Authors: Samantha Kane
“Oh, you know me, all right,” Harry said quietly, squeezing
his arm. “I’m the same man you knew then, and I’d guess you are, too.”
“You’d be wrong,” Daniel said. “Let go of me.”
“I’ve traveled pretty far to hold you again,” Harry told
him. Daniel turned startled eyes up to his. “I’m not going to let go for a
while.”
“Daniel?” Both men turned to see Christy standing there
watching them.
“Now this is a story I’d like to hear,” Harry said with a
smile. He let go of Daniel’s arm, but he was content. He’d staked his claim.
There was no way Daniel could have misunderstood his intentions. He walked over
and gave Christy a one-armed hug. She smiled and turned her cheek up for him
and he kissed it. He was glad that here at least there didn’t seem to be hard
feelings. “How did you end up at Daniel’s?” He leaned down and whispered in her
ear. “That babe’s not his, is it?” He hoped to God not, but he’d work with it
if it was.
“Of course it isn’t Daniel’s,” she whispered back. Well, he
supposed she thought it was a whisper, but clearly both Daniel and Gantry heard
her.
“Good God,” Daniel muttered as he brushed past them.
“Another one. Am I the only sane man left in England?”
Christy slipped her arm through his. “I am glad you’re back,
Harry,” she said, grinning up at him. “We thought you were dead and it was very
inconvenient.”
He laughed. “Yes, it would have been inconvenient for me,
too.”
She blushed. “That’s not what I meant.”
“That is exactly what you meant,” Gantry said stiffly. “And
what the rest of us were thinking. Although the importance of convenience is
quickly diminishing.”
“You know, Gantry,” Harry said, “I remember you as a funny
sort of fellow. Drank and joked a lot. What happened?”
Gantry crossed his arms and glared at Harry. “You didn’t
die.”
“Ah,” Harry said. Clearly he had a soft spot for Christy.
And who could blame him? She was a beauty, even big with child. Which was a
wrench in his plans, but he wasn’t going to make her feel bad about it. He
glanced down at her stomach. “Have you any others?” he asked with a frown. “You
didn’t mention them.”
“Why you little…” Gantry visibly restrained himself.
Christy punched him in the shoulder again. He remembered her
doing that a lot on their wedding night. It was like a gnat, with her little
fist. She was scarcely tall enough to reach his chest. “No, I do not, you big
oaf.”
“Good.” He breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m already reeling
from becoming a father so quickly upon my return.”
“Simon,” Daniel said smoothly, “put down the fireplace
poker.”
Harry looked over at Gantry and grinned. “Just kidding, my
dear,” he told Christy. “Congratulations. Who’s the father?” He pointed at
Gantry. “Please don’t say him.”
His question was met with silence. He looked over at Daniel
who was staring out the window and then down at Christy who was biting her lip
and looking decidedly uncomfortable. “Out with it,” Harry said prosaically.
“One thing I’ve learned over the last few years is it’s better to confess all
and ask for apologies after than hide from the truth.”
“Oh, learned that at last, have you?” Daniel mumbled,
pretending he wasn’t listening to their conversation.
“You don’t have to tell him a thing, Christy,” Gantry told
her. “We’ll get rid of him and no one will be the wiser. They already think
he’s dead.”
“When planning a man’s demise, it’s best to make sure he’s
left the room already,” Harry advised. “I learned that over the last few years,
too. Gantry, why don’t you take a walk?”
“Very amusing,” Gantry said. He sat down on the sofa. “I’m
not going anywhere.”
“In that case.” Harry led Christy over to the sofa and sat
her down next to Gantry, to both their surprise. He sat in the chair next to
her and patted her knee. “Now why don’t you just tell me what the hell’s going
on so I can have a bath and a drink and sleep for a week or two?”
He was suddenly exhausted. Months of non-stop travel and
various setbacks had finally caught up with him now that he had reached his
ultimate destination. “I’ll start,” he offered when she didn’t immediately
answer. “I left New Orleans last year, right after I put Kensington and Aurelia
on the boat. Did they arrive?”
