The others nodded and quietly left the room, Mr. Montgomery indicated that he would be just outside the door.
His father exploded no sooner than the door closed behind them.
"How could you, Edward! You've ruined everything!" Charles bellowed and stomped, his face red with fury.
Edward turned and waited, letting him stomp and fume a few minutes more. He heard his father grumbling, more to himself than to him. "Couldn't leave well enough alone... Had to trifle with that girl..."
Edward took a few steps closer, moving toward his father. He considered pointing out the fact that he had brought all of this on himself, that he continued placing blame onto others which he himself owned, but decided against it, not wanting to point fingers or rouse his father's anger once more. "Father, you've got to let go of all this bitterness. You can't change what has happened in the past, but you can make amends now by releasing all of us from your wrath."
Charles spoke in frustration through his hands, huffing, "You know I can't do that, not now." He turned his back on Edward, dragging his hands down his face and clenching his fists at his sides. Blowing out a deep breath, his next words were spoken with a defeated growl, "If I relinquish control, the lot of you will turn me in. They all heard what you said..."
For the first time, Edward felt pity for his father.
What a lonely place he must be in, pushing everyone away, and holding so much turmoil in for all these years.
Edward watched his father, hoping and praying that he'd be able to break through the rough shell that many years of resentment and pride and had wrapped him in.
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"Father, I'm sure we can all put this mess behind us; we'll talk to Mr. Montgomery and make things right somehow. All we want is for you to return Elizabeth safely, and to leave off blackmailing Matthew's family, as well as to drop this nonsense about me marrying Amelia. My heart belongs to Elizabeth."
Charles rubbed his aching head as Edward's voice resounded in his ears. He couldn't believe all the nonsense that was flowing from his son's mouth.
Curse Edward and that girl for causing me to doubt my actions...
How could he betray his own father in this way? Edward sounded pathetic and weak; begging him to just forget all about the plans he had worked so hard to bring about.
Well, no more. There was no way he was going to let that happen, not now, not when he was so close.
The question now was, just how should he go about handling this most unwanted turn of events? How could he hold on to his ground long enough to get what he wanted out of Peter and convince them all to keep quiet about what they now knew?
"Father," Edward's voice was closer now, "I know this is hard for you, but please... I know we can make amends; I know that if you think this through, you don't truly want to do this..."
Oh, but I do, my son, I want nothing more; especially now.
He still had the girl, he doubted that they had found her yet, she was hidden at least three quarters of a mile from the house. Yes, he could yet have his way, as long as he still had this one bargaining tool. Eventually Peter would give in for the sake of saving his daughter. And Edward would have no say in the matter. His son's displeasure with the outcome would be considered a bonus gain for his treason against his own family; his own father. That would be sure to teach the ingrate a lesson.
Charles still stood with his back to Edward; could his son have seen the steely, narrow eyes, the cold, hard look on his face, he would have known that what his father said next was nothing more than a farce.
"Edward, my son, I don't know how it is possible..." Charles shook his head, looking down, trying to sound repentant. "How do I possibly make any of this right?"
Edward placed a hand on his father's shoulder, and Charles turned to meet his gaze. "Father, it's going to be okay...we can settle all of this after...I want to see Elizabeth; please take me to her." Edward's eyes shone with anticipation.
Still the boy begs for her.
Charles felt sure he could still make this come out to his advantage, but he had to get around Edward. Luckily, he had asked the others to leave the room. That made his job much easier.
"Yes, you're right, Son. She's been held captive quite long enough... Let us go; we may talk about this as we walk."
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Elizabeth sighed, sitting on the rickety old chair quietly with her thoughts. Surely an hour, maybe two, had passed by now. The man Mr. Stanton had called "Nelson" was sitting on the dirt floor, leaning against an old rotted barrel, playing solitaire with a filthy, worn deck of cards. Thus far he seemed harmless enough; he had barely spoken a word since Mr. Stanton's departure, and Elizabeth had been trying to ignore his presence, so as not to draw any undue attention from him.
