Samantha James (28 page)

“Are they? I might remind you, Cassie has been shot at, kidnapped, and now someone may very well have tried to kill her yet again! I brought her back from London believing I could keep her safe here. Clearly I cannot, for it appears someone is very well acquainted with her likes and dislikes. Can you honestly blame her if she is frightened half out of her wits? Someone is trying to kill her, perhaps someone in this house! ’Tis not me, and I highly doubt any of the servants capable of such a thing. So tell me, Father, who does that leave?”

Edmund stood stiff as an iron rod. “I will ignore that, Gabriel, but were you not my son, I believe I would call you out for daring to suggest such a thing! Under no circumstances would I harm someone weaker than I—and my own daughter-in-law yet!”

“Your daughter-in-law is also an American, Father. And your dislike of Yankees is known far and wide.”

Edmund glared his outrage. “Nonetheless, I would never harm Cassandra. And I still fail to see why she found it necessary to leave Farleigh!”

Gabriel’s mouth twisted. “Come now, Father. Maybe it’s better that she does not stay. My mother did not leave and look what happened to her.”

“Your mother!” Edmund was startled. “I fail to see what she has to do with this discussion.”

“No, but then I am not surprised. I meant only that I do not think I could watch Cassie live here—
miserable and unhappy, as my mother was. You see, Father, I won’t do to her what you did to my mother.”

“What I did to your…I did nothing!”

“That’s right. You did not care for her. You did not love her. You scarcely knew she existed…what do you think
killed
her?”

Edmund blanched. “What do you mean, Gabriel? She—she drowned in the lake…a horrible accident, to be sure, but an accident nonetheless…”

“No, Father. Her death was no accident. She drowned because she wanted to die…she
killed
herself!”

Stricken, Edmund stared at his son. He had turned a sickly shade of gray. “How do you know this?” he whispered. “How?”

“I know because she left a note for me, Father. She knew I would understand, just as she knew you would not
care
.” His tone was fierce. “She loved you, you know. She loved you in spite of everything…Would you like to know what the note said? She wrote that she could no longer stand to be
in
your life, and not a part of it. And so she chose to end her own!”

Edmund cried out. “I did not know, Gabriel…dear Lord, I did not know…I thought it was an accident! Why did you never tell me?”

Gabriel’s eyes were glittering shards of ice. “You did not care when she was alive. Why should you care when she was dead?” He spun about and left, slamming the door so hard the windows shook.

Edmund’s knees were suddenly too weak to hold him. Slowly he made his way to a chair. Everything, he realized with shattering clarity, was suddenly so
very clear. His son’s distance. His resentment…

He buried his hands and wept. For all he had done. For all he had lost.

For all that would never be.

G
abriel came to call the very next day, both morning and afternoon.

Both times Cassie refused to see him.

He came the next day, and the next.

Still she refused.

For the life of her, she could not put her finger on what held her back. She knew only that to see him would add to her turmoil. Her days were spent wavering between hope and fear, misery and outrage, anger and longing. Her nights were spent crying herself to sleep. In the morning, she woke with aching head, puffy eyes…and battered heart.

And always—
always
—she was confused.

Gabriel…or Edmund? Father…or son?

At times she was convinced she had taken leave of her senses. Surely it was madness to even
think
Gabriel or Edmund capable of murder. And then there came the slightest sliver of doubt, and she was convinced it had to be one or the other, for though she wracked her brain, she could think of no one else who might want her dead.

One week later she stood upstairs in the room she and Jonathan shared, gazing out at the vivid
green landscape. Brilliant sunlight danced across the land, but her mood was dark and melancholy.

Aware that she had not been sleeping well, Evelyn had insisted these past few days that she rest in the afternoon. To that end, Evelyn had taken Jonathan downstairs so she could nap undisturbed. But today, Cassie was restive and impatient. She could not stop the workings of her mind long enough to relax. Finally she turned away from the window. There was no point in remaining here in her room. She might as well join Jonathan and Evelyn downstairs.

She peered into the drawing room, but there was no sign of them. She scarcely noticed that the terrace doors were ajar. But as she turned to leave, the sound of soft feminine laughter caught her ear. Quickly she retraced her steps.

On the terrace outside, Evelyn sat on a wooden bench. Opposite her was Gabriel, the muscled length of his legs stretched out before him. Jonathan was perched on his thighs, staring avidly at his father, tiny hands curled around Gabriel’s thumbs.

Evelyn saw her first. She started guiltily, rising from the wooden bench where she’d been sitting. Cassie bristled. She could not help but feel thoroughly betrayed—and by her friend yet!

“Do let me guess,” she stated coolly. She glanced between Evelyn and her husband, only barely disguising her outrage. “Is this visit the reason I’ve been urged to rest each afternoon?”

Gabriel rose to his feet, lifting Jonathan to his shoulder, careful to support his head and neck. Evelyn appeared most distressed while Gabriel’s
features were tightly drawn and guarded.

“Well,” Evelyn said brightly. “I can see the two of you wish to be alone.” She glanced at Gabriel. “Would you like me to take Jonathan?”

