"I am not his lady love!" she exclaimed, raising her chin indignantly.
"But that"s not what the villagers are sayin", now is it? They"re sayin" the gentleman has gone back to his old, wicked ways. He never was too choosy about who shared his bed. But with you in the house, betrothed and all, who could blame him?"
Alaina"s anger boiled at the insinuation in his voice. He turned and began pulling her down a darkened alley off the main street. Panic returned full force. She dug her heels into the shallow dirt and tried to jerk her arm free. "What do you think you"re doing? Let me go! Let go of me this instant!"
Doogan chuckled, his grip tightening as he tugged her along.
"I"m thinking I"d like to know just what kind of woman O"Brien has gotten for himself," he said over his shoulder. "He took what was mine long agolaid his filthy hands on me only sister and brought her to ruin before he killed her. "Tis high time I return the favor."
His gaze slid down her body. Alaina"s stomach lurched. She swallowed down the bile that rose in her throat.
"That"s not true. Torin would never hurt a woman."
"Aye, that he would. And he"d have hung long ago if it hadn"t been for his father raising the roof and all the lies they told. But now they"ll pay and I will enjoy every minute of it." He jerked her arm so hard she thought it would come right from the socket.
"Let go!" She pummeled his shoulder with her fist.
Doogan swore, then turned toward her, slapping her hard across the face. Alaina sucked in a deep breath, her cheek stinging, tears filling her eyes. Doogan stepped sideways, twisting her arm down and up behind her back. Alaina cried out in agony. Her knees buckled beneath her and she crumpled to the ground. Wrapping his other arm across her throat, Doogan pulled her to her feet and began pushing her from behind. She glanced around desperately, hoping someone, anyone would come to her rescue.
Clothing tore and the fabric gave way across her shoulders. Anger edged the fear aside and Alaina fought harder.
He forced her toward a dark corner, trying to pin her against the solid stone wall as he ripped at her clothing. "No!" she screamed, rage bursting forth. "No!"
Alaina twisted in his grasp, just enough to throw off his balance. Doogan cursed. Then with a quick backwards thrust, she shoved one elbow into his gut, hard under the ribs. He doubled over, his arm slipping from around her neck. His grip tightened on her arm.
One step back and she found her mark. The heel of her boot slammed down into his soft instep. Doogan howled in pain, losing his hold completely as he held his stomach and hopped on one foot. He tried to stand straight. Alaina turned, bringing up her knee and connecting with his groin. A sharp intake of breath, eyes bulging, and Nick Doogan toppled to the ground.
Alaina stood there a moment, breathing hard and staring at the man writhing on the ground before her. She felt sick and exhilarated all at once. Then she heard voices from the street and several men stumbled over top each other as they rounded the corner into the alley. The owner of Shannon"s Pub was the first to push his way toward her as the other men stopped dead in their tracks, staring in stunned amazement at the scene.
"Miss Ryan?" the publican asked with a puzzled frown. "We heard a lady screaming b.l.o.o.d.y murder but couldn"t find you. What goes on here? What has the b.a.s.t.a.r.d gone and done?"
"Mr. Doogan seems to be having some difficulty standing," she said, gesturing at her prostrate attacker even while her insides shook like jelly. "Perhaps you can lend him some a.s.sistance?"
Shannon stared at her, mouth gaping, then glanced down at Doogan. The other man moaned and tried to roll over but collapsed back into the dirt with a thud. The barkeep muttered something in Gaelic, then looked at Alaina again. His eyes were clear now, sharp with interest and concern as he took in her appearance.
"Are you sure you"re all right, Miss Ryan?" he asked, taking a step closer to her. Alaina instinctively jumped sideways to avoid his touch.
"Yes," she said, and self-consciously smoothed her muddy, rumpled skirt with shaking hands. "I"m fine. But I think Mr. Doogan will need to lie down for a while."
She turned and limped back down the alley and then turned toward Maggie"s. Voices merged in the stillness behind her as others poured out of the pub to witness Doogan"s plight. They spoke rapidly in Gaelic so that Alaina missed most of the words spoken. Near the edge of the village she thought she heard laughter rippling in the air.
"Saints preserve us!" Maggie exclaimed at the sight of her. "What happened? Are you hurt, la.s.s?"
