Empires Fall (MidKnight Blue Book 2)

by Sherryl Hancock

  “What’s wrong, Joseph?” Taylor asked. His wince hadn’t escaped her.

  “I … well I got shot a few weeks back and—”

  “Honestly, Joseph, why do you continue with this ridiculous course of action?” Taylor huffed.

  “I know you don’t understand, Taylor, but deal with it,” Joe said, his tone short.

  Taylor shook her head, but thought better of arguing with him again. She’d already had to apologize to him for her comments previously and assure him that she did not believe that he’d killed is parents for their money. She didn’t want to push him again. Unfortunately, in searching for a new topic, she backed into another disastrous direction.

  “Are you going to see Roslynn while you’re here?” she asked.

  “Why would I see her?” Joe asked, his look pointed.

  “Well, you two were betrothed, Joseph. I don’t see how it would be harmful for you to simply see her,” Taylor said plaintively.

  ‘I’m not going to have time,” Joe said.

  “I thought you were home for three weeks,” Taylor pointed out. “Surely there’s enough time …”

  “I’ll be busy,” Joe said. The pointed look on his face should have warned her.

  “What will have you so very busy?” Taylor asked, her tone exasperated.

  “We’ll be making wedding arrangements,” Joe said simply, grinning down at Randy.

  “You’ll be what!” Taylor practically shrieked.

  Joe chuckled, squeezing Randy’s hand. “Randy and I are getting married, Taylor.”

  “You wouldn’t dare …” Taylor breathed.

  “Wouldn’t I?” Joe queried.

  Taylor stared back at him openmouthed. Joe’s light blue eyes widened and he thoroughly enjoyed his aunt’s reaction to his news. Without a word, Taylor stood up and hastened out of the room.

  “Did she just leave?” Randy asked Joe in a hushed voice.

  Joe canted his head, listening for the front door to slam. He heard it a moment later and grinned widely. “Yep,” he said, sounding pleased by the thought.

  “Wow,” Randy said simply. Joe just laughed at the shock on Randy’s face.

  ****

  The next morning, Randy woke up before Joe, since he’d had a few drinks with dinner, and had taken a painkiller before they’d gone to sleep. Randy put on her jeans and a sweater, and wandered around the huge mansion. Eventually she made her way into the kitchen, having gotten totally turned around, and more or less, lost. She walked into the huge kitchen and saw Sandra Bender sitting at the kitchen table, drinking tea. Sandra Bender looked up at Randy then, smiling kindly at her.

  “Good morning, miss,” the older woman said.

  “Good morning,” Randy replied, as she sat at the kitchen table. “Would you like some breakfast, miss, cook is just …” Sandra started to say, but Randy shook her head.

  “No I’m fine, thanks.”

  “How about some tea then?” Sandra said, her voice coaxing.

  “Okay,” Randy said, shrugging.

  “Would you like it in the formal dining room?”

  “No!” Randy said. Then she smiled sheepishly at her outburst. “I mean … I think I just wandered through that room … it’s so big!”

  Sandra smiled warmly. “Indeed it is,” she said. She stood and got Randy a cup and saucer. She poured some tea from the china pot that sat on the table. “How do you like your tea, miss?” she asked, her hand hovering over the sugar.

  “I um, I’m not sure ….” Randy said. She wasn’t used to anyone serving her.

  “Have you ever had milk in your tea?” Sandra asked.

  “I can’t say that I have,” Randy said, shaking her head.

  “Let’s give it a go, shall we?” Sandra asked, smiling.

  “Okay,” Randy replied, liking the other woman immediately.

  When Sandra handed her the cup, Randy took a tentative sip and then smiled brightly. “Oh this is so good …” she said.

  “That’s the English way,” Sandra said, winking at the younger woman.

  “I didn’t realize there was an English way,” Randy said, smiling.

  Sandra raised an eyebrow at Randy. “Then Joseph hasn’t been teaching you properly.” she said, her tone light.

  “Joe does that too,” Randy said, smiling up at the older woman.

