The Secret Kiss of Darkness

by Christina Courtenay

  Kayla had never wanted anyone with such fierce passion. It was almost frightening in its intensity, but it felt right. And so did Wes. Although they were both impatient and almost shaking with desire, he took his time and made love to her tantalisingly slowly, making sure she was with him all the way. Kayla had never experienced anything like it. She never wanted it to stop.

  She told him so afterwards, when her breathing was returning to normal and her pulse rate had calmed down slightly. He chuckled and pulled her into his arms, enclosing them both in a cocoon of duvets. ‘It doesn’t have to stop, you know. We have all night,’ he whispered.

  Kayla smiled into the dark. He was right. And she was going to enjoy every minute of it.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The door to the nursery at Marcombe Hall opened silently on well-oiled hinges and a woman stepped inside and looked around. Jago had been pacing back and forth, rocking his small son in his arms and crooning to him softly. Now he stopped his perambulations and bowed to the lady.

  ‘You must be Lady Marcombe’s sister,’ he said, speaking in a near whisper so as not to wake the little boy.

  ‘Yes, I’m Sophie Wesley. And you are …?’

  ‘Jago Kerswell.’ He bowed once more. ‘I assume the lawyer told you who I am?’

  She inclined her head in acknowledgement and he noticed she had the same ash-blonde hair as her late sister, but there the resemblance ended. Sophie had none of Eliza’s beauty, not even the hazel-green eyes. She looked just what Jago knew her to be, a plain spinster in her early thirties. There was intelligence lurking in her eyes, however, and something else, humour perhaps. She didn’t look down her nose at him and he warmed to her immediately. Eliza had spoken highly of her, telling him Sophie had a kind heart and the patience of a saint. She would need both now, he thought.

  Jago held out the sleeping baby to her. ‘Here is your nephew, ma’am. And mine, as the lawyer may have mentioned,’ he added.

  She took the bundle from him and gazed at the tiny scrap of humanity nestled within. ‘Oh, he’s adorable,’ she sighed. ‘You have no idea how I’ve longed for—’ She stopped abruptly and, to hide the blush spreading over her features, buried her face near the baby’s. His heart went out to her, a woman so suited to being a mother, yet she’d never been given the chance.

  ‘You will take care of him? And make your home here?’ Jago couldn’t quite keep the anxiety out of his voice. He had wondered if he’d done the right thing in making this woman little Wesley’s joint guardian, but he’d been unable to think of anyone else suitable. And Eliza had told him how Sophie was used to caring for her nephews and nieces since she herself was never expected to marry. Without either beauty or a dowry poor Sophie had had no hope of that.

  Sophie looked up. ‘Oh, yes. I will look after him as if he were my own, I promise you. And living here will be heaven after … well, after going from place to place in a never-ending round of visits to my siblings. At last I can settle down.’

  ‘Good. He will need love having lost both parents.’

  She gave him a searching look. ‘Both parents? If I don’t miss my guess he still has one left.’

  ‘Miss Wesley, I—’

  ‘Sophie, please, since we’re in this together. And there’s no need to explain anything to me. I may be plain, Mr Kerswell, but I have never been dim-witted and Eliza’s letters were rather transparent. As long as you help me raise this child, I shall never ask any questions nor give away your secret.’

  ‘Thank you. You’re very understanding.’ He reached out to caress the downy head of his son. ‘And my name is Jago.’

  ‘Jago,’ she repeated with a nod. ‘We’ll do our best for this little one. And it will be enough.’

  Late morning sunlight was pouring in through half-open curtains when Kayla finally surfaced the next day and she found herself alone in a huge sleigh bed. Wes was nowhere to be seen and she wondered if he already regretted last night. She had thought he might have changed his mind and would be open to the possibility of a permanent relationship. But perhaps it meant nothing more to him than a one-night stand?

  No, that wasn’t the impression he’d given her at all.

  Suddenly restless, Kayla opened her eyes fully and checked the time. ‘Jesus!’ Half past eleven. How was that possible? She never slept that late normally. She sat up in bed, absently combing out her hair with her fingers … and came face to face with Eliza.