Alaina grimaced as Maggie rushed to her side. She had hoped to sneak upstairs and change before seeing her friend. She even thought it best to keep the incident to herself, as if that were possible in such a small community. The pain in her jaw told her there was likely to be a mark for all the world to see.
"Yes, I"m all right, Maggie," she insisted as the other woman helped her remove her rumpled, muddy cloak. Maggie"s worried gaze roved over her.
"Your face is bruised and the dress is torn," she stated, then looked Alaina square in the eye. "Who did this, Alaina?"
"I just fell, Maggie," Alaina lied, glancing around the hall to avoid her gaze. "The pavements are very slick and muddy after all the rain last night."
"Alaina Ryan, don"t you be lying to me!" Maggie eyes flashed and she planted her fists on her hips. "The bruise on your cheek is near the size of a man"s hand, I"d wager, and I"m thinking there are more marks where I cannot see."
Tears sprang to her eyes and she tried in vain to blink them away. Maggie"s expression softened. "Please, I don"t want my father to see me. He worries so as it is."
"Come, dear, let"s get you upstairs and cleaned up a bit," Maggie said softly. "Then we"ll have a cup of tea. You tell me what happened as soon as you"re ready, but just be knowing you"re safe, la.s.s. I"ll make sure of that!"
Alaina sat at the kitchen table, her hands wrapped around the delicate blue and white porcelain cup. The warmth of the amber liquid seeped into her cold fingers, dispelling some of the aching feeling from her body. She hurt all over.
"Are you hungry?" Maggie asked.
"No, not really," she replied. "Maybe later."
"Of course," Maggie said. The silence between them drew thin and fragile until Alaina thought her nerves might break beneath it. "Now do you feel like telling me what happened this morning? Your da is napping so there"s no one to overhear."
Alaina stared at her tea. "I went for a walk at sunrise."
Maggie waited, calm and patient. "Go on, la.s.s. When you"re ready."
"There was no one about so I wasn"t on my guard as I should have been," she said, then hesitated. If only she had been more careful-more mindful of her surroundings. She should have known better. Maggie frowned but said nothing.
"I was thinking about Daddy and-and wondering if he ever went to Shannon"s. I was thinking about how he used to sing when he was drinking and...and..." Tears sprang into her eyes and her voice broke as the terror of what had happened tumbled free, washing over her like a tidal wave. The past and present suddenly mingled together. "He never knew. I-I couldn"t tell him! He would have... It would have killed him!"
Alaina broke down and began to sob. She felt an arm slide around her shoulder, could hear Maggie"s gentle voice crooning in soothing, comforting tones. ""Tis all right, la.s.s, let it out. Let it all out. It will soothe your spirit to release the pain."
Alaina turned and clung to her like a small child in her mother"s arms. She cried and cried until the tears were all spent. Maggie rocked her, one hand stroking her back in a gentle rea.s.suring motion.
When her sobs had quieted to sniffles, Maggie spoke again. "Now, darling, can you finish telling me what happened?"
Alaina nodded. "I was walking and I realized someone was behind me. It...it was Nick Doogan. He was so vulgar and rude and...and I tried to leave but he grabbed me by the arm and started dragging me down the alley. He said such terrible things about me and Torin." She bit her lip and sat up to look Maggie in the eye. "No one saw at first, and by the time they came to help, I had beaten him off." Alaina swallowed back the shame of being placed in such a position. It must be her fault somehow. There must be something about her that incited such men to violence.
"How did you get away?" Maggie asked, barely controlled fury evident in her tone. Alaina glanced back at her in surprise. For a moment she thought that fury was directed at her.
"James...my friend in Virginia, he thought I should learn to defend myself after..." Alaina stopped, glancing quickly at Maggie and hoping she hadn"t revealed too much. "He"s a doctor and he taught me where to hurt a man-the most vulnerable places." James"s lesson had indeed been enlightening, though extremely embarra.s.sing to a naive, sheltered young woman of eighteen. She only regretted his tutoring hadn"t come months sooner.
"Everything seemed to come so naturally, somehow," she said. "I hit him in the stomach and then the top of his foot and then the, well the...uh...the..."
"Aye, I get your meaning," Maggie said with a grim smile. "Maybe Doogan will think twice before accosting a so-called helpless female again!"
Her expression turned serious and she looked Alaina directly in the eye. "Did he hurt you, la.s.s? I mean, besides the obvious. Did Doogan ...did he touch you anywhere else?"