“They arrived,” Daniel said. “Hale and hearty.”
“Is he with Tarrant and the girl?” Harry asked. “He was
heartsick over them.”
Daniel’s stare was unreadable. “Yes, he’s with them. So is
Lady Aurelia.”
Now that did surprise him. “She is? Thought she planned to
head on to Paris once he’d been delivered to his true loves.”
“The bounty hunters followed them,” Simon said. He didn’t
sound as combative as he had before. “She stayed for protection and then she
had the baby, and met Mrs. Grimshaw and now…well, she’s just here.”
“Still hiding from the bounty hunters?”
Simon shook his head and looked at Daniel. “No,” Daniel
grudgingly replied. “Sir Barnabas took care of that.”
“Ah.” Daniel wouldn’t meet his eyes and Harry got a sinking
feeling. According to Kensington, when he’d been in America Daniel was not
involved with James. Things must have changed. He didn’t like the idea of
having to fight the man for Daniel again, but Harry wasn’t the scared boy he’d
been all those years ago in Portugal. He’d let James bully him and convince him
it would be better if he left Daniel. That wouldn’t happen again.
“Anyway, I left on a boat only to discover it was a pirate
ship bound for the Caribbean and in my eagerness to leave they’d more or less
tricked me into joining the crew. They were wanted by the Crown, so we spent
several months dodging the navy from one uninhabited island to another. I
finally jumped ship in Venezuela.”
“Venezuela?” Christy squeaked.
“Yes,” Harry said. “Walked right into the middle of trouble
there. The truce between Bolivar and the Spanish was growing thin. Talk about
damn inconvenient. Had Bolivar breathing down my neck. They thought I was there
to cause trouble, having just deserted a pirate ship. Nearly started an
international incident with the Americans until everyone realized I was
actually British. Believe it or not a friend from the Peninsula was there and
vouched for me.”
“Really,” Daniel drawled. “The Venezuelan conflict?” He
sounded skeptical.
“Small world,” Harry commented with a shrug. “So I was put
aboard a Spanish vessel carrying documents and gold back to Madrid. I never
made it.”
“More Caribbean pirates?” Daniel drawled.
“Actually, Barbary Coast,” Harry corrected. “But that was
later. The Spanish captain did not care for me or the idea of ferrying an
Englishman around, so he put me off in Florida.”
“Florida?” Christy asked, her brow wrinkled. “Where’s that?”
“In America, right down on the Caribbean. A large peninsula
sticking out at the bottom of the continent,” Harry explained. “It just became
United States territory. The Spanish are not happy about it, the
Seminoles—that’s the native tribe there—well, they’re not happy either. No one
is happy about Florida except Andy Jackson and John Q. Adams.”
“Who are they?” Christy asked.
“An American general and an American diplomat,” Simon said.
“So Florida was also in a state of war when you arrived,”
Daniel said mockingly. “I’m beginning to see a pattern.” He’d moved over and
taken a seat across from the sofa, but as far from Harry as he could get.
Harry yawned. “Well, the whole world’s at war these days,
Daniel,” he said. “You British here at home have no idea. You drink your tea
and ride in the park while the world burns.”
“I beg your pardon?” Daniel asked, looking as annoyed as a
wet hen. “I am quite conversant with world affairs. I read the
Times
.”
Harry glanced at the paper folded on the table next to
Daniel. “Of course you do.” He turned back to Christy. “I managed to get
passage on a ship bound for Africa,” he said. His lip curled in distaste. “A
slave ship.”
Christy gasped and covered her heart with her hand. “Oh
dear.”
“Exactly,” Harry said. He rubbed his hand over his eyes.
“The only good thing about it was that the ship had no cargo. And I had no
intention of letting it take on passengers once we arrived.”
“What were you going to do?” Simon asked. He sounded as
enthralled with his story as Christy now, all enmity forgotten. Harry smiled
behind his hand.
“I wasn’t sure, but a well-placed cigar can do wonders on a
dry ship in harbor.”
