Creighton Manor Read Online Free PDF Page B

belonged. After a few minutes, she realized nothing was going to happen.
    “Well, I’m waiting. What are you doing?”
    What a cranky man. “It’s an old custom where I come from. When a couple marries, the wife lies down next to a bed and says a prayer for good luck.”   She knew this explanation sounded absurd, but she couldn’t think of anything else.
    Zachary stood there probably deciding if she mocked him. “I see,” he said even though it was obvious he didn’t. “If you’re finished, we should be on our way .” She reluctantly stood and watched him pick up his carrier. He nodded toward the bed. “Is this your only luggage?”
    She saw her purse. With all the confusion, she had forgotten all about it. “Yes, that’s it .” She picked it up and followed him out of the room. By the time they made it off the ship, her feet hurt from the tight confining shoes she had been forced to wear. She wondered where her Nikes ended up.
    Zachary noticed her struggle to keep up, “Did you hurt yourself?” His voice actually sounded as if he cared.
    “No, the shoes are too small. I think I’m getting a blister .”
    He glanced down at her feet, without missing his stride. “Hmm.”
    “Hmm, that’s it?” 
    He just shrugged. “What did you want me to say?” 
    He was right. What did she expect of him? It wasn’t his fault her shoes were too small. She made a face at him anyway.
    They walked in silence for a while until she couldn’t take it. She decided to make the first move. Maybe they could manage a civil conversation. Josephine Locke had claimed he was nice. “So, where are we going?” 
    “Home.”
    “Home, where?”
    “Where I live and where you will now live too, thanks to the little stunt you pulled back there .”
    “Stunt!” she screamed at him, causing people to stare. She quickly lowered her voice. She didn’t want any more interference from concerned citizens.   “You were the one who caused all the commotion. If you hadn’t thrown that knife at me, none of this would have happened.”
    “Let me remind you,” he stopped suddenly and she ran into him. His piercing glare caused her to take a step back, “you were the one in my room, not the other way around. Therefore, if you had not been there in the first place, none of this would have happened. By the way, how did you manage to secure entry into my room? The only thing I could come up with is that you were hiding in my room before I arrived. I have also deducted, since you had no luggage with you, you were a stowaway. Why don’t you just tell me who you really are, and why you are running away?”
    Gillian gawked at him not knowing what to say. She hadn’t thought about having to tell anyone who she was, or where she was from. If she told anyone the truth, no one would believe her. They’d probably lock her up and throw away the key. She couldn’t stay with this man. However, where could she go?   She had no money, no home, and no job, at least not here in this time. She thought about all of her fourth grade students, who would be waiting for her to show up for class when school started again. What would they think when their teacher didn’t arrive to open the door, and what about Samantha? She would surely freak when she couldn’t find her on board the Queen Mary.
    Zachary stood there, tapping his foot while he waited for Gillian's explanation. When none seemed forthcoming, sarcasm seemed to flow out of his mouth like a gorged river. “Is this another one of your wedding customs, to stand in the middle of the road and stare with that blank look on your face?”
    That was it. She couldn’t take anymore of this nightmare. Without any warning, she turned on her heels and bolted.
    “ Hell and Damnation!   Where do you think you’re going?”   He shouted after her.
    Gillian had no idea where she was heading. She just knew she had to escape. Anywhere would be better than staying with this arrogant, condescending man. She