Now Nicholas knew.
***
Nicholas took it all in at once—Bethie lying beaten and unconscious on the bed, the soldier holding her down, his breeches unbuttoned, Belle’s terrified wailing.
Primal rage surged from his gut. He looked into the soldier’s shocked eyes, saw a dead man. “Get the hell away from her!”
Before the soldier could button his breeches, Nicholas rounded the bed, drove his fist into the soldier’s face, knocked him to the floor. “You like to beat women? You like to hurt them? Try me instead.”
The soldier cowered, tried to scoot away. “I-it’s no’ like that! Please, sir! You cannae kill me!”
Nicholas grabbed him by his collar, jerked him to his feet. “No? And why not?”
“I—I’m Bethie’s brother!”
Stunned, Nicholas stared into the soldier’s eyes, saw there the unspeakable truth.
Suddenly all the pieces fell into place. Her fear of men. Her unwillingness to discuss her family. Her reluctance to return to Paxton.
Her husband hadn’t been the only man to mistreat her.
Oh, God, Bethie!
“If you tell, everyone will know your wife is a whore! Bethie will be shamed for life! You have to let me go!”
“That’s what you think!” In a black rage, Nicholas slammed his fist into the bastard’s jaw again and again and again, until the soldier’s head lolled stupidly on his shoulders. Nicholas wanted to kill him, spill his blood, watch the light fade from his eyes as life left his body. He might have killed him then and there, had not the sound of Belle’s frantic crying pierced his fury.
He dragged the unconscious man around the bed to the still-open door, tossed him roughly into the dirt.
Men stopped working, stared.
Nicholas barked out a string of orders, certain they would be obeyed. “Get the quartermaster! This man attacked my wife! See to it he is locked in the guardhouse! Send for the doctor! And get Annie from the trading post! Quickly!”
***
Bethie struggled to wake from the depths of a nightmare. Richard had come for her. He had beaten her. He had tried to rape her.
If only her head didn’t hurt so badly. If only the nightmare would leave her in peace.
“Bethie, love, can you hear me?” It was Nicholas.
A hand stroked her cheek.
“She’s suffered quite a severe beating. I’ve left laudanum for her pain, but I shouldn’t be surprised if she remains unconscious for some time.” That was Dr. Aimes. “You might well need a wet nurse for the baby, at least for a day or two. If you’ll excuse me, I need to see to the man who did this.”
Beating? Unconscious? Wet nurse?
It hadn’t been a dream!
A spark of panic ignited in her belly, moved sluggishly to her mind, became confused. What had happened? Why couldn’t she open her eyes? Where was Belle? But before the answers could form, she was adrift, conversation flowing over her like water.
“Rest assured, he will pay for his crime,” Captain Écuyer said.
“I should have killed him when I had the chance!”
“It’s better that you didn’t, Kenleigh. A British fort is no place for frontier-style justice. He will be tried in a court-martial, and, after he is convicted, he will be shot.”
“It must be handled discreetly, Captain. I would not have her suffer more than she already has.”
