Lowering my arms to around her waist, I hold her tightly to me. Pulling back, I gently place my lips on hers and I kiss her. This kiss is slow, it’s sensual, it conveys all my emotions and feelings...it’s us. Breaking our connection, I rest my forehead against hers. “Bai, baby, I want that more than anything in this world.”
The bellowing of Lord Beckett shouting, “Bailey!” interrupts our perfect moment.
Still wrapped in each other’s arms, he shouts, “Get away from that boy, Bailey!” He marches over to us, pulls Bailey from my arms, and stands in front of me, his chest heaving; rage simmering below the surface. He pokes me in the chest and growls, “I told you to say away from my daughter.”
“Daddy, please,” Bailey pleads, stepping in-between us. He glares down at her. “Please, Daddy. I love Nate and I want to be with him.”
“Bailey, this isn’t up for discussion. Head home, now. I need to have a quiet word with Mr. Winters.” He pauses, but my girl is stubborn and stands her ground. “Now, Bailey!” he bellows.
“Fine,” she huffs, but before she leaves, she turns to me and frantically kisses me: plunging her tongue into my mouth, wrapping her arms tightly around me. This infuriates her father and he pulls her from my embrace. “Enough. Get home now.”
“I love you, Nate,” she whispers, as she exits the barn, leaving me with her father.
“Sir, I...” He holds his hand up and interrupts me.
“Nate, I know you’re a good kid and all, but this needs to stop. Now! Bailey WILL marry William and there is nothing that you or I can do about it.” He runs his fingers through his salt-and-pepper coloured hair before looking directly at me, as he dejectedly adds, “My hands are tied, son.”
My mouth drops open at this revelation. “You don’t want her to marry him, do you?” I question him.
“It doesn’t matter what I want. It’s done. End of story,” he glumly replies.
“Sir, no. I don’t believe that. Bailey and I are soul mates. I feel it in my bones that we are meant to be together. Please help us?” I beg.
He says four words that leave me shocked. “Leave it with me, Nate.” He turns on his heel and leaves me standing there stunned, wondering what he could possibly mean.
6
Nate
It’s been ten days since Lord Beckett caught us, and I have never been more lonely and lost than I am right now. Everything changes when the Lord himself summons me to the Beckett estate for a meeting. This is either going to be great, or epically bad, but knowing my life, I’m going to bet on the latter.
Arriving at 3:00 p.m. sharp, the butler escorts me to Lord Beckett’s study. When I enter the room and see whom else is there, I know that this meeting will not go the way I was hoping.
Nervously, I stand in Lord Beckett’s office, waiting for someone to say something, to say anything; the atmosphere is full of animosity and angst. My heart is furiously racing as I wait to see what is going to happen. Nothing is said for what feels like an eternity, that is until Lord Beckett reaches into a drawer and shoves an envelope across the desk to me. “Take it and go, son!” he bellows.
From the corner of my eye, I see Clayton, the pompous ass, looking smug. Not moving a muscle, my jaw ticking, it’s taking all my willpower to not jump over his desk and pound some sense into him.
“You heard the man, take the ticket and go, Winters. No one wants you here,” he cockily adds, with a smarmy smirk on his face.
“Bailey does,” I mumble under my breath.
“Look at me, Nate,” Lord Beckett demands. Hesitantly, I look up and see anguish written all over his face. “I know you care for my Bailey, but if you truly love her, like you say you do, you will take this ticket and leave. Let her marry William. She’ll grow to be happy with him.” Swallowing hard he adds, “Surely you want her to be happy?”
“You know I do, Sir. More than anything in this world,” I quickly reply.
“Then do this for us,” he says, before quickly backtracking his words. “Do it for her, Nate. Do it for Bailey.” That statement causes my head to snap up. Fear is etched on his face and that look cements my assumption that there is more to this than meets the eye. Add in the murderous look on William’s face, and I know that I’m right on the money. But why?
Taking a deep breath, I swallow hard, and sadly I say, “Fine, for Bailey.”
Reaching forward, I slide the envelope sitting on the desk towards the edge. Picking it up, I spin it in my hands as I look directly at Lord Beckett and utter, “I hope you know what you’re doing, Sir.” Standing up, I exit his office and turn towards the front entrance.
The office door has just closed behind me when the door across from me swings open, and I’m met with my beloved. Bailey races over to me and throws her arms around my neck, holding me tightly. “One hour, Nate, you know where,” she quickly whispers, before stepping back from me, turning around, and walking towards the stairs to the second level.
Sadly smiling, I take a steadying breath, turn around, and leave. Walking down the front stairs, I head straight to Hammersmith Lane to wait for Bailey.
No sooner have I arrived, and Bailey comes rushing in behind me. Looking up, I see tears pouring down her face. “No, Nate, no,” she cries, as she throws herself into my outstretched arms.
“I know, Bai. I don’t want to leave either but I don’t have a choice.” Pulling back, I look deeply into her eyes. Instantly, they calm me. “Your father is right. He’s a better match for you, Bai.”
“That’s bullshit, and you know it. I don’t care about him, Nate. I. Love. You,” she tearfully says. “I only want you,” she adds, as she rests her head on my chest over my heart.
Holding her in my arms, my heart breaks. I’d give my life for her happiness. I guess, in a way, my boarding the Titanic tomorrow is doing this for her. “I love you too, Bailey, more than anything in this world, but I have to go.”
“I’m coming with you,” she declares. Jumping up, she begins pacing back and forth. “Yes, I’m coming with you.”
“You can’t, Bai. For starters, you don’t have a ticket.” Taking a cleansing breath, I add, “Plus, William can give you a life that I can’t, and I don’t want to deny you anything that you deserve. You deserve the world, Bailey.”
“No!” she yells. “I don’t care about any of that, Nate. I want you. I love you. I don’t care if we live here in our barn. As long as I’m with you, I’ll be happy; together we’ll be happy.” My heart breaks when I see the hurt on her face at the prospect of me leaving.
Staring at her, so determined, so heartbroken, my heart beats faster and faster. For a second, I consider taking her up on her offer, but her father’s words echo in my mind. With sadness in my voice, I say, “Bailey, I love you with all my heart, but I have to go. One day again our paths will cross, and when that day comes, you and I will be together forever. I feel it deep in here.” Tapping my chest above my heart, I say, “You and I are fated to be together, but right at this moment in time, our journey needs to be separate.”