The Wounded Nobleman (The Regimental Heroes) (3 page)

Chapter 3

Ellis wished he slept
, but there were a million things racing through his mind. When the sun rose, so did he. He bathed, shaved, ate some dry toast—it was all his stomach could handle, and then fretted for another hour on what he should say to Callie.

How could he apologize after making such a grave error in judgment? He had to start by talking to her. Ellis grabbed a kitchen knife, cut a bouquet of lilies from the garden and had the stable boy bring around a horse. The flowers would be a peace offering.
Lilies
? They were yellow— her favorite color. He liked tulips better, but they were out of season. Hopefully she would like these.

He had them bring ‘round a chaise
and he drove
to her family’s estate. Handing off the reins he moved to the house and then rapped his knuckles on the front door.

****

“Lord Garrison is here to see you,” Chadwick the head
of the staff announced.

Callie was more than a little surprised when Ellis stepped through the door holding the largest bouquet of flowers she had ever seen. He maneuvered his cane to brace his leg and strode to where she sat.

“I am sorry to arrive without a proper invitation, but I had to see how your ankle was.” There were dark circles under his eyes. Was it from lack of sleep? She had tossed and turned too thinking of their shared kiss.

He handed her the flowers.

“Thank you.” She accepted them and then handed them off to staff to arrange in a vase. “My ankle was fine last night. You knew that when I left.”

“No, I did not. You still seemed to be in a slight bit of pain. I…I also came,” he dropped his voice, “to apologize.”

She waved the staff from the room. When the door closed, she turned. “You’re coming to apologize for kissing me?”

“I should be sorry for that… but I’m not. I still have feeling
s for you. I am sorry for frightening you and for acting out of line. I’m apologizing for whatever you need me to apologize for to gain forgiveness.” He stepped forward, took her hand, and looked into her eyes.

She stopped listening after the first part of the sentence. “You still have feelings for me?”

“Yes. I have never stopped. But everything has changed. I am no longer the boy who courted you and I have no right to return to the feeling I once carried.”

She swallowed as his hand solidly clenched hers. “I have no say in this matter?”

“No… I mean yes.” Ellis pulled in a deep breath. “I spoke to your father and asked if I could escort you on a picnic in the country. He agreed to let you come unescorted which was a bit of a surprise.”

Callie knew she should say no. No respectable woman would travel unescorted, but she was already marked. Accused of being virtue-less by her family, so would it matter? “Yes… I would love to.”

After Callie instructed the kitchen
staff to pack cold meat, cheese, and bread. Ellis had his carriage brought around and pressed the packed food into a leather pouch in the chaise. The chaise carriage barely offered enough room for both of them and Ellis mentally chastised himself again. He should have taken the time to bring a full size carriage with a driver. But he did it for selfish reasons. He wanted to be alone with Callie.

He steered
the horse toward his family’s land, which presented many beautiful spots for picnics and close enough to reach in an hour’s time. Would she remember how they played in the fields as children? In the last few weeks since she’d been back in his life, he recalled every moment he’d spent with Callie over the years.

Callie was warm and soft pressed against him and the sweet smell of her freshly washed hair drove him insane. Lavender and vanilla. He tried not to look at the side of her head, but he was fascinated by the myriad of tiny pin
s holding her silky blonde hair in place. How long would it take to pull each pin loose and let all that luxurious hair fall free
, preferably over the pale flesh of bare breasts?

God save me
, he had to stop. If he became aroused, riding this close, there would be no disguising it in his britches. He had to think of something other than her. Callie’s Aunt Agnes, the one with the large hairy mole on the side of her cheek.

“Agnes.” He tried focusing his attention on his disgusted memories of the mole.

“My aunt? Or are you thinking of someone else?” she asked.

Had he said that aloud? Ellis cleared his throat. “How is your aunt?”

“She’s fine.” She gave him a questioning look. “She’s in France trying to get a handle on her gout. The flowers you brought me this morning were beautiful.” She smiled and changed the subject back to them. So much for Agnes

“I know you like tulips,
but...” he never had a chance to finish his sentence.

