Free Lily's Leap by Tea Cooper Page A

search the crowd. Molly was worth her weight in gold and as an ex-convict she hated the authorities with a passion that rivaled his own. Like most of the locals she was more than willing to help out whenever she could, anything that rectified the biased justice system. He leaned forward and dropped his voice to a low whisper. “I’ll have a visitor tonight, staying with me.”
    “There’s room in the stables, I’m down to one yard boy. You’d probably like some peace and quiet.”
    Tom lent across the bar and spoke softly. “No Molly. A visitor. A guest.” He emphasized the final word and Molly’s eyes widened.
    “Oh.” She drew out the comment until it was almost a whistle. “A lady friend.”
    Tom nodded as Molly placed her finger against her bulbous nose and tapped it. “Fine by me. Been telling you for a long time that’s what you needed.” She pulled the bottle of brandy back down from the shelf and handed it to Tom. “You’ll be wanting that too then.” He dropped the half-full bottle into his coat pocket as she winked, and the wrinkles in her skin contracted like worn leather. “Have you eaten? I can send something up to the room.”
    “That’d be good Molly. Whatever you have. I’ll be back in a few minutes and pick it up. Is it alright if we use the back stairs?”
    “You know the way. Help yourself.”
    Tom left the way he had come, constantly scanning the crowd until he ducked back through the door into the night. Jem answered his long, low whistled immediately and within a matter of moments he and Lily appeared through the darkness.
    “Lily, come with me.” He reached up to help her dismount but she was too fast for him. Exasperated, he grabbed her hand and pulled her firmly to his side. “Jem, I’ll leave the horses with you. There’s room in the stable if you want a bed.”
    “Nah, I’m fine. I’ll take the horses with me. We’ll be in earshot.” He jerked his head in the direction of the stand of cedar trees. “Just whistle if you need me.”
    With his palm resting against the small of Lily’s rigid back he guided her through the door and up the irregular wooden stairs.
    “Tom I–”
    “Ssh! Wait until we get to my room.” He leaned closer trying to ignore the familiar waft of the warm perfume from her body.
    “Your –”
    “Ssh!” His hand fumbled deep in the pocket of his breeches for the worn key and he pulled it out and inserted it into the lock. The door groaned as he pushed his shoulder against it and then he stood back allowing Lily to enter the room. With his palm still in the small of her back, he nudged her in the direction of the bed and placed the bottle of brandy on a small table. She moved to the bed, turned and sat facing him. His gaze raked her lovely body outlined in the shadowy moonlight and he forced down the mixture of admiration and sympathy threatening to distract him. He didn’t want to feel anything for Lilibeth Dungarven. She was, at this moment as she had so rightly put it, a cash cow. He turned on his heel with almost military precision and left.
    ****
     
    The door shut behind him with a groan and Lily heard the key rattle in the lock.
    “No!” She struggled to her feet but the uneven mattress hampered her movements. By the time she reached the door it was firmly locked. She pounded her hands against the timber in frustrated fury until her palms were red and stinging. Finally she gave up and kicked the unyielding door in blind rage.
    She crossed the room to the single sash-cord window. Breathing heavily against the dirty glass she rubbed the pane with her hand and tried to clear the accumulated dirt and dust but her efforts were futile. With trembling lips, she bit back her tears and peered out into the shadows, craning from left to right in an attempt to get her bearings. Crashing her foot against the sandstone wall, she turned and raked her fingers through her hair blinking as she became accustomed to the half-light and the details of