  The enormous portrait hung over the fireplace directly opposite Wes’s bed and Kayla recognised her immediately, both from the style of painting and from Jago’s description. It had to be her. It couldn’t be anyone else. Shock and elation washed over her, making her gasp and draw in a deep breath, then slowly she smiled.

  ‘Well, I’ll be damned.’

  Intrigued she swung her legs over the side of the bed and padded over to peer at Eliza more closely. ‘So that’s where you were hiding,’ she whispered. ‘No wonder I couldn’t find you, I never thought to look in here. Wes must like you too since he hung your portrait in his bedroom.’ But why hadn’t he mentioned this painting when she asked him if he had other Gainsboroughs? Maybe it wasn’t signed? She looked in the corner of the canvas expecting it to be blank, but there was a clear signature just as Jago had told her. So Wes must have known. Kayla frowned.

  Near the signature the artist had painted one half of an open book with part of a verse from a Shakespeare sonnet printed on it: ‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? …’ Kayla whistled softly. So that’s what Jago had meant – the other half of the same book was in the corner of his portrait. She remembered it clearly and if the two were put next to each other they would fit together perfectly. He’d been right, she was the owner of a genuine Gainsborough.

  He had also been right about something else – Eliza was indeed absolutely lovely. Her simple green dress blended in with her surroundings to the point that it was difficult to make out where the gown ended and nature began, but it didn’t matter because the viewer’s gaze was immediately drawn to Eliza’s face, which was quite simply radiant.

  ‘I see what you mean, Jago,’ Kayla whispered. And no doubt that look of supreme happiness was because Jago had been nearby when the painting was done. For a short period of her life Eliza had been happy.

  Kayla felt sadness well up inside her for the way the poor woman’s life had ended. Thrown off a cliff, never to see her newborn son or the love of her life again. And yet, if Jago was right, she, Kayla, had the power to reunite them and now that she’d found Eliza the time had come to put this to the test. It was an awe-inspiring thought and Kayla needed to think how best to broach the subject with Wes.

  First things first, however. She couldn’t speak to him about anything until she found him and there was also the small matter of last night. Would he still want her this morning? There was only one way to find out. Either way, she needed a shower. Not to mention some breakfast, or should that be brunch? A loud rumbling noise from her stomach made her opt for the latter first. She picked up one of Wes’s large T-shirts and pulled it on, together with her pants, then headed for the kitchens.

  ‘You’ve been keeping secrets from me, haven’t you?’

  A soft pair of arms sneaked round Wes’s middle from behind and he almost dropped the piece of toast he was just fishing out of the toaster.

  ‘Kayla! I was going to bring you breakfast in bed.’ He turned and hugged her back, shivering with desire when he noticed that she wasn’t wearing anything under the T-shirt she’d appropriated. He only had on a pair of tracksuit bottoms himself so her breasts pressed against his naked chest, the thin material between them just adding an extra frisson when they moved. He kissed her, but although she returned his kiss with enthusiasm, she soon pulled away and wagged a finger at him.

  ‘No more until you tell me the truth. Why do you have a Gainsborough in your bedroom? And why on earth didn’t you tell me about it?’

  ‘Oh, that.’ Wes had forgotten about her quest a
nd right now he’d rather concentrate on other, more pleasurable pursuits. But he could see she was determined to have an answer and the sooner he gave her one, the faster he could get back to ravishing her. Perhaps right here in the kitchen? The thought made him smile.

  ‘Wes!’ She prodded him. ‘Spill.’

  He shrugged. ‘It’s been a family secret for ages. I’m not sure who started it, but it was decided we wouldn’t tell anyone the portrait existed. That way thieves wouldn’t be tempted to steal it and our insurance premiums could be kept to a minimum. As far as I know, it’s always hung in the master bedroom – hardly anyone ever goes in there except for trusted staff. I’m sorry, I couldn’t tell you when you first came and later on I forgot you were even interested, to be honest.’ He kissed her throat and nibbled at her shoulder, pushing the overlarge T-shirt out of the way. ‘I kind of had other things on my mind, you know.’

  ‘Hmm. Well, I guess I’ll forgive you then, but are you sure you want to …?’

