Sad_Girl
Blue Crack Supplier
**Disclaimer – Though inspired in part by people who exist in reality, this story is not meant to represent them in any literal way. No offense is meant to anyone who resembles in any way any of the characters in the story.
On the rising tide Chapter 23
“We can’t stay here much longer.”
Adam’s words hit them all like a gale force wind. They all knew they were true, and even understood the necessity, but it was like being woken from a dream by a bucket of icy water. After the way the soldiers had treated Bono’s father and Molly, it was clear that the threat they presented was severe. There had been too many people who might know who was staying at the Clayton residence; people who would eagerly report that information for a little money or to protect themselves.
“Where will you go?” Edge asked, concerned for the friend who’d been so generous to them and who stood to lose everything.
“Belfast. At least for now. I’ve enough money to pay an innkeeper for a few weeks, and hopefully that will be enough time to have things in order.” Adam replied, wrapping his arms casually around Fiona and drawing her close. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his shoulder, wondering if life would ever be normal for them.
“Belfast? You’re going to stay right next door to the people who are searching for us?”
“Not us. No one associates me with the lot of you. Not yet, anyway.” Adam replied. “Though it’s only a matter of time. I need to use the time I have wisely. I’ve been invited to a ball on New years eve, and I think I’d best attend. We may have an ally in a very unlikely stead.”
“We can probably get the aingeal back up to shipshape and ready to sail quickly enough. If we have enough people, we could take her out just off the coast and stay aboard her in relative safety for some time.” Larry volunteered.
“It will be cold.” Carra thought aloud. “and sailing in the winter is dangerous. But it may be more dangerous to try and stay on here.”
“We’ll have enough people. I won’t be leaving anyone behind this time. Not Gavin, Guggi nor any of the others from the troupe. I won’t put them in danger for my sake.” Bono informed Larry.
“If you can bring the aingeal up the coast to Belfast, I’ll meet you at the docks on New Years day. I hope that I'll have arranged for better accommodations and a private port.” Adam told them.
“Who is this friend whose ball you’ve been invited to? The one upon whom you are hanging so much hope?”
“The ball is being hosted by Captain Audley… and his new wife.”
“Colleen?” Bono breathed her named, his eyes widening and pulse racing at the very thought of her.
“Aye. Colleen.”
“Captain Audley? Are you insane? He’s the head of the brigade which is most actively searching for fugitives and pirates! Just because you know Colleen, you think she will betray her husband for us? Or that she even could protect us against the man? She could not even protect herself from being forced to wed him in the first place.” Carra objected.
“No, Carra, I think Adam has a point. We’ll hide in the last place they’ll suspect. Into the belly of the beast. Adam, you’re a genius.” Edge said.
“Bono, are you alright?” Molly asked, reaching out to take his hand and stirring him from the depth of his own thoughts into which he had descended.
“Hmm? Oh, right. I’m fine, Molly. Just thinking.” He replied absently. His heart was pounding so hard that the sound of blood in his ears was dulling the sound of the others as they discussed their situation. Colleen was married. Though he had known it was her intention when last he’d seen her, he had been able to hope that something might have changed.
Now he knew it was a reality, and that Adam would soon be seeing her. Though his head knew it was a bad idea, his heart was already trying to find a way to see her himself. He needed to know that she was safe and well cared for, at least.
***************************************************************
They spent the night and the next day preparing to leave Dublin, with no plans to return anytime soon. Fiona had been delaying the inevitable, but she knew that she could not leave Dublin without finding out what had become of her family. Her conscience would never let her rest if she did.
She rolled out of bed as quietly and gently as possible, glancing back at Adam to be sure that he was still sleeping soundly. She watched as he rolled over onto his belly, wrapping an arm around a pillow and snuggling up against it. She felt a strong urge to reach out to him, to run her hands along the smooth skin of his back. She wished that she could bury her nose in the crook of his neck and be filled by his scent, his warmth. She felt safe when she was with him; the closer she was, the safer she felt.
This was something she had to do herself; her demon to face. He’d already done so much for her, she knew her life would be miserable if not for Adam. If she had any life at all. She didn’t want to endanger him any more. Beyond that, she didn’t want him to see how she had lived. Her family home would seem so shabby compared to the mansions he was accustomed to.
