by Glenda Diana
Roger was so startled by her action he almost dropped the cup. Blake took the cup from his shaking hands. Roger's weary eyes looked at the crown of red hair resting against him. He did not know what to make of the woman. Certainly not the way she took charge nor her concern for him. She was lovely. Who would've thought a blackguard like Lynwood could have produced such a vision? His thoughts came to a halt when the chit raised her head.
Thorton glanced into his blue eyes and smiled at his look of confusion. “Your chest is getting well already.” Dipping her fingers into the jar of salve, she applied more to his chest. “You need a warm bed, lots of rest and plenty of food. I swear, you're nothing but bones.”
Rising, she turned to Griggs and instructed him to have a chamber prepared for Roger, one that was toasty-warm. Before he could leave, she repeated her orders three times. “And have some warm food prepared for him.”
Griggs turned to face her. “Yes, Milady. Does Madame want me to leave now ... or do you have more shouts you wish to issue?” he asked in his normally bored tone.
“I do not shout,” Thorton replied softly. “It's very unkind of you to jest at a time like this.”
“Of course, Milady. I shall refrain until later.” Griggs bowed and left the room.
Thorton could hear his laughter echo from the hallway. How could one possibly think of jesting now? She helped Blake's father to his feet, smiling sweetly when he didn't smack her hand.
“I've got my own room,” Roger grumbled as she led him from the drawing room.
“You have to be where it's warm,” Thorton replied. She turned to frown at Blake. “Are you coming? I need you to take his other arm and help me get him upstairs.”
“I ain't no cripple. I can walk by myself,” Roger muttered. “I've been walking up and down these stairs for more than fifty years.”
“Of course. But, you shouldn't overexert your body. In a few days you will feel like new. I will make sure you have my tea four times a day and the salve will be applied three times a day.”
It was hard for Blake to believe the feeble old man he was assisting up the stairs was the same man who had stormed into the drawing room not more than an hour ago. His father had been furious to find out Lynwood's daughter had arrived and that no one had notified him.
At first, Blake thought his sire would bodily hurt Thorton when they came face-to-face in the doorway. But to watch them slapping at each other, to hear the taunting words they tossed back and forth, and to see the way she had tenderly administered to his illness was baffling. Why would a Lynwood help a Bradley?
He never would have thought his sire could be so melodramatic. He especially liked the scene where his father thought himself dying. Blake wasn't sure if he should laugh over the incident or if he should order him to stop acting like some dithering fool.
He wasn't sure what had caused the sudden change in his father. It could have been the way Thorton argued with him or the way she had ripped away his shirt. Perhaps, it was when she laid her head against his chest; the old man had definitely looked dumbstruck at that moment.
One thing was certain; Roger Bradley had had a change of heart. Maybe, she was a witch? Blake thought, listening to her as she instructed his father on what he could and could not do. She had some form of magic in order to change Roger's opinion of her.
Blake's thoughts returned unbidden to the night before. He had obviously drunk too much; well, that was the excuse he had given himself. At least until he had seen her again this morning. The drink might have loosened his resolve, but it had not led to the seductive scrimmage they had played on the library floor ... and that was exactly what it had been. If Griggs had not interrupted them...
Hell, it did no good to speculate what might have happened. Had Miss Thorton Lynwood changed his opinion, too? He was not sure how to answer that ... or if he should even try.
His mind snapped back to the present when he saw the room Griggs had prepared. It had been many a year since Roger had slept in this room. Blake glanced at his father and almost decided to strangle Griggs then and there.
Roger's eyes misted as he glanced around the room. All the nights he had shared with his Ann came flooding back to him. After her death he took to the upper floor, and that was where he had planned on spending the remainder of his life ... until now.
His blue eyes turned to the girl who had done this to him. She was not at all like he'd expected. He wanted to hate her, and thought he might have mentioned that as she pulled him up the stairs. Her only reply was that he could hate her all he wanted once his health was in full force. For fifteen years he had built a mental picture of what she would look and be like. She was neither withered nor ugly.