  The rest of what she’d been going to say was lost as he put his mouth on hers, silencing her. Talking could wait until later as far as he was concerned and she soon agreed.

  They made love on the kitchen table, of all places, something Kayla had never done before. None of her previous partners had ever been that adventurous, but Wes seemed to want her anywhere, any time, which was a heady feeling and increased her own enjoyment no end.

  ‘What about Nell?’ she managed to ask, before surrendering totally to the swirls of desire surging through her.

  ‘I found a note from Annie saying she’d taken Nell down to her cottage,’ Wes murmured between kisses and Kayla gave herself up to the sensations that were building up inside her yet again. She couldn’t seem to get enough of this man and his every touch excited her. It was sheer bliss.

  After a leisurely brunch and some time spent reading the Sunday papers in companionable silence, Wes wanted to go for a swim, but Kayla was too exhausted for that.

  ‘Haven’t you had enough exercise for one day?’ she teased.

  ‘There are different kinds,’ he’d countered. ‘And I can see I’m going to have to stay in shape now.’

  ‘Well, I’m having a shower. See you in a while?’

  ‘Absolutely.’ The smile he gave her almost made her relent and go with him, but she desperately wanted to shower and change, so she headed upstairs.

  She went into Wes’s room first and stared at the portrait for a while. ‘I’m so glad you’re not lost,’ she whispered, wondering whether Eliza would start talking to her as well. The woman in the painting remained immobile, however, and with a sigh, Kayla began to pick up bits of her clothing, which seemed to have ended up all over the room. The tights were missing, but as they had been ripped anyway, she decided to forget about them.

  On close inspection of the panelling, she found the connecting door to her bedroom and unlocked it. Kayla went through into her room, leaving the little door slightly ajar in case Wes should come back, and went to the bathroom. She emerged a short while later after a refreshingly hot shower and walked over towards the huge wardrobe to find some clean clothes.

  There she came to an abrupt halt and frowned. The door to the wardrobe stood open, but she could clearly remember closing it the night before. Someone had been in her room again. Her heart made a somersault and she hurried to check what had been shredded this time.

  Nothing was torn or even out of place, but there was a strange smell coming from the depths of the wardrobe. Kayla stuck her head in and wrinkled her nose. ‘Phew, what’s that?’ She took a cautious step inside and trod on something soft. It was Nell’s favourite teddy bear, Alfie.

  Kayla bent to pick it up, then went further into the wardrobe. The back panel wasn’t quite in place and there was a musty smelling draft coming from that direction. On closer inspection it proved to be a door. A cleverly concealed one. At last she understood.

  ‘Of course,’ she muttered to herself. ‘A secret entrance.’ For the smugglers perhaps? Or just the inhabitants of the house? No wonder people could come in and out of her room without being seen. But who? And what was Nell’s teddy bear doing here? Unless … ‘Oh, no!’ Panic-stricken, Kayla rushed out of the wardrobe and started to throw on clothes willy-nilly – some pants and socks, a pair of old jeans and a T-shirt, then a sweater. Nell had gone through the panel, whether alone or not she had no idea, and her only thought was that she had to go after her. Nell might be in danger and maybe it wasn’t too late.

  Hastily sticking her feet into a pair of trainers, Kayla pushed open the back panel door fully and found a set of stairs leading downwards. She didn’t hesitate, but went down into the dark. When she reached the bottom, she could see the vague outline of another door and felt along the wall for a handle of some sort. It took a while, but her fingers eventually encountered an old-fashioned latch, which she lifted. The door opened on what must be newly oiled hinges, as it didn’t make a sound, and Kayla found herself outside the house. Looking back she could see why no one had noticed the opening. It blended in perfectly with the stonework around it. She pushed it to, but didn’t close it completely, just in case she’d need to get back in again.

  She looked around and noticed a trail in the wet grass. It had rained during the night and it was clear that someone had walked away from this door in one direction only. She hesitated. Should she go and get Wes? But he might still be in the pool and then it would be ages before they could leave. Something told her time was of the essence and she decided to go with her gut instinct. She set off, following the trail towards the coast.

  Where was Nell? And why would she have gone this way? She had to find her. It was the only thing she could think of. Everything else faded into insignificance.