There was a sudden rustle in the tall grass, and a young man leapt out in the horse’s path. There was a second man in the bushes. The horse startled
and Callie’s body tensed. One of the men cracked a leather whip in the air. It sounded like a gunshot and Ellis’ body nearly turned liquid. With a sheer act of will, he tamped back the bile in his throat. He didn’t have the luxury of falling apart.

“Get out of the carriage!” the blonde one yelled, dropped the whip and pulled a pistol from the waistband of his trousers.

“There is no reason for violence,” Ellis said as calmly as he could muster. “I have a few shillings you can happily have.” He grabbed his cane and pulled himself out leaving Callie in the chaise. There was a pistol within arm’s reach in his bag, but could he risk making a move to retrieve it?

“Bring the woman out,” the man demanded.

Ellis reached for Callie’s hand. She shook her head violently. “It’s alright. We need to do as they ask. Give me your hand.” He could feel the tremble in her fingers when they wrapped around his. After a long moment, and her eyes clenched tightly closed, she finally obeyed.

He didn’t have a clear look at the second man, but both attackers couldn’t be over twenty years of age.

As the blonde stepped closer, Ellis pushed Callie behind him. The man leveled his gun at Ellis. Callie drew in a breath and then a choked sob. When he glanced over, her eyes were so wide the whites around the irises were visible.

In battle, he wasn’t afraid of death. He wasn’t afraid now, but at this moment there was something to live for…
Callie
. His mind raced with how he could get to his gun. The blonde took a step toward Callie.

“No! Stay away from me!” She screamed. Not just any scream. It was a scream that chilled Ellis’ blood to ice. Pure terror. Tears streamed down her face. She frantically waved a hand in front of her as if it would ward him away. “Please, don’t hurt me again.”

Again?
She knew these highway men? But, did she realize what she was saying?
No.
Her eyes were blank, as she screamed again until her voice grew hoarse.

Doubt clouded the blonde man’s face. “
Jesus-
settle down, lass. I wasn’t going to hurt ya. I just want your necklace.” He looked back at his partner.

It came to Ellis in a split second. He didn’t need
his
gun- he just needed
a
gun. He grabbed the young man, twisted the weapon from his hand and pulled him in front of him and Callie as a human shield. The military had taught him something.

Ellis put the barrel to the blonde’s head. The feel of the gun in his hand caused war memories to flood his mind. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead and a tremble raced up his arm. He steeled himself.
Keep it together man, you are not in battle-Callie needs you.
He cocked the hammer.

The other young man moved farther out of the bushes. He was gaunt and dressed in worn, dirty clothes. “Don’t shoot him. He’s my brother!”

“I will shoot him if I…” Ellis’ voice trailed as he saw the other boy didn’t have a gun. His gaze narrowed to take a longer look at the other man. “McRey. What the bloody hell are you doing here and how does this woman know you?” He flipped his head Callie’s direction.

The kid looked like he was about to vomit. “Ahhh….
Jesus
….”

“You know each other?” the man in his arms asked as he struggled to break free. “Who is he, Fredric?”

“I wouldn’t try my patience,” Ellis warned as he pushed the barrel tighter against the blonde’s temple and looked down at Callie. She stopped screaming but was now on the ground sitting in a puddle of water. She stared blankly and rocked back and forth. He saw this in battle. She was in shock due to extreme trauma. This must be resolve
d quickly so he could attend to her.

He could shoot them, but he hated the sound of gunfire.

“Garrison was my captain in the Crimean.” McRey told his brother and looked like he would cry. “Ahhhh… Jesus,” he repeated in a thick Scottish accent. “We will hang for sure. Why did I listen to you?”
“Why
did
you listen to him?” Ellis asked. “But more important, why did the woman say ‘don’t hurt me again?’ Has she had a run in with you or your brother before?”

“No! I have never seen the lass. I swear to you on our mother’s grave. I didn’t mean to scare her so bad…” The boy looked worried as he watched her rock. “What’s wrong with her?”

“You were robbing us, you ass,” Ellis’s voice was hard.

“We were hungry. My brother and I just needed food. Since I came home from the war, I haven’t been able to find work. We’ve walked for days. It was my brother’s idea to steal jewelry from a rich woman so we could sell it. You have to believe me. We had no intentions of hurting
you, sir, or your misses, I swear,” he pleaded. He
was
crying now.