As soon as Roger seated himself on the freshly made bed, Thorton reached for him. “Don't be taking off my shoes. Griggs can do it,” he muttered, pulling away his foot and scooting across the bed, well out of her reach.
“I'm most honored,” Griggs stated, coming around the bed. “Just what I had hoped to do, sir. How I have dearly missed this particular chore through the years.”
“Keep your scathing sense of humor to yourself. I'm sick. Didn't you hear the chit? I'm supposed to get plenty of rest. How can I when you won't give me peace?”
“I will not permit you to upset Lord Bradley, Griggs,” Thorton stated, interrupting Griggs’ reply. “He needs rest, not antagonism.”
“Yes, Milady.”
Roger didn't bother to hide his laughter, but it died quickly when Thorton pushed past Griggs and headed straight for him, her hands outstretched toward his foot. Again he scooted across the bed. “Haven't you got something else to do?”
“As a matter of fact, she does,” Blake answered. “Did you send for the priest, Griggs?”
“He'll be here at one this afternoon.”
Thorton stopped in her pursuit of Roger. Her eyes widened as her gaze went from Blake to Griggs. She blushed as comprehension dawned on her. How could she have forgotten? This was her wedding day.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. A fluttering began deep inside her belly, like a thousand butterflies set loose to dance to the frantic rhythm of her heart. The quiver ceased the moment she opened her eyes and met those of Roger's. Immediately she started shaking her head.
Blake countered her action by nodding. What began as a soft rumble soon filled the room. He was the one who had declared he did not want marriage, yet his gesture now stated a different opinion. He knew it yesterday, when he had first laid eyes on this woman, that the little she-devil would drive him insane. He was right.
Roger and Griggs looked at one another, then turned startled eyes back to Blake. How many years had it been since they had last heard the sound of his laughter? Before the war? No. Since the death of his mother. What a joyous sound it was to both men's ears. A sound they had never thought to hear again.
“We can't marry today,” Thorton whispered, trying her best not to look disappointed. “Your father is sick. He'll miss the ceremony.”
Blake stepped to her side. He grasped her hand and began tugging her toward the door. “My father did not wish to attend anyway.”
Thorton's gasp almost felled her. Pulling free of Blake's hold, she turned to face the elder Bradley. Her wounded gaze ran over the man who was now propped up by a mound of pillows. She had nursed him, had taken the time to pamper him, yet he didn't wish to see their wedding. Granted, she had to fight him in order to accomplish those feats, but still it was done with only his best interest at heart. This was how he repaid her?
Thorton raised her chin in retaliation. They could all curse her Lynwood name until their dying days, but even a Lynwood knew how to show manners and respect when the situation warranted. Never had she met a family such as this. They were the rudest bunch of misbegottens she had ever had the misfortune to come across. They could all go to blazes. With that thought firmly in mind, she spun around and tried to sidestep Blake.
“Wait a minute, girl,” Roger blurted out.
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Thorton was gracious enough to stop and glance over her shoulder. She would not let them see how deeply they had hurt her. Fighting back the prickle of tears, she mentally prepared herself for another battle. Within a year's time she would probably welcome a separation from this nasty, boorish clan.
“We could have it done in here.” Roger blushed when the expression of astonishment covered Thorton's face. Then he realized just what he had offered. He dropped his head to his hands. What was he saying? He wanted the chit to flee, not marry his son. So, the wench hadn't poisoned him; instead, her brew had made him lose what little mind he had left.
Roger raised his head to glare at her. Thorton smiled brightly back at him.
“Now, wait,” he sputtered. “What I meant to say...” Thorton started walking his way. There was a shimmering gleam in her eyes, a gleam that seemed to brighten her whole face, a gleam that made his breath catch.
She laughed. “Too late. You can't take back your offer.”
