Lydia

Ten

Lydia had told Nicholas she was tired so that he would leave her room, but once he had closed the door behind him carrying her tray of half-eaten food, she couldn't stop the rush of tears falling freely down her face. Her heart cried out for the injustice and the misfortune that had taken a turn in her life.

Jakeson was her father. The star burned on his neck proved it. When she and her sisters were much younger, and Ma had been dead for about a year, Jack Swanson had stumbled into the house, drunker than his daughters had ever seen him. He yelled and broke things in the house before collapsing on the couch.

Lydia and her sisters tiptoed around the house, not wanting to wake him up. They knew how he was after he'd been drinking, and it scared them nearly to death. Unfortunately, Rachael wasn't a quiet as Lydia and Victoria, and Pa awoke.

As Lydia and her sisters scattered in the house to get away from him, Racheal wasn't fast enough. Pa has grasped her arm too tightly it had left several bruises. He shouted at Lydia's younger sister and slapped her across the face. The girls knew by now not to make their pa any more upset, so Racheal held in her cry.

Sadly, this seemed to anger him more, and he slapped Rachael again. But the crazed man didn't stop hitting Racheal. Soon, Lydia's sister's mouth was swollen, and blood oozed from her nose and mouth.

Seeing her sister put through that kind of torture was unbearable, and she knew she had to stop it. The only weapon was the poker by the fireplace. Lydia was sure it was still very hot since it was close to the flames.

Without another thought, Lydia grabbed the poker and pushed it toward her father, burning his neck. He screamed in pain, which made him release Rachael. Lydia grabbed her sister's hand, and they ran as fast as they could out of the house. They hid in the nearby thicket of trees.

Two hours later, Victoria had come looking for them. They hugged each other and cried together. Thankfully, that was the last time they saw Jack Swanson – the man they refused to acknowledge as their father ever again.

However, now... Lydia squeezed her teary eyes shut, wanting the tears to stop. Crying hurt her head, and she was already tired of being in pain. Her heart cried out for the lost childhood she and her sisters had missed, but more than anything, Lydia cried for the man she would soon lose when she told him that Jakeson was her father. Nick wouldn't want her now, and she didn't blame him if he took her back to Victoria and washed his hands of her.

She wiped the tears off her cheeks and slowly moved off the bed. She couldn't put Nicholas in any more danger, and because she had an outlaw for a father, she would only cause problems for the Pinkerton agents... and anyone else in Stumptown. She must return home. Racheal was probably wondering why she wasn't home yet. Lydia couldn't keep her sister waiting.

Her head still spun as she walked toward the door. What good would she be in this condition? She wouldn't be able to travel all the way home by herself. So, there was only one other thing to do. She must tell Nicholas about Jack Swanson. Nicholas wouldn't want her around after that, so he would do the gentlemanly thing and take her back home.

The spinning room made her move back to the bed and lie down. She clutched the pillow to her chest as she tried not to cry. What would that accomplish besides her head feeling like it was splitting open?

Her throat ached almost as much as her chest, but she refused to cry. However, she should sleep. When she awakened, then she would tell Nicholas. Hopefully, he would understand and not blame her, but instead, take her home.

She never felt more homesick than she did at this moment.

* * * *

Nick stood at the washbasin in the kitchen, cleaning the dishes he had used to make breakfast. Although he itched to go on the hunt for Jakeson with the sheriff and Bryan Easton, Nick knew he needed to stay and care for the woman he loved.