Alaina shook her head. "No, he didn"t have a chance. I don"t think he expected me to fight back. I think... Maggie I think they"re talking about me and Torin. I think they"re saying things that would, well, that would make a man think I"d be...willing."
Maggie sighed and shook her head. "I"m not surprised. Some need better things to do with their time-like listening to the Sunday sermon every now and then! Too many gla.s.s houses in the Burren for folks to keep throwing rocks at one another. But it doesn"t matter what anyone says, Alaina. No manner of gossip gives a man the right to take what he wants from a woman! Any woman. That Doogan has always been a troublemaker. He has an axe to grind with my boy but he best be doing it at a distance from now on. When Torin hears-"
"Oh, no!" Alaina interjected, grasping Maggie"s arm desperately. "You can"t tell him, Maggie! He might go after him or something and he could get hurt."
"Alaina, he"s going to find out one way or another! Would you rather he accept Doogan"s version or your own? Now don"t you worry. Torin has temper to be sure, but he has a good head on his shoulders. He won"t go off half-c.o.c.ked and get himself killed or hauled off by the sheriff."
The front door crashing open shook the house. Alaina and Maggie uttered overlapping, simultaneous yelps, their eyes wide with surprise.
"Mum! Where are you?" Torin"s voice thundered through the downstairs, his heavy footsteps shaking the floor as he came nearer.
"Oh!" Alaina whispered. Somehow he knew. He"d heard already, before she had a chance to explain. What had Doogan told the others? Would Torin believe her? Would he believe the truth?
The kitchen door slammed against the wall, the force rattling the windows. Alaina and Maggie turned their heads, staring at the tall, angry man filling the doorway. His eyes were dark with fury, his chest heaved with each breath. Then his gaze focused on Alaina and he seemed to stop breathing altogether. She watched the emotions ripple over his handsome face-fear, remorse and then the anger returned in a blaze.
"What happened?" he demanded through clenched teeth. "Shannon said Doogan attacked you but..." He hesitated, taking a shaky step into the room. "What happened, Alaina?"
She gazed up at him and a wondrous thought entered her mind. Torin would believe her. No matter what anyone else told him, she knew in her heart that he would accept her version as the truth.
So she told him, just as she had Maggie. Only this time the tears didn"t overwhelm her. This time it was easier to relate the details of the terrifying encounter. She knew he believed she was telling the truth. She could see it in Torin"s eyes. Someone was on her side once more.
When she finished, his face blazed red from the force of the fury he held in check. He clenched and unclenched his hands at his sides. He stood silent for a moment, then abruptly turned and strode back into the hall as if to leave.
"Torin?" Maggie"s face turned white and she scrambled to her feet, following her son. "Lad, what are you about? Where do you think you"re going?" She caught him at the front door. He didn"t turn around or look at her.
"I"m going to find Doogan," he said quietly.
"No!" Alaina cried, running after them. She stopped at his side, reaching up to lay her hand on his shoulder. "Don"t do this, Torin, please! I beg of you! I"m all right. I"m sure he won"t bother me again."
"Bother you?" he repeated. "For the love of all that"s holy!" Torin stopped and took a deep breath. He felt like yelling. He felt like shaking her until her teeth rattled. How could she be so calm about what happened? But he wouldn"t touch her. He"d never hurt a woman in his life and wasn"t about to start now.
He did need to bury some of his blind fury in Nick Doogan"s gut.
"Alaina, he almost-" He swallowed back the word he couldn"t utter, tamping back the horrible images it brought to mind as he glanced away. "I cannot just stand here and let him get away with this!"
"Torin, please, I"m not hurt," she said. He reached out and gently touched the darkening bruise on her cheek. His gut clenched, his blood boiled in his veins. How could a man hurt any woman like that?
"Please, I don"t want you to get hurt or into trouble on my account," she said, shame he couldn"t understand twisting her features. "I shouldn"t have gone out alone. I know better."
He lifted her chin with one finger, forcing her to look into his eyes. "I don"t care if you were running naked in the street, Alaina Ryan." His mother gasped and Alaina blushed, her eyes growing wide. "Nick Doogan had no right to touch you. He will pay for it, darlin". He"ll pay dear."
"Please, Torin, don"t..." she whispered.