Even though Roger did his best to move out of her grasp, he didn't move fast enough. Thorton enveloped him in a gentle hug. He kept his gaze from straying toward Blake. Blast and damn, what had he done? The sweet smell of her was like a fresh breeze blowing through his musty soul. Cleansing and restoring him.
“Damn,” he muttered with a groan of defeat.
* * * *
Roger's room was filled with flowers. The gentle breeze and the soft chirping of birds outside the window was their music. Anticipation and excitement seemed to hum through the small gathering. Through the mist of phantasm, Thorton saw it all. Then like the dawning of a new day, reality came like the morning sun to evaporate the nighttime dew, diminishing the haze of darkness where she had lived most of her life.
Gingerly, she stepped through the portal of mythical enchantment to the solid world of validity. Instead of the mystic wonders she envisioned, the sight that greeted her unsuspecting eyes could only be called ... disheartening.
Roger lay upon his massive bed, his head rolled to the side, and the sound of snoring came from him. Griggs was positioning ‘their guests'-the household staff-where he thought they should stand. Thorton smiled as she watched him. With each move and countermove he made, it was like he was playing a life-size game of chess.
Her gaze moved over the staff, wondering which was supposed to be the Archbishop and which were the Queen and King. Oh, she had a good idea what part she played in this game. She was the pawn. It was upon her that her father's sin would be laid to rest.
Blake wasn't hard to miss. His broad frame blocked out a fair amount of the afternoon sun as he stood looking out the window. She didn't have to see his face to know that, more than likely, his usual scowl would be in place.
She could feel his stubbornness and arrogance reach out to her; she knew when he faced her he would have his standoffish mien cloaked around him like a shield. She let her gaze move down his back, noting his stiff stance and the clenched fist hanging at his side. Obviously, he was having deep, disquieting thoughts.
Her groom was dressed all in black. She wasn't sure if he had chosen to wear black because it made him look so handsome, or if he was making a silent statement of how he perceived the forthcoming vows.
“Have I told you how beautiful you are?” Lucas whispered. He patted her hand that rested upon his arm.
Thorton jumped slightly at the sound of his deep voice. Good Lord, how could she have forgotten his presence? She smiled at her guardian and escort as she self-consciously ran a nervous hand down her pearl-white gown.
“To tell the truth, I'm scared to death, Luc. I know, I'm being silly. I keep thinking about all my plans and this is where it all starts.”
“I'll be here for you.” His gaze met that of Baron Blake Bradley. “Chin up, here comes the over-exuberant groom. It's not too late to forget this and go home.”
Shaking her head, Thorton took a deep breath before glancing toward Blake. She wasn't disappointed; the Baron looked as forbidding and as ruthless as he had yesterday when storming into the library. “It's way too late, Luc.”
Blake gave Lucas a dismissive glance before turning his attention back to her. The burning embers she saw within the ebony depths seemed to call to her. Then his eyelids flickered, vanquishing the fire.
She recognized Blake's shield of protection. A smile tugged at her lips as Thorton removed her hand from Lucas’ arm and took the needed steps that brought her toe to toe with the ill-tempered man who would soon be her husband.”
“I'm giving fair warning this time, Baron, for the simple reason I don't want my honesty to shock you.” Her words came out soft and clear. Her topaz eyes stared steadily at him. “You, sir, look exceedingly handsome.”
The expression on his face changed to a look of astonishment. Thorton smiled at her small victory. Those few honest words had certainly taken care of his arrogance, for a few seconds anyway. She knew, without a doubt, it would soon reappear.
Blake's heart jumped at her radiant smile. The little witch was again casting her magic. “Come, Madame. It's time to pay our dues.”
Those words rang in Thorton's ears throughout the ceremony. He had made it sound like they were answering a death toll, as if their vows were some ancient dark incantation.
As soon as they were pronounced man and wife, Griggs ushered the servants out of the room. Lucas stepped forward to grudgingly shake Blake's hand and give his grunt of approval.
