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Edward started away, taking Lily's elbow so that she had no choice but to follow him. In his office, he closed the door behind them.
"Tell me what happened," he said, his eyes dark. When he'd seen Bridget on top of Lily, hurting her, he'd wanted to snap the woman in half. It had taken all his strength not to do that very thing.
Lily bit her bottom lip and an odd expression crossed her face. She put her fingers to her mouth and they came away red. Her eyes widened. He could tell that she was shocked to find blood.
His face softened. He handed her his handkerchief, which had been cleaned and pressed since the last use. "Are you all right?" he asked.
She nodded silently and held the handkerchief to her mouth.
Silence hung between them until finally, Lily spoke.
"She called me a lush. She... she said that there was whiskey on my breath, but it wasn't true. I don't drink. I never touch it, not with Ray the way he is. He drinks enough for us both."
Edward came around the desk where he'd been standing. "Ray is your husband?"
Lily nodded. She wouldn't look at him. She was scared.
"Please don't tell him," she whispered, still staring at the floor, and Edward hated her husband all the more. What had he done to her over the years to produce the fear he saw in her now? He hated knowing it was there. Hated knowing that it might always be there. He swore to himself that if he ever met the man, he would give him a taste of his own medicine.
"Why would I tell your husband anything?" he asked, incredulous that she would think such a thing.
She merely shrugged.
"He's my husband. He owns me."
Edward moved swiftly to her, taking her chin gently in his hands and forcing her head to tilt back so that she had no choice but to meet his eyes.
"No one owns you," he said. His voice was rough. The tickle was nearly gone from the back of his throat, the medicine Dr. Shannon had given him, combined with that from the apothecary, had been just what he needed.
Lily's lip trembled. "I'll get my things and go," she said, stepping out of his grip and setting his handkerchief on the desk before turning toward the door.
"Go? Where do you think you're going?" He couldn't imagine what she was thinking right now. Nothing she did made any sense to him.
Lily stopped and turned back to him.
"To... to get my things before I go home."
"It's the start of the day, Mrs. Dickinson, why would you leave now? Are you ill?"
Lily blinked. "Am I not fired?"
"Fired?" Edward scoffed. "No, you're not fired. Why would you think such a thing?"
"Because of the fight. I started it."
"It sounds to me as if Bridget started it by calling you names and spreading falsehoods."
"But I pushed her."
"Had a man spoken to me as Bridget spoke to you, I'd have pushed him as well."
Lily's shoulders shook. Tears pricked in her eyes and flowed quickly over. She wiped them away with the backs of her hands.
"Thank you," she said, barely able to get the words out.
He moved closer to her once again. He could not let her leave the office like this. The need to protect her was overpowering. Even if he could not protect her at home, he vowed to God that he would protect her here.
"I'll tell Bridget to collect her things and leave at once."
Lily's eyes widened. "Oh, no, don't do that. Please. The other girls will blame me. They'll all say I'm a rat and hate me for it. I won't be able to show my face in the factory again, job or no job."
Edward considered her words. "All right, so then there's only one solution to the problem."
Lily raised her eyebrows nervously. "Yes?"
"You'll be my secretary. My father has Della; there is no reason I shouldn't have you."
Lily's face went pale. "Secretary?" she said, staring blankly at him. "But won't that seem strange to the other girls? Instead of a punishment, I get a promotion?"
"Who cares what they think? I want you here with me."
"So... so you're not angry with me?"
"Angry with you?" He shook his head. "No, I'm not angry with you."
He could tell she didn't understand but had no way to explain how he was feeling in a way that would make any sense. Since talking with her the other night at Dr. Shannon's, his anger had faded away and been replaced with concern... desire... love.
He knew it was ludicrous. He'd known Lily for such a short time, but he could not shake his feelings for her no matter how hard he tried or how much he prayed. He was stuck on her. He knew that was wrong, but he also knew that if he could not see her every day from now until the end of his life, he would suffer greatly for it.
"You'll start today," he said. "I'll move a desk out of one of the storerooms for you, and you can work across from Della."
She nodded, unable to speak. He opened the door and went to get the desk.
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