Flame of Fury

by Sharon Green

  His negligence and the arm of a skinny boy. Bryan growled deep in his throat as he touched his head again, beginning to look forward to running into that boy again. He'd take him into his service, all right, but first he would take him to the stables for a good switching. He had the feeling it would take at least that to get the boy to respect him, that and some very careful handling.

  "We won't be mentioning this attack to Mr. Harding or anyone else," Bryan informed the driver as he got slowly to his feet. "We'll say there was a tree down which was half on the road on my property, and when we went to move it out of the way of the coach I was caught by one of the branches. Is that clear?"

  "Yes, sor," the driver answered at once, his expression showing he understood none of what he'd been told, but would still do as he'd been ordered. "A branch on a tree on yer own property."

  "Exactly right," Bryan commended him, then bent carefully for his sword. The first boy's blood was still on one of its edges, so he pulled out his handkerchief to wipe the sword clean, quickly resheathed it, then put the handkerchief to his head. Blood mingled with blood to disguise the fact that someone else had been hurt, and then Bryan was able to climb back into the coach. As soon as he had the preliminaries with Harding taken care of, he would start his own people on a search of the neighborhood. A boy with golden-red hair shouldn't be too hard to find, and once he had the first he would have the other two as well.

  But before that he had business with Harding and his innocent bystander of a daughter.

  Chapter 3

  Rianne looked at herself in the mirror with very little enthusiasm, and that despite the oohing and aahing of her maid. Her gown was beautiful, a pale-green silk trimmed with golden lace and daringly low-cut, but no gown would have pleased her right then. She was still too worried about Angus despite the fact that Cam swore he would be fine, and too annoyed over the way her stepfather had behaved. She'd taken supper in her rooms with the intention of also skipping the ball, but he'd had the nerve to insist she attend. Her mother would have expected it of her, he'd blandly pointed out…

  "Damn him for using that against me," she whispered to herself, hating the fact that they both knew he was right. Her mother would have been there for her guests even if she'd been ill, and technically those people in the house were Rianne's guests. Worried or not she couldn't betray her mother's memory, but she swore to herself that this was the first and last time. Letting Robert Harding take over her life the way he'd taken over her mother's was not going to happen, not even if he threatened her. As soon as Angus was able to ride they would be gone from there, and her stepfather would never be a problem for her again.

  The thought of leaving made her feel a good deal better, so much so that she was able to summon a smile as she left her rooms. She'd been exhausted enough to sleep for a while when she'd finally gotten back after helping with Angus's wound, and she'd eaten enough to satisfy the feeble appetite she'd had. Now she would play hostess for a little while, mingle with her guests, then retire with a headache. Cam was spending the night in the cave with Angus, but she wanted to be there as well.

  Strains of music floated up to her as she descended the wide stairs, but rather than put Rianne in a festive mood it depressed her. She could still remember the parties they'd had when she was a little girl, happy parties with kind, happy people. But then her father was killed in that hunting accident, and after a proper period of mourning her mother was introduced to Robert Harding. Her mother had married the man because of the pressure brought to bear by some of the people who supposedly cared about her, but she had never stopped mourning her first husband. When she'd finally had enough and stopped caring about life, she went to join her beloved husband. Rianne sometimes wondered whether her mother realized she was leaving a young daughter behind all alone…

  "Ah, there you are, my dear," Jean Rochard's voice came, and then he was putting her arm through his own. "Do allow me to escort you. You are without doubt the most beautiful woman here, and every man in the house will envy me. Why, just think how blissfully happy I would be if you were to agree to making the arrangement permanent."

  Rianne smiled faintly and let Jean's words float past her as they entered the ballroom, and then the rest of her suitors were there, clustering around. It was fascinating how not one of them was interested in her for herself, not one who would think about her before themselves. All the men she was allowed to know were like that except for her adopted brothers, but once she escaped to the colonies…

  "As I've already said, I'm delighted we needn't delay business because of your unfortunate accident," Harding told Bryan with one of his insincere smiles when they paused for a moment between groups of people. Harding had been introducing him to the other guests, and had all but preened in front of the women. He obviously considered himself a ladies' man, and some of the women had apparently agreed. "Are you certain you're feeling recovered?" he added.

