The Music Box

by Andrea Kane

  "Yes." He gazed at her delicate fingers, his chest growing tight with emotion. "I've arrived, thanks to my new family, and you."

  "Does this mean you finally believe love exists?" she teased softly. "Not just compassion, mind you, but love-both familial and romantic?"

  Bryce lifted her fingers to his mouth. "My beliefs have changed quite a bit these past weeks. I'm drowning in feelings and emotions. So, yes, I believe love exists. And not only in general. In me." He pressed her palm to his lips, kissed it gently. "Ah, Gaby, I have so much to say to you, so much I need you to understand-so much I'm still in the process of understanding."

  With acute insight, Gaby studied his face. "I'll begin for you. Something happened yesterdaysomething serious. Whatever it was, it drove you back

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  to Nevon Manor. It was heightened by seeing all of us. It was also responsible for the intensity of your mood last night and for making you lose control the way you did. What was it?"

  His head jerked around, and he gave her a stunned look. "Do you read my mind, Wonderland?"

  "Sometimes. Mostly I read your heart. Now tell me what it was that affected you so profoundly."

  "I intend to. But first I want to clarify something. You were right when you said something happened, something serious, and that it drove me back to Nevon Manor feeling raw and vulnerable-a vulnerability that was driven home by the inspiring welcome I received. But you were wrong when you said it made me lose control last night. Only one thing did that: you. I wanted you so badly I was shaking with it. I still do." Bryce swallowed. "All right?"

  "Oh, more than all right," Gaby murmured, caressing his jaw. "Perfect. You see, I felt-feel-the same way."

  An ardent silence.

  "Gaby," Bryce said at last, his voice husky, "if I take you in my arms now, I'll forget everything on earth except you ... us ... how badly I want you. And there's too much that needs to be said before I do that. So let me say it."

  "And then can I fling myself into your arms?" "No. Then I'll drag you into them." "Very well. Continue."

  Bryce drew a lingering breath. Then slowly, candidly, he told Gaby what had happened: Delmore's murder, the police officers' suspicions, his own doubts and concerns, the puzzling sale of the yacht.

  As he spoke, all the color drained from Gaby's face. "Murdered-my God." She wet her lips with the tip of her tongue, clearly trying to bring herself under control.

  From a distance, the sound of a slow-moving carriage reached their ears.

  Gaby's chin shot up, and she stared off in the direction of the drive. "You're returning to London," she announced quietly. "That's your carriage Goodsmith is fetching. You're riding to Town to see Mr. Delmore's partner."

  "Sweetheart, I have to." Bryce gripped Gaby's hands between his, watching her face to gauge her reaction. "I'll only be gone overnight. You have my word. I don't want to leave you now, with all that's happening between us and with the new recollections you have of the night of the fire. You need me. I want to be here for you. And, yes, I want to be here for us, for the family, and-most astonishing of all-for myself. But an innocent man has been killed, and if I can help determine why ..."

  "Bryce." Gaby stopped him with a gentle shake of her head. "Stop. You don't need to explain. I'm the one who keeps reminding you what a wonderful, compassionate man you are. I appreciate why you have to go. I'd do the same thing, if I were you. Dear God, that poor man." She shuddered. "And his poor, grieving family."

  Gaby's words awakened in her precisely the reaction Hermione had predicted. Bryce saw her back stiffen, saw a fierce, protective spark kindle in her eyes.

  Slowly she pivoted to face him. "Thank you for confiding in me," she acknowledged softly, aching determination lacing her tone. "Now I can make things easier on Aunt Hermione, help keep this dreadful news from the others."

  "You are too beautiful for words," Bryce said fervently. "I have no doubt you'll protect the family like a lioness shielding her cubs. As for your own situation, I don't want you to worry about potential sleepwalking episodes. Hermione has already told me that she and Chaunce feel strong enough to take up their posts outside your door tonight. By tomorrow night I'll be back to relieve them. And, Gaby"

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  Bryce slid his hand beneath her silky tresses, caressed the nape of her neck-"I meant what I said: we're going to get to the root of your sleepwalking, and then we're going to overcome it. I've already taken steps to do so."

  "Steps? What steps?"

