Shattered Moments (32 page)

Valerie followed Alec into Princeton University Medical Center, grateful that he’d had the foresight to wait for her rather than go in the ambulance with Isaac.  She would have been frantic had she come back and found them both gone, with only a note telling her they were at the hospital.  At least this way they could go together.  She managed to put one foot in front of the other, but her mind felt muddled and hazy, almost as if she were underwater; the activity around her just culminating into a muffled wave of sound rather than individual words and actions.  How had this happened?  Isaac had looked the picture of health just that morning, planning to play a game of tennis with one of his retired friends from the university later that afternoon.  He’d gulped down a cup of tea, as he did every morning, before disappearing into what he referred to as his “lab,” a room that neither Alec nor Valerie were permitted to enter. 

Valerie wrapped her arms around her middle to keep herself from coming apart.  She’d grown to care for Isaac, and the thought of losing him left her gutted, but of course, there was more to it than that.  Isaac was their only hope of getting back home, and if he failed to recover, they were trapped in the twenty-first century forever
; displaced, financially strapped, and utterly heartbroken.  The wonderful sense of hope she’d felt only an hour ago had given way to despair and terrible fear as the reality of what happened finally sank in, nearly making her knees buckle.  She snuck a peek at Alec and noted that he walked like an automaton, his eyes fixed on the floor in front of him and his shoulders hunched with tension.  Valerie slid her hand into Alec’s and he squeezed it gently, acknowledging everything she was feeling.  There was no need for words
—
he knew.

An unnatural hush hung over the Cardiac Unit as nurses floated by on silent feet and doctors
disappeared behind closed doors to examine their patients and then move on to the next room.  Several people sat in the waiting area, their eyes glued to the doctors as they emerged from the various rooms in the hope of hearing something positive about their loved one.  Valerie sank into the nearest chair as Alec went up to the nurses’ station to inquire about Isaac.  He returned a few moments later and sat down next to Valerie.

“The nurse said that he’s stable, but they’re running some tests and will know more later.  We just have to be patient.”

Valerie nodded and leaned her head against Alec’s shoulder as he took a seat next to her.  She was too emotionally drained to reply. 

October 1779

Williamsburg, Virginia

The dining room was almost full by the time Diana made her way downstairs.  She’d dressed her hair and dabbed on a little scent in the hope that she might make her stay in Williamsburg a profitable one.  Maybe she’d even stay here for good, close enough to the Mallory family to remind them of the power she had over them.  She’d promised John never to ask for money again, but who was to stop her?  Would he gamble with the safety of his children?  She highly doubted it.  He was sure to have more money stashed away somewhere, and if he didn’t, perhaps there was something he could sell, like that handsome pistol with the silver handle that he kept on hooks mounted above the hearth.  That would fetch a pretty penny. 

Diana cast her gaze over the dining room and took a seat close to the window, the slanting rays of the setting sun casting a rosy glow over her face and making her look almost ethereal.  She liked the idea of being lit up and showcased for all the men in the dining room to see.  One
, in particular, couldn’t tear his eyes away as he lifted his tankard to his lips.  He was handsome, she’d give him that.  His dark eyes looked like chunks of coal in his bronzed face, and the forelock of dark hair that fell onto his forehead gave him a slightly rakish appearance.  The man set down his tankard and gave her a slow smile.  Diana’s heart nearly skipped a beat.  That smile reminded her so much of Sam as did the way the man cocked his head to the side, studying her as if she were a priceless work of art to be admired and adored.  He rose to his feet and strolled toward her table, his drink in hand.

“May I join you?” he asked as his eyes smiled into hers.  “A beautiful woman should never dine alone.  Unless, you’re waiting for someone and I’m making an utter fool of myself.”

“No, you guessed correctly, and I’m on my own.  And I do hate to dine alone.  I would be very pleased to have your company, sir,” she answered demurely.  The man was so handsome; she might just forfeit a fee and do it purely for pleasure. 