What she had spent much of her time in the shanty thinking on was her dear Edward. Had he returned? What had he discovered, if anything? Did he yet know of his father's latest dishonor, and if not, had anyone yet noticed that she was missing?
She thought back over her encounter with Mr. Stanton. Yes, she had been a fool to trust him, especially before Edward had returned. But she never would have imagined that he could...do something like this. It had been terrifying, being tied up like that and hauled away from her home and family.
However, she knew that she had flustered him in some way; she could see it in the slight change of his demeanor. There had been something in his eyes, a fleeting look, and a hesitation, which had caused her fear of him to lessen just a bit; it had seemed that perhaps he had regretted his actions for a split second. Elizabeth wasn't exactly sure where she had found the courage to say the things she said to him; but it had to have been of the Lord, she could only imagine herself sitting there, trembling speechlessly.
Yes, she had surely angered him by mentioning her mother, but Elizabeth had felt it had to be said. Without a doubt, he had been confused by her admission of forgiveness; it had also angered him, almost as though she had caused him to feel something he wished not to feel.
Elizabeth had no earthly idea how all of this was going to end, no clue exactly how Mr. Stanton was intending to use her as a pawn, but she did know that it had to do with Edward marrying her sister, and perhaps for some sort of personal gain or other. She surely hoped that whatever it involved, Mr. Stanton would be completely unsuccessful at obtaining it.
Digging the toe of her shoe into the dirt floor, Elizabeth adjusted herself in the old chair the best that she could. The ropes weren't tight, but they did restrict her movement enough that she could not find a comfortable position, and her back ached from sitting in the same place for so long. She glanced over at Nelson, debating whether to engage him in conversation or not.
Deciding it was worth a try, she began, "Excuse me, do you think it possible for me to leave this chair long enough to stretch a bit?"
Nelson placed an eight of spades on top of a nine of hearts before glancing up at her, "No, I don't expect so. Mr. Stanton said I ain't to harm you, but that doesn't mean I should pamper you, neither."
Elizabeth tried again, "But it's dreadfully uncomfortable...please? Just for a moment."
Nelson looked at her a little longer this time. Finally he began to rise, "Aw, alright. For just a minute though, then it's back to the chair."
Elizabeth smiled to herself as he loosened the rope from the chair. "Thank you," she said as she rose stiffly, the ropes which had held her fell down around her feet and the legs of the chair. Her wrists were still bound, however, and she knew without a doubt that he wouldn't take those off of her.
She stood before him meekly, not wanting to give him any cause to bind her to the chair again quickly, for she knew if she did try to escape, she could not out-run him, not in her restrictive skirts and dainty shoes.
"Was it you who followed me and Edward that day when we went horseback riding?" Elizabeth decided conversation might distract him longer, keeping her out of that chair for a bit, and possibly allowing her to find a way to get out of this predicament.
Nelson studied her for a moment. "Yep, it were."
"We heard you in the trees."
A half grin crept up Nelson's scruffy face. "Such a shame, that. I was gettin' quite a show, before that branch broke, I was."
Elizabeth's cheeks blazed at his mention of the tender moment she and Edward had shared that day at the lake. She turned away from him as his teasing laughter taunted her.
Oh, Edward... Where are you?
A crunching noise sounded outside; someone was approaching the shack. In less than half a second, Nelson was at her side, gripping her tightly, clamping his hand over her mouth.
Oh please let it be Edward, or anyone, who can get me out of here!
"Ho, Nelson!" Mr. Stanton's voice yelled out, still a distance from the shanty, "Don't shoot! It's just me, coming to collect the girl."
"Let's go," Nelson hissed in her ear, hauling her toward the door. "Don't you give me any trouble, ya hear?"
Elizabeth was frozen with a terrifying shock. What was going on?
Did Mr. Stanton say 'Don't shoot?' Did Nelson have a gun?
Elizabeth's mind swirled; for a moment, she had dared to hope that it was all over, that Mr. Stanton had finished with his business and had truly come to release her. But then, why was Nelson dragging her away from the shack, and toward the woods?