“She’s not my…” this wasn’t the time for explanations. Callie’s face grew paler— if that was possible. Ellis shoved the blonde man until he tumbled to the ground in front of him and pointed the gun at the man’s midsection. He wanted to pull the trigger but waited a beat. He drew in a long breath not taking his eyes off the man on the ground as he spoke to the one he knew. “McRey, you were a fine soldier in my unit. For that, I owe you something, but I am only giving you one chance. You and your brother need to leave England. I don’t care where you go… but, if I ever see you again, you will not have another chance at life. I must have your word.”

McRey grabbed his brother by the arm and pulled him to his feet. “Yes, sir… captain. We will leave today. I promise sir, you will never see me or my brother
again. For the rest of our days, we will go and live with my grandmother in Scotland.”

Ellis stepped forward and both the men’s eyes widened. He reached into the leather bag in the chaise and yanked out the picnic food. He shoved it towards McRey who took the package. “This food is payment for your brother’s pistol. Now leave!” He barked.

The two young men jumped a foot then hurried off down the road practically falling over one another in their haste. When they were out of pistol range, they broke into a full run.

Ellis quickly turned, fell to his knees and drew Callie into his arms.
God…
she was cold and shaking. He ripped off his coat and wrapped it around her. The accelerated beat of her heart pounded through his fingertips as he drew the waistcoat closed across her chest. “Callie.” There was no response. He repeated her name in a louder tone and shook her slightly, “Callie!”

She looked up. Her blue eyes were beginning to focus on his face. “Ellis, why are you here… the men. They… he was going to rape me… he…” Tears streamed down her cheeks, as another shudder shook her.

Ellis was confused. It was a frightening experience, anyone would be afraid of being
held at gunpoint. But, this was more.

“I had to stop him… he was hurting me”.

The boy never actually touched her. Was Callie speaking of this attack or something from her past? “Let me take you home,” he said.

“No!” she cried and struggled to sit up. “Please, Ellis, don’t take me back there. Father will not believe me… again. Can’t we stay here? I will be fine.”

She wasn’t fine. She was far from fine, but if she didn’t want to be taken home so be it. He would let it be her decision. The first drops of rain hit his face as he looked up at the blackening sky. Rolling to his knees, he struggled to stand and then scooped her in his arms.

“Your leg,” she protested.

It was odd, it hurt, it always did, but with Callie in his arms, he barely noticed the dull ache. Ellis strode the distance to the chaise and gently lowered her inside. He yanked the folding hood
over them for protection from the rain and then dropped down beside her.

She looked out over the grounds. “We played here when we were young. Do you remember?”

“Yes.”
I remember.
Ellis touched his finger under her chin and brought it higher until she met his gaze. “Tell me what happened back there or better still, tell me what happened that frightened you so terribly in the past.”

She twisted free and shrunk away from him. He let her turn away, but then wrapped his arms around her. He whispered in her ear, “I know what it feels like to be afraid. The war... I am speaking of more than just my leg. The wounds you often can’t see are the ones which hurt the worst. Any loud noise, I turn inside out. I wake at night, drenched in my own sweat. Those are memories of the past I cannot escape.”

Callie turned, a look of surprise on her face. “That is the same way I feel.” Her eyes were red from crying, but she was so beautiful.

He cupped her face
, this time not allowing her to turn away. “Then trust me enough to tell me what happened.”

She paused for a long moment. “Last year on my way back from a visit with friends, my carriage was attacked by highwaymen
. I thought they would leave once they had the money and jewelry, but they wanted more. One held the driver, while the other dragged me out onto
the ground. I fought, but he was so heavy. He slapped me and punched me until I stopped fighting.” She stared at her feet.

Ellis felt anger boil through him. How could anyone hurt her
, she was such a gently and loving being. “He raped you?” he asked, barely over a whisper.

She shook her head, and gave a weak smile. “Not that anyone would believe me, but no. It was his intention. He had my skirts raised and his fingers…” She swallowed. “Another carriage came along. I guess it startled the men to run. He left me there in the mud. When the other carriage brought me home, the look on my father’s face said it all. He thought I was ruined and blamed me.”