ROMANCE: Lion Protector (Paranormal Shifter BBW Military Romance) (Shapeshifter Alpha Male Short Stories Book 2) (93 page)

Her one highlight in the day was just before lunch when Jane would appear with baked goods to be donated to the house with a note secreted under the aromatic goodies. Victoria always tucked it away out of sight and read it behind her closed door. The little notes were sweet verses of encouragement from Grace, letting her know they were still trying to find a way to clear James' name and bring Victoria safely home. A lawyer had been hired, but the Army was also tasked with finding Victoria, because someone believed she had specific information from James. Grace intimated that it would be a process, but encouraged Victoria to sit tight. But one week passed into two, two passed into a month, and still Victoria remained hidden in the boarding house.

Six weeks after Victoria’s arrival, Jane dropped in earlier than expected with a huge basket. As she entered Victoria’s room, she took note of Victoria’s growing belly. At the questions in Victoria’s eyes, Jane spoke: "Madam said this were too important to write down, so she asked me to tell you first hand. Thomas has a proposition for ya. Madam says that the lawyer were of no use, and the Army is more d’termined than e’er. She says you should expect Thomas in a day or so, and I will not be coming back for a bit ‘cause I were bein’ followed for a few days.”

Victoria was alarmed at the last bit, but was also concerned. "What does Thomas think he can do? He is a known sympathizer for the North. I am surprised he is showing his face here.”

Jane shook her head. "No. He heard ‘bout James, an’ he writ to Madam ‘bout it. She were able to git a letter to ‘im, and he let her know he were in town, but is also hiding out. I dunno what he proposes, but Madam knows an’ I think she is happy with whate’er it is.”

Victoria stood at her window and watched a couple of the women stroll around the back yard. If the Army was that insistent on finding her, she knew she needed to leave, and the thought of waiting two days seemed like forever. Still, she had no choice. She turned to Jane.

“Please tell Grace I will wait, of course. Please tell her how horrified I am, and sad that I will not get to say goodbye. She is and always will be the mother I never had.”

Jane nodded and reached into the basket. “A’most forgot!” She pulled out a coin purse and handed it to Victoria. “She said this were to help ya start anew.”

Victoria knew just from the weight of the bag that Grace had given her a great deal of money. Instinctively, Victoria embraced Jane. “Please tell her thank you for me, Jane.”

Jane’s eyes grew misty as she backed out of the room. "Yes, ma’am. I will.” Then she turned to hurry on her way.

After Jane closed the door, and Victoria put the bag under the mattress of her bed, she moved to the window. As she stood looking out, movement to the side of the yard caught her eyes. She saw a man in uniform talking to the women over the short hedge that bordered that side of the yard. The women nodded and waved back toward the house. Victoria carefully moved the curtains back into place, but peaked through a crack and froze in fear as the man appeared to look right at her window. Suddenly, she knew she did not have long, and two days could be entirely too long to wait for whatever it was Thomas proposed.

She moved away from the window and opened the box where two dresses lay in the bottom with a pair of sturdy boots. The previous tenant had left the clothes, and when Victoria had tried them on, they had fit her fine with room to spare for her growing belly. She pulled one of the dresses out and took off the servant’s dress. Laying it in the box, she quickly slipped on the light brown dress with its cream coverlet. Then she put on the mid-calf boots. She carefully parted her hair and made two braids, which she then bound into a tight bun that fit neatly under the bonnet.

She pulled a bag out from under the bed and packed the extra dress, undergarments, Bible, keepsakes, and her own walking shoes. She then took the coin purse and opened it. She put a third of the coins in the bag, wrapping the coins in her undergarments. Then she tucked a few into her bodice, a few in the pocket of the coverlet, and the rest she tucked into her boot. As she stood up and hooked the straps of the bag over her shoulder, Victoria was startled by a sharp knock at the door.

She laid the bag on the bed and went to the door, the hairs on her neck standing on end.

“Yes?”

A man’s voice whispered loudly, "Victoria, let me in!”

Recognizing Thomas’ voice, Victoria hurriedly opened her door to see her husband’s cousin standing on the other side, glancing up and down the hall warily. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

Victoria stood still with worry clear on her face. “I just got word you were coming, but you were not supposed to be here till tomorrow or the day after!”

Thomas took in Victoria’s bonnet, boots, and the bag on the bed. “Clearly, you were not going to wait.”

Victoria nodded. “I just saw a soldier at the back hedge talking to some of the other women. They pointed to the house, and I think they pointed out my room. I figured I had no more time to wait.”

Thomas nodded and grabbed Victoria’s bag. “You would be right. So we better get going.”

Victoria didn’t move. "But I have no idea what your plan is. What is your idea? How am I going to get out of here?”

Thomas grinned slyly at Victoria. "Why, Mrs. Bramwell, you are going to accompany me west as my beautiful young and glowingly pregnant bride, but instead of Mrs. James Bramwell, you will be Mrs. Thomas Bramwell.”

Victoria shook her head. “But that won’t work as long as we are here. People will know who I am, and you too!”

Thomas took Victoria by the arm and led her down the hall to the back stairwell and down to the private entrance.

“I did say we are heading west, didn’t I?” he smiled at Victoria.

She stammered, “Well, yes, but...”

“We leave right now.”

