Elizabeth Drake

Chapter Four 2

“Not at all,” Ed whispered as he tolerated the firm grip that Ryan had on his arm. After he looked around the room for Mr. Roshire, Ryan turned his attention back to Ed.

“Why don’t you just give me what you have right now? And I will give you a few days grace period on the rest of the payment.”

“Alright,” the man said as the grip on his shoulder became more uncomfortable. “That is very kind of you.”

Elizabeth watched as the scared man reached into his billfold and took out every piece of currency that was in it. Ryan stood as still as stone, until the man handed over the money.

“I am a generous man,” Ryan added.

“Yes, very generous indeed,” Ed agreed as Ryan took his hand off his shoulder. “Thank you,” he added as Ryan placed the money in his inside coat pocket.

“I will expect the rest in forty-eight hours,” he said as he began to walk away.

Elizabeth took in the whole situation and could easily comprehend what was happening. Even though she had just witnessed the harsh specifics of Ryan’s business, she was too aware of her own situation to confront him.

“I think it is time to go,” Ryan added as he sensed the approach of one of Andrew’s friends. “Here,” pushing Elizabeth into a hallway, he looked at the other guests. “Stay right there,” he commanded. “Excuse me Miss,” he called to a lady with a large form. “Did you know that I have not seen a woman in here this evening that is quite as handsome as you?” The lady turned to see Ryan behind her and blushed immediately. “Would you do me a favor?” He asked.  “Would you stand over here for a moment? So, I can get a better look at you.”

“Well, Ryan Hawke!” The well-rounded woman exclaimed as she stepped around him and put herself directly in front of Elizabeth like he asked. “What brings you here?”

“I came to see you, Guinevere.” The smile on his face was genuine as Ryan looked down at her curvaceous body. The large hoop skirt practically devoured Elizabeth as she pushed herself up against the wall.

“I am sure you did.” Guinevere answered.

“Hawke!” One of the men that Ryan was avoiding came to his side. “Did you just see a woman in a white dress with flowers all over it?” Ryan looked down at Guinevere and then glanced around the room.

“I have seen a lot of them Harland. Which one do you want?”

“Elizabeth Drake,” Harland answered. “Roshire said that you had danced with her.” With a smug smile, Ryan looked down at Guinevere.

“I have danced with quite a few women tonight,” he replied. “I can’t be held responsible for them all.”

 “I guess not.” Harland related to Ryan very well. “But if you see her, take her to Mr. Roshire. He will be sure to make it worth your while.”

“Absolutely,” Ryan agreed, smiling back at the beautifully full-figured woman with a gorgeous face. Once Harland had walked away, Ryan gave his attention fully to Guinevere. “You have saved me again,” he whispered. Turning her gaze up to the ceiling, Guinevere waited until Ryan leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. “What would I do without you, Guin?”

“You would probably shrivel up and die,” she added with a smile.

“You are probably right.” Ryan looked behind him before reaching around Guinevere and pulling Elizabeth out of the hallway.

Her heart was pounding in her chest so hard that she could scarcely breathe. Elizabeth was terrified. The man was clearly looking for her, and she knew that she was in more danger than she had ever expected. Ryan ignored her pale complexion and continued to pull her along the room, until he came to the stairway that led to the front door.

“Walk quickly,” he ordered as he released her hand and made his way down the stairs. Elizabeth ignored the constant ache in her foot that had slowed her down all evening. Ryan looked at her over his shoulder and saw that she was moving as fast as she could.

It was still surprising to him that Elizabeth would appear completely stunning. When she had entered the room at Vincent’s house, she had been transformed. The mud had been washed out of her hair and the caked brown color had been transformed into a beautiful shade of gold.

It was a painful relief to reach the bottom of the stairs and walk out the front door. She had desperately wanted to deliver her father’s letter that evening, but once she seen Andrew, Elizabeth just wanted to get out.

The same amount of people that were inside the grand house, collected on the front steps, as well. Some of them were leaving and some were just arriving. Ryan quickly blended in with the crowd until he reached the walkway. Then, with Elizabeth in tow, he started to walk down the pavement.

“Where are we going?” She began to favor her foot once more.

“Keep up,” Ryan ordered. “I am not going to save you again tonight.”

Trying to ignore the pain, Elizabeth found herself concentrating on the man that had killed her father. It was strange that she did not recognize him at first, but the more she pictured Andrew’s build and his hair she knew that it was him. However, she could not understand how a wealthy man that lived thirty miles away could have anything to do with her father.

Elizabeth stared at the stone patterns in the walkway as she concentrated on not stepping in any of the cracks. Her ankle hurt enough, without getting the heel of her shoe broken.

“Can you walk any faster?” Ryan asked as he waited for her to catch up.

“No, I can’t.” The tight shoes had absolutely no support. Elizabeth had been in them for way too long, and her ankle was driving her crazy. “Can we at least hire a carriage?” Ryan waited until she was next to him before he answered her.

“We don’t need to. We are almost there.”

“Where are we going?” She asked for the final time. He could tell that she was having a hard time walking. So, he wrapped his arm under hers and began to pull her across the street. “I can walk on my own,” she informed him.

“But can you walk fast enough not to get hit by a coach?” Keeping his arm around hers, Ryan pulled her towards a dark street.

Elizabeth stepped onto the curb of the walkway and looked down the darkened alley. As Ryan tried to pull her into it, she stood her ground.

“I am not going down there,” she told him.

“Just keep walking. My carriage is down here.” Ryan left her to stand where she was and continued without her.

Against her better judgment, Elizabeth followed him into the small street. Thankfully, she only walked a few paces before she saw the two black horses come into view in an alley.

The hop-and-step of her gait began to annoy them both as her heels clicked on the cobblestone. However, neither of them spoke as they reached the carriage at last and Elizabeth climbed up into the seat.

“To Drake’s,” Ryan told the driver as he waited for Elizabeth to adjust her dress on the seat across from his. Once she stopped fidgeting, Ryan climbed up the step and sat down. “We need to get your brother. If they are after you, they are going to go through him first.”