Seducing the Ruthless Rogue (43 page)

“It’s your father.
 
He’s been murdered.”
 
He watched as she took a step back, shaking her head as if that alone would change the outcome.
 

“You’re lying,” Cassie accused.
 
“I know you are, because there are so many things I haven’t told him.
 
I need to apologize to him.
 
I said so many horrible things to him about our marriage.
 
I have to tell him it’s all right.
 
So you see, you are wrong.
 
It’s someone else.”

“Inspector Campbell with the Bow Street Runners brought me the news.”

“No!” she railed and flew at him.
 
Mack stood there absorbing the blows, then pulled her tightly to him when she showed signs of tiring, wrapping his arms about her.
 
Tears made silver tracks down her cheeks.
 
“I want to see him.”

“Cassie,” Mack hesitated.

“I must see him.
 
Do you understand, Mack?” she asked, leaning her head back so she could see him.
 
“This is something I must do.”

Mack looked down at her.
 
The tears sparkled in the sunlight that filtered through the gauzy curtains.
 
Her nose looked red, and her lips glistened from where her tongue had recently darted out and moistened them.
 
Her eyes pleaded with him to understand.
 
Finally he relented.
 
“I’ll take you, but then we must sit down and discuss some very important things.”

“Anything,” Cassie readily agreed.

Mack pulled her close once more, dropping a kiss on the top of her head and thought she might regret agreeing so readily once she heard what he has to say.

***

Cassie and Mack were unaware they were being watched.
 
Outside the window a person lurked, wanting to see the former Miss Graham’s reaction to the sudden loss of her father.
 
Disappointment mixed with ecstasy.
 
She was crying for her poor father, but she still had someone to watch out for her and shoulder the burdens.
 
Life was not fair.

Well, it would seem that she would have to lose more.
 
She needed to know what true loss felt like.
 
What it felt like to go from a somebody to a nobody.
 
What it felt like to have everything ripped from you, every wish, every dream, every hope.
 
To lose everyone you cared about.
 
By the end, Cassie Graham McKenzie would beg for death to end the miserable wretchedness her life had become.
 
“And I will be there to deny her, to make her suffer.”
 
The figure slipped away without ever being detected.

***

Mack and Cassie arrived at the house she had shared with her father and Chang a short time later.
 
As they approached the house, the door flew open and Chang rushed towards her.

“Missy Cassie, Missy Cassie,” the little man called as he wrapped her in his arms.

“Chang,” Cassie choked on his name and held him close.

“I so sorry, Missy Cassie.
 
I failed.
 
I not protect him.”

“You did what you could,” Cassie patted him as tears rolled down both their cheeks.

“Not enough.”

“Chang stop.”

“Let’s go inside,” Mack said, directing both of them.
 
When they were inside, Mack shut the door.
 

“Where’s Papa?” Cassie asked Chang.

“In his room.”

“I want to see him.”

“I’ll go with you,” Mack said.

Cassie took his hand and squeezed it tightly as she led him down the hall.
 
When they entered the room, her father lay on the bed as if he were peacefully asleep.
 
The only difference being the two coins that lay over his eyes.
 
She walked over and took his hand.
 
It felt cold and lifeless.
 
Never in her life could she remember her father feeling cold.
 
He was always so warm and full of life, his body radiated heat when he would hug her.
 
“Papa, I’m so very sorry I didn’t talk to you, didn’t tell you that everything was all right.” Cassie gently squeezed his hand before letting it fall back to his side.

“I’ll make arrangements for his burial,” Mack said, wrapping her in his arms.

“No.”

“What?” he asked.

“He would want his body to go to science.
 
He would want people to study it and learn from it.
 
He should be sent to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital.”

“Are you certain about this, Cassie?”

“Positive.
 
We did the same thing with Mama.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Chang will have to come live with us.”

“My…our house is too small for all of us.”

“I suppose we could move here,” she stepped out of the room and walked to the front of the house, still holding tightly to Mack’s hand.

“Or we could find a new house, perhaps in a better neighborhood.”

“There is nothing wrong with this area of London,” Cassie argued.
 
“The people are workers and friendly and look after each other.”

“And the unsavory of London is beginning to creep in.”
 
He raised his hand when she opened her mouth.
 
“One thing at a time.
 
First we take care of this situation, and then we decide what to do about the houses.”

“Yes,” she agreed readily.

Mack knew from her docile attitude that she was extremely affected by her father’s death.
 
Cassie held onto him and lacked her fiery, independent nature.
 
He found that he missed that side of her and much preferred it to the melancholy and listlessness she exhibited now.

“Chang, pack a bag.
 
You’re coming with us,” Mack ordered.

“No, I not leave, Sir Graham.”

“Chang, my men will take care of the body.”

“It’s all right, Chang.
 
Mack will see to everything,” Cassie seconded.
 
Chang reluctantly left the room.

Mack held her close.
 
Her body felt stiff against his.
 
She had a glazed expression on her face as if she were in shock.
 
He dropped a kiss on her temple.
 

“What can I do for you?” he whispered in her ear.

“You’re doing it,” she replied, wrapping her arms tight about his waist as if he were her anchor in a turbulent storm.