  It wasn’t until much later that she remembered the Gypsy’s warning. ‘Beware dark places and stairs. Keep away from the darkness.’

  ‘Oh hell,’ she muttered, but there was no turning back now.

  The sound of the sea had been steadily growing in strength for quite a while when Kayla finally came round a large clump of gorse bushes and spotted an old, crumbling building. It looked like some kind of large gazebo, with windows towards the sea and a little verandah facing inland. Could it be Jago’s trysting place? He’d told her he often met up with Eliza in a summer house by the coast. This must be it. The thought made Kayla swallow hard as she remembered how their love ended, but then she pulled herself together. She had more important things to think about right now.

  She stopped and crouched behind the bushes for a moment, just to be on the safe side. There were no sounds and nobody in sight. After scanning the surrounding area one more time, Kayla sprinted across to the summer house and peered inside. It was fairly dim in there and it took a while before her eyes adjusted to the darkness, but then she gasped. The small, pathetic figure of Nell was sitting slumped against an old bench, wrapped in her blanket and with her eyes closed. For a heart-stopping moment Kayla thought she was hurt, or even worse, but then she saw the child was just asleep.

  She tiptoed over and knelt next to her on the rotting floor planks. She put the teddy bear, which she was still carrying, down and felt inside the blanket to make sure the little girl was breathing. The small chest rose and fell with comforting regularity.

  ‘Oh, sweetheart,’ Kayla murmured and caressed Nell’s hair. ‘What are you doing here?’ Nell stirred and opened sleepy eyes that seemed unfocused.

  She’d been drugged, Kayla realised. Sleeping pills perhaps? She hoped it wasn’t anything worse.

  ‘Kayla.’

  ‘Sshhh.’ Kayla put a finger over her lips and looked around. There were boxes and bags stacked around the walls and on top of some of the benches. This meant there must be people nearby. People who were presumably up to no good and might hurt Nell. But who? Surely all this stuff couldn’t belong to Caroline?

  Nell muttered something unintelligible and Kayla shushed her again and whispered, ‘You have to be quiet so I can get you out of
here.’ To distract the little girl she held up her teddy bear. ‘Look, I’ve brought you Alfie. You must have dropped him and he didn’t want to be left behind.’ Nell took the bear with a sleepy smile and Kayla bent towards her and held out a hand to help her to her feet.

  ‘Can you stand up? Walk? Or do you want me to carry you?’

  Suddenly Nell’s eyes became more focused. She blinked and then cried out, ‘No, Mummy. Noooo!’

  Kayla looked up in surprise, but before she could turn around something hard struck the back of her head and the world disappeared in a flash of stars.

  Wes went for a leisurely swim, enjoying the gentle exercise. Kayla was right, he didn’t really need it right now, but it was relaxing. And he hadn’t entirely been joking – he’d need to stay in shape if he was going to keep up with a girlfriend – partner? – who was ten years younger. He smiled to himself. He’d managed to tire her out completely last night though, but he wanted to be able do it all over again come evening. He still couldn’t quite believe that she was finally his, but he’d make damn sure she never wanted to leave now.

  With a sigh he pulled himself out of the pool and stretched, before making his way up the stairs to his room. He wondered idly what Nell and Annie were doing. It had been kind of the housekeeper to take care of his little girl. Annie would normally always ask before doing anything like that. In fact, he couldn’t recall her ever writing him a note before, but she knew Wes and Kayla had been to a party, so she must have figured out that they would sleep late and tried not to disturb them. Just as well. He wanted to spend what was left of today only with Kayla.

  He entered his room and found all Kayla’s clothes gone. He noticed the connecting door standing open, and walked over to it calling her name, while listening for sounds of the shower. Was she still washing her hair or something?

  ‘Kayla? Kayla, are you there?’

  There was no reply and he strolled into her room and looked around. A faint smell of shampoo mixed with perfume came from the direction of the bathroom, but when Wes peered in there, it too was empty. He turned around and saw the clothes she had worn the night before lying in a pile on the floor next to the wardrobe, and its door standing ajar. He figured she must have dressed and left already, and he had just missed her. But where had she gone?