Gabriel nodded. He pressed his lips to the babe’s dark scalp then handed him to Evelyn, who hurried inside.

He did not speak until they were alone. His gaze flickered. “You may be angry at me, Cassie, but there is no need to blame Evelyn. It was I who persisted in this.”

Cassie’s small chin jutted forward. “Oh, but I should have known!”

Gabriel’s gaze had grown diamond-hard. “When you refused to see me, I accepted it. But what right have you to refuse me the chance to see Jonathan? I would remind you, he is my son as well as yours.”

“The son you did not want—by the wife you did not want!”

His face tightened to a mask of stone. “I suggest you watch your tongue, Yank. I was cruel to strike out at you once—to say hurtful things I truly did not mean, and I have regretted it ever since. But are you any less cruel at this moment? I think not.”

He had stepped close, so very close she could feel the raw, sheer power of his presence, so close the familiar scent of him swirled all around her. Her thoughts were a mad jumble. She prayed he wouldn’t see how her pulse leaped at his nearness. With him so near she could not think clearly, for her senses were besieged by feelings…and memories. Piercingly she recalled how it felt to be in his arms, his lips warm and persuasive upon
hers, his arms strong and protective and safe.

Her hands were suddenly trembling. She hid them in her skirts. “What would you have me do, Gabriel? Or was I wrong about the cat? Was I wrong about my chocolate being drugged?”

The tension spun out endlessly. At last he broke the silence. “No,” he said finally. “In all likelihood, you were right. The physician examined the cat, and he, too, felt the animal was drugged. And an empty bottle of laudanum was found outside the kitchen. Gloria said the tray sat in the kitchen for several minutes before she took it upstairs. I have questioned the servants over and over again, but other than that, no one knows anything of value.”

He had not wanted to tell her. Cassie had glimpsed the indecision warring keenly on his face. “The servants are loyal,” she pointed out. “Both to you
and
your father! And you would stand to gain the freedom to marry where you choose if I were dead!”

He made a sound of disgust. “If you recall, I had no desire to marry in the first place! And for all that you may believe otherwise, my father is a man of honor and integrity. And surely you know that I, of all people, would not come to his defense unless I was certain it was true.”

He paced in a tight circle before her. “Believe me, Cassie, I understand why you fear for your safety.” He could not disguise his impatience. “What I find difficult to accept is that you still think I may be responsible! You forget, I was with you at the time you were shot!”

“And you might easily have hired someone to see the deed done—and the same with that—that
awful man in London! And if not you, Gabriel, then who?
Who
, I ask you?”

“I have no idea!” he exploded, his eyes a silver blaze. “I have had investigators searching for months. I’ve had men watching you
here
, though I’ve no doubt you won’t believe me. I grow tired of defending myself, Cassie, for I have no way of proving my innocence other than to find the perpetrator!”

“And where does that leave me?” she cried in a tear-choked voice. “I fear I shall not be so lucky the next time!”

He reached for her. But chaos and confusion roiled in her breast. How could she love a man who might want her dead? she asked herself desperately. She could not let him touch her, not now. If he did, she felt certain she would splinter into a million pieces. “Don’t!” she cried, wrenching away. “Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me ever again!”

Gabriel stepped back. The muscles in his face were rigid. The taste of defeat was bitter on his tongue. “This marriage was doomed from the very beginning,” he said in a terrible voice she knew would haunt her ’til her dying days. “Perhaps you’re right. Perhaps we should end it now.”

The blood drained from her face. She stared at him, her face colorless. “What do you mean?”

His lips were ominously thin. “Oh, you need not worry. I promised you I would provide for you, and so I shall. But we need not tolerate each other’s presence anymore. We need not endure this unfortunate mistake we call a marriage. You have only to decide where it is you wish to live and I will see that you are installed in a house there.” His mouth
twisted. “God knows I am the last man to play at nobility. But perhaps it’s better if you leave. If you desire, I’ll even send you back to Charleston.”

A burning ache closed her throat. For a timeless moment Cassie could not speak. She felt as if the very ground on which she stood was crumbling beneath her feet. She could hardly force enough air past her lips to speak.

“What of Jonathan?”

“Jonathan is my heir, as I am now my father’s heir.” His tone was as unyielding as his spine. “He must be raised as such. He
will
be raised as such.”

Stunned, she could only stare at him. Rampant through her mind was the realization that the man before her was a stranger. She sensed no compassion in him, none at all.

“You would have me leave him here? To be raised by you—and your father? To end up like you?” Sheer fury flamed in her eyes. “No.
No!
”

She saw only a stony determination in the look he flashed her. “You may deny
me
, Cassie. But you will not deny me my son.”

Her heart was beating wildly. “You would take my baby from me,” she whispered, still unable to believe it. “God, and you dare to call
me
cruel!”

The jutting thrust of his jaw bespoke his utter relentlessness. “It would appear you have made your choice. You doubt my word. You do not trust me. So be it, for by God, I will beg no longer.” With that he stalked from the terrace.