  "Completely recovered," Bryan assured him as he glanced around. The works of art they'd passed on the way to the ballroom had been magnificent, as was the ballroom itself. Someone had excellent taste, but he doubted the someone was Harding. "Resting before dinner made me good as new, and I admit to feeling disappointed that your daughter didn't join us for the meal."

  "She was feeling faint and so took a tray in her rooms," Harding answered quickly with another of those smiles. "She will, however, attend the ball, so no more than a small amount of time was lost. Introductions can be made and then on to business."

  Bryan nodded absently as they moved around the ballroom, privately wondering why Harding was in such a hurry. Time was clearly on his mind, rush and hurry, hurry and rush. His daughter's feeling "faint" had nearly enraged him, giving Bryan the impression that "stubborn" would have been a better word. She hadn't felt like coming down to dinner, and so she hadn't. If she failed to put in an appearance at the ball as well, Bryan intended suggesting they go and visit her in her rooms. He needed that girl to make his plan work, so he wasn't about to let her get away with a fit of temper.

  "Ah, there she is," Harding exclaimed, looking across the very large room. "There in the green and gold gown."

  Bryan looked in the direction Harding was facing, trying to see through the crowd. Everyone in the neighborhood was attending the ball, along with a surprisingly large contingent from London society. The crystal chandeliers gleamed with the candlelight, the orchestra played with smooth perfection, fortunes in jewels and gowns were displayed by the ladies -

  And then Bryan felt as though he'd been hit again with a rock. The girl his searching gaze had found was stunning, completely captivating even from that distance. Tall and graceful with an incredible figure, her manner of ignoring the men around her apparently only inflaming their interest. She toyed with them even as she let them follow her, and they crowded close like lap dogs, eager for the least pat on the head.

  But there was also something else about her, something beyond mere looks. Bryan had met many beautiful women in his life, but none of them had impressed him in quite the same way. Was it her manner of tossing her head, as if rejecting something stupid being told to her? The steadiness of her gaze, which clearly made the men around her uncomfortable? Possibly it was the way she held herself, as though silently announcing to the world that she was more than just another beautiful woman. Whichever, it was definitely something Bryan hadn't been expecting.

  "Let's make our way over there and I'll introduce you." Harding interrupted his thoughts with a touch to his arm. "And you can see now that I wasn't exaggerating about her beauty."

  "You certainly weren't," Bryan admitted, letting Harding believe it was only her looks that had impressed him. And in point of fact, it made very little difference. No matter how attractive the girl was, he wasn't really there looking for a wife. Possibly if things had been other than what they were - but they weren't, so what was the sense in thinking about it?

  Despite that very sound decision, as the two of them made their
way across the ballroom Bryan couldn't keep from staring at the girl who would soon be his temporary wife. The closer he got the more beautiful she became, with her flawless, pink-tinged complexion, eyes of flashing green, and full, beautifully formed lips. And that hair! A glorious crown of golden-red, done up with jewels and pearls and all the rest of that nonsense. Bryan would much rather have seen it flowing free below her perfect shoulders and neck -

  No, stop that! he scolded himself. Can't you remember you're here on business? She's nothing more than your means to reach Harding, nothing more than just another woman… just another innocent, helpless, beautiful woman…

  By the time they reached the girl, she stood talking to two older ladies who had chased away the gaggle of men who had surrounded her. Most of the men seemed to have used the opportunity to go searching for refreshments, and the ladies themselves moved off just as Bryan and Harding arrived. Bryan was strangely pleased that the girl's lapdogs were momentarily elsewhere, and then Harding stopped beside her and spoke.

