“Are we ready?” With a cordial smile on his face, the registrar, a portly, bald man in his late fifties, motioned them into his small office. “You’ve brought two witnesses, I see.” He glanced from Leland’s somber face to Enid, who offered him a weak smile.
“Quite ready,” Burke replied.
“Very well. Will the bride and groom step forward and stand right here?” The registrar showed them where to stand for the ceremony.
Burke turned to Leland and asked if he had the ring. Leland, dressed in his best navy blue suit, nodded and held up his pinky, showing that he had the band secured on the tip of his finger. Let’s get this over with, Burke thought. Let’s finalize this farce. Waiting outside were a couple of bodyguards he had hired for Callie and Enid as a precaution. He had no doubt that Simon had sent at least one representative to make sure the marriage took place.
Following the registrar’s instructions, Burke took Callie’s hand. “I do solemnly declare that I do not know of any lawful impediment why I, Burke Padriac Lonigan, may not be joined in matrimony to Caledonia Elaine Severin.”
After Callie swore to the same, they exchanged rings. Burke glanced at the thin platinum band on his finger, and an odd sensation knotted his stomach.
Repeating the vows, Burke said, “I call upon these persons here present to witness that I, Burke Padriac Lonigan, do take thee, Caledonia Elaine Severin, to be my lawful wedded wife.”
Callie swallowed hard, then lifted her gaze and looked directly at Burke. You’ve come this far, she told herself. You can’t back out now. Do what you have to do.
“I call upon these persons here present to witness that I—I—” Her voice cracked. Burke squeezed her hand and gave her a reassuring smile. She knew he was trying to convey that everything would be all right. But she knew better. Nothing would ever be all right again.
“I, Caledonia Elaine Severin, do take thee, Burke Padriac Lonigan, to be my lawful wedded husband.”
This was not the wedding day she’d dreamed about all her life. There was no church filled with friends, relatives and well-wishing acquaintances. She didn’t wear a bridal gown of white lace and satin. No long veil trailed behind her as her father walked her down the aisle.
“I’ll need you to check the entry in the register,” the registrar said. “And then both bride and groom must sign, as well as the two witnesses.”
The entire event had taken less than ten minutes. A mockery of a union that was supposed to last a lifetime. And silly girl that she was, Callie had always believed that when she married, it would be forever. She’d never thought she would enter into a marriage that was doomed to end within a few months.
“I’ll get the car, sir,” Leland said when the foursome exited the building.
Burke nodded, then turned to Callie. “My plane is ready for takeoff whenever we arrive at the airport. No rush. So when we stop by for your bags, feel free to take as much time with Seamus as you’d like.”
Avoiding eye contact, Callie glanced across the street where double-decker red buses filled with tourists and numerous black cabs mingled with other Saturday traffic. Not a cloud in the sky, only sunshine on her wedding day. She wished it had rained. The weather would have better suited her gloomy mood.
“Is it really necessary that we fly off to Italy for the weekend?” Callie asked. “I’d rather not leave Seamus. With things the way they are—”
“I’ve already explained to you that at least a brief honeymoon is expected and until—” he glanced at Enid. “I suppose she’s told you everything, hasn’t she? So there’s no need to pretend.” Burke snorted. Damn situation to be in! “Callie, I promise you that your son will be guarded by Leland Perkins, the best bodyguard in the business. And backup guards will be nearby at all times. Until the situation with Simon is taken care of, we must act like happy newlyweds.”
“I’m not sure that I’m that good an actress.”
Burke laid his hand in the center of her back, but she jerked away quickly. “Dammit, I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Sorry.” She took a quick peek at him and noted the tension in his face. He wasn’t pleased with her. Too bad. She wasn’t pleased with him, either!
“If you’d rather not be separated from your son, then bring him along. I suppose it’s not unheard of to take a child on one’s honeymoon.”
Now what? Callie asked herself. What possible excuse could she give him for not taking Seamus with them? She could hardly say that she’d rather he not get a good look at her son because he might see the striking resemblance between her child and himself. The longer she could put off their meeting, the better. And if she were lucky, Burke wouldn’t insist on ever being around her son.
“Can you truly promise me that Seamus will be safe while I’m away?” she asked.
“Yes. I honestly don’t think that Simon will try to harm any of us as long as he believes we haven’t duped him or I haven’t double-crossed him.”
“You—you don’t intend to double-cross him, do you?”
“The less you—” he glanced at a glowering Enid “—and Enid know about my dealings with Simon, the better.”