Minutes passed. Perhaps hours. Cassie had no way of knowing. Her arms crept around her body. She huddled there, her heart like a stone within
her breast, shattered beyond measure. The pain that ripped through her was like a knife twisting over and over.

There was a dry cough behind her. She whirled to find Reginald Latham standing behind her.

“Your Grace,” she muttered. “I-I am sorry. I did not realize you were here.”

He inclined his head. “Cassandra.” He stood with his hands linked behind his back, gazing down at her. “Forgive me for being blunt, but I could not help but overhear your discussion with Gabriel.”

He had heard! Embarrassment flooded her. For the life of her, Cassie did not know how to respond. Reginald was not smiling but, Cassie noted, he was not so grim-visaged as usual.

“Then I must apologize,” she murmured at last. “When I came here, it was not my desire to upset your household.”

“There is no need to distress yourself needlessly. Indeed, ’twould seem you have far more serious matters to consider, such as your husband’s determination to wrest your child from your grasp.”

Cassie swallowed painfully. “I know.” The words emerged with difficulty. “I thought I knew him far better…” She shook her head. “I—I just do not understand how he could do such a thing!”

Reginald sighed. “I’ve known him since he was a boy, you know. He can be…willful, to say the least. Some might even say…vengeful.”

Vengeful
. A clamp seemed to close around her heart. Wasn’t that why he’d married her? Oh, Reginald was right. She was well acquainted with
Gabriel’s ruthlessness. She shivered. And he had been so cold, so heartless!

“My dear, I fear I must warn you…Gabriel is not a man to make threats lightly. You must not underestimate him.”

Her breath quickened. Eyes wide, she fixed her attention intently on his face. “What—what do you mean?”

“Only this. His father is my greatest friend, but I cannot condone Gabriel’s intentions. ’Tis my belief a child needs his mother.”

Cassie began to tremble. She sank down onto the bench. “I can’t let him take Jonathan away from me—I can’t!” She buried her face in her hands. “What am I to do?”

“There, there, now, do not fret. ’Tis not so bad as all that.” He pressed a fine linen handkerchief into her hands. “Come now, dry your eyes and listen.”

Cassie dabbed at her tears. When she was able, she raised her head.

“Here is what I think, Cassandra. If you remain here, you stand every chance that Gabriel will indeed snatch Jonathan away from you. He can be very unforgiving, you know—why, you have only to consider his father to know it!”

Cassie cried out. “I can’t let him do that! Jonathan is all I have—he is
everything
I have.”

“Oh, I quite understand, child. That is why you must flee while you still have that chance.”

“Flee! But where would I go?” She moaned her distress. “Gabriel would be sure to find me in London. I’ve no doubt he would search the whole of England until he found us!”

Reginald rubbed his heavy jowls. “On your own, you would have little chance of eluding him. But I’ve a sister in Ireland—never has there been a woman more kind and generous! I could help you find passage on a ship out. And with my letter in your possession, I know she will let you stay with her until you are established on your own.”

Cassie shuddered. “A ship?” She spoke unthinkingly. “I hated the voyage here. I-I have a deathly fear of water and I—I cannot swim.”

“The choice is yours, of course. Only you can decide which is more important.”

Cassie bit her lip. Another voyage. It seemed a small enough price to pay, for she could not bear to even think about losing her son.

Her mind was racing. Reginald was right. Gabriel would make a dangerous enemy. He had power and wealth at his disposal. Her only hope, she thought with bleak despair, was to escape now, while there was still a chance…

“You are right.” She spoke haltingly. She swallowed, her eyes lifting to his. “And I gratefully accept your help, Your Grace, as long as you are willing to give it.”

“Excellent, my dear! Oh, I think you’ll not regret it. Now, here is what we shall do…Pack only a small bag for you and the child. I will send along the rest of your things before the ship departs. Now then, meet me at the stables in an hour.”

Cassie frowned. “What about Evelyn? What am I to tell her?”

“Do not trouble yourself with Evelyn. I shall tell her I am taking you and Jonathan for an evening ride about the countryside in the curricle. That way
there will be no room should she wish to join us. Do not worry, she will not question it. And later, I will tell her the truth. For now, ’tis too risky.”

So it was that Cassie left the Warrenton estate an hour later. Jonathan, angel that he was, lay asleep in the crook of her arm. For a time, as she had hurriedly prepared for her journey, a blessed numbness had settled over her. But they had not gone far before her heart, her soul, her very being began to ache. Her chest was like a vast, hollow drum. Guilt dragged at her like an oppressive weight.

She could not leave Gabriel, not like this—not like a thief in the night. They had come so far, and gone through too much to give up so easily. Now that the future was in her hands, she found herself searching the depths of her heart for the truth.

Unbidden, her mind filled with memories. In the space of a heartbeat, she relived every word, every sweeping touch—every tender caress—that passed between them. With her palm, she cradled the soft down of Jonathan’s head. A loving fingertip traced the shape of his brows, brows that even now resembled his father’s arrogant slant.