AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He stopped and turned towards here, his moist lips curling up at the corners. “Och, yes, of course, my beauty. An agreement is an agreement.” He reached a hand inside his coat pocket and pulled out a small cloth bag. “Inside is yer first payment. I will pay ye bit by bit until we’ve reached the end of our contract, and I no longer need yer services.” He handed it to her.
Amelia’s heart fell as she clasped the small cloth bag of coins. She had hoped he could pay her the money all at once, and she could send it to London right away. She didn’t want to give Donald the satisfaction of seeing her disappointment. She stood tall and lifted an eyebrow. “I was under the impression that you would be paying me in full up front.”
Donald grabbed her arm once again and pulled them back into a walking pace. “See that’s the problem with assumptions. They donnae really serve one well. In addition, that wouldnae be good business, would it, Amelia? Tae give all the money away before the service I’m paying for has been provided?” He shook his head. “Nay, not good business at all.” He patted her hand as though she were a child.
Amelia gritted her teeth. She knew he had all the cards, and she would have to go along with his little game if it would mean her mother would be happy and at peace again, and their family could be whole.
She kept silent, for fear that whatever would come out of her mouth would make him take back the money.
Donald chuckled and let go of Amelia’s arm. “Well, if ye’ve nothin’ further tae say, I have some business tae attend tae. Remember yer task. I’ll be back tae check in on ye.” Amelia did not reply immediately, and her face was furrowed. His smiled faded, and his eyes turned dark. He moved ever so slightly closer to her, his voice lowering almost to a growl. “Donnae be thinking of telling yer beautiful Jamie about any of this. Ye will not get yer money tae save yer father, and ye may lose something even more precious tae ye.” Donald opened his coat to display a long silver blade, shiny and clean, and the sun glinted off its metal edge. Amelia’s eyes widened, and she gasped.
As quick as he had changed before, his mood changed again. He chuckled, closed his coat, and with a smile, said, “Good day, Miss Parker. Until we meet again.”
And with that, he was off.
* * *
Jamie sat in his workroom, boots up on his wooden desk, holding a small box in his hand. His eyes had dark circles under them, and his hair was pulling from its tie. He had barely slept, thinking about William’s words about him being in love. It was true, he had never wanted a woman more. But...love? He kept spinning the box around and around his hands. His mind flashed back to the love between his father and mother, the way their eyes found each other at the dinner table or at parties, the way they would dance together at clan feasts, his mother laughing and his father planting a kiss on his mother’s cheek. He could not remember a time where he did not feel them to be so in love. He fought back the tears that suddenly welled up without warning at the strong desire for his father to be here right now. His father would know what to do or to say. And he would have loved Amelia.
Jamie sighed and rubbed a hand over his unclipped beard and around the back of his neck. He felt like a mouse stuck inside a box, desperately searching for a hole through which to escape, not wanting to face the truth that stood in the center of the room. He finally opened the wooden box in his hands. It had been ornately carved into swirls and flowers by his Scottish grandfather, and it perfectly matched the treasure it held inside.
Jamie looked down at his grandmother’s ring, with the beautiful blue topaz gem set in the center surrounded by tendrils of gold, twisting around the gemstone and around the ring itself. He always loved this ring because it made him think of flowers or trees. It seemed like it was alive. As a child, he thought it might imbue the wearer with life and vitality. His mother had worn it, but after his father died, she placed it back inside the box and gave it to Jamie.
He had looked in this box many times before, but now he noticed a small slip of paper lying underneath. It read:
My dearest son,
Your father and I had always wished for you to find your true love and to present her with this ring. Love is a blessing from God, and our loves were made full and complete by it. Even though your father is gone, I still have that love with me, and I always will. We were blessed to have the years together that we did.
I know you, my son. You have found a woman who makes you feel that same way. You may have not yet admitted it to yourself. Do not fear it. Seize this, for you may lose your chance. Love is what life is all about. I could not have wanted a better woman for you.
I love you,
Your mother
Jamie felt a tear slide down his face at the mention of his father and the reminder of his mother’s loss. But, this note proved to him that she was happy and at peace now, and a heavy weight shifted from his heart. He sighed. His mother was right. He was deeply and madly in love with Amelia, and he would present her with this ring. He closed the box, and with a smile, left the room.