  "Rianne, my child, there's someone here I'd like you to meet," he said, and Bryan heard tension in the man's voice. "My dear, this is our newest neighbor, Mr. Bryan Machlin, who will be our guest for a short while. Bryan, may I present my daughter, Rianne Lockwood."

  "My lady, I'm honored," Bryan found himself saying with a bow, not at all what he'd intended. He suddenly felt like a schoolboy attending his first important social function, which was completely ridiculous.

  "Mr. Machlin," the girl acknowledged with a regal nod of her head. "So you're new to our neighborhood. How do you like it so far?"

  "I find the beauty of the area extremely compelling," Bryan answered with a smile as he drowned in incredible green eyes. "If I'd known about it sooner, I wouldn't have waited this long to move here. "

  "Yes, our forests and hillsides are rather lovely," she agreed dryly. "You're not the only one to think so."

  "I would be very surprised if I were," he returned, charmed with the way she held him to a discussion of landscape. She knew his comments referred to her, but he was the one who had first mentioned scenery, so she would continue with it. "And your forests and hillsides aren't the only lovely things in the neighborhood," he added, conceding her the victory. "I'd heard the country produced breathtaking ladies as well, but never believed it until just a moment ago."

  "When you saw the ladies I was just speaking to," she said with a nod, again interpreting his comment in her own way. "How very gallant you are, Mr. Machlin. Would you like me to introduce you to them? I'm sure they would be delighted to meet you."

  Bryan opened his mouth, but couldn't seem to find any words to speak. The two women she'd been talking to were blurs in his memory, except for the fact that they were older ladies. He hadn't the least desire to meet them, but how was he supposed to say that without sounding like a boor? It looked like the beautiful minx had him trapped, but then he was visited with inspiration.

  "I can see there's no use in denying the truth you've already noticed," he said with a sigh meant to suggest defeat. "I do, however, ask the favor of your discretion. I'm certainly not good enough for either of those ladies, and meeting them would only add to my painful embarrassment. May we keep the truth between ourselves alone? I somehow feet you'll keep my dark and terrible secret."

  She glanced around then, seeing, as Bryan already had, that Harding was engaged in conversation with some people a few feet away. She was the only one who knew his supposed secret, and now she was the one who had to keep from looking boorish.

  "People with dark and terrible secrets shouldn't rely on others to keep those secrets," she said at last, apparently amused in spite of herself. "What would happen if I forgot myself and blurted it out? I'd feel awful, but the damage would be done."

  "Why, then I'd be left with no choice," he answered, producing another of those weary sighs. "I'd have to forget about being a gentleman, and lie like a rogue. I'd tell the ladies it was really you who had me enchanted, and although they would probably find that hard to believe, I'd have to continue to insist on it. Coward that I am, I'd find it impossible to acknowledge my real interest."

  By then she was obviously trying very hard not to grin or laugh aloud, and Bryan was delighted. The silly little game they were playing was unlike anything he'd ever engaged in with a woman, which certainly had to be what was wrong with other women. He'd just told this gorgeous girl that no one would believe she was attractive enough for him to be interested in her, and she considered the suggestion funny! How many other beautiful women would react the same? Not many, if any at all.

  "It's strange that a man of your appearance would be so unsure of himself," she said as soon as she had control of her amusement. "And I find it difficult to believe that you really are a coward. What you probably need is the support of a good woman, which you might very well find with at least one of those ladies. My advice would be to trust in yourself and them, and make the effort to approach them. You could very well be surprised with the result."

  "It seems to be time to make another admission," Bryan said, now pretending to be embarrassed. "I'm very much afraid of surprises, and have even been known to hide under a bed to avoid one. You don't want to force me into hiding under a bed again, do you?"

  "That would be something I'd have to see," she said with a sudden laugh, no longer able to keep to the silliness. "It certainly isn't something I can picture. You would - "

  "Rianne, do excuse this interruption," a male voice said, and then the girl's collection of lapdog admirers was there again. "We saw that the ladies had finished having a private word with you, so we came back. Is this someone new visiting your father?"

