Strangers To Love Ch. 06

As James slept, his dream took over.

The wedding had been beautiful and Isabella even more so. The last of the family and friends were leaving and soon he would take her upstairs as his wife. They were unconventional in that neither were virgins. They had first discovered intimacy two months prior to today, but had been extremely carefull to avoid detection or pregnancy. But tonight, that concern was gone and both were looking forward to uninhibited contact. The servants were in the kitchen, the last of the party clutter had been cleared away efficiently.

The only thing that could have marred the day never materialized. James had taken precautions, but they had not been necessary.

Isabella had had a suitor prior to him and he had not taken it well when Isabella had rebuffed him. He was quite a bit older and something of a mystery in town. He had come to town 15 years before, a reformed gambler. After he bought the local hotel, he had become an upstanding member of the community. He had never married and rarely escorted women around town. It was rumored that he had lost a wife and child before his gambling days, but the story was never proven. When he met Isabella, he had been completely smitten with her but she was only 18 years old and could not learn to love a man nearly old enough to be her father. So she had told him no when he proposed marriage and he had been very angry. After James had started calling on her and they had fallen in love, this man had tried to 'convince' her of his love. It finally came to blows between them and James had won that battle easily.

Taking Isabella's hand, he led her up the stairs to the master bedroom. Her clothing and personal items had been unpacked for tonight. They did not leave for their honeymoon until the following week, and so would be in residence, but unavailable, till then. When they entered the room, they discovered that the maid had turned down the bed, there were fresh flowers in vases, the air was scented with a delicate perfume. James and Isabella came together in a passionate kiss, undressing one another with urgency and need.

James extinguished the lamps and they tumbled together on the bed, laughing and tickling and kissing each other. After some teasing and caressing James positioned himself over her and entered her gently. With out the barrier of her maidenhood, the motion was completely pleasurable and Isabella moaned in delight. As the heat rose, and the tempo increased, James and Isabella were totally focused on their lovemaking. They didn't hear the door open.

The spurned suitor stood there, knife in hand, face contorted with rage. Running towards the bed, James caught the movement out of the corner of his eye just as he instinctively rolled to his left. At that time he felt a searing pain below his right shoulder blade that burned a path through his muscles towards and ending at his right side. The pain was excruciating and he wasn't able to raise his right arm. Falling to the left, he could hear Isabelle scream and he tried desperately to right himself in an attempt to protect her.

The next scream he heard was the attacker - he screamed in dismay, 'No no no no - Isabelle! NO NO NO!', and could just make out the attacker's face before he turned away and stumbled from the room, covered in blood. James was fast loosing consciousness and the last thing he saw was a very still Isabelle with a long knife handle protruding from her left breast. His vision faded and he slipped into the dark.

James woke with a start. Feeling Leanna's warm form next to him, he started to say Isabelle's name and then his surroundings brought him back from his dream. His sudden movement and low moan of pain stirred Leanna to wakefulness. Sweat trickled down his face and across his chest - as if he had been running. She looked at him,concern blossoming on her face.

'What is it? Did you hear something?'

'No, just old memories. Nothing you really need to worry about. Come here...'

'I think you had a nightmare - look at you, sweating - you're breathing hard - please, tell me. I'll listen. Does it have anything to do with that scar on your back? And how did you get that? Are you in trouble?' Leanna looked at him with pleading eyes. He knew that if he didn't answer at least some of her questions, life would be quite impossible. He knew women. When they wanted to know something, they would find out one way or another.

So, with obvious reluctance but also with some relief at being able to relay the story, he told her his dream. He told her about Isabell, his wife. When he finished, she had tears in her eyes.

'There's more, isn't there? Might as well finish it, then we can decide what to do next.'

We. She had said We, not You. He realized that his feelings for her had just gone to a new level. He hadn't been a 'we' in so long and finally understood how much he needed to tell everything to someone he trusted - someone who wouldn't judge.

'She died that night - three years ago. The man who did it, ran out of the front door and was seen by a gentleman out for a walk. He saw that the attacker was covered in blood and saw the open door. He came into the house and found us upstairs. I don't remember any of this part. I was unconcious. He checked Isabella first, but she was dead. He thought I was too, but apparently found that I was still breathing. He was able to raise the household staff. He even covered her body - so that she wouldn't be gawked at. I can't thank him enough for that.

'The staff went for the doctor and he managed, with great skill, to sew me up and saved my life. They told me I was in and out for over a week and that he couldn't say whether I would live or not. When I finally woke up, I was very weak for a long time. When I could, I asked for the details. I knew who had attacked us and I just assumed that he had been caught and hung. But that was not the case.

'I was the only one that saw him. The gentleman that found us, never saw his face - only the bloody hands and the race from the house. I told them who it was: Thomas Grays. The man who had wanted Isabella. The man who couldn't have her, so killed her instead.

'I was told that he had left town a day later. No one had seen him and no one had thought anything of it - he often went out of town. But he never came back. The hotel was sold and he disappeared. I have been searching for him ever since.'

Leanna had listened to his tale with wide eyes and such a deep sadness, that she couldn't even speak. She reached out with her hand and touching his cheek, felt his tears and wiped them away. Leaning towards him, she kissed him with such tenderness that he felt like his heart would break.

'I'm a man with a ghost and a quest. I'm really not free to have these feelings for you, but I do and I'm so sorry that I didn't trust you with this from the beginning. I will understand if you want me to leave.' His heart nearly stopped as he awaited her response. His chest was tight with fear.

'Why in the world would I want you to leave? You have to stay! I gave myself to you because I love you. I'm not Isabella, but . . . won't you stay?' Leanna looked at him with pleading in her eyes. 'I need you. Here.'

James pulled her close, nearly crushing her with his own need. 'I love you too. I just don't want you to settle for damaged goods. I still have to find this man. That's how I got to this area in the first place. I had a tip that he lived in this town. I have to find him. I have to kill him. You see, I'm not a free man, and if I do find and kill him, they may hang me. It's too much to ask of you.'

'I don't recall you asking. I offered myself to you and even knowing all of this, I would do it again. I AM doing it again. James, I love you, no matter what. We will find this man and turn him over to the sheriff. That is the rational thing to do. But you will not kill him. Let the law do it's job. Then we'll be together. Forever.'

'I know you're right, but I have been searching for so long. I'm not sure I can just hand him over. I'm not ever sure he's here. I may have to leave. What then?'

'Then we will discuss it at that point. But for now, I want to feel that feeling again. I want you. Now.'

And with that, James and Leanna explored each other's bodies with love compounded by desire till near dawn, when they parted. They had decided to maintain propriety for Billy's sake and so that James could continue his search in town without breaking his cover story as cousin.

James would find Thomas Grays. Killing him was still his plan, but for now he would bury that. First he had to find him.