Daniel snorted. “Oh, please. I can’t see you risking your
neck like that. They’d have hanged you if they’d caught you.”
When Harry looked at him he let him see how serious he was.
“You haven’t lived with it, Daniel. I have. I’ve seen what it does to people on
both sides. Slavery is an evil thing and I will do whatever it takes to
eradicate it from the earth.”
“Bravo,” Christy said, clapping. “I agree. What a horrid
thing, to own another human being. Go on. What happened next?”
“Those Barbary pirates took the matter out of my hands,”
Harry said. “They attacked us off the coast of Africa. We could see land from
where we were. We managed to fight our way out of that but we were barely able
to limp into Casablanca.”
“The old Portuguese fort?” Simon asked. “I thought they had
abandoned Casablanca after the earthquake about fifty years ago. I remember
someone talking about it during the war.”
Daniel shook his head. “No, some sultan rebuilt it. It’s
growing now, I hear. They supply the textile manufacturers here in England.”
Harry looked at him, astonished he’d know that. “My family was in the silk
business,” Daniel said defensively. “I’m familiar with the industry.”
“He’s right,” Harry said. “The Muslims control it now. But
there’s heavy British and French influence there. I hopped a ship bound for
Gibraltar.”
“Why not find a ship there bound for England?” Daniel said.
“Or weren’t you ready to arrive yet?”
“I wish I could have,” Harry said. “But I had no money. In
Gibraltar I hired on to a shipping vessel as fast as I could, but that meant I
was on their time and not my own. We went on a two-month trip through the
Mediterranean before heading at last for England.” He paused, looking down as
he picked at the arm of his chair with his thumb. “You know that last time I
sailed for England it was from Gibraltar, too. Back in 1811.”
“And here you are,” Christy said happily. “Oh Harry, how
thrilling. What adventures you’ve had!” She pointed to her eye. “I am sorry
about, you know, that.”
Harry laughed and reached up to adjust his eye patch. He’d
gotten so used to it he hardly noticed it now. “I forgot none of you have seen
me since. Oh, I’ve gotten used to it. Taught me never to wander around Indian
territory by myself without a pistol.” He glanced at Daniel and the look of
sadness and devastation he saw on the other man’s face stole his breath for a
moment. “I’m all right,” he said quietly to him.
“It sounds as if you finally found all the excitement you
were looking for in your youth,” Daniel said, his smile melancholy. “England
must seem quite staid to you now.”
“England seemed quite staid before I had adventures,” Harry
assured him. “And believe me, adventure is not all that it is made out to be.”
There was so much he wanted to tell Daniel, so much he needed to share. About
those long nights on the prairie, when sleep wouldn’t come because he’d lain
there thinking about Daniel, wondering where he was and what he was doing and
if he missed Harry as much as Harry missed him. He would have traded those
star-filled skies for one night in Daniel’s arms here in this godforsaken,
dirty, crowded city. He had. That’s why he’d come back, after all.
“I guess it’s my turn,” Christy said hesitantly. She cleared
her throat. She hated to have to repeat the story again, but Daniel and Simon
already knew it.
“We can leave if you’d like to speak alone with him,” Simon
offered with one of his soft, devastating smiles. He was so sweet, and had been
for the last two weeks. She hated it. She’d tried everything she could think of
to get him to kiss her again and he ignored every overture, playing the
gentleman. The truth was she longed for the rogue who had kissed her senseless
in the breakfast room when he’d thought her a strumpet. Every once in a while
she’d see him lurking behind the gentleman but then he’d pull away. She was
frustrated beyond belief. And now that Harry was here she’d have to go. She
wanted to cry over the loss of what might have been. Which wasn’t much, really,
given the circumstances, but at least she could have gotten something.
“No,” she said. “You already know, so it doesn’t really
matter.” She wasn’t ready to be alone with Harry yet. He was…different. Still
very nice, and not nearly as heartbroken as he’d been when they’d married,
although it was obvious he was still in love with Daniel. That would probably
end badly, what with Sir Barnabas James still around. But this Harry was rather
frightening with his eye patch and shaggy hair and tan skin, and his stories of
pirates. He seemed a figure of legend and not her long-lost husband. She
couldn’t imagine this Harry heartbroken over Daniel.