She didn’t want him to really see with his own two eyes where she came from. She didn’t want him to see what she really was. She couldn’t face the possibility of Adam’s eyes being opened to what so many people had already seen. He outclassed her in so many ways, she couldn’t even begin to list them.
She dressed as quickly and quietly as she could manage and hurried away, stopping at the door to take one last long look at him. Even in his sleep, he had a presence. He was refined, elegant. Noble.
She closed the door quietly and slipped down the stairs, deciding to leave through the kitchen so as not to risk being seen by anyone near a window or on the main street. She stepped through the door into the dark kitchen without pause; she already knew her way around the house without the aid of the lamplight. She was almost to the door when the sound of footsteps behind her made her jump in surprise.
“Where in the world are you off to at this time of night?” Carra asked, not bothering to apologize for startling her.
“Nowhere. Please, Carra, don’t tell anyone.” Fiona replied, her voice a frantic whisper. Carra snorted at her plea.
“Then tell me what would compel you to sneak out the back door in the wee small hours!” She retorted.
“We are leaving tomorrow, and I have not yet been back to see my family.” Fiona informed her, hoping Carra’s sympathy would outweigh her protective nature. “I need to know what became of them, at least.”
“You cannot go alone.” Carra told her, turning and retreating into the darkness.
“Carra!”
“Shh! I’m just getting what remains of my meal. Let me gather my cloak and I’ll accompany you.” Carra replied from a few feet away. Fiona sighed in relief and waited impatiently as Carra gathered her things.
“I’m sorry to interrupt your meal.” She told her once they were far enough from the house. Carra was loudly munching on something or another, the sound of it even louder than the sound of the snow crunching beneath their feet.
“I’m glad you did. I would hate to think of you wandering the alleys of the city alone in the dark.” Carra told her, speaking with her mouth full. Fiona caught the scent of dill on the breeze. Pickled eggs, perhaps? She smiled and wondered if she was having strange cravings like her mother had, when she was pregnant with Emily.
“I’m grateful for the company, to be honest. I may know the city well by daylight, but it is like a whole different world at night.” Fiona replied, huddling under her cloak, grateful for it’s protection.
“It’s no trouble. Larry would have kicked me out of bed if I had gone back right now, anyway. He can’t stand the smell of pickled beets.” She told her, chuckling softly. Fiona laughed, picturing Larry’s expressive face in reaction to the offensive smell. The man was incapable of lying; his face and eyes were too expressive.
The women fell into a companionable silence as they hurried through the almost completely silent streets. The snow sparkled, turned silver by the light of a full moon, providing them enough light that they did not need a lantern. Both of them were thankful for that, since it would have drawn unwanted attention.
“Here.” Fiona whispered as her steps slowed not far from the narrow house she had known as her home until less than a year ago. It seemed even shabbier to her eyes now than it had before, as depressing on the outside as the lives which were carried on inside. She drew a deep breath to steel her will and started forward again, letting herself quietly in the front door.
The house was dark and still, and it seemed far colder inside than it had been out in the open air. There were no logs by the fire and the ashes were cold. Fiona moved to the small room she had shared with her sisters, stepping lightly on the squeaky floorboards she had memorized long ago.
Once inside the room, they found her youngest sister Emily, sleeping alone. The bed, which the three sisters had shared, seemed so big around the little girls tiny frame. Her long blonde curls fanned out around her face, resembling a halo.
“Emily?” Fiona called her name gently, stroking the girls cheek and forehead. “Emily?” She said again, the little girl stirring in her sleep and finally opening her bright blue eyes.
“Mum?” She muttered, rubbing her eyes and sitting up.
“No, it’s Fiona.”
“Fiona?!?” Emily squealed, throwing her arms around her sisters neck happily.
“Shh!” Fiona told her, her voice broken by her relieved laughter as she hugged her sister close. “Emily, where is Penny?” She asked, and Emily sat back, eager to tell her sister everything which had passed in the time she’d been away.
“She ran off with Cillian.” She told her dramatically. Her eyes were wide and it seemed from her tone that this was a rather shocking event she was reporting. “After you left, Da and Mum got into a fight. They was screamin’ and yellin’. Da was cryin'! He kept askin her where you’d gone, but she wouldn’t tell him. So he said Penny would have to take your place. Mum begged him to stop, but he had Penny by the hair and was tryin’ to take her away.
