Romance Fan Fiction / Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Hidden Away ❯ Unwanted visitors and a new plan ( Chapter 7 )

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Chapter 7
Unwanted visitors and a new plan

 

 

 

 

The ball his father had insisted upon was at an end, finally, and Breagan was in the foyer saying his goodbyes to everyone who had come.  With the last person's departure, he turned to see his father grinning at him.

 

“What are you laughing at old man?” he asked, wearing his own grin.

 

“You are looking as tired as I feel, son,” his father replied.

 

“Yes, I do need some sleep after tonight,” Breagan said to him with accusation.

 

“It was rather exhausting listening to Lillian rave about her new granddaughter,” the older man said while trying to gauge his son's reaction from under his eyebrows.

Looking at his father with an upturned brow, Breagan laughed, “You will not stop doing that until you have more Tylers than you know what to do with.  Why don't you pester your daughter like this?  She is older than me, after all.”

 

“I can't help it.  I'm growing old waiting for you to find a wife and start making my grandchildren,” his father said bluntly, chuckling. “And I do bother your sister as much as I bother you, believe it or don't.” Breagan looked at his father who was, even at his age, a very tall, strong man.  He was about the same height of his son, with gray hair beginning to fill in the black.

 

“Go to bed, father.  I'm about to do so myself.  It's been a damn long night,” he said on his way up the stairs.  At the top of the stairs, he bid goodnight to his father, who was still grinning, and turned to go down the hallway to his room.  He reached his room at the end of the hall, and he turned into it, beginning to shed his formal attire with a sigh.  Breagan managed to shed the formal jacket and his shirt before he noticed that the door to the room adjoined to his room had been closed.  It was usually open.

 

Minna couldn't have put that woman in the room adjoined to mine, could she?  He walked over to the door to see if his suspicions were correct, and when he opened the door, he saw her sleeping in the bed across the way.  Upon seeing her sleeping there so beautifully outlined by the dark crimson bed-sheets, he took in a quick breath and slowly expelled it, not seeming able to take in another breath but for the sight he was feasting upon.  He quickly turned to leave after he'd caught himself starting to wonder what she would do if he went over and woke her up.  She just ran away from that, and she didn't need her savior doing the same thing to her.  He closed the door behind him with a soft click and started to breath again.  

 

It had been a while since he'd been with a woman, though they constantly tried to be with him.  He loved women and their form, their soft voices, and he greatly enjoyed their company.  He just couldn't deal with the women in town long enough to consider being with them at all; they all acted as if they were trying to win some contest with him.  He hadn't found a woman that he'd been genuinely attracted to around here, anyway.  Until now, that is.  He walked away from the door between the rooms resolutely.  He didn't want to scare the poor woman with his appetite.  Breagan usually slept in the nude; it was more comfortable, but he decided it would be best to leave on his leggings for tonight.

When light invaded her sleep, Naomi opened her eyes to see Minna opening the drapes to let the sun do the job of awakening her.  She sat up in bed, her hair draped over the shoulders that her nightgown left bare.  Minna looked at her, discovering that the sun had done its job of waking Naomi.  She found the sun also did a wonderful job of revealing the true beauty she possessed.

 

“Well, na dearie.  I find m'self thinkin' Colette would've been beggin' ta paint yer likeness,” Minna said.

 

“Who's Colette?” Naomi asked sleepily, swinging her legs to the side of the bed so that she could get up.

 

 “Colette, M'dear, was Breagan's mum.  Famous artist, ye know.  Fine work, she did, too,” Minna replied to her.

 

“Colette Tyler is his mother?” Naomi was aghast, “We used to have one of her works in our home when I was a child,” Naomi recalled sadly, knowing that it had been sold by Rufus before he had resorted to moving out of the mansion, “T'was a view of a courtyard align with many vines.  I did so love that painting.”