  "Yes, Jean, it is someone visiting my father," the girl answered in a strange voice, as though struck with a revelation that banished all amusement. She then went on to introduce the newcomer to the gaggle, but the newcomer was too busy fuming to pay much attention. If those idiots hadn't interrupted, Bryan would still be enjoying the girl's conversation. He felt robbed of something valuable, and had to fight to keep the feeling out of his expression.

  "Whatever have you done to your head, Machlin?" the one introduced as Jean Rochard asked lazily. "A disagreement with an unseen door, perhaps? I certainly would hesitate to suggest an unseen husband."

  Bryan's jaw tightened as the gaggle laughed in amusement, all of them knowing he couldn't make a fuss over the allegation without making it seem true. The girl didn't join in the general laughter, but suddenly there was a gleam in her eye unlike anything he'd seen while they talked.

  "Perhaps Mr. Machlin fell from his - horse," she drawled, bringing laughter to the group again. Her slight hesitation before the word "horse" suggested it might be his own clumsy feet that he'd fallen from. Bryan found himself speechless at that, not to mention incredibly hurt. What could have happened in the space of a single minute that would have changed her so completely? Now she was laughing at him rather than with him, and the difference was painful.

  "I really do think we've taken up enough of your time, Mr. Machlin," she said once the laughter stopped. "I'm sure there are any number of people in this room who haven't yet made your acquaintance, so you'd better return to the round of introductions. I do hope you enjoy the rest of your stay."

  With that she all but turned her back on him, giving the man Rochard her complete attention. Bryan just stood there, finding it impossible to believe he'd been dismissed like that, feeling horribly humiliated at the smirks being sent to him by some members of the gaggle. The rest were following the girl's lead and ignoring him, very pointedly and very obviously. At last Bryan forced himself to turn and stalk away, his mood black enough to shrivel plant life at a dozen paces.

  "What an incredible boor," Jean commented to Rianne, looking over her shoulder. "Apparently he isn't even bright enough to know what to do when he's dismissed. I thought he'd never leave - "

  Rianne turned back to watch Bryan Machlin stomp away, an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach
. It was unbelievable that she'd actually forgotten who and what he was, even though it had been her stepfather who had introduced him to her. She'd expected the man to be at the ball and had therefore decided to be cool and distant if they met, but something had happened to ruin her intention. He was so very handsome in dark-gray brocade and white silk shirt and cravat, his silver knee and shoe buckles gleaming in the candlelight. One distant word had led to another, and before she realized it they were sharing a silly pretense that not another man she'd ever met would be capable of. Rather than mouthing a lot of meaningless compliments, he'd even gone so far as to pretend she wasn't attractive at all. It had been great fun, completely unexpected -

  And then Jean had come over to remind her exactly who she was laughing with. The man wasn't only a friend of her stepfather's, he was also the brute who had wounded Angus. She'd felt immediately ashamed of herself then, to behave like that with the man who'd hurt her brother, and when the opportunity came to hurt the man in return, she'd taken it without stopping to think. It was ridiculous to feel that maybe she shouldn't have done it; feeling like that would be disloyal to Angus, and she could never be disloyal. No, she wasn't bothered by what she'd done, she wouldn't let herself be.

  Besides, the man would probably get over it in no time…

  "Machlin, please, let me speak to you," Bryan heard as he reached the hall. Harding was hurrying after him, but hadn't had much luck in catching up. He sounded as though he'd overheard the last of what his stepdaughter had said, and once Bryan stopped to wait, the guess was proven correct.

  "Machlin, let me apologize for my daughter's behavior," Harding jittered as soon as he faced the bigger man. "Her actions were reprehensible, but surely you won't allow that to keep you from finalizing our agreement. With everything that's involved - "