“Mum started hittin’ him and cursin’ at him. I never heard them sorts o’ words come out o’ her mouth before! She sounded like the Donnelley boys she always told us to stay away from. Dad let go o’ Penny to give mum a shove, and Penny ran off. Mom was screamin for her to run, to get to the Finnegan's house as fast as she could, and holdin’ Da from chasin’ her.” Emily’s voice broke and her eyes welled up with tears at this point, and she covered her face with her hands.
“What happened, Emily? You said Penny ran off with Cillian?”
“Yeah, she did. She got to the Finnegan’s house that night and they took her in. She got married to Cillian right after that, and they took her away after mum’s funeral.”
“Funeral?” Fiona repeated, her hand hurrying to her cover her mouth in shock.
“Oh, Fiona! Da was so mad that night! He shoved her. He pushed her harder than he meant to even, and she fell back and hit her head on the mantle.” Emily said, sobbing now, her words coming in broken gasps. “She just lay there, without movin’. I tried to help her, I tried to stop the bleedin’. There was so much blood!”
“Oh, Emily.” Fiona whispered, drawing the girl into her arms and cradling her while she sobbed.
“You’re not all alone here?” Carra asked from the doorway, startling the young girl who had not noticed her presence.
“No. Da’s here, he’s sleepin’.” She sniffed.
“Da’s alive?” Fiona asked incredulously.
“Sure ‘n why wouldn’t he be?”
“Because of the men. The men he owed.”
“He sold off all of mum’s stuff, anything of yours and Penny’s too. But they said it wasn’t enough still an’ they broke all the fingers on his left hand.” She informed her with a detachment and lack of care no eight year old should have been able to muster in the telling of such a gruesome tale.
Fiona closed her eyes and sat there in shock. To think, she had mourned for this man when she thought he had been killed. She had felt guilt that she had not been willing to sacrifice herself to save him. Now she wished he had simply taken the punishment he had earned and gone quietly to his death. To save his own miserable life, he had taken everything from his family.
“Come along, Emily. Get yourself dressed, you’re coming with us.” Fiona said finally, standing and drawing back the covers on the bed. Emily did not ask where they were going or if they should inform their father, but simply climbed out of the ratty old bed and hurried to dress herself. Fiona gathered the girls one extra dress and anything else worth taking with them and bundled them in a pillowcase.
They had just opened the front door when Carra realized they were not alone. She turned to see the massive man staggering toward them. The moonlight which came in through the open door shone across his face and made his eyes flash menacingly.
“What’re you doin’ in my house?” He demanded, his words slurring together as he stumbled and had to catch himself by leaning a hand against the wall. Somehow, his drunken eyes found their focus and he recognized the lady in the doorway as his run away daughter. “Fiona!”
Carra saw her friend freeze, unable to move because of fear or shock.
“Fiona, you go on. Get Emily to safety.” She told her in a commanding voice and a manner which she borrowed from Larry. She hoped her imitation of him would lend her the air of authority she needed at the moment.
“Emily! You’re not to be going anywhere! Back to bed with you!” The man ordered, and Carra stepped in between him and his daughters.
“Your daughters are both coming away with me, and you’ll be doing nothing about it.” Carra informed him, glancing back over her shoulder to see the girls still standing half in the doorway, half out. “Go!” She told them, and this time they turned and fled the house.
“You canno’ take my daughters!” The man bellowed. Fiona could hear him yelling as she and Emily ran as fast as their feet would take them. They were four blocks away before they dared to stop and look back, gasping for breath.
“I shouldn’t have left her.” Fiona said, chewing nervously on her lower lip. She could not leave Emily alone in the street, and she knew she could not take her back. They began walking toward her new home, glancing back over their shoulders frequently, and hoping for some sign of Carra.
In fact, she was looking back when she suddenly collided with someone emerging from an alley. She let out a sharp scream, her nerves ringing.
“Never look back.” She heard Carra say as she righted herself, and she went from terror to relieved laughter.
“Carra! How did you…?”
“You’re moving as if you were carrying a lot heavier bundle than that.” Carra explained, nodding at Emily’s pillowcase. “Come on, we need to make haste.” She told them, lifting the small girl and carrying her for the sake of speed.
