Queen of Hearts (8 page)

She found Lucy in the bride's dressing room standing amid a flutter of activity.

"The flowers!" someone called, "Where are the flowers!"

"They're already in the church. What are you worried about?" an answering voice demanded.

"I mean the ones the bride and bridesmaids are supposed to carry! Has anyone seen them?"

There followed a tense search which revealed the bouquets safely stored in the refrigerator of the church reception room. A number of other minor catastrophes were sorted out to everyone's satisfaction and at last her attendants stood back from Lucy to admire their handiwork.

"Fantastic!" proclaimed one.

"Nat's going to forget all his lines when he sees you," Janna grinned, giving her friend a quick, affectionate hug. "Good luck, Lucy. You look beautiful!"

"Alright, bridesmaids," someone called. "Time to get ready to walk down the aisle!"

Janna followed the two other women wearing yellow and stood patiently on the church steps as they waited for their cue to enter. The nervous tension began to build as the ushers seated the last of the guests.

One of Nat's favorite professors hovered about, glancing at his watch. He was scheduled to give away the bride. An elderly bachelor, it was obvious he was the most nervous of all.

All eyes were focused on the church entrance as the various members of the wedding party prepared to make their entrance when the loudly protesting screech of brakes made everyone turn toward the curb, curiosity and then amazement mirrored on their faces. A white Continental shuddered to a halt and no one's face mirrored more amazement than Janna's.

"Oh, Lord!" she breathed, eyes wide as the door on the driver's side was flung open and Adam Halleck was out and striding toward the group on the church steps with long, ground-eating strides. "Damn!" she muttered in fear and frustration and then moved forward to intercept him. She had no idea how one stopped six feet, four inches of furious male, but someone had to try and she was the only one on the steps who realized what was happening.

Picking up the long yellow skirts in one hand, clinging to her flowers with the other, she began to run toward Adam, feeling her courage ebb as she drew close enough to see the glitter of pure steel in his eyes. Every line of his face was etched in fury. She needn't have worried about drawing his attention to herself. He showed no interest in Lucy or any other member of the wedding group. Janna was the sole focus of rage. Realizing he wasn't heading for Lucy, after all, Janna slowed to a stop, fear battling with anger as Adam didn't follow suit and slow down. He kept on coming until Janna, beginning to panic, stepped belatedly backward.

It was too late. Even if she had turned and run with all her strength, he would have caught her easily and she knew it.

"Adam Halleck, don't you dare interrupt this wedding...!'' she shouted at him as he closed the remaining distance between them and then bit off her words as he stretched out fingers of iron, clamped them around her bare shoulders and jerked her against him.

"Damn it to hell, woman! How did you dare! How did you dare go ahead with the wedding!" The tidal wave of his fury washed over Janna as she hung helplessly in his grip, not knowing how to deal with it. It dawned on her that Adam thought she was the one getting married this morning but there was no chance to set him straight as he lashed out at her verbally. She wasn't at all certain but that he might strike her and mentally prepared herself for the blow.

"I told you that there was no possibility of a marriage between the two of you!" he stormed. "I swear to God you'll pay for this foolishness. What made you think you could try and trick me? Did you honestly think I'd let you get away with it? Did you?" he repeated, his voice rising.

"Adam, wait! Listen to me!" Janna pleaded.

"Save your words," he ordered. "You'll need them later! But I can tell you right now, they won't do you any good! You're a slow learner, woman, but by Heaven, you're going to have this lesson pounded into you...."

"Janna?" Lucy's soft, frightened tones came from somewhere behind Janna. "What's wrong? Who is this man? Shall I call Nat?"

"Stay out of this!" Adam snarled, glancing disinterestedly at the younger woman. "Janna and I have something to..." He broke off with such abruptness that Janna blinked, stunned.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded of Lucy, who faced him bravely if uncertainly. He seemed to be unable to understand the white dress and veil.

"I'm Lucy Dalton and Janna here is a friend of mine. If you don't let her alone, I'll call my fiance who's waiting inside that church and he'll make you release her!"

