"Oh, yeah, why is that?" she asked, following him inside. She sat down on the overstuffed wing back chair covered in white linen fabric with tiny lavender flowers all over it.

Yuri placed her suitcase on the wooden suitcase rack at the foot of the bed covered in a comforter that matched the upholstery of the chair. He turned around and stared at her.

"Too much temptation, my dear Louisa," he said, walking toward her. He bent down to be eye to eye with her.

Temptation? What does he know about the temptation that occurs between a man and woman alone together?, she wondered.

Louisa smiled at him when he hovered in front of her, his unique maroon brown eyes holding hers and making her feel warm all over. His fingers brushed across her hand lightly as he leaned closer to her face. Their lips were so close she could feel his body heat and a slight electrical tingle between them. That exciting proximity made the muscles in the small of her back tighten, arching ever so slightly in response as if to push her toward him. Apparently he knew a thing or two about how to stir up temptation whether he had actually had sex or not.

Without a word, Yuri slid the key to his room from her hand, standing up straight without kissing her. He walked out of her room and across the hall to unlock the door to his room.

"Tch," she scoffed, sucking her bottom lip in before pushing it back out with a pop. "Son of a - "

"Ready for another walk?" he asked her from the open doorway of his room.

"Yes. But we need to take a taxi to the cemetery."

Louisa did not have to ask for the location of the cemetery. Graveyards were one of the few things that never changed location and never went out of business. It was located on the outskirts of town past the farms and a mile before the next town could be reached. A small chapel was located on the grounds for services and for family members to pray when visiting their deceased loved ones.

"Do you think there might be a map or a registry in the chapel?" Yuri asked her as they stepped out in front of the small white building with a tiny bell tower located above the vestibule.

"We should go inside and look," Louisa said, gathering the scarf more tightly around her shoulders before entering the little church.

She inhaled a shaky breath upon opening the door then stepped inside. Her heels made a heavy, clunk, clunk, clunk sound on the wooden planks. Candles in purple and red glass cups lined shelves built onto the walls on either side of the entranceway. She did not bother to light one before passing through to the sanctuary. Standing in the middle of the single aisle lined on both sides by uncomfortable looking straight backed wooden pews, she stared at the altar at the front which was a bare wooden table with a single large book sitting in the middle.

"Does it make you uncomfortable?" he inquired, noticing the way she looked around as if something might crawl out of the woodwork and grab her.

"Being back here in this town makes me uncomfortable."

She approached the table slowly to look at the book. It was a list of names followed by a letter, a dash, then a number. Glancing around, she saw a map on the back wall to the right of the entrance. There were dozens of rectangles lined up in rows with something written on them.

Flipping to the last page of the book, she worked backwards until she found her mother's name and plot designation. Going to the map, she found the grave at the very back of the cemetery, almost at the absolute edge of the property. It was quite a distance from the chapel.

"I suppose we should get going," she sighed.

Yuri took her by the hand to lead her out of the building.

"Where should we get married?" he asked, swinging their hands between them as they walked.

"Are you trying to distract me?"

"Yep. Where should we get married?" he repeated, undaunted by her attempt to continue wallowing in her own miserable, self-punishing interior dialogue.

"Why don't we just have civil ceremony at the court house? Quick and easy. No muss. No fuss," she said with shocking bluntness.

"In a hurry to marry me, huh?" he joked, playfully nudging her with his elbow.

"I suppose so. Before you come to your senses," she returned, noticing the smile instantly disappearing from his face.

When he immediately stopped, tugging on her hand, she turned to face him. He had a kicked puppy expression on his face as if she had physically wounded him with her words.

"I asked you to marry me because I came to my senses," he said.

"I'm sorry. I was just...I didn't mean to..." She scoffed and rolled her eyes. He was being a bit oversensitive. Or was she being a bit insensitive? She really couldn't tell. "It was a joke, Yuri. I didn't mean anything by it."

"Don't worry about it." He turned to face forward and continue walking. "I know you're hurting right now. Please don't ever doubt my intentions toward you." He sighed, squeezing her hand held securely in his. "Maybe I'm being a bit sensitive."

"I suppose both of us have a few raw nerves right now. I should have thought this might be difficult for you as well."

"I don't think we had a funeral for our parents. I can't even remember if they were buried in a cemetery. Hell, I don't even know how they died," he murmured, letting go of her hand to stuff both of his hands in the pockets of his black trench coat.

"Once I say good bye, I'll never come back. There's no real reason to visit the dead is there?"

"I suppose not."

Louisa hooked her arm through his. She lay her head on his shoulder, hugging herself to his arm.