They had barely stepped in the back door of the house when they knew they’d been missed. Every light in the hall and sitting room was lit, every man in the house standing vigil as they tried to make sense of the women’s disappearance.
“Carra!” Larry cried out as she emerged from the shadows in the kitchen. She set Emily back down on her own feet and allowed Larry to gather her up in his arms in an uncharacteristic show of emotion. She knew she must be quite a sight, with her shirt stained with blood and dried blood on her face.
“Is he dead?” Emily asked, seeing the blood on Carra for the first time, now that they were in the light.
“No, lass. I didn’t kill him.” She assured the girl.
“Kill who? Are you injured?” Larry demanded, stroking the hair back from her face and examining her closely.
“He bloodied my nose, that’s all. He’ll have a worse headache in the morning than I will.” She replied.
“What happened? Where have you been?” Adam asked Fiona, relieved to see she appeared to be unharmed.
“Adam, I had to see what had become of my family.” She started, and she could tell he was upset. He wanted to ask her what she was thinking, sneaking over there in the middle of the night. He wanted to tell her that she should have let him come with her. She held up her hand to keep him silent, reaching out with her other arm to draw Emily near. She stroked the girls blonde hair gently as she rested her head against Fiona’s midsection.
“Adam, this is my sister, Emily. I’m all she has left, and I won’t leave her. I’ll understand if you don’t want to take responsibility for her, but we are a pair. Wherever I go from now on, she will be with me.” Fiona told him, her shoulders squared, her jaw thrust out in determination.
“I wouldn’t dream of separating you.” Adam told her, kneeling before them and holding out his hand to Emily. “I’ve heard a lot about you Emily. I’m pleased to finally meet you. I’m Adam, and if you’ll have me, I’d like to be your brother-in-law.”
Emily reached out timidly and let him take her hand in his and raise it to his lips in a gallant gesture which made her grin and blush madly. She nodded her approval silently, and when she looked up at Fiona, she was surprised to see her crying and smiling at the same time.
“You look cold. There’s a fire in the sitting room, let’s all go in there and sort this all out over tea.” He suggested, rising and gesturing for them to lead the way. Emily went first, and Fiona paused long enough to kiss Adam softly and whisper her thanks.
On the rising tide Chapter 23
“We can’t stay here much longer.”
Adam’s words hit them all like a gale force wind. They all knew they were true, and even understood the necessity, but it was like being woken from a dream by a bucket of icy water. After the way the soldiers had treated Bono’s father and Molly, it was clear that the threat they presented was severe. There had been too many people who might know who was staying at the Clayton residence; people who would eagerly report that information for a little money or to protect themselves.
“Where will you go?” Edge asked, concerned for the friend who’d been so generous to them and who stood to lose everything.
“Belfast. At least for now. I’ve enough money to pay an innkeeper for a few weeks, and hopefully that will be enough time to have things in order.” Adam replied, wrapping his arms casually around Fiona and drawing her close. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his shoulder, wondering if life would ever be normal for them.
“Belfast? You’re going to stay right next door to the people who are searching for us?”
“Not us. No one associates me with the lot of you. Not yet, anyway.” Adam replied. “Though it’s only a matter of time. I need to use the time I have wisely. I’ve been invited to a ball on New years eve, and I think I’d best attend. We may have an ally in a very unlikely stead.”
“We can probably get the aingeal back up to shipshape and ready to sail quickly enough. If we have enough people, we could take her out just off the coast and stay aboard her in relative safety for some time.” Larry volunteered.
“It will be cold.” Carra thought aloud. “and sailing in the winter is dangerous. But it may be more dangerous to try and stay on here.”
“We’ll have enough people. I won’t be leaving anyone behind this time. Not Gavin, Guggi nor any of the others from the troupe. I won’t put them in danger for my sake.” Bono informed Larry.
“If you can bring the aingeal up the coast to Belfast, I’ll meet you at the docks on New Years day. I hope that I'll have arranged for better accommodations and a private port.” Adam told them.
“Who is this friend whose ball you’ve been invited to? The one upon whom you are hanging so much hope?”
“The ball is being hosted by Captain Audley… and his new wife.”
“Colleen?” Bono breathed her named, his eyes widening and pulse racing at the very thought of her.
