He chose a table well away from the other diners, and before they were even seated he started to speak.
“You could be in a lot of trouble, Mrs. Harrington.”
“Why? I haven’t done anything.” She was feeling sicker by the minute.
“You deny helping a fugitive escape?”
“A fugitive?” She cut him off. “What are you raving about?”
“Your friend Kerry has been under surveillance for days. You met up with her, didn’t you?”
“Yes, for lunch.”
“Come on, we know you went to a house in Carlton.”
“Caroline,” Bryce interrupted. “Don’t say any more until we speak to my lawyer.”
“I didn’t do anything. Kerry needed some money. She told me to take it to some house in Carlton and give it to Trevor, which I did. That’s all I know. I swear it.”
“What did they want the money for?”
“I’m not sure.” Telling the truth was her best option. Kerry and Trevor had not been caught, so what did it matter now. “She said they needed to get away.”
“Helping a draft dodger is a serious offence.”
“He’s a conscientious objector. I helped Kerry because she’s my friend. What did you expect me to do? Refuse? They wanted to get out of Australia. I don’t know how, when or anything about it. I gave Trevor the money and left. Take me to jail. I don’t care. I have to see Andy again, to make sure he’s all right, and then you can do what you like with me.”
The girl bringing over their coffee interrupted them.
“Keep the change.” Branson gave her a five-dollar note. “Now look here.”
“No, you look here,” Bryce snarled. “Caroline’s told you what happened. Haven’t you got any compassion? You can see the state her brother is in. She’s pregnant, on the verge of collapse, so I’m warning you. Lay off.”
Bryce thumped his hand on the table, making the crockery rattle. “We’ve got friends in high places. What are your superiors going to think when they find out you’re persecuting a young pregnant woman whose seriously wounded brother has just been evacuated home from Vietnam? It’s not her fault you botched up your raid and let those peaceniks escape. The papers will have a field day.”
“All right, all right, I only wanted to find out what she knew,” Branson blustered.
“Let’s get out of here.” Bryce pulled her to her feet. “We’ll go home.”
They left the coffee on the table without tasting a mouthful.
“No, the hotel, I have to be near Andy. The hospital has that number. You go back to the apartment. I don’t live there anymore.”
“Please, I can explain about Ashley. My mother gave her the name of the hotel. I was getting ready to step into the shower when she waltzed in.”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “As soon as I finished my shower, I told her to get out and stop wasting her time, regardless of what my mother insinuated. She must have answered the phone when you called. I heard it ring.”
“It was the lieutenant the army sent over to tell me about Andy.”
“Oh, my God, I’m so sorry. We’ll talk about everything when we get back to your hotel.” He put his arm around her shoulders, and she left it there. She wasn’t capable of walking without support right now.
Once they left the hospital grounds, Branson took his leave of them, saying, “I’ll be off, I don’t think we’ll need to speak with you again, Mrs. Harrington.”
“That’s right. And don’t come anywhere near her or you’ll answer to me,” Bryce threatened.
“I’m sorry about your brother. I hope he’ll be all right.”
“Thanks, so do I.” Caroline felt too weary to do anything but let Bryce lead her away. What a horrible man. If the likes of Branson were chasing Trevor, he could expect little mercy if he got caught.
When they arrived at the hotel Bryce followed Caroline into her room. There was a built-in wardrobe, a dressing table and a bed, nothing else. He tried to hide his distaste at its shabbiness.
“Would you like me to get you a cup of tea?”
“No thanks. I want to lie down. My head is splitting.”
She was trembling, white as death, but so beautiful his breath caught in his throat. He couldn’t let her go. He wanted her too badly. He loved her. For the first time he admitted it. He wanted Caroline as his wife, wanted to share the upbringing of their child with her. It could be good between them, but he had to convince her.
She tottered into the bathroom and returned within a few minutes wearing a nightgown. Not one of the sexy ones he’d paid for, but a simple white one embroidered with teddy bears. It made her look about sixteen.
He hovered uncertainly. He couldn’t remember ever feeling so powerless.
“Caroline, please, I’m sorry. I should have told my mother to shut up when she insulted you, but I didn’t want to make things worse. When Dad took that turn, I couldn’t think of anything else but him. It wasn’t his first heart attack. I thought he might die,” he went on desperately.
Automatically, he turned the bedclothes back for her. She didn’t speak, just stood trembling with tears rolling down her cheeks.
He didn’t know why, but he noticed for the first time that her belly looked slightly rounded.
“You’re starting to show,” he blurted out before he could stop himself.
“Do you think so?” Her hand went to her stomach in a protective gesture that sent ripples of emotion through him.
