The Other Brother

by Jessica Steele

  'Across the road with you?' she choked, trying to take in what he had said, that friends and relatives were across the road. And recalling she had parked her car across the road, across the road by the . . . 'But it's a—a church over there,' came croakily from her.

  'It is,' he agreed, taking in the shock that took her, his

  voice gentle as he went on, 'Whether you come with me or not, Kathryn—and from the bottom of my heart I hope you will—I shall have to go. But I hope very much I shall not have to go and explain that my bride has decided to leave me at the altar.'

  'Bride?' Stunned, Kathryn was capable only of staring at him.

  'I have a special licence all ready,' he said. 'The ceremony is set for twelve o'clock.' And, never more sincere, 'If you want retribution for all the harm I've done you, Kathryn, you have it at your disposal.'

  Witlessly she gaped at him. The words, bride, special licence, twelve o'clock, were enough to have her brain patterns chaotic. That Nate had got all that arranged— their marriage—winded her so that she was capable only of sining and staring, until what else he had said started to filter through the gamut of her thoughts.

  'You mean . . .' she groped, fastening on the word retribution as her intelligence righted itself, 'You mean I could—that if. . .' It was all too much, but Nate was allowing her all the time she needed to give him her answer. 'You mean I could have my—retribution by—letting you go across to that ch-church by yourself. . .? That y-you'd sink your pride and allow me to—do that to you?'

  'I would,' he answered solemnly.

  But still her mind reeled. He had arranged for them to be married—now! But why? Even knowing how truly sorry he was for what he had done, she still couldn't take it in. That he meant what he said she couldn't doubt, but surely—he wouldn't have gone this far just for the sake of honour? Just for the sake of allowing her to score off him.

  'Why, Nate?' she asked, her voice becoming clearer as shock receded. 'It—It isn't just because you want to show me true remorse, is it?'

  Slowly he shook his head. "No, it isn't,' he agreed. Then

  his eyes left hers as he took a moment out to consult his watch.

  Kathryn followed his action. She saw for herself that minute hand was ticking steadily towards noon, but still she needed the answer to her question.

  'I was hoping to save the explanation for later,' Nate said, his eyes once more intent on hers. 'But I've wounded your trust too badly to expect you to come with me without question, haven't I?'

  The love she had for him would have had her going anywhere with him, but she couldn't deny that what he had done to her had not left her trust in him unaffected. And Nate seemed then not to need to have his question answered, for he was all understanding as he took up many more precious minutes as he started to explain, by beginning:

  'You too mentioned the word remorse. Remorse—contrition, I've been awash with it, am going to be plagued by it for a long time to come.' He smiled then as if to soften his next words. 'But by the end of last week I felt it was all used up. I'd put up with more from you than I thought I would ever put up with from any woman. But because I knew better than anyone the good reason you had, I've taken it—taken it when a time or two you have had me so furious I came near to the edge of blasting you.'

  Kathryn knew he was speaking the truth. She could clearly remember that day he had slammed back to his own office when it had looked as though he was about to explode and start slamming into her. And remembering some of the stinging remarks she had hurled at him, she couldn't help feeling a tinge of remorse herself.

  'Then last Friday,' he continued when he could see this was one time when she had nothing to come back with, 'last Friday when I asked you if I'd killed the love you once said you had for me . . .'

  She tried to pull her hand from his, wanted to run from

  him. But he wouldn't let her. He held firmly on to her hand, gathering up the other one so she was securely tethered, no chance of escape.

  ' .. . and I saw the answer there in your eyes. I knew you still felt the same way about me in spite of all I'd done. I knew it even before you came back and your eyes showed you'd been weeping. I knew then that if we were ever to get anywhere I should have to do something constructive about it.'

  Kathryn couldn't look at him any longer. Wrenching her eyes away, she stared numbly down at their hands. She had never felt so dreadful in her life as she drew on the little pride he had left her with.

  'You don't—you don't have to marry me just because you've found out I—care,' she said woodenly.

  And she knew she was going to come out of this second best when Nate let go one of her hands, ending any hope for clear thinking with what tattered remains she had left by putting his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close as he let go her other hand and placed his hand under her chin to tilt up her face. Then looking deeply into her eyes, eyes that couldn't escape him, he smiled. Then he was dipping his head to kiss her lips in a slow gentle benediction.

  'My darling Kathryn,' he murmured, his voice full of emotion, his eyes holding hers again, 'Don't you know yet that part of the reason I've taken all you've thrown at me is because I care for you too?'

  'You—care for me!' she echoed incredulously, her eyes flying wide.

  'To be more precise, my dearest one,' said Nate, his tones tender, his voice thickening, 'I love you to distraction. I've known myself in love with you since that moment you arrived at my home in Surrey.'

  'You can't be in l-love with me?' She couldn't believe it. 'You were horrible to me—to begin with,' she remembered,

  a pink she couldn't hope to avoid colouring her skin at her memories of afterwards.

  'Believe me, my only love,' Nate told her gently, 'it was only because I had at that moment recognised what the unwanted attraction I felt for you was that I started out by being vile to you that day.'

  'You—you've been attracted to me?' she asked, still unable to believe any of this was happening. Had Nate really said he loved her?

  'Almost from the first,' he confirmed. "Though because of what I thought you'd done to my brother I turned my back on it, fought against the attraction of you. I didn't want anything to detract me from the iniquitous course I'd plotted for you.'

  "That's why you were horrible to me at your home—t-to start with, because of your—plan?' she asked, puzzled because if he had carried on being the way he had started out by being, she would not have stayed the night—nothing would have hap .. .