 

Seeing Naomi's sad face, Minna quickly turned the subject somewhere else, “Seems ta me ye need a bit o'clothes seein' as ye didn't ev'n `ave a decent nightie on when ye got `ere,” she said briskly while making her way though the armoire from which she had gotten the night gown Naomi now wore.

 

“Oh, Minna, I couldn't!  They are far too lovely.” Naomi said upon seeing the woman selecting some very finely made gowns.

 

“And sa ye are too, dearie.  `sides, what else would ye wear, might I ask?” Minna said, laying five dresses down on the bed. “The sir told me ta fit ye in th' dresses this morn so's we c'n get ye in a coach headin' ta Hamdell Estate soon,” she informed her.

 

Naomi went along with what Minna had said, deciding that she did indeed need clothing, and she didn't want to appear unappreciative to the man who was so kindly offering her sanctuary.  The first gown Minna chose was a stunning gown that appeared to have been made to match the room she had been given for the night.  It was dark crimson material that looked like it had been wrapped around cream-colored material, and those two layers wrapped around another layer of the dark crimson.  The end result created a slimming hour-glass appearance from the top of the bodice to the hem of the gown.  The second dress that had been put on her was a royal blue design much like the one she had arrived in Maryland wearing.  The next two were rather plain, but finely made.  One was green with light green trim, the other was lavender, and had violet trimming.  She didn't know if she would ever wear that one.  The last gown that she tried on was truly stunning, and obviously meant for a formal function.  It was off-the-shoulder, and entirely made out of bone-colored fabrics.  The bodice displayed lace covering a silk under layer.  The off-the-shoulder sleeves, as well as the skirt of the gown, had been made of a soft material and lined in the same silk that the under layer of the bodice had been made from.  She loved it, though she couldn't see herself wearing it anytime soon.

 

After the fitting of the dresses, which fit her well, she changed back into the green dress for the day's travel to the vacation house.  She came downstairs quickly, anxious to see the gorgeous Mr. Tyler again.  Near the bottom of the stairs, she heard an unfortunately familiar voice and froze mid-step, feeling as if all of her breath had been knocked out of her.  With Minna following right behind her, she ran into Naomi.

 

“Good `eavens, lass, I `bout ran ye over!  What be the `oldup? She asked of Naomi.  Noticing the ashen look on her face, and hearing the stranger in the study, Minna quickly put two and two together.  She quickly ushered Naomi down the rest of the way and shoved her in the parlor just as Breagan and Cokrain entered the foyer from the study.

“She is very important to me, you understand.  I was planning to take her as my bride,” Cokrain said in an appropriately defeated tone.  Naomi stood stuck to the wall without being able to move for Cokrain's close proximity.  He's only a few feet away!

 

Please don't find me, she chanted over and over in her mind as she plastered herself to he wall as closely as possible, her eyes shut tightly as if it would tranport her away.

 “Sure, I understand your concern.  What I can't seem to understand is why she would have fled in the first place,” Breagan said, eyeing the beautiful new cut marring Cokrain's flawless face.  He inwardly smirked at Naomi's apparent defense of herself.  He hoped it would leave a scar.

 

Cokrain sighed, “You never know, with women.  I simply revealed my feelings toward her, and she ran away.”

 

Breagan rose an eyebrow at this and refrained from rolling his eyes, “Right.  Well, if I see a woman traipsing about in a nightgown, I'll let you know.” he replied to Cokrain.

 

“You don't seem to believe me, Mr. Tyler.  I dare tell you, I wouldn't lie about her,” Cokrain defended coldly, “Please remember to alert me should you find my bride-to-be,” he finished as he strolled through the door and down the steps.  Breagan stood there watching him for a moment, wishing he could follow the man and severely maim him.  He shook his head, shutting the door behind him.  Damn polite society.

 

“You can come out new, Naomi.  He's gone,” Breagan said in a louder voice.  While speaking with Cokrain he had see her racing past the doorway in a flash of green, and his heart jumped a few beats.  If that man were to find her here, he knew he wouldn't just sit back and let him take her.  He was responsible for keeping her safely hidden from sight.  Particularly Cokrain's sight.