“Aye. Colleen.”
“Captain Audley? Are you insane? He’s the head of the brigade which is most actively searching for fugitives and pirates! Just because you know Colleen, you think she will betray her husband for us? Or that she even could protect us against the man? She could not even protect herself from being forced to wed him in the first place.” Carra objected.
“No, Carra, I think Adam has a point. We’ll hide in the last place they’ll suspect. Into the belly of the beast. Adam, you’re a genius.” Edge said.
“Bono, are you alright?” Molly asked, reaching out to take his hand and stirring him from the depth of his own thoughts into which he had descended.
“Hmm? Oh, right. I’m fine, Molly. Just thinking.” He replied absently. His heart was pounding so hard that the sound of blood in his ears was dulling the sound of the others as they discussed their situation. Colleen was married. Though he had known it was her intention when last he’d seen her, he had been able to hope that something might have changed.
Now he knew it was a reality, and that Adam would soon be seeing her. Though his head knew it was a bad idea, his heart was already trying to find a way to see her himself. He needed to know that she was safe and well cared for, at least.
***************************************************************
They spent the night and the next day preparing to leave Dublin, with no plans to return anytime soon. Fiona had been delaying the inevitable, but she knew that she could not leave Dublin without finding out what had become of her family. Her conscience would never let her rest if she did.
She rolled out of bed as quietly and gently as possible, glancing back at Adam to be sure that he was still sleeping soundly. She watched as he rolled over onto his belly, wrapping an arm around a pillow and snuggling up against it. She felt a strong urge to reach out to him, to run her hands along the smooth skin of his back. She wished that she could bury her nose in the crook of his neck and be filled by his scent, his warmth. She felt safe when she was with him; the closer she was, the safer she felt.
This was something she had to do herself; her demon to face. He’d already done so much for her, she knew her life would be miserable if not for Adam. If she had any life at all. She didn’t want to endanger him any more. Beyond that, she didn’t want him to see how she had lived. Her family home would seem so shabby compared to the mansions he was accustomed to.
She didn’t want him to really see with his own two eyes where she came from. She didn’t want him to see what she really was. She couldn’t face the possibility of Adam’s eyes being opened to what so many people had already seen. He outclassed her in so many ways, she couldn’t even begin to list them.
She dressed as quickly and quietly as she could manage and hurried away, stopping at the door to take one last long look at him. Even in his sleep, he had a presence. He was refined, elegant. Noble.
She closed the door quietly and slipped down the stairs, deciding to leave through the kitchen so as not to risk being seen by anyone near a window or on the main street. She stepped through the door into the dark kitchen without pause; she already knew her way around the house without the aid of the lamplight. She was almost to the door when the sound of footsteps behind her made her jump in surprise.
“Where in the world are you off to at this time of night?” Carra asked, not bothering to apologize for startling her.
“Nowhere. Please, Carra, don’t tell anyone.” Fiona replied, her voice a frantic whisper. Carra snorted at her plea.
“Then tell me what would compel you to sneak out the back door in the wee small hours!” She retorted.
“We are leaving tomorrow, and I have not yet been back to see my family.” Fiona informed her, hoping Carra’s sympathy would outweigh her protective nature. “I need to know what became of them, at least.”
“You cannot go alone.” Carra told her, turning and retreating into the darkness.
“Carra!”
“Shh! I’m just getting what remains of my meal. Let me gather my cloak and I’ll accompany you.” Carra replied from a few feet away. Fiona sighed in relief and waited impatiently as Carra gathered her things.
“I’m sorry to interrupt your meal.” She told her once they were far enough from the house. Carra was loudly munching on something or another, the sound of it even louder than the sound of the snow crunching beneath their feet.
“I’m glad you did. I would hate to think of you wandering the alleys of the city alone in the dark.” Carra told her, speaking with her mouth full. Fiona caught the scent of dill on the breeze. Pickled eggs, perhaps? She smiled and wondered if she was having strange cravings like her mother had, when she was pregnant with Emily.
“I’m grateful for the company, to be honest. I may know the city well by daylight, but it is like a whole different world at night.” Fiona replied, huddling under her cloak, grateful for it’s protection.
