Trains and rings

[Lovely]

June 26, Year 2
evening


Patrick had some thinking to do about what Miss Harris had told him regarding Lily and the Palmer boy. Normally he could find out anything he wanted to by reading her diary.. He could close his eyes and picture the nights when he would lay down next to her on the bed, running his fingers on her thigh as he read her most private thoughts. Recently she hadn't allowed him to do so, instead of being out in plain sight, the journal was hidden away. He should have seen before now that this was a sign that things were not well between them.

Resher passed her at the train station. "Lily.. are you alright?" He tried to hand her his hankerchief and decided he should leave her be after she kicked his shin. Resher left the station and headed across town to the Carlisle Estate, he never thought he would ever be knocking at Pat's door, but that is just what he did.

Patrick himself opened the door, he stands back and checks for rifles and swords and then raises an eyebrow. ".. Yes?"

"Are you missing anything?" Raises an eyebrow in return. "I have no idea what is going on but I am caught between the urge to hit you and deep worry. Your wife is at the train station.. she seems rather.. distraught. In her particular way.. I think she was crying... If you care to go fetch her.."

He finishes wiping hands on cloth from changing and setting the boys down to sleep. "... taking care of the other children first...but thank you."

"Suit yourself." He rolls his eyes and turns away, heading back towards town instead of on to the ranch.

Rolls his eyes, listens... boys are asleep... grabs his coat... and hers she left behind... goes to get the mare and ride to town.

Lily was not a happy girl at all at the moment, she sat alone on the small bench seat and curled somewhat into herself, making her appear even smaller with her petite frame. Her heart felt like ice and fire at once, like it was burning in her chest and like it was freezing, is this what heartbreak felt like? She had seen what she'd seen and with his absence at home and his lack of attention when there, Lily was brought to one devestating conclusion about her husband. He didn't love her or want her anymore and he was finding amusement elsewhere. It hurt so bad, more than she could bare and she hated him for making her love him so! She'd told Pat once, that if her future held a bleak and confining picture and a loveless marriage, that she would be gone, but she never thought that it would happen once she'd married him. She'd left their twin sons behind, though it pained her to do so, Patrick deserved to have that burden on him, she'd not get far with them and she would not be able to provide decently for them. A single woman with two boys.. no she couldn't do that, at least with the Carlisle brood they would be taken care of. She sat now leaning towards the wall, her eyes staring vacantly out the window, not really seeing anything beyond her thoughts. She reached to the cord that held her beloved charm, the charm Patrick had given her when they made their challenge, holding it in her fingers. Her eyes closed and a few tears rolled down her cheek.

The train had started to hiss and sputter steam, the porter throwing the last of the bags in stow and checking the rail for children, horses and chickens that tended to roam freely and daringly around the tracks. He took the moment that the man was gone to slip up into the car and begin looking, one car to the next until he'd find her. Resher's words hung in his ears, the blood pounding like the sound of the sledge he'd take to the man's head for his arrogance, but not until his wife was safely home.. with himself and no other. The first car didn't reveal her, nor the dining car, so she wasn't drinking. The car lurched a little as the train began to roll and he stuttered at the doorway, sure he could hear the ripping of her heart by the look on her face. What had he done? She wasn't expecting him and the movement of the train seemed to make the tears tumble on their own. "Ticket please," he said, mustering the mock authority of a railman to pull her attention from the glass.

[Lovely]

Her eyes didn't move, their vacant gaze fixed on something no one else could see, good god she could hear his voice hinted in the ticket man's. Her fingers curled more tightly around the charm and her other hand drifted to her lap where the ticket lay, it was lifted and held out in an automatic motion as if she did not control her arm. The tears snaked slowly down her cheeks but she didn't seem to notice and did not try to wipe them away.

"Sorry mum, seems there's a problem. Can y'come wi'me, please?"

The words seemed to take a long moment to reach her and for her to show that she heard them. Her hand slowly dropped back to her lap, for a moment it seemed as if she wasn't going to move, but then she slowly shrugged herself up. Turning finally toward the man who spoke, she blinked as if she was not seeing clearly, the surprise showing in her expression and the way her lips parted slightly. She closed her eyes, sure that she must being seeing his face instead of the ticket collector's.

