Free The Bound Heart by Elsa Holland

right?”
    The look on Evie’s face softened.
    “I’m fine. I’m not sure how I feel about you doing this.”
    And a part of her had to agree with Evie; she was crazy to chase him. She should step back and admit defeat, that he didn’t want her. That fact alone usually meant a man would be off eventually to look for what he did want.
    Yet the other part, the biggest part was set on fighting for him. She knew deep in her core he was the one for her and instinctively, knew he felt it too. Why he was so determined to push her away was becoming a bit clearer after she’d seen the postcards.
    The thing was… those images didn’t scare her.
    What he wanted didn’t scare her. Didn’t scare her one bit.
    If he knew that, maybe he would stop pushing her away.
    For a little while in the workshop, he had wanted her in that way that overtakes you, the way that washes away all sense. Something like that doesn’t disappear.
    Evie stepped forward and turned back the hem of Olive’s jacket showing the embroidery underneath.
    “You have talent, Olive. You really could do something with this.”
    A flush of pleasure spread through her at Evie’s words.
    “I just don’t want to see you get sucked up into a man’s life, a man who’s all kinds of wrapped up with the less obvious things people want to do together in sex. Now I have no problem with who he is and what he does personally, but is that really the world you want to walk into Olive? You’re not as tough and worldly as you ought to be given where you grew up.”
    “He’s the only one I’ve ever wanted, Evie. The men who’ve stepped up, who have shown interest in me… they aren’t for me.” Men who faded into the background. Men who didn’t think they could get better than a crippled girl.
    Jamie was… he was exotic, he was strong and made her feel alive. Made her dream, dream for more out of life, to be more in life.
    “Oh sweetheart. He’s a good man. I’m a fair judge of that. I’m just protective of you. It’s not what you would do with him, it’s him working with others, he’s got his ways to keep people from getting close. No woman I know whose gone with him stuck it out.”
    The idea of him with other women certainly didn’t feel good. His work was very intimate…
    “I like his photo plates, Evie. I like the way he touches me. I… I think about the rope.”
    Evie, ran her arm over Olive’s cheek.
    “Maybe I worry about you for nothing. Just remember, men have a way of consuming everything in a woman’s heart when she falls in love, of drawing her into their worlds. Hold onto your own dreams, Olive.”
    Olive reached out and hugged Evie.
    A man who gave her so many new and sought after threads wouldn’t want her to stop her embroidery. It wasn’t a big leap from cords, threads, and twine to rope.
    “I’ll be fine, Evie. Trust me; I need to do this. Trust me to be all right.”
    Evie nodded. “I’ll be here if you aren’t.”

CHAPTER SEVEN
    Outside on the street, the evening traffic was starting to file in. Carts with goods, carriages and cabs carrying people home, to their clubs, or out for the evening were rushing past. All the gas lamps were already lit.
    Olive looked at the address on the crumpled piece of paper in her hand.
    Doubt flooded her.
    What was Jamie doing living in such a well to do neighborhood?
    The money Evie had given her and the small bit extra she had would be enough to take her one way, there or back, not both. Returning in time for work was the most important. So she would have to get there as cheaply as possible.
    The horse drawn omnibus was an hour wait and then only took her so far; the rest, she had to walk.
    After a few minutes the walking heated her up creating a hot pocket of air between her coat and her clothes. making the cool crisp night air a wonderful balm as it moved over her face.
    She traveled a good hour before she stood across the road from Jamie’s house.
    Olive stepped off the curb and onto the