“Darling, I’m so sorry,” Bryce drew her into his arms. “Can you forgive me? I love you. I want our marriage to work, and it will if you give me a chance to make things up to you.”
“Bryce, I…”
“Please, Caroline.” She felt soft and warm. He inhaled her special perfume, the fragrance of the woman he loved, and it was heady stuff. Picking her up, he laid her on the bed and came down beside her.
She stiffened away from him when he tried to put his arms around her. “No.”
“Yes. I want to hold you, nothing more.”
“Did you really mean it when you said you loved me?”
“Yes, now and for always.” He kissed her trembling lips, and his heart leapt when she responded. He wanted to make mad, passionate love to her, but now wasn’t the time. She was too vulnerable. “Go to sleep, darling, and we’ll talk some more when you’ve rested.”
He held her until she fell asleep, then eased himself away from her and left the hotel room. No point in having money and power if you didn’t wield it.
It took three phone calls for him to find out Andy’s condition. The news wasn’t good, but it wasn’t as bad as he’d thought it would be, thank God. Both legs were fractured, clean breaks, fortunately. It was the left ankle injury that would be the boy’s ticket out of the army, though.
He made his way wearily back to the mean little hotel room. God, he was tired. He’d hardly slept a wink last night. Dragging off his clothes he slid into bed beside Caroline.
“Where have you been?” She rolled over to face him.
“I’m sorry if I woke you up, darling.” He put his arms around her and held her close. “I wanted to find out how Andy was doing.”
“You went to the hospital without me?” She pummeled his chest with her fists. “You had no right!”
“Hey, don’t get upset. I spoke to some people on the phone, that’s all.”
“Why would they talk to you?” Her eyes filled with tears. “I’m his next of kin.”
“I used the Harrington name, and it opened a few doors.”
She tried to move away from him, but he tightened his grip on her. “Don’t you want to know what I found out?”
“Yes. Oh, God, of course I do.” What was wrong with her? “Is he going to be all right?”
Bryce told her what he had found out.
“The army won’t want him any more?” Caroline held her breath waiting for his reply.
“No, darling, they won’t.”
Bryce�
�s news was like having a ton-weight lifted from her back. For once she was glad of the Harrington money and influence. Would Andy be upset when he found out his military career was over? He must have seen some terrible things over there. No sane person would want to return to that kind of hell on earth.
“He’ll need a few months of rehabilitation,” Bryce said. “And the orthopedic surgeon thinks he’ll always have a slight limp.”
“I don’t care. I’m just glad he’s home. Will you be able to give him a job?” She ran her fingers down the side of his face.
“Yes, there will be plenty of opportunities for him in the business. He’s a bright boy, and we’re always looking for talented people. He’ll have connections in the army, and as it looks like we’re going to get those defense contracts, he could prove very useful.”
“I didn’t dream it? You really did say you loved me, Bryce?”
“Yes. Kiss me, Caroline. Tell me you still love me after the way I’ve behaved, the wretched things I’ve said and done.” He punctuated the sentence with kisses.
“I love you, Bryce,” she said simply. “I only ever wanted you to love me.”
“I do. I love you more than life itself.”
He kissed her again. It was the sweetest, most sensuous kiss they had ever shared. Her dreams had come true. He held her close, whispering endearments, but asked nothing else of her, and she loved him all the more because of it. Bryce loved her. She had waited, prayed for such a miracle to happen. Now it finally had.
All her prayers had been answered.
Andy was home. Maybe he would never be quite the same as before he went away, but at least the jungles of Vietnam would not be his grave. She felt truly blessed.
The End
About the Author
Margaret Tanner is a multi-published Australian author. She loves delving into the pages of history as she carries out research for her historical romance novels, and prides herself on being historically accurate. No book is too old or tattered for her to trawl through, no museum too dusty, or cemetery too overgrown. Many of her novels have been inspired by true events, with one being written around the hardships and triumphs of her pioneering ancestors in frontier Australia.
As part of her research she has visited the World War 1 battlefields in France and Belgium, a truly poignant experience.
Margaret is a member of the Romance Writers of Australia, the Melbourne Romance Writers Group (MRWG) and EPIC. She won the 2007 and 2009 Author of the Year at AussieAuthors.com. Her novel Frontier Wife won the Best Historical Romance Novel at the 2010 Readers Favorite Award, and another novel, Wild Oats was a 2011 Finalist in the EPIC awards.
Margaret is married with three grown up sons, and a gorgeous little granddaughter.
Outside of her family and friends, writing is her passion.
Website: http://www.margarettanner.com/
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