  Sandra sat down. “Does what?”

  “Raises his eyebrow at things …” Randy said. She looked up at Sandra then. “Did you know Joe … before …” Her voice trailed off again, not wanting to bring up a sore subject.

  “I’ve known Joseph all his life,” Sandra said, smiling fondly at the memory.

  “You have?” Randy asked, surprised.

  “I was his nanny when he was young.”

  “You were?” Randy replied. Then she looked up at Sandra, a little abashed. “What was he like when he was little?”

  “Oh, that one!” Sandra said, laughing. “He was the most mischievous little boy I have ever had the pleasure of governing.”

  “Mischievous?” Randy said, testing out the word. “Yes, I can believe that.”

  “Oh believe it, miss, he was the worst. But you know,” she said, leaning toward Randy, in a confidential way, “those baby blue eyes of his, always got him out of whatever kettle of fish he’d gotten himself into.”

  Randy nodded then, laughing. “And I can believe that too!”

  “But he did change …” Sandra said then, her eyes taking on a shadowed look.

  “Change?” Randy said then, surprised by the woman’s change in mood.

  “Yes, as he got older, I saw him grow more handsome every day. He never realized how handsome he was, but he knew what effect he had on people, and he used that effect to put people off. He grew angry and cold. I suppose that it had a lot to do with the pressure his parents were putting on him …” Her voice trailed off, as she remembered those days.

  “What kind of pressure?” Randy asked curiously. She had always wondered what would make a man as handsome and well off as Joe turn to a gang.

  “Well, Joseph was their only son. They wanted him to follow in Joseph Senior’s footsteps, and that required grooming. They wanted Joseph to attend the right parties, know the right people, date the right girls …” She shook her head.

  “That is what his aunt still wants,” Randy said, her eyes sad.

  “Well never you mind about that, miss. Joseph knows his own mind … never liked the arrangements that were made for him anyway.”

  “Arrangements? Oh, the girl they wanted Joe to marry?”

  “Joseph told you?” Sandra asked.

  “Yes,” Randy said, her voice somber.

  “Well, it was definitely not something Joseph wanted, in fact when they told him he went absolutely mad. He yelled, he cursed, which he did not normally do in front of his mother. Finally, he stormed out of the house. He didn’t come back for a week. By this time, his parents were absolutely beside themselves with worry. When Joseph finally came back, he told them then that he would do as they wished. He changed totally then; he was silent, cold. He was a stranger, but he was doing as his parents wished. He came home later and later, and always with a new cut, or bruise. His father tried to talk to him, but Joseph wouldn’t listen, he smiled and nodded, but it was obvious he wasn’t listening … then the accident happened. Joseph was so badly injured … he never came back to this house after the night of the accident, except for a few moments before he left for America, until now …”

  “Did he talk to Rosylnn about the engagement?” Randy asked after a few moments of silence.

  “No … she visited him once in the hospital. He wasn’t even conscious at the time. Joseph didn’t want to see her, and she didn’t come back. I wouldn’t be surprised if they have never spoken again … but there’s no doubt in my mind that she still wants him …”

  “Really? Joe said he’d heard she was married, but Taylor said that the marriage was not working out …”

  “I’ll
just bet that had to do with Joseph returning to England, but she didn’t bargain for you, I’ll wager,” Sandra said, giving Randy an approving look. “I think that you are very good for Joseph and he’ll be doing right to marry you.”

  “Thank you,” Randy said, embarrassed at the compliment, but happy at the same time.

  “Sandra …” she said then, looking shyly up at the older woman.

  “Yes, miss?”

  “Taylor said something about Joe’s responsibility to his family name, and that his parents wouldn’t approve of me …” Her voice trailed off, not sure how to ask the question she wanted to.

  “Never you mind about all that rubbish, miss. They would have loved you, because you love their son and he obviously loves you. Taylor can’t know what they would have thought. She just has her bonnet set for Joseph marrying the Ellington girl, that’s all.”