“I got very lonely, you know, while you were gone,” she
began. Harry looked shocked and then quite chagrined. “Oh, I don’t blame you,”
she told him truthfully. “This is what we agreed on, after all. I just hadn’t
expected to miss…you know…companionship.” She sat up very straight as she said
it, refusing to look guilty or cowed.
“We were both very young and foolish,” Harry said quietly.
He took her hand and kissed it. “I’m sorry, Christy.”
“I’m sorry too,” she said. “I was too ignorant to know how
to do this sort of thing without—” she gestured down at her bulging stomach and
sighed. She rubbed her bump affectionately. “Although I’m rather looking
forward to the little thing. It will be nice, I think, to be a mother.”
“Whatever you want you shall have,” Harry told her. “You
only need ask.”
She could see that Simon was forcing himself to stay quiet.
He was sitting next to her but he was facing away, his elbow on the arm of the
sofa and his hand covering his mouth. She was glad he’d tried to punch Harry.
Not because she blamed Harry, he’d been an ignorant boy when he ran off, but
because it showed Simon felt proprietary and protective. Anger on her behalf
was one thing, but she wanted more. Perhaps now she’d get it.
“Tell my why you’re here,” Harry said. “Who sought out who?
How long have you been here? Is the father causing trouble?”
Her mind reeled from all his questions. “The father is long
gone,” she said. “It was a coachman. Not even mine, I’m afraid.” She smiled
ruefully. “When this happened he disappeared. So you needn’t worry about that.
No, I came here because you’d once told me to go to Daniel if something
happened or I needed help.”
“Didn’t you have enough money to handle this?” Harry asked,
frowning. “I must have been remiss. I should have sent more.”
Simon’s leg was now moving as his booted foot tapped the
floor. Christy reached out and put a hand on his thigh to stop him. It was just
an excuse, really, to touch him. It was nice to have someone in the room most
concerned with her. Even though she was speaking and Harry was attentive, it
was clear his mind was preoccupied with seeing Daniel again and vice versa. He
didn’t even notice her hand on Simon’s leg.
“I had enough money. But, Harry, your family is not happy
about it.” She gave him a pointed look.
“I’m sure they’re not,” he said with a grin. “But their
opinions ceased to matter long ago.”
“She’s trying to tell you that they’re trying to kill her
and she had to come to Daniel for protection,” Simon bit out.
“What?” Harry seemed genuinely shocked. “Surely you jest?”
“Well, they haven’t really tried to kill me,” she said
quickly. “Although I think they were planning to. They did try to kidnap me.”
“When? How?” Harry turned to Daniel.
“The night she arrived here asking for help. Imagine my
surprise.” Christy didn’t take offence at Daniel’s sarcastic tone. She knew it
had been a shock when she of all people had showed up on his doorstep. “Someone
tried to nab her right outside my door,” Daniel continued. “A constable came
along and rescued her and she’s been here ever since.”
“What made you think it was Father and Theo?” Harry asked.
“Not that I’d put it past them.”
“Your father told me he was going to kill me,” Christy said.
“He came by unexpectedly a month or so ago, in the middle of the day. He said
he wanted to confirm the rumors. And of course he did. He was livid. Furious
because he’d planned on making Theo his heir and now I’d have a claim on the
money too. He threatened to kill me and stormed away. I chose to believe him,
you know how frightening he can be. A few nights later someone broke into the
house. Jonas,” she paused and blushed as she looked around, “the baby’s father,
well, he was there, and chased the attacker off. When I told him what was going
on, he disappeared the next morning, probably out of fear for his own safety.
The next day I ran to London, here to Daniel.”
“You did the right thing,” Harry assured her. “Thank you for
taking care of her,” he told Daniel and Simon gravely. “I thought with me gone,
they’d leave her alone.”
