Chapter 6

As James slept, his dream took over.

The wedding had been beautiful and Isabella even more so. The last of the family and friends were leaving and soon he would take her upstairs as his wife. They were unconventional in that neither were virgins. They had first discovered intimacy two months prior to today, but had been extremely carefull to avoid detection or pregnancy. But tonight, that concern was gone and both were looking forward to uninhibited contact. The servants were in the kitchen, the last of the party clutter had been cleared away efficiently.

The only thing that could have marred the day never materialized. James had taken precautions, but they had not been necessary.

Isabella had had a suitor prior to him and he had not taken it well when Isabella had rebuffed him. He was quite a bit older and something of a mystery in town. He had come to town 15 years before, a reformed gambler. After he bought the local hotel, he had become an upstanding member of the community. He had never married and rarely escorted women around town. It was rumored that he had lost a wife and child before his gambling days, but the story was never proven. When he met Isabella, he had been completely smitten with her but she was only 18 years old and could not learn to love a man nearly old enough to be her father. So she had told him no when he proposed marriage and he had been very angry. After James had started calling on her and they had fallen in love, this man had tried to 'convince' her of his love. It finally came to blows between them and James had won that battle easily.

Taking Isabella's hand, he led her up the stairs to the master bedroom. Her clothing and personal items had been unpacked for tonight. They did not leave for their honeymoon until the following week, and so would be in residence, but unavailable, till then. When they entered the room, they discovered that the maid had turned down the bed, there were fresh flowers in vases, the air was scented with a delicate perfume. James and Isabella came together in a passionate kiss, undressing one another with urgency and need.

James extinguished the lamps and they tumbled together on the bed, laughing and tickling and kissing each other. After some teasing and caressing James positioned himself over her and entered her gently. With out the barrier of her maidenhood, the motion was completely pleasurable and Isabella moaned in delight. As the heat rose, and the tempo increased, James and Isabella were totally focused on their lovemaking. They didn't hear the door open.

The spurned suitor stood there, knife in hand, face contorted with rage. Running towards the bed, James caught the movement out of the corner of his eye just as he instinctively rolled to his left. At that time he felt a searing pain below his right shoulder blade that burned a path through his muscles towards and ending at his right side. The pain was excruciating and he wasn't able to raise his right arm. Falling to the left, he could hear Isabelle scream and he tried desperately to right himself in an attempt to protect her.

The next scream he heard was the attacker - he screamed in dismay, 'No no no no - Isabelle! NO NO NO!', and could just make out the attacker's face before he turned away and stumbled from the room, covered in blood. James was fast loosing consciousness and the last thing he saw was a very still Isabelle with a long knife handle protruding from her left breast. His vision faded and he slipped into the dark.

James woke with a start. Feeling Leanna's warm form next to him, he started to say Isabelle's name and then his surroundings brought him back from his dream. His sudden movement and low moan of pain stirred Leanna to wakefulness. Sweat trickled down his face and across his chest - as if he had been running. She looked at him, concern blossoming on her face.

'What is it? Did you hear something?'

'No, just old memories. Nothing you really need to worry about. Come here... '

'I think you had a nightmare - look at you, sweating - you're breathing hard - please, tell me. I'll listen. Does it have anything to do with that scar on your back? And how did you get that? Are you in trouble?' Leanna looked at him with pleading eyes. He knew that if he didn't answer at least some of her questions, life would be quite impossible. He knew women. When they wanted to know something, they would find out one way or another.