Reviews:
To MohawkWoman: Thank you, as always. :) It makes me happy to read that you like the story and the pairing so much. How good it would be, if Connor had a brother...or two. No. Thousands of Connor clones so that everyone can have their own Connor. ;D
To Guest: And thank you, too. Like I wrote to MohawkWoman: I´m so glad that people actually like Lillian and the pairing with Connor because she´s quite different to the OCs I often read about.
To DeLeche: Welcome back. ;) Sometimes I fear that you´re not the only one who didn´t notice that there's a sequel. :D Maybe it´s because of the Rating and that it is not listed in the main category, but this story has less readers than Freedom had. But glad to see you again. ;) Unfortunately I can´t promise anything with Caleb. Of course he makes his appearances in the story, but maybe not as much as you´re expecting it. There´s no bonding chapter with Lillian yet and I don´t see one in the near future. I will think about it, but can´t promise anything.
Atmosphere of departure
Connor and I had almost spent the whole night with reading Ray's letters. In the following morning, I felt exhausted but at the same time, an incredible easiness had seized my heart which I hadn´t felt for a long time. When I thought of my brother now, I felt grief, but no hate anymore. In a symbolic act, I burnt the letters. I threw one after another into the fire and watched the flames consume the paper. I didn´t need to keep them. I knew their content and wouldn´t read it again. The only piece of my hurtful family history I had left now, was my father´s signature ring. To give it away somehow was out of the question and so I put it into my jewel box. Maybe Connor and I would have a son one day I could leave it to and he could pass it on to his son. So at least a part of my father´s last will would be fulfilled: At least the emblem of the family Jarvis was passed on to the next generations.
Two more weeks past in which the saying "time heals all wounds" became true in many different perspectives. I more and more came over my grief for Ray. Caleb assimilated his shock and anger about being fooled by Ray and his burns healed visibly, too and became fine scars that were covering Caleb´ skin on his face and neck like bright little spots. But especially Connor recovered. His wounds on head and shoulder healed without problems and were only noticeable as fine, red lines. The bruise on his side was nothing more than a shadow and his ribs were causing no pain to Connor anymore. Dr White confirmed that they seemed to have healed well, but ordered him to keep going easy on himself for some more days and to take up his familiar daily life only slowly. Connor followed this order without any lamentation.
But finally the last day of his reprieve passed and he was full of beans. In this morning, he really leaped out of the bed and from my seat in a box between pillows and blanket, I could watch with amusement how Connor was standing in the middle of the room, stretching extensively and rolling his shoulders, as if he wanted to wake his body from last weeks sleep. I had to put a hand in front of my mouth to suppress a laugh as he uttered his contentment with half-loud sighs. But when an audible cracking sound sounded and Connor abruptly stopped in his stretching, I couldn´t hold back a giggle anymore.
"It seems like somebody is out of training."
Connor turned around to me, his face squinched up and massaging his shoulder with one hand.
"You may laugh", he grumbled. "I want so see you after being condemned to three weeks of laziness."
Carefully he rolled his shoulder again, which didn´t utter a sound this time. I was still giggling. Yes, I was gleefully because he always joked about my comparatively small stamina and agility. So the temptation to pester him a bit more was just too big.
"Maybe it´s your age", I said expertly while I sat up and crossed my legs. "The body flags, the muscles become smaller, the joints crack, you get fat..."
Connor snorted. "Nonsense. my body does not flag. I just need more exercise again."
"But you can´t deny the rest. I even see fat pads..."
The rest of my sentences drowned in a loud squeal as Connor suddenly jumped to the bed and threw me onto the mattress. With one hand, he grabbed both of my wrists to tickle my waist with his other hand and from time to time pinched the soft spots he could find.
"Fat pads? You want to tell me that I have fat pads?" He grinned widely while I was wriggling beneath him laughing.
"Of course", I giggled. "You ate...so much...over the last...weeks that I am surprised that...you are not rolling around already."
I laughed loudly when he let go of my wrists and used his other hand to tickle me, too. Connor was still grinning and shook his head slowly and reproachfully while I tried to push him away from me. but I had no chance against his strength and unfortunately he wasn´t ticklish either.
So I had nothing else left but to beg for mercy, giggling and gasping for breath. It made Connor´s grin become even wider.
"Only when you take back the thing about fat pads and my age."
"You are...a peacock."
"Look who is talking. Will you take it back?"
"Yes. Yes, I do!"
"Say it."
"You…are not…fat. Everything is like…it has to be and now…stop it, I…can´t breathe."
Satisfied, Connor let me go and I finally was able to get some air. But my giggling hadn´t faded entirely yet and so Connor propped his arms up beside my head and looked down at me amused.