“Oh, they did. Until this.” She felt a blush on her cheeks
and it embarrassed her even more. After what she’d done, she had no right to
blush about anything.
“Daniel and I have looked into it,” Simon said grudgingly.
“Perhaps later we can discuss what we’ve found.”
“Well, I think I ought to know too,” Christy declared,
indignant. “After all, it’s me they’re after.”
“I’m here now,” Harry said decisively. “I’ll take care of
them. And you.” He grinned and laughed. “Well, not in the same way, of course,
but you understand.” He looked beseechingly at Daniel. “Is there somewhere I
can wash up and perhaps catch a few minutes of sleep?” he asked, standing. “I’m
not fit company in this condition. I’m afraid I’m not making sense anymore.”
He smiled at her and she beamed back. Harry was here.
Somehow he’d make it all right. He had to, there was no other option. She
looked over at Simon. Now if only she could figure out what to do about him.
Daniel wanted to howl in frustration when he saw Christy
smiling at Harry. How dare she forgive him for ten years of loneliness just
like that? A few smiles and an outlandish tale and all was forgiven. Well, not
for him. Not for Daniel, thank you very much. It would take a great deal more
than that for him to forgive Harry. Not that he ever would. Not that there was
a reason to.
“Where has Sir Barnabas put you?” he asked, standing as
well. “I can send for a carriage.”
“Sir Barnabas?” Harry asked, confused. “What are you talking
about?”
“Didn’t he find you?” Daniel asked. “I assumed that’s why
you were here. To fetch Christy.”
Harry just looked at him as if he were an idiot. “I haven’t
seen Sir Barnabas since Portugal, nor heard of or from him,” Harry said flatly.
“And,” he looked over at Christy, “no offence, my dear.” He looked back at
Daniel. “I had no idea Christy was here.”
Daniel was rendered speechless by that revelation. “Then why
did you come here?” he blurted out. He backed away from the question
immediately. “Whatever your reasons, you can’t stay here.”
“I have a small chest of things that will be arriving here
shortly,” Harry said. “I was in a hurry when I arrived at the dock and didn’t
want to bring it with me. As for why I came, we can discuss that later. I just
need a bed and some water.”
Daniel took a good hard look at him. He did need cleaning
up. His clothes looked as if he’d slept in them for months. He wore a pair of
bedraggled black pants, nearly worn through on the knees, a shirt that might
have been white once, and a mud-brown jacket. No waistcoat and no cravat. His
shoes looked like they might fall apart any moment. For the first time Daniel
realized Harry had no hat with him. He had a scraggly beard to go with his
shaggy head of hair. Damn him for still being so bloody handsome. He hardened
his heart. “I said you can’t stay here.”
“I don’t have anywhere else to go,” Harry said calmly. Did
he never get aggravated anymore? “And, after all, my wife is here.”
“Oh, Daniel, please,” Christy begged. “Just for tonight.
Harry and I will leave in the morning.” She cast great big sad, tear-filled
eyes at Simon and Daniel was sunk.
“Fine. For tonight.” He spoke to Christy rather than Harry.
“Then Harry can leave. You’re not going anywhere until I’m assured that your
safety is his priority.”
“I’m still standing here, you know,” Harry told them. He
yawned again, as if they weren’t deciding his fate for him. “But I won’t be for
very long. I’ll just find the biggest, nicest bedroom and collapse right on the
bed.” He smiled at Daniel, because he clearly knew that bedroom would be his.
He was up to his old tricks again, was he? Thinking that if he chased Daniel
long enough he’d succumb. Well, not this time. He wasn’t going to be taken in
by Harry’s charm again.
Never
again.
“You’ll get the smallest bedroom with a short bed that will
cause you great discomfort,” Daniel told him as he brushed past. “The sooner to
force you out of my house.”
Harry laughed. “Considering where I’ve been sleeping the
last few months, that will seem like a luxury. But good try.”
His laugh was the same. How dare he have the same laugh.
Damn
him. Damn, damn, damn him.