  “You don’t think he’ll be disgracing his family name … by marrying me?” Randy asked softly then.

  “Oh good Lord,” Sandra said, rolling her eyes dramatically. “Taylor has always carried on about that nonsense. I don’t know why, it’s not even her name!”

  Randy looked at Sandra for a moment, then she started to smile. That’s right, Joe had said that Taylor was his mother’s sister.

  Sandra put her hand on Randy’s, looking directly into Randy’s eyes. “You are the woman that Joseph should marry, or else you wouldn’t be here. I assure you, it took a great deal for Joseph to return here, and you must be worth it to him.”

  Randy felt better knowing someone who knew Joe so well approved of her.

  She felt even better that evening when Joe took her to meet Rick’s parents. Annabelle Debenshire was totally enchanted by Randy. She told Joe over and over what a lovely girl she was, and that he had better be doing the honorable thing by her. Joe had smiled warmly, and Randy was reminded of what Sandra had said about how he had changed. She couldn’t imagine him any other way than the way he was now.

  At one point during the evening, Joe said something about Midnight.

  “That’s the girl that Richard has gotten himself involved with isn’t it?” Annabelle said, her voice not sounding pleased. Randy felt Joe tense next to her. They were sitting in the Debenshire’s living room.

  “That’s my partner,” Joe said, his voice cool.

  “Now Joseph, you know Richard, probably better than any of us, if you take my meaning …” Annabelle said, her eyes looking into Joe’s.

  “Yes, I do,” Joe responded, his face set in a stony look, “and he knows that if he hurts her, I’ll kill him.” It was obvious from his tone of voice that Joe was deadly serious.

  Annabelle was obviously taken back by Joe’s tone as well as his words. “She means that much to you, Joseph?” she asked.

  “Yes, Belle, she does,” Joe responded, his voice strong and sure.

  Robert Debenshire looked very uncomfortable, and leaning forward he said, “So have you seen Taylor yet?”

  Joe gave the older man a sardonic grin. “Unfortunately.”

  “Now Joseph, why would you say that, you are her favorite nephew after all,” Anabelle said, when Robert was too surprised to respond.

  “Well that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore,” Joe said, his grin widening.

  “What does that mean?” Anabelle asked.

  “Never mind.”

  After a few moments of silence, Randy spoke up. “She doesn’t approve of me, I’m afraid.”

  “Good Lord, why not?”

  “She doesn’t have the right breeding,” Joe sneered.

  Anabelle looked sharply over at her husband. They’d had a discussion about the very same thing, when it came to Midnight. Although he hadn’t said he was marrying the girl or any such thing.

  “Well,” Anabelle said, her smile warm, “leave it to Taylor to be blunt and rude. Joseph you need to do what’s right for you.”

  “That’s about what I told Taylor. She reminded me of my ‘duty’ to my family name …”

  “Joseph, marrying a beautiful girl like Randy won’t sully your good name. Pay Taylor no mind.”

  Later that night, when they were back at Joe’s house, Randy was still thinking about their earlier conversations. They were in his room, in bed. Joe’s arms were around her.

  “Joe,” she said cautiously.

  He looked down at her, recognizing the hesitation in her voice. “Yeah?” he asked softly.

  “Were you ever in love with Roslynn?” she asked after a long moment of indecision.

  Joe didn’t answer for a few long moments, then he shook his head. “No … I tried … but she was just too much like all the women I was trying to avoid.”

  “Avoid?”

  “Yeah, I mean, being in a gang, that keeps you pretty far away from the social scene, you know.” He laughed, a sardonic grin on his face. “The few times I did get an invitation to some ball, or something, I went in a leather jacket and jeans, and made a general nuisance of myself. That earned me the rep I needed to keep as far away from all that crap as I could get.”

  “So that’s why you started the gang?” Randy said, still looking at him.