“Then you will be my guest tonight,” he said, signaling the innkeeper.  “May I know your name?”

“It’s Diana,” she replied, smiling prettily.

“No surname?”

“Surely, we don’t need surnames.  Just Diana.”

“Then I’m just Ralph.  At your service,
Madame.”  He smiled that lazy grin again and Diana melted inside.  This stay promised to be very pleasant.  If Ralph proved to be unmarried, it might even need to be extended, Diana thought as she took a sip of her drink and smiled back.  What a stroke of luck.  She quickly took stock of the man from beneath her lashes.  He was immaculately dressed, in a dark coat that bespoke of quality, and a shirt that clearly wasn’t homemade.  His boots gleamed in the candlelight, and he smelled of soap and boot polish.  Diana glanced at his hands.  She hated men with dirt under their fingernails, but Ralph’s hands were elegant and clean, the nails finely rounded, not jagged and torn by hard work – clearly a gentleman.

Diana hardly noticed what she ate as Ralph regaled her with stories of his exploits in the Continental Army.  He was a high-ranking officer who was in Williamsburg to visit his widowed father.  He was witty, charming, and oh-so handsome.  She couldn’t wait to get him upstairs.  It’d been a long time since she’d been so attracted to a man other than Sam.  Or maybe it was because he reminded her of Sam.  It was time to move forward and put Sam out of her mind forever.  There were plenty of men out there, and she intended to fleece as many of them as possible while enjoying herself. 

Diana smiled in gratitude as Ralph paid the bill for the supper and gave her a questioning look which she returned with an almost imperceptible nod.  She was taking him upstairs, no question about that.  Judging by his capable hands and strong physique, he promised to be a fine lover, one who knew how to please a woman and not just himself. 

“You go on up,” he said very quietly, “I will join you in a few minutes.”   Diana was disappointed, but smiled and began her ascent up the steps. 
Maybe he changed his mind and didn’t want to be with her, or perhaps she was just being overly suspicious.  He might be married despite what he said, and didn’t care to be seen taking her upstairs and entering her room. 

Diana pulled the pins from her hair and unlaced her bodice.  She would prepare for bed and hope that she didn’t end up in it alone.  Maybe Ralph was just giving her time to take precautions.  Diana pulled out a small bottle and soaked a piece of rag with vinegar before pushing it deep inside herself.  It never hurt to be prepared.  She opened the window a crack to air out the acrid smell of the vinegar and began to brush out her hair, her ear straining for any sounds coming from the corridor outside her room. 

She was already in her nightdress by the time a soft knock sounded on the door.  Ralph was smiling as he leaned against the doorjamb and held out a small bouquet of wildflowers.  “I picked these for you from the neighboring garden,” he whispered as he entered the room.  “I just couldn’t come empty-handed.”

“You’re a wicked man,” Diana giggled, happy with this romantic gesture. 

“You have no idea,” he said as he pulled her close and kissed her.  She could see he wanted to take things slow, but she couldn’t wait.  Diana was on fire, desire choking her as she unlaced his breeches with urgent fingers.  He didn’t protest, but pulled her nightdress over her head and cupped her breasts as he kissed her again and pushed her toward the bed.  She couldn’t wait another moment and gasped with pleasure at the solid feel of him inside her.  She’d been right about his prowess as a lover.  He brought her to the heights of ecstasy before pulling back and moving slowly and deliberately, teasing her, before changing tempo and finishing her off with a few urgent strokes that left her panting and quivering inside.  He kissed her tenderly as he brushed the hair out of her face with gentle fingers, his eyes never leaving hers. 

“You really are beautiful,” he said wistfully, a strange expression on his face.

“You don’t have to leave,” Diana whispered.  She hoped he’d make love to her again and again, but Ralph was already pulling on his breeches and buttoning his coat. 

“I’m sorry, Diana, but I must go.  My father is expecting me, but I do hope I may return tomorrow,” he asked shyly.