"I hope this taught you a lesson. Or do you still have something to say?"
I grinned and shook my head, while I laid my hands on his belly to slowly discover the lines of his well-defined muscles with my fingertips. When Connor tensed them, they pressed firmly and incompliant against my curious fingers and I couldn´t hold back a sigh. No. Connor definitely had no fat pads.
"Everything like it has to be?", he asked, still an amused sparkle in his eyes. I nodded slowly. To deny it was useless after my longing sigh.
"I can only return that." Connor bent down to me with a smirk, so that he propped up his forearms beside my head. His face was only millimeters away from mine and my gaze expectantly flitted back and forth between his eyes and his lips that were smiling softly now.
"It is good to see you laugh again", he said quietly and captured my lips in a tender kiss that caused a prickling feeling inside of me, as well as his words. It was good to be made laughing again.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and arched towards him longingly but to my disappointment, Connor already pulled away from me again and lightly shook his head.
"As tempting as this situation is, but I should go."
Confused I shook my head. "Where do you want to go?"
"To Boston." Connor loosened my arms from his neck and gently pulled me up, when he sat up. "I know this is quite sudden. But I want to find out what this stone is. Ray was in Boston for a long time. Maybe I can learn something."
I sighed quietly and looked into his eyes seriously. Of course his lack of knowledge about this stone had been on his mind. By now he had come to the certainty that his sensed hadn´t made a fool out of him when he had seen the stone shine. He guessed that this shining had had something to do with Ray´s trance and these cryptic words. Connor wouldn´t be Connor if he didn´t want to discover this secret as soon as possible. But I was curious, too. Even if his priorities weren´t to my liking.
"Well then", I said quietly anyway. "I don´t want to keep you back."
Connor put a hand on my cheek and kissed my forehead. "You are not keeping me back", he whispered to me, before he stood up.
With serious eyes, I watched him getting dressed and finally, after a too long time, slipping into his robe. It was washed and patched. Again. By now I was sure that this piece of clothing had as much scars as its owner and I had already thought about asking Ellen to make a new robe for Connor. But I knew how much he loved it. How many memories were connected to it. One of the few sentimentalities Connor had. I couldn´t hold it against him.
While Connor put on his weapon belt, I stood up, too and went to the closet to take out some fresh clothes. But when I already held my shift in my hand, I paused and turned to Connor, grinding my teeth.
"Can you take me with you?"
Surprised by this unexpected question, Connor paused closing his belt and looked at me. Then his gaze became serious. "Lillian, you know that…"
"I don´t want to come with you because I want to interfere in your investigations", I interrupted him quickly but determined. "I thought I could use the chance to visit Maria. I haven´t seen her since she left."
Connor looked me over which irritated me at first. Did he think I was using an excuse? I really wanted to visit Maria. The chance to travel to Boston was too rare, especially because Connor was always so concerned when I wanted to go alone. So it was a good way for us both. He could watch over me and wouldn´t hinder him in the city. Connor seemed to understand this, too. He nodded, but raised his index finger almost warningly at the same time.
"No solo attempts."
"You have my word."
About two hours later, I left – for the journey on horseback dressed in trousers for once – the house for the stables. One full saddle bag in each hand. Connor didn´t know how long we were going to stay in Boston and had already prepared me for at least one night in an inn. Because we would take Emily with us and in my motherly care, I had packed everything into the bags I was sure we would need it for Emily. With supplies. But while I carried the bags to the stable, I asked myself if I had exaggerated it a bit. Groaning I put the bags next to Aldah, who had been saddled by Connor in the meantime.
"I´m sorry, boy. You´re getting some extra weight." I patted the black croup and began to fasten the bags at the saddle. I lifted a bent leg while doing so, to put the weight on it, but only began to sway because of it.
"Do you need help?", I heard an amused comment coming from the side and I saw Connor who, Emily on his arm, stepped out of Cherry´s box.
"No, no. I´m alright." I lightly jumped up and down on one foot, to shift my weight, but Connor pushed his free hand under the bag and immediately raised an eyebrow.
"Did you pack in our whole household? We will be away for one night at most."
"I just like to be prepared", I grumbled and finally fastened the bag to the saddle. When I wanted to grab for the next, Connor took it, shaking his head and handed Emily over to me.
"I will get two more bags and we will distribute everything. Aldah will already carry enough weight when you two are sitting on him."
And so he disappeared inside the stable, only to return with said bags shortly afterwards. Smirking I watched Connor distributing the content of Aldah´s bags to Cobalt´s and over and over again, his gaze moved to me, he lifted parts of the content and I had to explain why we were needing them so urgently.