Daniel fumed as he stalked out into the hallway. “Matheson!”
he yelled. The butler materialized in front of him as if he’d been blending
into the wallpaper. “Make up the guest room at the end of the hall.”
Matheson gave him a startled look. “I’m sorry, sir, that
bedroom is unavailable. We’ve been storing all the furniture and goods from the
attic there while we clean and repair it.”
Daniel closed his eyes. He’d forgotten his half-formed plans
for a nursery in the attic. That left the room next to his. Could this get any
worse? “Fine. Put Mr. Ashbury in the other one.”
“Yes, sir,” Matheson answered. “Follow me, sir.” He turned
and waited at the steps for Harry.
“Dare I hope my bedroom is near yours?” Harry said quietly.
Daniel ignored him. “You may bring Mr. Ashbury something to
eat, as well,” Daniel told Matheson. “I don’t believe he’ll be joining us for
dinner.”
“I wish I could,” Harry said with a sigh. “But I’m so tired
now I’m afraid of what else I’m going to muck up. This isn’t going at all as I
had planned.” He stepped closer and whispered for Daniel’s ear only. “You see,
I was going to show up, take you in my arms, and declare my undying love for
you and my determination to win you back.” He glanced at Daniel from under his
lashes. “It would have been very romantic.”
“Except for your wife watching in the background, yes,”
Daniel said drily, though his heart was pounding in his chest and his mind was
reeling.
“I’m not leaving until I’ve got you,” Harry said, and no
longer sounded lighthearted or teasing or calm. He sounded hard and determined
and resolute. “I will resolve all of this mess, and I will get you back.”
Daniel made the mistake of looking directly at him. He was staring at Daniel as
if he had finally reached the promised land. Daniel quickly took a step back.
“You need to collect your wife and make amends there,”
Daniel told him. “What we had was over long ago.”
“Not for me,” Harry said. “And not for you, either.
Kensington told me. I know, Daniel. I know how it’s been for you.”
“You don’t know a thing, Harry,” Daniel told him harshly,
“and you never did. Good evening.”
He turned and walked away without a backward glance. But he
didn’t head back into the study with Simon and Christy. He needed some time
alone and he was quite sure they’d find some way to entertain themselves. When
he got to his office he closed and locked the door and pulled a bottle of
scotch off the shelf.
Harry’s appearance had nearly broken him. He was
still…Harry. Still boyishly handsome and lighthearted and a rock when
everything around him was in chaos. His eyes were still as gray.
At least his one eye was.
That had almost been his undoing. He thought he’d been
prepared for it. After all, Michael had told him last year about Harry losing
the eye. But seeing the eye patch, seeing how close he’d come to death, had
sickened Daniel. He felt anguish, yes, over Harry’s scars, over the loss of his
perfect, handsome face. But it was also guilt, foolish guilt. To think that
Harry had almost died like that, that he’d suffered a horror so terrible and
Daniel hadn’t been there to help him. To protect him.
But that wasn’t his job. It never had been. Harry hadn’t
wanted that from him, and it was too late now for both of them. There was too
much at stake for too many people, too much water under the bridge, despite
Harry’s startling declaration. They weren’t the same people they were ten years
ago. What Harry wanted, or thought he wanted, simply couldn’t be.
He took a long pull of scotch straight from the bottle. This
was going to be a very long night.
Harry lay on the bed with an arm thrown over his face to
block out the setting sun. Although it wasn’t the light that was keeping him
awake, it was thoughts of Daniel.
He was here, in Daniel’s house.
He’d made it back.
Harry started to laugh, but he kept it as quiet as he could.
He didn’t want them all to think he’d gone mad. But he very nearly had all
those months of sailing around, watching his throat every night, afraid it was
going to be slit while he slept. Thank God for Alec McCain. His partner had
taken a stupid English boy under his wing and taught him how to survive. One
day at a time, one hour, one minute. And right this minute he was in Daniel’s
house. If he played his cards right, he’d still be here tomorrow. And the next
day. And the day after that. But clearly there were a few things he needed to
clear up first.