"We'll have t'stop the train. Seems your husband's taken a terrible fever, mum. Doctor says it's visions, dreams somethin' terrible, thinking his wife's gone an' left him, left her baby boys behind as well. Says the only cure is to return home at once before he dies of a broken heart... and said he needed to give you this," he continued quietly, pulling the rings out on a cord. "Says he's been workin' extra for something of beauty to match the beauty of his bride... and he's sorry."

Her eyes flew open and she stared at him in bewilderment. "Patrick?" Her voice was soft and still questioning if he was really there. Her lip trembled and she pulled it between her teeth, her legs feeling unsteady, weak at the knees. "I.." She began and then quieted, reaching trembling fingers to take the rings from him. "They're beautiful." She stated softly, her fingers running over the golden circles. "His wife saw him kissing the woman who owns the hotel.. she thought he didn't want her anymore."

"The woman who only shared a moment, Lilian... not my heart. It surely looked different than it was. My heart, is there in your hand," he indicated the intricately detailed golden bands he'd made. "Gold's not easy to come by this late in the game, not around here. It took more than I planned... time away from you.. and I'm sorry. And not half as sorry as I'll be when they throw me off the train in a moment for not having a ticket."

She'd only packed a small bag which was resting on the bench across from where she'd been sitting. "I suppose we should get off the train quickly, then." Her voice was soft as her gaze drifted from the rings to his face.

"How are you about jumping? Guess it's good I know a doctor? C'mon then... hurry," he nodded at the scenery beginning to move faster past them.

"If I break a leg.. " She warned him that she would make him pay for it as her hand reached for her bag. Lily slipped the cord with their rings around her neck and slid her hand to his, to let him lead her to the exit.

[Lovely]

"Make sure it's mine... c'mon," he chuckled and pulled her along with him to the front of the car. The train wasn't up to full speed and they had the grace of a muddy hill to roll down if they timed it right.

"Have you ever done this before?" She asked him, her fingers tightening around his as she looked at the land sliding by them. "Together right.. and you won't let go?"

"I don't think you want the answer to the first part.. it might surprise you... and of course I won't. Ready? Hang on," he laughed, stepping to the outside of the guarding rail at the front of the car.

"Oh dear.." She took a deep breath in and held it as she brought herself behind him and to the outside of the rail, trying not think about how much hitting the ground would hurt. "Tell me when to jump.."

He tossed her bag out... they'd find it soon enough. "Roll into the tumble... now!" He said, not giving her much chance to think of not going.

She made a slight noise as she let go and fell into air for a moment, it was like flying for a few seconds and she did her best to roll as he'd told her to do when she felt the ground come quickly beneath her. She let go another soft cry somewhere between pain and surprise and she bumped over the ground.

The timing wasn't quite perfect and he'd found more brambles and thorny cactus than he'd prefer, landing a large gouge on his arm, but he was otherwise unbroken and on his feet to help her as he stumbled up and over to her as they stopped moving. "Lilian... lily... are you alright?"

She was bumped and scraped but appeared to have no serious injuries, her dress had caugh on something and would need some stiching. The skirt was in a bit of a tangle around her legs as she rolled to her side with a slight moan. "I think so.." She answered, hissing as she brought her hand over her hip, her other reaching to his offer to help her up. In her tumble she'd managed to lose the pins that had been holding her hair back, and her long locks were spilling down over her shoulders. "Are you alright?" She glanced up to him, with a half smile.

He laughed again at the mess they'd made of themselves. "Alive... and grateful," he added, pulling himself down to her rather than helping her up, reaching to embrace her. "You have no idea.. and I have no idea how far back your bag's gone. We should look for it, don't you think?"

She pouted a little, curling one arm around his shoulders as he came down to embrace her. "I'm going to be bruised.." She pulled him closer when he mentioned going to look for her bag, her answer was a loving and passionate kiss, that would tell him how sorry she was, as well.