A Headstrong Woman(87)
“Come on, Alexandria, let’s get you inside,” Jonathon reached his hand out to her but let her make the decision to come to him. Slowly she placed her hand in his and he pulled her up as he stood and swung her into his arms. Alexandria wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck unable to look at Nick’s form where he lay in the floor.
Jonathon was crossing the yard with Alexandria when a rider approached. He recognized Sparky and waited. Sparky’s gaze flickered over Alexandria before his eyes darkened with anger.
“What’s going on?” he demanded.
“Nick attacked her. He’s still in the barn; would you escort him off the property please?”
“I’ll do more than that!” Sparky swung from the saddle and started for the barn at an angry pace.
“Don’t do anything you’ll regret!” Jonathon called after the younger man. Knowing Sparky’s temper as he did, he feared he might kill the man, though Jonathon was struggling to care at the moment.
Jonathon entered the house with Alexandria and called for Millie. When he tried setting Alexandria down, she clung to him more tightly and made a small sound of protest. She was starting to get heavy. Jonathon looked around the dark parlor and finally eased onto the settee with Alexandria still in his arms.
“Alexandria, I need to know…I don’t know how to ask this did Nick…did he…” Jonathon hesitated; he hated to even say it. Alexandria shook her head without ever looking at him, but Jonathon knew she had understood and sighed in relief.
Millie entered; her eyes widened.
“Millie, I need your help and possibly Anna’s as well. Nick attacked Alexandria. I’m sure she’ll want a bath but first we need some ice if it hasn’t all melted. Rouse Anna and have her gather clean clothes. I suppose the ice should come first.”
“I’ll get right on it,” Millie lit a lamp and bustled from the room.
Alexandria felt weak with relief that Jonathon had shown up when he had. No one had to tell her what would have happened if he hadn’t. Yet again her foreman had come to her rescue. Jonathon was right, she attracted trouble. And yet again here she sat clinging to her foreman while demanding she wanted to be independent. The irony was not lost on Alexandria but nothing she had yet to experience had scared her as badly as what had just happened. She could still feel Nick’s hot breath on her face, feel his hands on her body; Alexandria shuddered and clung harder to Jonathon as she fought back nausea. Jonathon laid his cheek against her head and stroked her back seeming to understand that there was nothing he could say that would make her feel any better at the moment.
Millie returned with the ice; Anna was right behind her. Anna looked to have been crying, but her eyes widened, her face becoming alert when she spotted her sister. Alexandria had recovered somewhat and now sat up, held the ice to her eye and cheek before resituating herself against her foreman. If anyone found it improper they weren’t saying so.
“Did….did he hurt her?” Anna’s voice and hands were shaking.
“He hit her as you can see, otherwise, I think she’s okay,” Jonathon answered her query.
Anna, her face pale, sat down hard on a nearby chair. “Have you sent for the sheriff?”
Jonathon shook his head. “No, there is no way I’d ever convince Alexandria to press charges and I know it.”
“But she has to!” Anna protested.
“Anna, put yourself in your sister’s shoes for just a moment. Would you want what had almost happened and what had happened aired?” he asked her and watched her frown.
“Well, no, but he can’t get away with it. Send for Mom, she’ll talk sense into her.”
“No!” Alexandria spoke for the first time since the incident. “I don’t want Mom knowing anything about this. I can’t deal with her pleading for me to come home right now,” Alexandria said firmly.
“Lexie, don’t be a fool, the man would have raped you!” Anna yelled at her sister.
“Anna, I know that better than you do; I will not go through the humiliation of a trial!”
“Ladies, this is getting us nowhere. Alexandria, I’m sure you would like a bath; why don’t you allow Millie or Anna to help you?” he proposed. Alexandria nodded and stood. Several minutes later she sat in a deep tub of hot water while her sister washed her hair.
“I’m sorry I was angry with you earlier,” Anna apologized.