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Chapter 23
The tracker Stephen hired in the nearby village proved his worth. Within hours Stephen was caught up with Arthur and his posse. Shocked, surprised, and happy that Stephen was not dead, Arthur greeted him with the enthusiasm of a true friend who was relieved to discover he had not lost their friendship.
Although it was in the back of his mind, Stephen refrained from mentioning the fact that he knew Arthur intended to marry his wife. He also did not broach the subject of the newborn baby. He had not had time to do the math where the infant was concerned, but since Elizabeth’s waiting maid was relatively certain he had not impregnated her before she ran away, he could only assume that Arthur did the deed immediately upon purchasing her. The dis-appearance of Paulette proved devastating for his friend and he felt the timing for such a discussion not correct. There would be time to sort out these matters once Paulette was found; hopefully unharmed.
Arthur sent a
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Love Misunderstood Chapter 24
Elizabeth’s hands ached from her nervously ringing them while she paced the sitting area of her suite while watching out the window for Sara to return from her trip to town. Things were a mess and she needed a woman to confide in. Since her relationship with Sara grew stronger with every day she remained in their care and she felt no woman alive could match the good woman’s clear head and sense of right and wrong, she felt privileged to have Lady Sara Caldwell available at such a time.Herald sat in the corner of the room and watched his sister through lowered lids. To the onlooker who did not know him well, one would have assumed the young man had closed himself off to his sister’s obvious despair and decided to take a nap. Elizabeth knew better. Her brother was an astute young man who developed the uncanny skill of not missing a thing that went on around him. This was true even if his eyelids were all but closed. It proved handy on more than one occa
Love Misunderstood Chapter 25
Elsa shifted her position as she sat on the natural stoop the low lying branches and tree stumps created for the asi that imprisoned Paulette and Manley. She had been there since the night before and her body was going numb. She would have to get up and walk around soon or she feared she might lose the use of her legs completely. Her mind was racing. Atul would be wed soon and she would be left to the mercy of the village, or even worse –Adahy. It was no secret Adahy despised the white man and the only reason he had not killed Paulette was because of the potential wealth to be had from breeding her to the virile dark warrior. She also knew that if Paulette proved baron she would die immediately. Since Elsa was the property of Atul as well as produced several strapping children, she was protected from Adahy and his evil thoughts about white people as long as Atul was around. That protection would be gone soon.Elsa’s moon time had come and gone, which meant her cou
Love Misunderstood Chapter 26
Stephen looked over his shoulder as he watched half of Arthur’s posse disappear in the direction from which he came. They pressed hard since early that morning after stumbling upon a tradesman who rode Paulette’s mare. When questioned, the man told them that although he purchased the mare at auction up the river he had it from the best authority that the mare was brought to the auction by Cherokees from a nearby village.Giving the man a fair price for the return of the steed, they rode with him to a nearby town where he could replace his mount and provide them with a map of the area to assist them in locating the Cherokee village more swiftly. When the man learned that they intended to enter the village to save Paulette, he did his best to dissuade them. The Indians of that village were hostile toward white people and only interacted when necessary. He was positive that, by now, they either killed or sold Paulette and impressed upon them the fact that walking int
Love Misunderstood Chapter 27
Bishoff got Arthur safely to the Caldwell plantation in record time. The sun was just resting on the horizon when he went ahead of the small group of men and knocked on the front door of the main house.After giving him a quick reprimand for coming to the front instead of the back, the butler hurried to seek out Sir Caldwell. The house came alive as some rushed to help bring Arthur into the house, some rushed to ready a room for him, some went for the doctor, and some sought out Lady Elizabeth to inform her of the grievous news.Elizabeth rushed to the top of the stair landing just in time to see Arthur being carried into the small parlor toward the far side of the concourse. Although he was grumbling profusely about the pain he was in, he was coherent and that was a good sign.She slowly descended the stairs, stopping on each step to prolong her arrival. It had been a few days since Sir Caldwell laid down the decision that Stephen must be given an opportunity t
Love Misunderstood Chapter 28
Bringing Paulette to the safety of the Caldwell plantation was not as easy as Stephen hoped. Since he worked his horse as much as he dared and she still did not regained consciousness, he settled her in front of one of the other men on her own horse and then later on with another whose horse suffered the stress of their journey favorably and was still strong enough to carry them both in the intense heat of the day. It was shortly after this last transition that she awoke and went into a frightful screaming fit. This caused the horse to rear and for her to fall off.As if her disorientation was not bad enough, Paulette landed on her arm and it snapped like a dry twig. Stephen seized a flask containing their emergency brandy and took a long drink to steady his nerves. The stress and challenges he endured over the last few months was building within him to such a height he was certain his frustrations would cause him to burst from the inside out.It took the considerable
Love Misunderstood Chapter 29
Elizabeth and Arthur’s gay conversation could be heard long before Stephen reached the doorway of the atrium. He stopped and listened, uncertain whether he should enter or simply return to his room.He took much longer than even the doctor expected him to take to recover from his intense state of exhaustion. Herald sat in the room near the window watching him and then watching the world out the window for the majority of the days he lay abed. He was joined by Elizabeth for whatever time her greedy fiancé would allow her away from him.Elizabeth expressed her concern about Arthur’s monopolizing her time during one of her long conversations with her brother. She was torn over who she should be spending her time with. He was awake and alert and requesting her company, but Stephen was weak and still in need of constant watch; not to mention the fact that it was Stephen who had her heart. There were times when her visits with Arthur proved tortuous as she
Love Misunderstood Chapter 30
Margaret Moore stepped out of the carriage in front of the Caldwell plantation house and gaped in awe at its magnificent beauty. She heard whispers of the wealth the Caldwells possessed through conversations at one of the many social parties she attended, but she had not pictured it to be as such. She was told that Sir Caldwell’s wealth was surpassed by few. He was even able to work free darkies on his plantation; something that was rare indeed amongst the plantation owners of Georgia who petitioned fervently to have slavery reinstated during its temporary abolishment because their plantations would not survive without it. Sir Caldwell was one of the very few in political societies who did not support such reinstatement.She heard their mansion was equal to that of a king, sporting thirteen guest rooms and marble flooring adorned with plush carpet with unique designs woven into it. Both were ordered from India. The marble lion’s heads on either side of the grand s
Love Misunderstood Chapter 31
Feeling the need for some fresh air, Stephen excused himself and started toward the rear exit. Thinking better of it, he turned and asked Elizabeth to join him. Smiling timidly, she accepted his arm and allowed him to guide her down the cool, dimly lit corridor toward the back of the house.“I much prefer this part of the house,” Stephen said quietly.“Might I ask why?” Elizabeth responded, hoping her nervousness did not show in her voice.“‘Tis quiet and unpretentious,” Stephen replied.“You find the main part of the house pretentious?” Elizabeth asked with mild surprise.“Nay, not at all, I just prefer this. I fear I am a simple man who lives amongst splendor,” Stephen said.He cursed himself for his fumbling words. Why was it that he became such a bumbling oaf whenever he was in her company?Elizabeth smiled sweetly and moved closer as he guided her through the doorw
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