“I’ll be waiting.”  She was already tingling with anticipation, thinking of all the things she would do to him when he came back the next day.  They would take things slow, and she would make him beg for mercy as she teased him as mercilessly as he teased her today.  She knew how to bring a man to his knees, and she intended to show him.  No other woman would ever be able to measure up to her after she was done with him.  There were things she saved for only her best clients, but for him, it would be at no charge.  She pictured herself on her knees between his legs as he looked down upon her.  Most men nearly unmanned themselves at the sight of their cock in her mouth, and it made her feel all-powerful and in control.  She couldn’t wait for tomorrow.

Ralph finished dressing and sat down on the edge of the bed to give her another kiss.  His lips were soft and tender as he kissed her
, his eyes locked with hers.  Diana barely registered the thin blade that slid just under her ribs.  She froze with shock as unbearable pain sliced through her, stealing her breath away.  She tried to call for help, but her scream was swallowed by Ralph’s mouth over hers, still so tender.  Diana thrashed for a few horrible moments before the life drained from her, leaving her like a rag doll tossed away by a bored child. 

Ralph withdrew the knife, wiped it on her nightdress and pulled the coverlet over Diana’s body.  He kissed her forehead and made a sign of the cross over her dead body before washing the blood off his hands and letting himself quietly out of the room.  He stealthily made his way down the back stairs and into the night
, where he walked for a few minutes before returning to the inn by the front door.  He took a seat across from an older man who was nursing a tankard of cider and silently observing the other patrons.  “A tankard of ale for my son,” the man called to the barkeep as he studied the younger man’s face.

“Well?”

“It’s done, Father,” the young man said as he took a swallow of his drink.

“You didn’t actually lie with her, did you?” the older man asked.  His mouth was pursed in disapproval and his eyes cold as he regarded his son, who just shrugged, his meaning obvious. 

“Did anyone see you with her?”

“They saw us having supper together, but then I left for twenty minutes and came back by the back door.  No one saw me go up or enter her room.  No one saw me leave.”

“Good.  Now, after you finish your drink, go to the Mallory farm and tell Uncle John that he no longer has a problem.  And give him back the money.”

“Yes,
Father.”  Ralph looked up at his father, his nonchalant expression slipping to reveal one of remorse lurking underneath.  “Did she really have to die?” he asked quietly.  “She was so young and beautiful.  There’s a difference between killing a man in battle and stabbing a young woman between the ribs.  I feel like a murderer.”

Alfred Hewitt’s face softened as he looked at his son.  He didn’t go so far as to smile, but he laid his hand over his son’s wrist, his voice low but soothing.  “Ralph, I would be in fear for your mortal soul if you felt no remorse at killing a young woman, especially one who’s a mother, but you were not the cause of her death
—
merely the instrument.  Diana could have asked John for money and left to pursue her own life, and he would have been happy to see the back of her, but she took it a step too far.  She not only threatened our family, but our cause, and that’s treason.  If she thought it, she as good as did it.  She sealed her own fate, son.”

“I know everything you’re saying is true, but I never hope to be put in that position again.  Killing on the battlefield is honorable; killing a defenseless woman in her bed is cowardly
and beneath our cause, as it’s beneath me.  Please, don’t ever ask anything like this of me again.”  Ralph looked away for a moment to hide the moisture in his eyes, and his father suddenly understood why he bedded the girl.  He wanted her last hour on earth to be beautiful, filled with passion and love, not dejection or loneliness.  He gave Diana a gift, but at the same time compromised his own feelings in doing so.  Alfred’s way would have been quicker and cleaner. 

“What happens now?” Ralph asked.

“Tomorrow morning the chambermaid will find Diana’s body.  She will be buried and forgotten.  And you, my boy, will be long gone; returned to your regiment from your furlough to fight for the cause of freedom.” 

Alfred Hewitt finished his drink and rose to leave, patting his son on the shoulder.  Ralph smiled back, a hint of sadness lurking in his eyes.  He looked remarkably like his cousin Sam when he smiled.