"Inn´s pillows are terrible and I want to have something decent in my back while nursing."
"Two extra napkins just in case I can´t wash one. They weigh nothing after all."
"You know that Emily is teething. She can chew on one slice of apple and you can eat some, too after all."
"I can wash her hands with the rags and the water. Because of the apples. It´s always so terribly sticky."
Et cetera, et cetera. In the end, some things were staying here and all saddle bags weren´t as heavy as they had been before.
After I had put Emily into the sling on my hips, had mounted Aldah´s back and had told Caleb once again to watch over the house, we set off. Silently we left Davenport behind us and while Aldah walked next to Cobalt, I couldn´t help myself but to close my eyes for a moment, inhaling and enjoying the fresh forest air. Strictly speaking, it wasn´t so different to the air in Davenport. But I hadn´t left the homestead for months. Since Connor´s short arrest by the Templars. I enjoyed seeing something else and felt a joyful prickle to be in Boston again soon and above all, to see Maria again. But not only I left the homestead after a long time. Even under the hood I could see how Connor was looking around and how is gaze flitted towards the thicket from time to time, when a quiet crack was indicating the presence of an animal. He also turned his face to the sun when it shone through the thick leaves over our heads. He must feel like he was freed from prison after weeks, because I knew that he had felt like a prisoner. For Emily, it was the first trip after a long time, too. Strictly speaking the first she was really aware of. The last time she had been only ten weeks old and had slept during the whole journey to Boston and back.
Now she was sitting in her safe bag on my hips and could look around with her big, brown eyes. She was turning her head into every possible direction, but seemed to be especially fascinated by Aldah´s gently rocking movements. Again and again, her gaze moved to the black, bobbing head and she tried to reach out her hands for it. Amused I watched her efforts, which she eventually gave up with a frustrated sound, only to start again shortly afterwards.
The ambition of her father, I thought smirking and glanced at Connor, who was just looking at us, too. He smiled when our gazes met.
"When you two need a break, tell me."
I nodded. "I will. But by the looks of it, Emily already seems to have found a passion for riding."
"It is in her blood." Connor smirked and I almost believed to notice that he straightened up in the saddle. I chuckled and stroked over Emily´s head. If she already had so much from Connor, I probably had to be prepared for anything. Maybe I should start to spread some pillows in the forest. Just in case Emily started to climb on trees as soon as she had learned to walk properly…
We finally reached Boston in the early afternoon. We´d had two breaks, especially because I had to change Emily´s position on my hips. She wasn´t such a featherweight anymore that I could carry her on one side for a long time. Especially not on horseback. I was just glad that the ride with her ran so smoothly. Except of her explorations with her hands, she held still most of the time, didn´t whine and even seemed to enjoy Aldah´s movements. When we rode through the massive gate of Boston, she was sleeping soundly and wasn´t woken up by the rising noises of the city.
Connor and I kept our horses close to each other while we were crossing the outskirts of Boston. The streets were still broad and not as full of people as in the city. But we had barely left the unpaved streets and Aldah´s and Cobalt´s hooves were clattering on the pavement, when I kept the black horse behind the pinto while Connor paved our way through Boston´s streets. People were forced to get out of our way and they did, more or less complaining. But we also had to get out of the way of the heavy carts that were crossing our path. So our ride through Boston was quite like running the gauntlet, but we were faster like that than if we would walk and lead the horses. But I was glad when we stopped in front of a tavern I recognized as Stephane Chapheau´s.
We dismounted the horses, tied them, took the saddle bags and finally entered the dining area. Here was an unpleasant, oppressive heat that was mostly radiated by the guests who were besieging almost every table and the bar. Obviously, we had come to one of the main business hours. All these men and women were just enjoying their supper before returning to their daily work. Many pairs of curious eyes turned to us when we stepped in and only a few turned away again. We must be a strange sight. Connor heavily armed and with his hood. I in my trousers, my braid clearly visible under the tricorn, a little child on one, a holster on the other hip.
I tried to ignore the gazes which was made easier by Stephane´s appearance. He stepped away from the bar, crossed the room with large steps and held his hand out to Connor, who took it. I only received a short nod, but I didn´t expect anything more. Stephane never was going to like me.
"I´m glad to see that your well, my friend", he said to Connor and lightly patted his shoulder. "What brings you here?"
"Enquiries." Connor lifted the bags in his hands. "But before I tell you everything, I wanted to ask you for a room. Just in case we stay over night."
"Mais oui. I have always a room prepared, if one of us should need a room in the city." Stephane took two of the bags from Connor and pointed at a staircase next to us, leading upstairs. He asked us to follow him, but I held Connor back by his arm.