“It’s no trouble. Larry would have kicked me out of bed if I had gone back right now, anyway. He can’t stand the smell of pickled beets.” She told her, chuckling softly. Fiona laughed, picturing Larry’s expressive face in reaction to the offensive smell. The man was incapable of lying; his face and eyes were too expressive.
The women fell into a companionable silence as they hurried through the almost completely silent streets. The snow sparkled, turned silver by the light of a full moon, providing them enough light that they did not need a lantern. Both of them were thankful for that, since it would have drawn unwanted attention.
“Here.” Fiona whispered as her steps slowed not far from the narrow house she had known as her home until less than a year ago. It seemed even shabbier to her eyes now than it had before, as depressing on the outside as the lives which were carried on inside. She drew a deep breath to steel her will and started forward again, letting herself quietly in the front door.
The house was dark and still, and it seemed far colder inside than it had been out in the open air. There were no logs by the fire and the ashes were cold. Fiona moved to the small room she had shared with her sisters, stepping lightly on the squeaky floorboards she had memorized long ago.
Once inside the room, they found her youngest sister Emily, sleeping alone. The bed, which the three sisters had shared, seemed so big around the little girls tiny frame. Her long blonde curls fanned out around her face, resembling a halo.
“Emily?” Fiona called her name gently, stroking the girls cheek and forehead. “Emily?” She said again, the little girl stirring in her sleep and finally opening her bright blue eyes.
“Mum?” She muttered, rubbing her eyes and sitting up.
“No, it’s Fiona.”
“Fiona?!?” Emily squealed, throwing her arms around her sisters neck happily.
“Shh!” Fiona told her, her voice broken by her relieved laughter as she hugged her sister close. “Emily, where is Penny?” She asked, and Emily sat back, eager to tell her sister everything which had passed in the time she’d been away.
“She ran off with Cillian.” She told her dramatically. Her eyes were wide and it seemed from her tone that this was a rather shocking event she was reporting. “After you left, Da and Mum got into a fight. They was screamin’ and yellin’. Da was cryin'! He kept askin her where you’d gone, but she wouldn’t tell him. So he said Penny would have to take your place. Mum begged him to stop, but he had Penny by the hair and was tryin’ to take her away.
“Mum started hittin’ him and cursin’ at him. I never heard them sorts o’ words come out o’ her mouth before! She sounded like the Donnelley boys she always told us to stay away from. Dad let go o’ Penny to give mum a shove, and Penny ran off. Mom was screamin for her to run, to get to the Finnegan's house as fast as she could, and holdin’ Da from chasin’ her.” Emily’s voice broke and her eyes welled up with tears at this point, and she covered her face with her hands.
“What happened, Emily? You said Penny ran off with Cillian?”
“Yeah, she did. She got to the Finnegan’s house that night and they took her in. She got married to Cillian right after that, and they took her away after mum’s funeral.”
“Funeral?” Fiona repeated, her hand hurrying to her cover her mouth in shock.
“Oh, Fiona! Da was so mad that night! He shoved her. He pushed her harder than he meant to even, and she fell back and hit her head on the mantle.” Emily said, sobbing now, her words coming in broken gasps. “She just lay there, without movin’. I tried to help her, I tried to stop the bleedin’. There was so much blood!”
“Oh, Emily.” Fiona whispered, drawing the girl into her arms and cradling her while she sobbed.
“You’re not all alone here?” Carra asked from the doorway, startling the young girl who had not noticed her presence.
“No. Da’s here, he’s sleepin’.” She sniffed.
“Da’s alive?” Fiona asked incredulously.
“Sure ‘n why wouldn’t he be?”
“Because of the men. The men he owed.”
“He sold off all of mum’s stuff, anything of yours and Penny’s too. But they said it wasn’t enough still an’ they broke all the fingers on his left hand.” She informed her with a detachment and lack of care no eight year old should have been able to muster in the telling of such a gruesome tale.
Fiona closed her eyes and sat there in shock. To think, she had mourned for this man when she thought he had been killed. She had felt guilt that she had not been willing to sacrifice herself to save him. Now she wished he had simply taken the punishment he had earned and gone quietly to his death. To save his own miserable life, he had taken everything from his family.
“Come along, Emily. Get yourself dressed, you’re coming with us.” Fiona said finally, standing and drawing back the covers on the bed. Emily did not ask where they were going or if they should inform their father, but simply climbed out of the ratty old bed and hurried to dress herself. Fiona gathered the girls one extra dress and anything else worth taking with them and bundled them in a pillowcase.
