The Homecoming Bride

Chapter Four: My Beloved Spake

CHAPTER FOUR: "My Beloved Spake" composed by Steven Price from the 'Ophelia' film soundtrack. *Lyrics from the Proclaimers' 'Then I Met You' by Charles and Morris Reid*

** Quote from Song of Solomon 2:10 in the Bible, King James' version.

AN: Also, I've been imagining actor Jason Isaacs as Molly's estranged husband, James Satterwhaite.

Emmy ran straight through the empty quiet cobblestone street away from the Schofield house, wrapping her shawl around her shoulders as she shook out her unruly curls. The cooling breeze blew around her as her sprinting run began to slow into a jog, her lungs breathing oxygen through her body as her common sense began to catch up with her impulsive decision as to why she was running away in the middle of the night.

Her legs slowed even more as she tried to catch her breath, seeing the bridal shop come into view with her limited vision through the darkness. And next to the modest shop building was the inn where James Satterthwaite was staying.

Emmy panted with sharp breaths as her legs at last ceased in their carrying her into the village square, absent of other people or any exterior lights, leaving her completely alone and exposed to anything that could attack her.

What on earth was she thinking? What the hell did she hope to accomplish here by sneaking away like a disobedient teenager under the cloak of night?

For all she knew, she was walking into a trap waiting to spring on her, similar to when Erik had abducted her back at her Richmond apartment. Back then, she had known what she was getting into then, but this situation...

Scho's right, Emmy. You need to think this through. It's dangerous to just confront this man without knowing what he's like.

Tom Blake's soft voice warned her, a protective brotherly presence in her mind to keep her from making a potentially fatal mistake. Only fitting he had to take the form of her mental conscience.

And Emmy turned and ran again, away from the inn and the row of other surrounding buildings, needing somewhere else to go other than the home of her soon-to-be family.

She waited again for Tom's voice in her head as she continued sprinting through the grass and off the main village path, her dress skirts swirling around her legs. But her sensibility of self-preservation began to overtake her previous instinct of half-cocked behavior.

Here she was by herself with nobody knowing where she was. On the warpath to confront a man who had caused his own wife to miscarry her baby in his rage...

If James was capable of that sort of brutality to a woman he had married, who knew what he would do to Emmy, a virtual stranger confronting him about hurting his family. She had to remind herself again what era she was in. James being Molly's husband meant legally he could face little to no consequences...

As she looked up while coming to a stop again, her leg muscles burning with stimulus, she saw the black iron gate of the cemetery open as if she was expected to come by at this time tonight. Her wild hair flew everywhere around her face and she ran her fingers through to disentangle the brown tresses flying in her line of sight.

Will's face flashed to her mind as his words about James rang through her memory of only a few hours ago.

The sound of his voice as he argued his point to her about wanting to meet James in person.... The worry and fear saturating his tone as he had spoken of wanting to protect her...

She had seen in his eyes what he had experienced all those weeks ago. The exhaustion and misery inside him whenever he had spoken to her about his vigil as he sat by her side while she had been comatose, not knowing when or if she would awaken again.