During the sermon Thorton had stolen timid glances at Blake. It was obvious he felt trapped, but so did she. He stood as still as a marble statue. When the time came for him to kiss her, she had prepared herself for another of his smoldering kisses. Instead of smoldering, all she got was a quick peck on the cheek. Oh, she was onto his ways now. He was waiting for a reaction. He deserved to be kicked. Two could play his game. Did he not learn that last night? But she would not lower herself to his level.
Blake wanted to laugh as Thorton raised her haughty chin. She was acting like a spoiled brat. The blasted woman should be thrilled. She had gotten what she'd come for. Was she not now the Baroness of Stonecrest? “Excuse me, I have several things I must see to,” he announced. “I will see you at supper.”
Thorton watched in stunned silence as he left the room. That was it? Well, what had she expected? A declaration? Certainly not! But he could have at least said something, or have given her another one of those stingy pecks on the cheek.
“You want me to go after him?” Lucas looked as though he was ready to murder someone with his bare hands.
Thorton knew who that someone was. “Thank you. But I'll decline your generous offer.”
“Just say the words and I'll drag back the bastard.”
“Again, I must decline.”
“Did you expect him to play the devoted groom?” Roger's voice cut across the room. “He married you, so be satisfied.” Thorton turned toward him. Roger watched as a soft blush covered her face and her eyes snapped with gold fire. God, what a lovely vision ... even if she was Robert Lynwood's chit. “He did as the contract stated. But nothing has changed. It'll be a frigid day in Hades before Blake forgets what consists between our families.”
“Thank you so much for reminding me.”
“Don't get snippy,” Roger huffed, his own cheeks heated. “It's not my fault if you thought the vows would change how he feels.”
“Thanks to you and my father,” Thorton snapped. “How ignorant you must think me. I will try my best not to make such an assumption again. But seeing as how you brought up the contract, shall you and I discuss exactly what happened to bring about this moment? I would love to hear how my father forced such a cruel fate upon a man like you.”
“Maybe later,” Roger stammered, dropping his gaze. “Have you forgotten? I need rest.”
“I haven't forgotten. Nor should you forget it was a Lynwood who saw to your comfort today.”
“Excuse me, Madame,” Griggs interrupted. “Should Cook set up your midday meal in the dining hall
?”
“That won't be necessary.”
“Get out, you old buzzard,” Roger grumbled. “I'm tired of your infernal scowling.”
“Wait, Griggs. Instead have Cook prepare two trays and have them brought up here to Lord Bradley's room. I can't let a sick man eat alone.”
“Now, see here! I'm not in the least bit hungry.”
“But you must eat. As your nurse, it's my duty to see you get your nourishment.”
“I'll eat when I'm ready,” he mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.
“If you don't eat, that means I have to bring out my medicine jars. I do believe I have something that increases the appetite. Of course ... it also is used to purge the system.”
“Did I not say you were a wolf?”
Thorton laughed. “And did I not say you were Satan? Now, will you behave like an adult or do I have to use childish methods to get your cooperation?”
“Cooperation in what?”
“In having lunch with me.”
“Is that all?”
“Rest easy, Lord Bradley. I want nothing from you. In fact, if you're a good boy, I'll tell you a story.”
Griggs’ crackle of laughter filled the room. “I shall personally see to the trays, Milady,” he said over his shoulder as he walked out of the room.
Lucas tried to hide his smile and knew he failed when Lord Bradley cast a fierce frown at him. “If you'll excuse me, I think I'll see about my own lunch.”
Making her way to Lucas’ side, Thorton took his hand. “Later, I would like to talk to you. There are things we need to discuss.”
“I'll see you in a couple of hours.”
“Perfect. And Lucas, thank you for being here today. Having you at my side has always given me strength.”
“Where else would I be other than at your side?”
Thorton's eyes welled up with tears.
“Here now, none of that,” he ordered gruffly. “Show these Bradleys just what stern stuff you're made of. Don't let them beat you down. Should you decide you've made a mistake, just let me know and we'll go.”