"Lad, you"re upset and I don"t blame you bit," Maggie said. "But this can only make it worse. Alaina has a few bruises, but she"ll heal. We can lodge a complaint with the sheriff..." Torin snorted in disgust. "We cannot be taking the law into our own hands, lad! Give yourself some time to cool off. Doogan will hang himself one day-he"ll cross someone even more evil than he is himself. But don"t let his judgment come at your hand."
At the sight of Alaina"s pale, battered face, Torin thought of Doogan touching her, hurting her. It made him want to tear the man limb from limb. Yet, the fear in her dark eyes softened his heart as nothing else could. It wasn"t for herself, but for his safety.
All the emotions he had tried to suppress broke free with the protective instinct that took over. With a m.u.f.fled curse, Torin gathered Alaina into his arms, heedless of his mother standing by watching.
She stiffened, but he held her tighter still, drawing her tall slender body against his. After a moment, he felt the tension slowly ease from her. She relaxed, her arms sliding around his waist as she sighed against his chest.
"Never go out alone again," he whispered against her hair. "I"ll bide your wishes and keep my distance of him. I"ll make sure the sheriff hears of this and takes action. But if Doogan ever touches you again-if he should even look at you with less than an ocean"s distance between-he"s a dead man." Torin glanced at his mother.
"I"ll make sure, lad," Maggie said, her eyes sparkling with tears. "We"ll take good care of her, don"t you fret."
Torin nodded, then carefully pulled away from Alaina"s embrace. She smiled up at him and his heart lurched. He laid his palm against her bruised cheek, tears stinging behind his eyes.
"This is my fault...all of it," he said, his voice breaking. "Please forgive me, Alaina. Please forgive me." He bent his head, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"Torin..." Maggie protested but he shook his head.
"I need to be going again," he said. "But don"t worry, Mum. I made a promise and I"ll be keeping it."
"Why don"t you come for supper?" Maggie asked.
"Nay, I told the O"Malley"s I"d come up today. He"s needing that pasture wall mended before he loses more livestock. Seems the damage is worse then he first realized. If I had known...I"ll send word that I cannot come, he"ll understand."
"Nay, "tis all right, lad," Mum said. "You made a promise and we"ll be fine now. All Alaina needs is a bit of rest."
He smiled softly at his mother. "Sean won"t be leaving for another week-he has to mind his father"s boat until then. I"ll ask him to check on you while I"m gone."
He knew his mother liked Sean Riordan and was sure his boyhood friend would enjoy the opportunity to finally get a look at Alaina. "Just mind he plays the gentleman while he"s about."
Alaina stiffened again. Torin stepped carefully away, frowning. He didn"t want to leave, but he had promised Tom O"Malley early in the week. If the truth was known, at the moment Torin didn"t trust himself being close to Alaina. The whole incident had broken down his defenses and she felt like heaven in his arms.
"Alaina?" he asked.
"I"m fine, really," she said, despite the stark contrast between her pale skin and the horrible bruise. "You go ahead."
Torin swallowed hard and then turned and left, not daring a backward glance.
Chapter Nine.
Torin rode his black gelding back into Doolin. There he found Liam Shannon standing outside his pub, sweeping dried mud away from the door. The man was always cleaning and polishing-the same grime and muck reappearing soon after. Torin wondered why he bothered.
"Liam," he called, reining his mount to a stop. The older man met his gaze with sad, gray eyes.
"Is the la.s.s all right then?" Shannon asked. Torin nodded and noticed the publican"s features visibly soften.
"Praise be to heaven!" he said softly, then looked back up at Torin. "I wish I had been there to help. The lads were rather rowdy last night and didn"t want to leave in the rain. None of us got more than a few nods. Then we heard a screaming in the street and...och, Torin! The sight of that sweet, pretty face so bruised and battered. I should have taken her home, but she just says, "Mr. Doogan needs some help," and off she went before I had me wits about me." Shannon grunted. "Mr. Doogan! As if that sorry excuse of a jacka.s.s ever deserved such a thing."
"Where"d he take off to?"
Shannon met Torin"s gaze steadily and shook his head. "I don"t know. Me and the others helped him to his feet, him groaning and almost in tears for the pain." Shannon grinned, his eyes sparkling with admiration. "Ah, what a la.s.s you"ve got yourself, Torin! She"s a force to be reckoned when her back"s to the wall."