***

Thunder and lightning heralded their arrival home.
 
Mack could feel Cassie’s shudders as well as visibly seeing them.

“I not bring Missy Cassie’s special tea.”

“It’s too late for that,” Mack said as the trio ran for the door of the house as a deluge of rain started.

“I’ll be fine,” Cassie reassured both men.
 
“Mack I want to talk to you.”

“John, you and Mr. Chang figure out something about sleeping arrangements,” Mack ordered before following his wife upstairs to their bedroom.
 
He shut the door behind them, ensuring their privacy.
 
Mack said nothing; he merely waited for her to speak.
 
He knew from his years as Director of the War Office that often times, if one waited long enough the other person would speak.
 

“You must terminate this marriage.”
 
The announcement was punctuated by a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder.

“Go on,” he said.

“You’re not angry?”

“I’m going to hear you out.”
 

Cassie looked at him.
 
He looked formidable standing there, leaning against the door, his arms crossed.
 
How could she leave this brawny faux Scotsmen of hers after she had come to care for him so much?
 
An image of her father’s still form flashed in her mind, and she knew she had to do this.
 

“Papa is dead because of me.
 
I might as well have pulled the trigger.”
 
She paused and took a deep breath and met his eyes.
 
“Then there was the carriage that tried to run you down.”
 
Mack just continued standing there, looking imposing.
 
Anger began to replace the grief she felt.
 
“Are you just going to stand there all night, or are you going to say something?”

“I’m waiting for you to say something that makes sense.”

“Your life is in danger because of me.”

“Are you telling me that you care about me?”

“To someone looking in on our relationship it might look that way,” she mumbled, breaking eye contact with him.

“What about Chang?”

“He will have to stay with you.
 
He can’t come with me either.”

“Where do you plan to go?”

“I don’t know.
 
I could return to the village my parents and I lived in.”

“I see.”
 

He remained silent, studying her.
 
It took everything she had in her not to squirm under his scrutiny.
 
All of a sudden a lightning strike and thunder clap happened simultaneously, lighting the room.
 
Cassie screamed and a sizzle filled the air.
 
Soon the acrid smell of smoke burned their nostrils.
 

“Wait here,” Mack ordered and ran out into the hall, meeting John and Chang.
 
“Check the house.”
 
The men scattered in different directions.
 
When they joined back up, Chang had a look of panic on his face.

“Attic on fire.”

Mack raced past him and up a ladder that led to a hatch.
 
He could feel the heat before he lifted the hatch.
 
Fire licked at every available surface and flames shot at him, causing him to drop the small door.
 
Mack jumped down the ladder and ran back to the men.
 
“Get what you need and get out.
 
Meet outside.
 
John, see if you can find a hack for us.”

“Yes, sir.”

Mack ran to his bedroom.
 
The door lay open.
 
Mack gave a quick check, but the room looked empty.

“Dammit, I told her to stay put.”
 
Mack slammed his open palm against the door frame. He coughed as smoke began to drift into the hallway.
 
He raced downstairs to the study and threw back the rug.
 
He ripped up the loose floorboard, removing the maps and other documents that lay inside.
 
Mack picked up everything and crossed to the desk.
 
He grabbed the small bag he kept there and stuffed everything in it, as well as several pistols he kept hidden.
 
The smoke was becoming thicker, drifting downwards.
 
He turned to leave when he saw the pages of Cassie’s novel stacked neatly on a corner of the desk.
 
Mack grabbed them and stuffed them in the bag as well.

He left the study, coughing.
 
The smoke was so thick he could barely see.
 
He reached the small front yard, rain pouring down on him.
 
Lightning and thunder filled the air, causing him to duck.
 
Mack saw John near the street, getting soaked as well.
 
A hack pulled up in front of the house and the door opened, revealing Chang.
 
Mack jogged across the yard to the carriage.
 
He reached it just behind John.
 
He threw his bag in and swung in behind his man servant.

“Where Missy Cassie?” Chang asked.

“She’s not with you?”

“No.”

“Dammit,” Mack cursed loudly.
 
“Wait here.”

“I come too!” Chang exclaimed.

“No, you stay put.
 
I don’t need to be looking for two of you.
 
Where could she be?”

“Bedroom.”

“She wasn’t there when I looked.”

“I don’t know, Mister Mack.”

“John, I hate to ask this of you, but I need you to stay.
 
Tell the fire brigades General Insurance, if it will do any good.
 
We’ll be at Hawkescliffe’s as soon as I find Cassie.”

“Aye, sir.”

“Wait for me, Chang.”
 
Mack left the carriage and raced back to the house.
 
He was halfway across the small yard when the shattering of glass heralded flames flickering outside of the windows, licking at the wood.
 
Mack used his hands to cover his head to protect himself from falling glass.
 
He ripped his cravat from around his neck and wrapped it loosely around his mouth and nose, hoping the wet material would keep him from choking on the thick smoke.
 
He bent low where the smoke was thinner and cautiously entered the house.
 
The flames licked the walls like a serpent’s tongue.
 
He prayed the rain would put the fire out.