"Your fiance?" Adam's fury was rapidly being replaced by a look of utter confusion. Janna took courage.

"Her fiance, Nat Halleck!" she clarified for him in chilling accents. "Lucy, meet your soon-to-be-brother-in-law, Adam Halleck!" She glared fiercely at Adam.

"He's awfully rough around the edges, Lucy, but he will soon be related to you. If I were you I wouldn't invite him for Christmas or Thanksgiving, however, until he learns to behave like a civilized human being!"

An incredible stillness descended on the three people confronting each other and on the group standing nervously on the church steps. It seemed as if the whole world was waiting for Adam's reaction. But it was Lucy who took the initiative. With a quick, warm smile she lifted her lacy white skirts and stepped toward the man who towered over her. Adam regarded her with a measure of fascination, one hand still holding Janna.

"Nat's brother will be most welcome at both Christmas and Thanksgiving," she whispered softly, holding out her small hand. "How do you do, Adam? I'm so very happy to meet you!"

"You're the one marrying Nat?" he growled, glancing from Janna's white face to Lucy's smiling one.

"Yes. I've been looking forward to meeting you. Nat said you wouldn't be able to make it to the wedding because of business, but...."

"I managed to fit it into my schedule," Adam said deliberately, pulling Janna fractionally closer. "It looks as if I'm just in time."

"Yes, you are. But you'll have to let go of Janna, I'm afraid. She's one of the bridesmaids. 1 can't imagine having the wedding without her!" Lucy dimpled as she glanced over at Janna.

"Lucy, my little sister-in-law, you can't imagine how happy I am to attend your wedding!" Adam drew a deep breath and turned to Janna. "I can wait until after the ceremony to pursue my discussion with Janna."

"Good. Let's get started, then. We're late," Lucy announced, turning back toward the church entrance. "Come along, Janna. You have to walk down the aisle ahead of me, remember?"

Janna ran a hand over her hair, trying to see if the yellow flowers were still in place. She had lost one and it lay at her feet on the grass. Before she could retrieve it, Adam bent down and closed his large hand around the fragile petals.

"Allow me," he whispered, gently tucking the flower into her hair. Janna stood silently while he arranged the blossom, fearing to meet his eyes and knowing that sooner or later the reckoning would come. Adam might be vastly relieved to know it wasn't Janna Nat was marrying, but he certainly wasn't going to forgive the trick which had been played on him. For the first time she began to feel offended by Adam's rapid acceptance of Lucy as a sister-in-law. Did he think Janna would have made such an unsuitable wife for his brother? She had the notion she ought to feel insulted. As she moved to follow Lucy, Janna felt Adam's hand tighten on her soft shoulder.

"Don't imagine the crisis is over," her murmured for her ears alone. "You have a great deal of explaining to do, Janna, and I intend to have all the explanations and answers.

Janna cast a quick, nervous glance up at him and then looked away again, knowing the hard look on his face boded ill for the future. She had been so right earlier in the week when she had told herself that no one could cross Adam Halleck and escape unhurt. She had the distinct impression as she lifted her skirts to hurry toward the church that the full weight of his retribution would be visited upon her head. There would be no one else around upon whom he could vent his wrath, she told herself miserably as she started the slow, stately walk down the aisle. Nat and Lucy would be safely away on their honeymoon. Why, oh why, Janna demanded of herself in silent frustration, as she stood beside the glowing bride, hadn't she considered this possibility?

The ceremony passed in a haze for Janna who stood, clutching her flowers and trying to smile, with the other bridesmaids at the front of the church. Lucy moved serenely through her lines, however, as if there wasn't an uninvited guest in the back pew and her groom remained blissfully unaware of the entire affair. Janna spent the whole time wishing the service could be hurried, but when Nat had kissed his bride and turned to lead her back down the aisle, she suddenly wished the wedding had been longer.