As they stepped outside into the twilight, Victoria glanced in the direction of the hedge where she saw the soldier earlier. He was no longer there, so she allowed Thomas to lead her out of the yard and past a couple buildings before he turned toward the forest that edged that part of town.

“Now?” she asked hesitantly as they made the cover of the trees.

“Yes. The sooner we put Charleston and the Carolinas behind us, the better.”

Victoria felt suddenly overwhelmed, and she tripped over something on the ground. Thomas adjusted his grip on her bag and put a strong arm around her waist to help her stay upright and steady. As scared as Victoria felt in the evening escape, having Thomas at her side, she felt strangely safe. She glanced sideways at him and noted the firm set to his jaw as he led them deeper into the trees. Suddenly they entered a small clearing where a wagon and team of horses waited. A young man sat on the back of the wagon and jumped down as the couple approached him.

“You must be Mr. and Mrs. Bramwell,” the young man greeted as he shook hands with Thomas and tipped his hat to Victoria. “I am Simon Collins. I was told to meet you here and to see you safely to the border.”

Victoria was going to ask the young man how it was that he had not been conscripted into the Confederate Army, but her question was answered as he turned to walk to the front of the wagon, revealing a hump in his back and a severe limp from a deformed leg. She watched as the young man climbed into the wagon, and then turned to Thomas.

“Thomas, wait. I don’t know if I can do this. I mean, why are we going west? Where in the West are we going? I am so confused; I still don’t understand what happened to James or why I am in danger.”

Thomas put Victoria’s bag in the wagon and faced her. He gently put his hands on her shoulders as he leaned close so he wouldn’t be overheard.

“Once we leave the Carolinas, I will tell you what I know of James. As for why the West— because the North won’t have you, the South won’t have either of us, and the West is a place of new beginning. Maybe once the war is over, you can come back to Grace, and she can help you with James’ child. For now, it is you and I.”

He gently lifted Victoria’s chin and looked her deep in the eye. "I only want to make sure you stay safe. James and I disagreed, but he was the closest thing I had to a brother, and above all he was my friend. He would want you to be safe, and that is something I can make happen. Do you trust me?”

Victoria met Thomas’ gaze and searched his face. She saw sincerity there, and she knew that he was right. As much as the two argued, James had loved Thomas and had told her so on more than one occasion. She remembered when James had confided in her that he thought the reason they fought so hard was because of the deep affection they held for each other.

“Yes. I trust you.” she replied in a whisper, “but I am still so scared.”

Thomas kissed Victoria on the forehead and whispered in reply, "I know.” Then he led her to the front of the wagon and, after helping her into the middle, he climbed up beside her. He nodded at Simon who clicked his tongue at the horses, and the first part of their journey began.

***

After a week of hard travel, the trio was well out of the Carolinas and on their way to Louisville. As they had traveled, Victoria learned a great deal about Thomas and their new young friend, Simon. Simon, who had been born a plantation owner's second son, had been more or less cast out due to his deformities. As a result, he had spent more time among his father’s slaves than he had with his own family, except for his mother. When she passed away a few years before, Simon had run away and had been on his own ever since. He finally found a niche with a group of people who were helping runaway slaves move north into Canada. The boy was tough, but he was also very bright. He picked up on the ruse between Victoria and Thomas right away, though he had not let on. So when it was time for him to leave the couple at the Carolina border, he asked if he might continue on with them to Louisville. Thomas had reluctantly agreed, while Victoria was relieved to have the teen along with them.

Thomas, meanwhile, fascinated and scared Victoria a little. He clearly cared that she was safe, and he showed her a great deal of attention, and even incredible tenderness. Victoria assumed it was simply because she was family, but she found herself leaning into Thomas when they were driving the wagon, and longing to hold his hand when they had to hide for fear of being discovered. They traveled at night more often than during the day as they maneuvered around camps and envoys and groups of displaced families leaving behind the war-torn countryside. However, as much as Victoria felt herself being drawn into the man, she was also afraid of him and the secrets he was clearly keeping.

The route Thomas insisted they take on their way out West especially puzzled her. He insisted on looping north to Louisville before angling southwest, and the route made no sense to Victoria who was familiar with the layout of the country and some of the major routes that headed almost directly west. When she had pressed Thomas to understand his reasoning, she saw a shadow pass over his face, and rather than answer her, he changed the subject.

Still, in other ways, as she watched Thomas interact with Simon, or passing strangers, and even with her, she realized for all his differences from James, in many ways the two were alike. There was definite masculinity to Thomas that James had not had, but the deep empathy Thomas showed to everyone he met reminded Victoria so much of James it made her heart ache. Plus, Thomas gave away several times that he knew a great deal more about politics than he had ever let on back in Charleston. He spoke a at length about the war, the way it was turning out, the driving mentalities, and his own hopes regarding the outcome.

During one such conversation, Victoria asked, "Do you think we will ever be able to go back?”

Thomas paused as he held the reins in his hand after taking over for Simon, who was napping in the back of the wagon. He thought for a moment. "I hope so. Then again, after a war, it is not likely to be the same, no matter whom the outcome favors. Going back will mean accepting that it will be like starting over.”

Victoria nodded, understanding what he meant. “I suppose so. I cannot imagine going back and not being able to share that life with James.” She stopped. They had not mentioned James since leaving Charleston, and now that Simon was still with them, she was not sure Thomas would tell her what he knew. “Thomas, please, I need to know. Do you really know what happened to James?”