 

Naomi slowly came out of her hiding place on shaky legs from the parlor with Minna, “I'm sorry.  I had no idea.  I wouldn't have…I mean, I didn't…” Naomi stumbled, not able to speak coherently just yet.

 

“I know.  He showed up unannounced.  Probably because this is the general area where Hank lost track of you last night.  I feel that his people will be watching this area closely.  I think we're going to have a time trying to get you out without being seen, Naomi,” He deduced while looking at her, making her insides warmer the way he did last night, and it gave her an odd giddy feeling.

 

“ `ow do we get `er out, then?  They're gunna be lookin' for a lass leavin' `ere, now,” Minna asked of Breagan, worried about the beautiful woman who had practically been dropped in their laps.

 

“We may need to have you stick around here for now.  Cokrain seems to suspect us of hiding you, if his sudden appearance here means anything, and I think that they would follow any carriages that were to leave here.  Moving you would be pointless.  They would know where you were anyway.”

 

“I'm staying here to hide from him?  I don't want to cause any more trouble in the household than I already have,” Naomi insisted.

 

“I'd rather deal with a little `trouble' than see you back within that man's reach,” he said fervently.  Something caught his eye on Naomi's arms, so he looked harder.  His face turned dark and he reached out, taking Naomi's hand and turning her palm up to reveal a dark purple band shading her wrist.  He took her other hand and found the same thing on that wrist, too.  He brought his gaze up to Naomi's to discover that she was embarrassed of his find.

 

 “Cokrain did this, didn't he?” Breagan said deeply.

 

Naomi worried her bottom lip.  Her heart was racing with the contact of his hands on her, “Yes, but they don't hurt.  That much.  I'm okay, really, Mr. Tyler.  I've had bruises there before, and I hardly notice them,” she explained.  In honesty, she'd forgotten about the bruises Cokrain caused while holding her down the night before.

 

Breagan's expression didn't get any lighter after that little piece of news.  He looked back down at her wrists and ran his thumb along the bruises as if to soothe them, “Could you get her some ice for these after she has eaten lunch?” he directed at Minna, who was being unusually quiet.

 

“Yes, sir, I will,” Minna answered, unable to believe that she had missed the bruises herself.

 

Breagan looked up at Naomi's face again, “You may have had bruises like these before, but now you have someone to help you heal them.” He released her hands and looked over at Minna.

 

“Let's go back on up ta yer room an' unpack, dearie, then we'll see ab'ut some food fer ye.  And ice, as well,” Minna began to direct Naomi back where they came from when Breagan's voice stopped them.

 

“Serve her in her room, would you, Minna?  I don't want the chance that she'll be seen by more people than is necessary.”

 

“Yes, Mr. Tyler. `Twill be done as ye sey, sir.” Minna replied, in total agreement.  They started back up when he stopped them for a second time.

 

“Naomi.  I would appreciate it if you would start calling me Breagan.”

“I think the little spitfire is there, sir,” Hank volunteered when Caldwell also came back empty-handed after a day's search.  He had just returned from Breagan Tyler's house which was the last place Hank had seen her last night when she ran off.

 

“I normally wouldn't say this to you, Hank, but I'm inclined to agree with you.  If Naomi isn't there, he certainly knows where she is.  I can guarantee that.  I will have her back before the week is over.  Hank, I want you to be the one watching the house.  You know what she looks like.  Have the men that are there now go and search Mr. Tyler's other properties for any woman that is not Tyler's sister.  I will go and get Naomi personally when she is spotted.  She can't hide behind him forever.” Caldwell replied to his dirty cohort before he left the room.  After speaking with Breagan Tyler today, he was sure that he was hiding her there.  He was more discourteous than usual when speaking to him, and his eyes hardened with the 'wife' comment.  Cokrain might have laughed at the dead giveaway if he were anybody else.  Instead, he allowed himself a small malicious smile at his discovery.