They had just opened the front door when Carra realized they were not alone. She turned to see the massive man staggering toward them. The moonlight which came in through the open door shone across his face and made his eyes flash menacingly.
“What’re you doin’ in my house?” He demanded, his words slurring together as he stumbled and had to catch himself by leaning a hand against the wall. Somehow, his drunken eyes found their focus and he recognized the lady in the doorway as his run away daughter. “Fiona!”
Carra saw her friend freeze, unable to move because of fear or shock.
“Fiona, you go on. Get Emily to safety.” She told her in a commanding voice and a manner which she borrowed from Larry. She hoped her imitation of him would lend her the air of authority she needed at the moment.
“Emily! You’re not to be going anywhere! Back to bed with you!” The man ordered, and Carra stepped in between him and his daughters.
“Your daughters are both coming away with me, and you’ll be doing nothing about it.” Carra informed him, glancing back over her shoulder to see the girls still standing half in the doorway, half out. “Go!” She told them, and this time they turned and fled the house.
“You canno’ take my daughters!” The man bellowed. Fiona could hear him yelling as she and Emily ran as fast as their feet would take them. They were four blocks away before they dared to stop and look back, gasping for breath.
“I shouldn’t have left her.” Fiona said, chewing nervously on her lower lip. She could not leave Emily alone in the street, and she knew she could not take her back. They began walking toward her new home, glancing back over their shoulders frequently, and hoping for some sign of Carra.
In fact, she was looking back when she suddenly collided with someone emerging from an alley. She let out a sharp scream, her nerves ringing.
“Never look back.” She heard Carra say as she righted herself, and she went from terror to relieved laughter.
“Carra! How did you…?”
“You’re moving as if you were carrying a lot heavier bundle than that.” Carra explained, nodding at Emily’s pillowcase. “Come on, we need to make haste.” She told them, lifting the small girl and carrying her for the sake of speed.
They had barely stepped in the back door of the house when they knew they’d been missed. Every light in the hall and sitting room was lit, every man in the house standing vigil as they tried to make sense of the women’s disappearance.
“Carra!” Larry cried out as she emerged from the shadows in the kitchen. She set Emily back down on her own feet and allowed Larry to gather her up in his arms in an uncharacteristic show of emotion. She knew she must be quite a sight, with her shirt stained with blood and dried blood on her face.
“Is he dead?” Emily asked, seeing the blood on Carra for the first time, now that they were in the light.
“No, lass. I didn’t kill him.” She assured the girl.
“Kill who? Are you injured?” Larry demanded, stroking the hair back from her face and examining her closely.
“He bloodied my nose, that’s all. He’ll have a worse headache in the morning than I will.” She replied.
“What happened? Where have you been?” Adam asked Fiona, relieved to see she appeared to be unharmed.
“Adam, I had to see what had become of my family.” She started, and she could tell he was upset. He wanted to ask her what she was thinking, sneaking over there in the middle of the night. He wanted to tell her that she should have let him come with her. She held up her hand to keep him silent, reaching out with her other arm to draw Emily near. She stroked the girls blonde hair gently as she rested her head against Fiona’s midsection.
“Adam, this is my sister, Emily. I’m all she has left, and I won’t leave her. I’ll understand if you don’t want to take responsibility for her, but we are a pair. Wherever I go from now on, she will be with me.” Fiona told him, her shoulders squared, her jaw thrust out in determination.
“I wouldn’t dream of separating you.” Adam told her, kneeling before them and holding out his hand to Emily. “I’ve heard a lot about you Emily. I’m pleased to finally meet you. I’m Adam, and if you’ll have me, I’d like to be your brother-in-law.”
Emily reached out timidly and let him take her hand in his and raise it to his lips in a gallant gesture which made her grin and blush madly. She nodded her approval silently, and when she looked up at Fiona, she was surprised to see her crying and smiling at the same time.
“You look cold. There’s a fire in the sitting room, let’s all go in there and sort this all out over tea.” He suggested, rising and gesturing for them to lead the way. Emily went first, and Fiona paused long enough to kiss Adam softly and whisper her thanks.
keep it going SG
)