  "I've elicited Thane's help." Bryce went on to fill her in on his and Thane's intentions.

  "I thank you both," Gaby responded in a choked voice. "I feel incredibly fortunate-and incredibly optimistic. With all our efforts combined, I have no doubt we'll resolve my past, relegate it to where it belongs. You and Thane-" Abruptly, she broke off, sunshine illuminating her features, chasing away the emotional gravity of the past few moments. "Bryce, wouldn't it be wonderful if helping me brought you and Thane closer together?"

  Bryce smiled. "Only you would think of my relationship with my brother when we're discussing your turmoil."

  Her dazzling glow intensified. "You just called Thane your brother. And earlier you referred to everyone at Nevon Manor as your family. Have you any idea how happy that makes me?"

  "How happy?" Bryce murmured.

  "Ecstatic. Overjoyed. Elated."

  Instead of laughing, Bryce became solemn. "I'm glad, because making you feel ecstatic, overjoyed, and elated is what I intend to do-not only now but for always."

  Bryce could actually see her breath catch.

  "Gaby." He drew her closer, tilted her chin up to his. "I have another reason for going to London." He held her gaze. "I need to see Lucinda."

  If he expected dismay or even a token protest, he didn't get it. Gaby simply nodded, instantly grasping the underlying meaning of his announcement. "You're going to end it."

  "Yes. But I'd feel like a cad if I didn't do it in person."

  "I understand." Now came the flicker of remorse. "Will she be devastated?"

  Only Gaby would feel sympathy for a woman she didn't even know-one who, until now, had been heralded by the newspapers as the woman in Bryce's life, his obvious and soon-to-be choice for a wife.

  More fools they.

  "No, sweetheart." Bryce's knuckles caressed Gaby's cheek. "Lucinda won't be devastated. Devastation is not something she'd experience-it's far too strong an emotion. She'll feel a trace of disappointment, perhaps a surge of surprise. Then she'll consider my decision, acknowledge its merit, and move on with her life. Besides," he added, with a rueful grin, "I suspect, considering my recent behavior, that she'll be secretly relieved at our parting. Judging from her comments regarding my affinity for Nevon Manor, my fondness for its unorthodox residents, I do believe she thinks I've gone mad."

  A cloud of sadness crossed Gaby's face. "That, of course, I can't condone. Still, I feel for the loneliness she's bound to endure."

  "I can promise you that Lucinda won't be lonely. She has a dozen suitors waiting in the wings, all of them eager to compete for her affections." Even as Bryce spoke, it startled him to realize how utterly detached he felt about a woman to whom he'd almost pledged his future. It just proved what a void he'd been existing in, how oblivious he'd been to his own needs.

  Until Gaby.

  "Lucinda is a charming and uncomplicated woman who knows just what she wants out of life," he concluded. "She's gracious, practical, and eventempered; she'll make the perfect wife and hostess for an equally uncomplicated man."

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  "But not for you."

  A definitive shake of his head. "No. Most definitely not for me."

  Gaby's smile was tinged with wonder. "In other words, she's unable to feel the music."

  "Neither the notes nor the melody," Bryce concurred. "Not now. Not ever."

  "I'm sorry for her."

  "I'm not. One doesn't miss so
mething one doesn't know exists." Bryce brushed Gaby's lips with his. "On the other hand, one is eternally grateful when one's heart is opened to music that has always lived inside him but has until now gone unheard."

  "Bryce-"

  "Enough about Lucinda," he murmured, capturing Gaby's protest with his mouth. "Our parting will be quite civil, I promise you. After which I'll be leaving the old Bryce Lyndley behind-not my work or my causes but the hollow shell of a man who existed a fortnight ago." Another kiss, this one deeper, more fervent. "And when I return, I'm going to have a very important question to ask you."

  Tears welled up in Gaby's eyes, trickled down her cheeks. "Really?" she whispered. "What a coincidence. I'm going to have an equally important answer to give you."

  "Gaby . . ." Bryce tugged her against him, his thumbs capturing her tears, wiping them away. "God, I don't want to leave you even for a day. What I'm feeling . . ." He gazed deep into her eyes-exquisite, damp pools of cornflower blue. "It's unimaginable, overpowering. It's humbling, especially for a man who's never believed such feelings were possible, never believed such constants existed."