"It's the living we should concentrate on," she said, feeling him lay his head on top of hers.

"You're right."

The flowers Yuri ordered had already been brought to the grave. A combination of white orchids, lilies, and roses were wrapped in white tissue paper and tied with a white satin bow. The flowers lay in the middle of the dirt still piled in a rectangular mound.

"Mom," Louisa whispered, not even noticing when Yuri's arm fell away from hers, and he stepped back. She approached the grave on wobbly legs, folding her hands and bowing her head. "Mom, I love you. I missed you every day. I'm sorry I never wrote to you or called. But I think you understand why I did it. I wish you would have come with me." She inhaled a shaky breath. "But I understand why you didn't. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I wasn't here to say a proper good bye."

Yuri heard a faint shuffling behind him. He turned to see a man approaching from several yards behind him. The hulking figure was dressed in a black suit and trench coat much more expensive than the ones Yuri wore. This gentleman appeared to be a government official - a high ranking one. The man was over six feet tall with wide brawny shoulders. The pitch black hair on his head was thinning and slicked back which only emphasized how much he had lost. His face was pale and drawn making the deep set wrinkles appear even deeper.

The man glanced at Yuri while passing and nodded but never stopped his slow advance. Although in mourning, his eyes were not sad - they were angry. So furious they seemed to be two pure red flames burning in the hollows beneath his thick eyebrows

"Lulu," the man said, his voice a low rumble like distant thunder.

Louisa jumped to her feet, spinning around so fast she almost fell onto her mother's grave. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open as if she wanted to scream but no sound came out. The color drained from her face as if she had seen a ghost. But it wasn't a ghost. It was her father, very much alive and reaching out for her.

"You ungrateful little bitch. What the hell are you doing here?" he growled, his fingers touching her neck.

"No...no, please!" she pleaded, tripping over a lump of dirt and falling backwards onto her butt. Although the fall hurt like hell and she was sure she at least bruised her tailbone, it saved her life preventing him from getting his hands around neck.

Yuri lunged forward, clamping his hand down on the man's burly shoulder. This man towered above him by at least five inches and probably outweighed him by a good fifty pounds, most likely all muscle, but he didn't care. This was the man responsible for hurting the woman as dear to him as his beloved sister.

He forced the man to turn around, placing his attention on him rather than Louisa. Kicking the inside of the heavyset man's knee, he forced it outward at an awkward angle. There was a distinct crack before he dropped to his knees with a yell. Having the height advantage now, Yuri proceeded to rain blows down on the startled man's beefy, scarred face.

Her father punched Yuri in the gut with both fists so hard the force pushed him backwards and caused him to stumble for several feet before regaining his balance. Unable to catch his breath, he panted open mouthed as the man stomped toward him barely limping as if unaware of his injured knee. But the way he clenched his teeth and growled told Yuri he definitely felt the pain.

Yuri side stepped the lumbering man, then stepped forward to be behind him, catching the back of his uninjured knee with a kick of heel to bring the big ox crashing down to a more accessible level. Punching the back of his opponents head with his elbow then his fist, he was caught off guard again when his wrist was enclosed by thick strong fingers and he was flipped head over heels above the man's head.

Clearly he had underestimated the old man. Louisa did not mention he was an ex-soldier, only that he was a policeman which made Yuri wonder if her father was a secret policeman, responsible for torture and interrogation, during his time during the war. Why did a man like this get to survive while his parents had to die?

"Damn you, you bastard," Yuri muttered, rolling over to get onto his hands and knees.

He kicked out to the side to deliver another strike to the man's injured knee. With a bellow like an angry bull, her father collapsed to his knees once more. Standing up, he went over to the man who breathed raggedly through his open mouth.

"I don't know who you are, boy, but I'm going to kill you," he threatened.

"Not if I kill you first," Yuri warned in a growl, spit flying through his gritted teeth.

"Who the fuck are you?"

"I'm your daughter's fiancé. It is my job to love and protect her. I will do the job you failed at so goddamn miserably, and this is my first act to protect her."

Yuri took hold of the thin greasy hair on top of his head to lift his chin at an angle that would be more advantageous for a one hit knockout. Pulling back his fist and pressing his lips into a straight line, he prepared to administer the finishing blow.

"Yuri, please!" Louisa screamed.

Both men's heads whipped toward her to see her kneeling by her mother's grave, tears streaming down her face. The handkerchief she twisted in her hand was forgotten, the tears dripping off her chin unnoticed.

"Pl-please...st-stop," she stuttered, covering her nose with the tissue and blowing. "D-don't kill h-him."

Yuri began this fight, and he fully intended to finish it as well.