  “More or less,” Joe said shrugging, “and it worked too. Until my parents decided they were going to head me off at the pass, as it were. They arranged for me to marry Roslynn, and told me I was doing it. I just about went off the deep end. I spent the next week drinking and sleeping with any girl I could get my hands on, but nothing would change the fact that this was what my parents wanted. By the time I went back home, I had resolved that I would do what they wanted, but I had no intention of settling down, even if I did marry Roslynn.”

  “And your father changing his will to cut you out of it was his way of making sure that happened, right?”

  “Yep,” Joe said, his look slightly haunted then.

  “That’s why people think you killed them,” she said quietly.

  Joe nodded, closing his eyes for a long moment.

  “Did you even know about the appointment?” Randy asked.

  “No … I didn’t find out about it till after Scotland Yard did. Then Rick’s dad decided he better tell me before they did.”

  “My God, that must have been awful, having them investigate you, and treat you like a criminal, when you were still grieving your parents …” Randy said, her eyes misting with tears.

  Joe looked down at her, seeing the love and trust in her eyes, and he knew she had no doubts about him. He was once again amazed at her devotion to him, how could someone who barely knew him be so trusting of him, and believe him no matter what? It was crazy when he thought about it, especially when his own aunt, who had known him all his life, didn’t even believe him.

  “Randy, how can you believe in me so much?”

  Randy hesitated, thinking about her answer.

  “I don’t really know …” she said, her face composed in thought. “I just know that I would and have trusted you with my life, and you’ve been there for me …” She shrugged. “I guess it might have something to do with my parents. They weren’t there for me and because of that I’ve had a hard time trusting anyone to be there for me. But you have been, and you love me. You’ve given me what I’ve needed for a long time, you’ve given me someone to lean on, and depend on. You’ve given me yourself. I guess in return I’ve given myself to you, and all the trust and love that goes with me.” Her eyes stared up at him, she reached up and touched his cheek. “I love you, is that so hard for you to believe?”

  Joe looked down at her. “I guess in a way it is. I mean, you don’t hold anything back, there’s no reserve there, you don’t hide anything. I guess I’m used to love coming with conditions, and you don’t give me any. You love me no matter what.”

  “Well, believe it,” Randy said, reaching up to kiss him. Her lips moved to his cheek, then right next to his ear. “I love you, Joseph Michael Sinclair, and nothing is ever going to change that.”

  He hugged her close to him bringing her l
ips back to his with his hand. When their lips parted, his hand held her face, gently, his eyes searching hers. “And I love you, I don’t care what Taylor or anyone thinks, we belong together, and nothing is going to tear us apart.”

  “I won’t let it,” Randy said, her eyes shining in the semi darkness of the room.

  She moved her lips to Joe’s chest, and felt his hand tighten on her waist in response. She moved her lips to explore the muscles on his chest. She looked up at him, and saw that his eyes were watching her. She could see the desire clearly in his light blue eyes and it sent a thrill of excitement through her. Randy moved so that she leaned over him, her hair brushing his chest. She kissed him. Joe’s hand entwined itself in her hair, while his other hand pulled her body down against his. It was clear from the intensity of his kiss that he wanted her.

  Randy moved away, removing her nightshirt. She had been nervous about not wearing anything, in case Mason walked in on them again. Joe watched as she removed the shirt, admiring her body. His hands reached out to touch her and he sat up, bringing himself within inches of her. He touched her shoulders, then slid his hands down to her waist, his eyes never leaving hers. He leaned down, his lips taking possession of hers once again. His hands at her waist pulled her slight frame to him, crushing her against his bare chest. The fire between them ignited, and his hands caressed her back. His lips left hers, and traveled down to her throat. Randy’s hands grasped at his shoulders, and she felt him jump when she touched his still healing gunshot wound.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice husky with passion, but her eyes showed genuine concern.

  She gently kissed the now healing scar. He held the base of her neck with one hand and kept the other around her waist. Randy kissed his neck and heard his low moan in response. She continued to kiss his neck, as she slid her hands to his chest, her nails trailed lightly over his skin, and she heard his sharp intake of breath, as his hands tightened on her body.