  'I'd just realised I was in love with you. My plans were all over the place as we worked on. I was too busy trying to come to terms with my stupidity, asking myself how could I have allowed myself to fall for the woman I then thought you to be. You jerked me out of my thoughts by looking as though you were going to cry, and I had a few short moments of heaven just holding you in my arms. And then thoughts of Rex were intruding again. I had to force myself to remember him—his pain. It became easier then to remember the revenge I thought you deserved.'

  His voice faded, but the grip he had of her, his arm across her shoulders tightening, the look on his face, all showed her he was trying to get on top as remembrance of what had followed smote him. And Kathryn just knew then that he was thinking of the way she had so willingly given herself to him.

  'Oh, my dear love,' he said, swallowing hard as he overcame his emotion, 'you'll never know the tumult in me when I discovered that not only had you not been with my brother, but that no other man had known you. The torment that left me ragged had me leaving you at dawn. My brain was whirling with you, with Rex whose word I knew I could trust above any man's, but who had lied by leading me

  purposely to believe you and he had beer, lovers. I was nowhere near to sorting myself out when I hear; you say "Hello, darling". I turned, saw you, knew the unpardonable wrong I'd done you, and while I still can't believe it myself, tried to find release from the terrible burden of guilt weighing me down by verbally attacking you.'

  Kathryn
knew she would never forget that time when her world had turned upside down. But looking at Nate she saw if it had dogged her heels then she hadn't been alone in her suffering, for his face had a haunted look to it as he too remembered and went on.

  'Then you told me you loved me, told me the truth of your broken engagement; doing nothing to lessen the guilt that was in me—guilt that was crucifying me that two Kingersbys had abominably treated you, abused your love—and I just couldn't take it. I had to get out, had to go and try to clear my spinning head.'

  Whether he saw in her eyes that his agony of mind was painful to her, she didn't know. But suddenly that haunted expression eased from him and in its place a smile started to grow, a smile that forced its way through and came from the very heart of him. A smile that warmed her through and through, so that she just had to smile back. She had to begin to trust, to begin to believe this wonderful thing he had said was true. That he was—in love with her.

  'I don't think I was out for very long,' he said, his face coming nearer. 'I have little recollection of whether it was a few minutes or an hour. But by the time I went hurrying

  back to the house, I knew I'd lost all chance with you.'

  'But you still tried,' she whispered huskily.

  And at the way she was looking at him Nate seemed unable to say another word until he had savoured the sweetness of her mouth. It was a warm, gende kiss, but even so it set her senses clamouring before he pulled back to look into her eyes.

  'I wanted you so badly, Kathryn, love you so much, I just couldn't give you up without fighting for you.' He kissed her gently once more as if afraid to let himself go, then pulled back, his eyes full of love for her. 'Say again those words I'm longing to hear my beloved one,' he urged. 'Those words that mean you more than just care for me.'

  'Oh, Nate!' Kathryn cried, her heart full, the look in his eyes, everything about him telling her she could trust him, that he did love her. 'Oh, Nate, I do love you sol'

  Regardless of the minutes ticking away Nate just had to kiss her again, fold her in his arms and kiss her waiting mouth, her eyes, her face, hold her wrapped in his arms as though he never wanted to let her go. ^

  But at last he drew back, drank in her love shining like a beacon from her eyes, and just had to kiss her again before memory stirred that they should by now be over at the church.

  'I love you so, my dear love,' he said, his hands cupping her face. And, his expression at that moment totally serious, 'Will you cross the road with me? Will you, Kathryn, will you be my wife?'

  'Yes, Nate—yes, I will,' she told him without hesitation, her own expression just as serious, until she saw the joyous smile that broke from him.

  And then he was drawing her to her feet, removing the red rose from his lapel, pinning it on to her dress, just the touch from the backs of his fingers making her skin tingle.

  'There'll be a bower of flowers waiting for you when we

  get to Surrey,' he told her when the single red rose transferred from him to her was enough to have tears misting her eyes.

  Then, taking time for one last kiss, Nate placed his arm securely round her and hugging her to him, careless that anyone seeing them as they crossed the road would know he adored her. He told her in the few minutes they had left that after the ceremony there was to be a reception at his uncle's home.

  'Not your home?' she asked, uncaring of anything but the possessive way Nate's arm was about her.

  'Too far,' he said, and looking deep into her eyes. 'Besides, I don't want anyone outstaying their welcome.' And, his eyes positively roguish, 'We'll need to have an early night since we're flying off early tomorrow.'

  'Your holiday!' Kathryn suddenly remembered.

  'Our honeymoon,' Nate corrected.

  And they were at the church door, Nate firmly tucking her hand into his arm, his face sober now as together they walked down the aisle, faces familiar smiling at them— friends, Kingersbys, and in the front left-hand pew, Sandra, Vic and their two daughters.

  Her quick look at Nate showed Kathryn he had read the question in her eyes of how had they got there. Then everything else was forgotten except that beautiful moment when she and Nate stood before the minister, Nate's voice firm as he vowed his undying love.

  The wedding ring he slipped over her marriage finger fitted perfectly. Then before them all, as if he had forgotten the existence of the congregation, of anyone save her, Nate turned to look at her. And it was just as if he could not help himself, that vow of undying love still there in his eyes, that he gently gathered her into his arms.

  'Will you trust me now, darling wife?' he whispered.

  'I will, Nate,' she re-avowed, oblivious to anyone save him. 'I do.'