Eyes determinedly ahead, a falsely calm smiled on her lips, Janna moved to take her place in the exit march. There was no way to avoid Adam's tall, strong figure at the " rear of the church and her eyes clashed briefly with his as she trailed gracefully out the door. Nat must have seen him too, Janna thought wildly, wondering what emotions the younger man was experiencing.

But Lucy had evidently infomed him that she and his brother had already met. Nat stood, smiling, beside his bride, shaking hands and accepting congratulations before starting across the quad for the reception in the room Lucy had rented at a nearby restaurant.

"Well, Janna," he whispered as she hugged Lucy and leaned forward to give him a quick peck on the cheek, "I understand you had a close call before the wedding started!" The smile on his face broadened.

"Too close!" she agreed feelingly, "I was beginning to think Lucy was going to have to go through the service with one less bridesmaid! Fortunately, when Adam finally realized Lucy was the bride and that you weren't marrying an aging shrew like me, he calmed down considerably!"

"What made him think you were the one getting married, Janna?" Lucy broke in, keeping her voice low as the happy throng surged around them.

"Yes, I think that needs an explanation too, Lucy," Adam's deep voice came from behind Janna's shoulder and she whirled guiltily to face him. He didn't look as if he were about to make a scene, though, she thought in relief. Instead he flicked a brief, 'wait-until-I-get-you-alone' glance at her wide-eyed face and then moved forward to kiss Lucy in a brotherly fashion.

"But I plan to wait until after you two are on your way before I go into the subject in depth with Janna. You can spend your honeymoon digging the tale out of your husband." Adam looked at his brother.

"Congratulations, Nat," he said with genuine warmth. "I hope the two of you will be very happy. This bride looks much more promising as a wife for you than the woman I mistakenly thought you planned to marry!"

"Adam!" Janna recovered enough to protest in a small, furious voice.

After a rapid, careful appraisal of his brother's bland expression, Nat's smile widened into a grin which bore a curious resemblence to Adam's.

"I couldn't agree more," he said easily, glancing affectionately down at Lucy. "In any event, it was obvious to whom Janna belonged. I realized it right after I'd introduced you two at lunch on Monday!"

"Excuse me," Janna interrupted in freezing tones, lifting her proud head even higher than usual. "I'm going to go on to the reception. Lucy, as soon as these egotistical, pompous males have stopped congratulating each other, I suggest you bring them along. The guests are probably already getting into the champagne!" With a last haughty glance at Adam's amused face, she swept off across the lawn. Thank heavens she only had another hour or so of Adam's presence to tolerate! As soon as the new couple was safely on the way she would be able to escape. And tonight there was the pleasant prospect of an evening out with Scott. She would rely on that thought to get her through the remainder of the festivities! Deliberately Janna tried to put aside her earlier fear of being the one who would pay for the impersonation. After all, in reality, what could Adam do to her?

By the time the bride and groom made their entrance at the reception, Janna felt she had herself back under control. She was standing, sipping champagne and chatting with a friend from the library staff when she felt Adam come up behind her. She didn't need to see the way Sylvia's eyes traveled to a point somewhere behind and above Janna's head to know who stood there. She would always know when Adam Halleck was in the room, she decided unhappily. That's what happened when you felt a bit guilty for having deceived a person, she supposed. You were more aware of them for awhile.

"Dance with me, Janna," he ordered softly, covering the abruptness of the command with a small smile for Sylvia, who responded immediately with a pleased look.

"Excuse us," he added to the other girl who nodded eagerly.

"I can't. At least, not right now! I've got this champagne..." Janna watched numbly as the glass was removed from her fingers. Short of causing a scuffle and spilling its contents, there was nothing she could do about it.

"Would you hold this for us?" Adam inquired of Sylvia, smiling down at her from his great height. The tiny brunette grinned.

"Of course!" she agreed, watching avidly as Adam placed one large palm against Janna's back and pushed very casually. Janna was unable to resist the pressure and a few seconds later found herself on the tiny dance floor where a small band alternated between strong, lively rock music and slower, more romantic numbers. Adam had picked one of the slower dances, which didn't surprise Janna in the least.