"I think I will go. I don´t have to be with you during your conversation and I think I should go back into the fresh air with Emily", I said and stroked over Emily´s head who had been torn out of sleep by the noises and the unpleasant heat in this room. She was crying quietly. Shortly Connor´s gaze moved to her and he nodded.
"Will you find the way back?"
I nodded.
"So be careful."
"You, too." I shortly put a hand on Connor´s arm, nodded at Stephane again and finally left the tavern. Still in front of the door, I took a deep breath. Relieved to have left the stale air of the tavern behind me. Boston´s air wasn´t quite fresh either, when you were used to the soft breeze in Davenport, but it definitely was more pleasant than the air in the tavern. Emily also calmed down soon when I took her out of her sling and to my shoulder, where she could look around with her usual curiosity. Never before, she had seen so many people and animals on one spot. Although she was pressing her head against my shoulder, to seek shelter from time to time while I followed the stream of people on the streets, she seemed to be fascinated by every detail. The playing dogs and children, the town criers who were promoting the newest headlines in the newspapers, the carts which rumbled past us and especially the people, who were going their ways chatting. I didn´t know how much she really noticed of all of this or if it were only her eyes following unknown stimuli, but this lively curiosity of her almost made me proud and enjoyed stopping from time to time, to draw her attention to some details. No matter if she understood me or not.
So my way through Boston probably took longer than it usually would but finally I was standing in front of the house I had been looking for. For Boston a quite typical red clinker building with a shop on the basement and a flat on the first floor. The sign over the door identified it as "Frey´s fabric and dress atelier". I was at the right place. With a wide smile on my lips I stepped to the door and opened it. A quiet ringing sounded and a very familiar female voice called: "Just a moment. I will be right there."
Smirking I repositioned Emily on my arm and slowly walked through the shop, while I looked around. Huge bales of fabric were hanging in the shelves on the walls and you only needed to unroll them to cut off the desired length. There was fine linen, damask, brocade…everything in the most different colors and printed with different patterns. As well as the shining silk, which felt wonderful when you let it slide through your fingers and beautiful ribbons and braids. But then there were the shelves with accessories. Hats, parasols, fans…dummies in beautiful dresses. I almost felt like in paradise and felt the fine, British lady rising inside of me, who could have spent hours with choosing her dresses. Today my clothes were rather useful and not decorative. But still I couldn´t resist to take one of the hats from a shelf and put it on. It was made of red colored straw, with a broad brim and decorated with a red silken ribbon and white, fluffy feathers. I glanced into the mirror next to the shelf and chuckled. With my shirt, the trousers and my dusty boots, I really looked ridiculous now. Shaking my head, I took the hat off and put it on Emily´s little head. It really sunk into it and still I heard Emily´s joyful squeal.
"We will go and shop when you´re older", I grinned and put the hat back into the shelf when I already heard steps behind me.
"I am sorry that it took so long. I…Lillian?"
I turned around and found myself in front of a surprised looking Maria. She had hardly changed over the eight months since I had seen her the last time. At least when you ignored the remarkably extent of her belly. We had written each other from time to time and so I had learned about her pregnancy quite early. To see her now filled me with an incredible joy and with a bright smile, I stepped to her and embraced her. At least as far as it was possible with a baby bump and the child on my arm.
"It´s so good to see you", I said when we pulled away from each other and pointed at her belly. "Are you well?"
Maria nodded and laid a hand on the roundness of her belly. "I can´t complain. But it gets more and more exhausting to lead the business while Ted is away. Sometimes I feel like my legs are falling off. Did you feel the same?"
I shook my head smirking. "My back was troubling me more. But don´t worry. It will be over some day."
A grin flitted across my lips and Maria smirked, too. "Let´s hope so. But I think all these troubles are worth such a little sweetie." She bent forward and stroked a finger over Emily´s cheek. "You´re growing and growing."
Emily stared at Maria with wide eyes and finally reached out her hand for her and Maria took it with a smile before she looked at me again. "What brings you here? Are you alone?"
I shook my head. "Connor has to do some things here and I wanted to use the opportunity to visit you."
"Things, yes?" Maria smirked and her gaze flitted to the holster on my belt and my trousers. "Did you become a "doer-of-things", too or what is this costume about?"
"No, I didn´t." I chuckled. "Without a side-saddle, it´s more comfortable to ride in trousers and I got the pistol from Connor. Back then because of Ray, but obviously he´s feeling better when I´m still carrying it with me."
Maria raised an eyebrow and clicked her tongue quietly. "Well. That´s sounds sensible in the face of what happened. But I guess we have much to talk about anyway."
She wrapped an arm around my shoulders and led me to the back room she had just left.