"But I - "

"Knock his ass out," Louisa commanded him in a vicious snarl. "Hit him so fucking hard he won't remember his own name."

"Yes ma'am," Yuri replied with a smile, happy to comply with her order.

Yuri glanced down at her father's blood covered face then at her. With one more glimpse at her father whose nose issued a fresh stream of blood, he kicked up his knee to catch the man under the chin and knock him out as she requested.

Louisa stood up, running to Yuri. She threw herself into his open arms almost knocking both of them to the ground.

"Oh, Yuri, Yuri," she sobbed, embracing him so tightly he could barely breath. "I-I-I w-was so sc-scared. I never, never imagine, imagined he would be, be he-here."

"Shhhh, calm down," he cooed, stroking her long silky hair down her back.

She was stuttering so badly he could barely understand her. The wheezing inhales she kept taking made him believe she would be fainting any second now from hyperventilation.

"It's okay. You're okay," he said in a soft soothing voice, rocking her gently in his arms. "It's over. He will never hurt you again. I swear."

Yuri stepped on her father's hand, moving his foot back and forth as if snuffing out a cigarette he meant to grind right into the ground until he could hear bone crunching. The man hollered in pain, which startled Louisa so violently Yuri held onto her to keep her from jumping right out of his arms.

"Let's go. The taxi should be waiting for us," Yuri said, putting his arm around her to lead her away from her father lying still on the ground. Hopefully the pain made him pass out.

Although the driver gave them a double take when they passed by his door, he did not ask any questions. Throughout the ride back to the hotel, he kept glancing at the silent couple in the rear view mirror.

"Is there something you would like to say?" Louisa demanded with acid in her tone.

"Well, uh, uhm, just...are you okay ma'am? You look so sick. You're very pale. Is there something you need?" he inquired, sounding genuinely concerned.

"No," she replied with a exhale of relief. "It's just been a really long day. I was visiting my mother. She recently died."

"I'm very sorry, ma'am. My condolences."

"Thank you."

Silence filled the car like a stifling smoke cloud. Louisa sat as far away from Yuri as possible, pressing her body to the door. She stared out of the window. Her tears were gone, but she continued to toy with the handkerchief in her hands, twisting and untwisting it.

"Are you mad at me?" Yuri whispered loudly as if speaking louder might set off her anger.

"Of course not. I'm just..." She did not look at him but kept her attention out of the window on the passing countryside. "I'm just not sure what to think about what I saw."

Yuri cleared his throat. His mind raced for an excuse to explain away witnessing him beating her father's ass to a bloody pulp. He cleared his throat again.

"Well, as a diplomatic liaison, I'm always traveling to different countries. I've been trained extensively in self-defense to protect myself."

"That was more than self-defense."

"I have military training," he tried again.

Louisa seemed to accept that excuse. At least that's what Yuri hoped since she did not say anything in return to negate his more truthful reason.

At the hotel, they went straight up the stairs; Louisa running up first then Yuri following more slowly behind. They both wanted to avoid any unnecessary and nosy questions from the front desk staff which were two now, a young man and older lady who were gossiping under the guise of sharing information for shift change.

Louisa unlocked his room door first and went inside which left him standing at the end of the hall in confusion. When he did not enter the room, she poked her head back out to look for him.

"Come inside. Now," she ordered him sternly.

A shiver went down Yuri's spine. He did like it when she got bossy with him. Taking off his coat, he loosened his tie as he approached the room. He saw her in the bathroom standing beside the sink and wringing out a washcloth. Every muscle in his belly tightened when she waved for him to come to her.

Taking his hand in hers, Louisa lifted it toward her face to examine his raw and swollen knuckles. His middle knuckle was streaked with dried blood after being cut by sliding across a tooth which he no doubt chipped. She dabbed at the cut to remove the crusty brown blood. Rinsing out the cloth with cold water, she folded it and lay it over his knuckles which actually felt quite good but would not do much for the swelling.

"It will be fine. I've had worse," Yuri said to reassure her but instead it seemed to bring up more questions indicated by the lift of her eyebrow.

"Dare I ask?"

"Not right now, please."

"I was terrified watching you," she said, lifting the cloth to refresh it under cold water. "You were a different person. You were so angry. Like a beast. I really thought you were going to kill him."

"I would have killed him to protect you," he said, placing his other hand on her waist.

Louisa froze, gazing up into his eyes. Her mouth dropped open and worked as if trying to form words before they finally started to come out. "Uhm, ah, I-I should get some ice for, for...your h-hand."