  "Say the words," Gaby breathed, twining her arms around Bryce's neck. "Please, Bryce. I need to hear them."

  "I love you." He tangled his hands in her hair, covered her mouth with his. "With every fragment of

  my newly discovered heart, I love you. With all the music you've awakened in my soul, I love you."

  "And I love you," she whispered. "So much."

  Their kiss was heated, consuming, a bottomless wealth of emotion mixed with a burgeoning, spiraling passion. Gaby pressed as close as she could, shivering with pleasure when Bryce pulled her onto his lap, molded her body to his as he devoured her mouth in a series of hot, drugging kisses. She slid her hands inside his coat, savored the warmth of his skin through his shirt, and thrilled to the sensation of his heartbeat as it accelerated, slamming against hers.

  "Gaby . . ." Bryce shifted, tumbled them both to the grass, then stretched out full length beside her, fitting her body to his. "I want you so much," he muttered, wrapping her fiercely in his arms. "So damn much." He kissed her mouth, the pulse beating frantically at her neck, the scented hollow of her throat, threading his fingers through her hair and savoring every inch of her exposed skin.

  "Ummm." Gaby's eyes slid closed, her body vitally alive, her senses swimming with discovery. She was keenly aware of the cool grass beneath her, the warmth of the sun above, but mostly of Bryce, Brycehis hands cradling her head, his mouth claiming her purposefully, possessing every inch it touched.

  With a painful effort, he rose up, propped himself on his elbows. "One minute more," he managed, his breathing harsh, uneven, "and I'm going to forgo every bloody principle I possess and make love to you right here, right now."

  "That sounds exhilarating," Gaby murmured, opening her eyes to see his handsome face taut with the struggle for restraint. "Let's abandon your principles." She wrapped her arms about his neck, tugged him toward her.

  "No. Let's not." Bryce caught her arms, gently disentangled them, kissing her palms as he lowered them to her sides. "When I make love to you, it's

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  going to be for hours, without the inhibiting worries of discovery and previous entanglements and pressing departures for London. It's going to be everything you deserve, everything I want for you." A muscle worked in his jaw. "Everything I never knew existed but am blessed enough to have discovered."

  Gaby kissed him ever so tenderly. "For a practical barrister who's governed strictly by logic, you've turned out to be an impossible romantic."

  "True." Bryce's eyes twinkled, and he hoisted himself to his feet, tugging Gaby up beside him. "Appalling, isn't it?"

  "Intolerable." She brushed blades of grass from her gown. "A most inopportune time for you to step out of character." A dazzling smile. "Then again, not completely out of character. Your principles still govern all else."

  "I think not." Bryce caught Gaby's shoulders, drew her back into his arms. "In fact, I think when I return we'll need to review some of those places you mentioned where couples go to be alone."

  Gaby giggled. "I'll take copious notes while you're gone."

  "Do that." He tipped up her chin. "I'll miss you." "I hate saying good-bye to you," she answered fiercely, all traces of humor gone.

  The sound of the carriage horses, stamping about impatiently, drifted to their ears.

  "Go," Gaby said firmly, countering her previous admission as she saw the indecision warring on

  Bryce's face. "Do what you must. I'll be fine-I

  promise."

  "And I'll be back tomorrow-I promise."

  She laid her palm against his jaw. "I know you will. This time for good."

  Bryce captured her palm, pressed it to his heart as he leaned forward to kiss her. "I love you, Wonderland."

  Then he turned and was gone.

  Gaby stood utterly still, gazing after him for a long trancelike moment. Then she strolled over to a solitary oak, leaning against its solid strength and peering through the grove of trees that overlooked the drive. She brushed a windblown tress from her face, watching as Bryce said his good-byes, climbed into his carriage, and urged the horses into motion.

  It wasn't until his carriage had disappeared from view and the sounds of the horses were no longer audible that she reacted.

  Jolting upright, Gaby touched her fingers to her lips, the enormity of what had just happened striking home in a rush.

  "Aunt Hermione," she breathed, taking a reflexive step in the direction of the manor. "Aunt Hermione!" This time it was a shout, as Gaby gathered up her skirts and made a mad dash for the door.