"Hey," he said, flexing his fingers on her waist to hold her still before she could escape. "It's fine. We should be getting ready to go to dinner anyway. Go take a shower and relax a bit. I'll come get you when it's time to leave. Okay?"

"Okay."

Louisa nodded a good bye then eased out of his grip reluctantly to go to her room. Her hands shook so much when she tried to unlock the door, she kept dropping the key.

"Let me help," Yuri said from his open door to avoid startling her.

"That would be great," she returned, willingly handing over the key. Her eyes followed his hands, fixating on his red, swollen knuckles as he slid the key into the lock and turned it.

"There you go," he announced, sliding the key from the lock as he pushed open the door. He placed the key in her hand, folding her fingers over it. "Be sure to lock the door. I need you to stay safe."

"I will," she promised, entering the room. She closed and locked the door behind her, pressing her back against it. Giving in to her jelly knees, she slid to the floor.

Louisa pondered one question: who is this man I am going to marry? She first met him as a helpless but belligerent drunk. Then she saw an awkward, shy man who really does not know how to interact with people. Around his sister, the object of his misplaced, overzealous affection, he was a complete idiot, prone to manic and melodramatic outbursts.

Today she saw a monster, a creature full of hate and violence - a man capable of murder. The kind of man she had only seen in her father. There was no doubt in her mind he had fully intended to kill the man. Then it would have been over. All over. If he had ended her father's life, he would have destroyed whatever life they could have together. Not only would she have been too terrified to be alone in a room with him but also because he would be in jail as a murderer.

Extending her arm out in front of her, she stared at the ring on her left ring finger. But Yuri Briar was going to be her husband. He said it was his job to love and protect her. He had fought for her. He brought the man who treated her and her mother like his personal punching bags to his knees several times.

She actually smiled when recalling seeing her father limp due to his damaged knee, the blood leaking from his broken nose, and the sound of his bones cracking under Yuri's foot. Yuri was most definitely not the same kind of monster as her father. He was loyal, loving, and protective of those he loved the most.

Louisa rose to her feet unable to wipe the smile from her face. She should get ready to have a nice romantic dinner with her husband-to-be.

To celebrate her mother's memory, she had brought a red chiffon dress to wear. The color might be deemed scandalous but the style was surely not. The long sleeves cinched at her wrists with pearl buttons. The skirt was long and flowed all the way down to her toes. She wore her patent leather pencil thin heels. Once she pulled her hair back in a low chignon, a velvet red rose pinned to it, and applied her make up complete with crimson lipstick, she was ready to go.

While latching her pearl necklace that matched her pearl earrings, she heard Yuri's knock at her door. She smiled ear to ear. On the way to the door, she forced her lips down into a frown, worked her jaws and stretched her lips in an attempt to relax her smile and avoid looking like a Cheshire cat.

"Hi, oh!" she gasped upon seeing him there in another black suit but this time with a red tie.

"Wow," they both commented in unison while looking each other over.

"I like the tie," she said, reaching out to straighten the already perfectly straight knot.

Yuri placed his hand on his chest over the tie. "You said last night red was your mother's favorite color."

"You remembered," she gushed breathlessly, feeling hot as if she were experiencing a full body blush.

She had talked about her mother for hours and he listened attentively despite her bawling. She told him all sorts of things, most incoherent probably. He patiently sat with her and held her while she cried until finally leaving in the wee hours of the morning.

"Of course, I remembered. She was important to you. You look..." His eyes slid over her from head to toe but not in a lecherous way. "Wow...you're beautiful. I'm a lucky man."

"And I'm a lucky woman."

They both laughed.

Yuri stuck out his arm. "Ready?"

Louisa nodded, taking his arm to be escorted to dinner. She was unable to speak from all of the emotions clogging her throat.

The lady at the front desk smiled and nodded an acknowledgement to them.

"Enjoy your evening, folks!" she called out to them as they crossed the foyer.

Louisa daintily held up her skirt as they crossed the street. There was not much traffic. Her home town was a small one after all. Most people were walking, enjoying the evening with a stroll. The women smiled and nodded. The men tipped their hats.

Their was a doorman at the restaurant who greeted them while holding the door open for them. Without even having to ask for a name, the maître d' picked up two menus to lead them to a table in a private little corner. There was a huge arrangement of red roses in the middle of the table, candles all around. Champagne was already chilling in a silver bucket sitting on top of a pedestal table.

"Yuri, this is amazing," she breathed in awe, taking a seat in a chair the maître d' held out for her. She smiled and nodded to the man, taking the leatherbound menu he offered.

Louisa choose filet mignon medallions, the sides of mashed potatoes whipped with duck fat and haricot verts sauteed with butter and garlic. Yuri ordered a sirloin steak, rare, baked potato with butter and sour cream, and the snobby sounding green beans.

A sommelier entered when the waiter left to pop the cork and pour their champagne. He never spoke a word the entire time and only offered a nod and a smile before he left.

"Are people here always so quiet?" Yuri inquired, watching the man as he walked away.

"Not always. My father was always loud and proud," she said, taking a sip of the champagne.

"Speaking of proud, you are a lovely woman Louisa Eleazor, and I am proud to call you mine," he declared, raising his champagne glass to her.

"And I am proud that you are going to be my dear husband," she offered as her own toast to him.

"To us."

"To us."

Yuri tapped his glass to hers to make a clear ringing sound.

"I was thinking about the wedding," he began, setting his glass back down after taking the tiniest sip. "Why don't we get married on the carousel?"

Louisa giggled. When he stared unsmiling at her she immediately ceased laughing. Sitting up straighter in her chair, she cleared her throat while sliding her hands over the napkin in her lap with the guise of straightening it to dry her sweaty palms.

"We could get a judge to officiate the ceremony. We can invite Yor and..." He paused, pulling at his necktie then picking up his glass to guzzle down the champagne despite already looking a bit green. "And Lloidy."

"And Anya?" she added.

"Who's Anya?" he inquired with a dead serious expression on his face.

Louisa hoped he was kidding and messing with her. She playfully slapped his shoulder. "Your niece, silly."

"Oh, right, of course, my niece." He tipped up his empty glass, grimaced in disappointment then set it back down. "We can get everyone on the carousel and do the ceremony right there."

"Will the judge be on a horse?" she asked, trying not to laugh. The idea of them all being on horses, the judge possibly riding backwards in order to face them while issuing the vows while they all bobbed up and down made her want to absolutely scream with laughter.

"Don't be absurd," Yuri said, refilling his glass. "He will be standing in front of us."

"Okay." She took another drink to hide her big grin.

"So what do you think?"

Louisa took a minute before she answered. Actually it sounded like a great idea. It was the place where she fell in love with him after all. A soft smile touched her lips.

"I think it would be absolutely perfect." She paused for another minute then asked, "What about the honeymoon?"

"Honeymoon?" His eyes were huge; a literal deer in the headlights, stunned and frightened by her simple question.

"You did plan on having one right? That's the night we - "

"I know what happens," he interrupted her, grabbing the champagne bottle to refill his glass. "I'm not a child."

A child, no. Definitely not a child. Naïve and innocent, at least where sex was concerned, without a doubt.

"Well, we could always just get a room at a fancy hotel and order lots of room service. I don't think going out will be a priority."

Yuri's cheeks burned brightly. He drained the champagne from his glass.

Louisa laughed then refilled her glass. She turned the empty bottle upside down and placed it in the bucket.

"Should we order another bottle?" Yuri asked, glimpsing a the upturned bottle.

"Absolutely not. What do you think?"

"What do I think about what?" His eyes, big as plates again turned toward her.

"You, me. A hotel room. Room service. Getting to know each other much, much better. Making the best of our first days as husband and wife."

Louisa leaned across the table, taking his hand in hers. Her fingertips brushed across the back taking care to avoid his still inflamed knuckles. Sweat beaded above his upper lip and across his brow. He never ceased to amaze and confuse her with the different sides to his personality and how fast it could shift. There was something comforting about the fact he obviously had never once considered taking his overboard love for his sister to the sexual realm.

"I-I th-think that sounds incredible. Uhm..." Yuri picked up his glass of water to take a big, audible gulp. "Louisa, I have a confession to make." He placed his hand over hers. He avoided eye contact, playing with her fingers that lay across the back of his hand. "I'm a - "

The waiter approached the table with their plates prompting Yuri to snatch his hands away from hers and sit ramrod straight in his chair as if he had been caught doing something shameful.

"Do you need anything else?" the waiter inquired, looking at Yuri.

"No, thank you."

"Okay then. Enjoy."

When the waiter was gone, Yuri looked around, his eyes darting around like crazy. His eyes met hers, and he leaned forward.

"I've never..." He cleared his throat, waving her forward. "I'm a virgin," he confessed in a whisper.

"That's okay. So am I," she whispered back.

Yuri exhaled in relief, the puff of air blowing up his bangs. Louisa wasn't sure if she should be offended or amused he thought she was experienced in that way. Deciding to let it go, she put that and the event from the cemetery out of her head. She was going to enjoy this wonderful dinner with her husband-to-be then go back to the hotel to her separate room to have a good night's sleep all by herself and dream of their wedding on a carousel.