  She burst into the house like a cyclone, nearly knocking Chaunce down in the process. "Aunt Hermione!"

  Her aunt hurried out from the drawing room, moving as quickly as her limbs would allow. Her eyes widened in astonishment as she took in Gaby's rumpled state and noted Chaunce's skillful attempt to regain his balance. "Darling? What is it?"

  With an apologetic squeeze of Chaunce's arm, Gaby flung her arms around her aunt. "He loves me," she breathed, joy rippling through every word. "Oh, Aunt Hermione, he loves me. He told me so."

  Hermione's hands trembled as they stroked her niece's hair, and-over Gaby's shoulder-she and Chaunce exchanged a joyous and triumphant glance.

  "Oh, Gaby, how wonderful," she murmured. "I'm so very, very happy for you." She held Gaby away, her lips twitching as she assessed the telltale signs of Bryce's declaration. "I assume you heard this splendid news during your stroll?" she inquired, plucking several blades of grass from Gaby's gown.

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  Gaby was far too excited to be embarrassed. "Yes. And, Aunt Hermione, that's not all. Bryce also said that when he returns from London he'll have an important question to ask me."

  This time tears welled up in Hermione's eyes. "Oh, Chaunce, did you hear that?"

  "I did indeed, madam." Chaunce cleared his throat. "And it appears that important question isn't coming a moment too soon."

  Hearing the protective note in Chaunce's tone, Gaby glanced down at herself, blushing as she realized how obvious it was that she'd been in Bryce's arms. "Thank you, Chaunce," she said softly, her expression tender. "Thank you for always worrying about me. But I assure you that Bryce is the most honorable person in the world." A twinkle. "More honorable than I am."

  A flush crept up Chaunce's neck. "I'm relieved to hear that, Miss Gaby."

  "Ah, now it makes sense," Hermione realized aloud, paying little attention to Chaunce's puritanical concerns. "When Bryce said he had other business to attend to, I'll venture a guess that he meant severing his ties to that ice maiden."

  "Aunt Hermione!" Gaby began to laugh. "That's a dreadful thing to say about Miss Talbot."

  "It's not dreadful, it's true. She was wrong for him from the start-as were all of her many predecessors. Only you could awaken Bryce's soul, permeate that self-pr
otective wall he's built around himself since childhood. Just as I anticipated, as I've always known in here." She patted her chest where her heart was located, then clapped her hands with glee. "Oh, this is the most glorious news!"

  "Bryce does intend to end his liaison with Miss Talbot," Gaby confirmed. "He feels strongly about closing that chapter on his old life in an honorable way before beginning his new ..." Gaby broke off,

  inclining her head in puzzlement. "What do you mean, just as you anticipated? You sound as if you planned this whole thing."

  "I?" Hermione's brows arched in innocent surprise. "Don't be silly, darling. How on earth could I possibly have planned for two people to fall in love? Only fate can do that."

  "True, but then why did you say-"

  "Pardon me, my lady, but it's time for your medicine," Chaunce interrupted. "Might I suggest you go upstairs and I'll bring it to you?"

  "Of course. Thank you, Chaunce." Hermione gave him a sunny smile. "As always, you're indispensable."

  "I'll walk you up," Gaby offered.

  "Excellent, my dear." Hermione took Gaby's arm, moved toward the stairs. "This way you and I can have a splendid woman-to-woman chat while Chaunce fetches my medicine."

  "That sounds perfect."

  Chaunce gazed after them, waiting patiently as Gaby and Hermione ascended the stairs, rounded the second-floor landing, and disappeared from view.

  Then he allowed himself one brief self-congratulatory moment, chuckling aloud and rubbing his palms together in exultation. Abruptly he remembered himself, squelching his ear-to-ear grin and clasping his hands behind his back before hastening off to fetch the lemon water from the pantry.

  Just inside the sitting room, Marion flattened herself against the wall so as not to be seen, pressing her forefinger to her lips to remind the others to stay quiet. Then, she ruffled Jane and Lily's heads and gave Peter, Henry, and Charles a proud nod before turning to Mrs. Gordon and the rest of the female staff.