“If you deliberately put us in danger, I’ll find a way to rip your heart out, Burke Lonigan,” Enid warned. “You’ve caused nothing but trouble for Callie. From the very beginning, you—”
Callie jabbed her irate cousin in the ribs and gave her a will-you-please-shut-up look. “There’s Leland with the car.”
“So it is.”
Leland hopped out and opened the back door. Callie and Enid got into the Rolls.
Burke stuck his head into the car and said, “Leland will drive you to Kensington and bring you along to my house later.”
“Where are you going?” Callie asked.
“Some last-minute loose ends to tie up,” he said, then slammed the door.
Within minutes Leland had merged the Rolls into the traffic. Burke snorted. He wanted a stiff drink. But he needed to keep a clear head. He could always get plastered tonight, once they were in Italy. After all, what else would there be to do on his wedding night?
Half an hour later, Burke unlocked the door to his private office at Lonigan’s Imports and Exports. He’d been followed by one of the bodyguards Leland had hired, as well as someone he felt certain was reporting to Simon. Leland’s man followed him into the elevator, exchanged an acknowledging nod and then, once on the twentieth floor, stood guard outside Lonigan’s Imports and Exports. Simon’s man undoubtedly had waited downstairs.
Burke unlocked his office and flipped on a light, then closed the door behind him. After removing his cellular phone, he sat down behind his desk, made contact and waited for Jonah to call from his secure phone. The mysterious head honcho of SPEAR was a perfect stranger to Burke. He’d been following the man’s orders for years and yet the two had never met face-to-face. Burke felt certain that only a select few had ever made personal contact with the boss.
The moment the phone rang and he heard the familiar voice, Burke said, “The wedding went as planned. We leave shortly for a weekend honeymoon on the Amalfi Coast. Leland will personally guard Callie’s child.”
“If we pull this deal off, we should have Simon in custody by the time you return,” Jonah said. “But until you hear from me, consider yourself, Ms. Severin and the child still in danger.”
“And what happens if something goes wrong? If Simon thinks I’ve betrayed him, he’ll come after me, my wife and her child. I don’t want that to happen, Jonah. Do you understand?”
“No matter how things go down, I’ll see to it that your hands are clean and that Simon doesn’t hold you responsible.”
“I’ll expect you to keep that promise.”
The connection ended and Burke groaned. He knew that Jonah was a man of his word. He’d never lied to Burke. If he said he’d protect Burke, that’s exactly what Jonah would do. All Burke had to do was wait—wait for Simon to be captured.
In the meantime, he had a reluctan
t bride to deal with and a phony two-day honeymoon to endure. How the hell was he going to spend forty-eight hours in paradise with Callie and not make love to her?
“I can’t thank you enough for staying with Seamus today, Mrs. Goodhope.” Callie gave the motherly minder a hug as she slipped an extra ten quid into her coat pocket.
“Oh, Callie, lovie, it was my pleasure.” She held Callie’s hand and smiled. “Aren’t you just the prettiest bride ever.”
Callie walked Mrs. Goodhope outside, then hurried in and went straight to where Seamus sat on the living room floor playing with his wooden building blocks.
“You’ll be a good boy for Auntie Enid, won’t you darling?” She gathered Seamus into her arms, eased onto the sofa and placed her son in her lap. “Mama will miss you, but I’ll be gone only until Monday. And if you miss me terribly, Auntie Enid can ring me and we can talk on the telephone.” She glanced at Enid, who stood with Leland in the foyer. “You have the number at the villa, don’t you?”
“I have all the information. Don’t worry about Seamus and me.” Enid entered the living room, came over to the sofa and sat. She ruffled Seamus’s black curls and winked at him.
The child laughed, and during the process of trying to imitate Enid’s wink, he opened and closed both eyes rapidly.
“Oh, you little angel, you!” Enid held out her arms and Seamus went happily to his auntie. Enid glanced at Callie. “Might as well get this over with while I’ve got his attention and he’s quite content.”
“I don’t want to leave him. I can’t bear the thought that he could be in danger and I’ll be hundreds of miles away.”
As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Leland responded immediately. The man called Quigley, whom she’d met earlier in the week, entered the house and spoke in quiet tones with Leland.
“Is something wrong?” Callie asked.
“No, ma’am. Nothing’s wrong,” Leland assured her. “Quigley’s here to stay with Ms. Ludlow and young Seamus until I return.”
“Oh.”
“I’m not rushing you, Ms. Sev—that is, Mrs. Lonigan,” Leland said. “Take all the time you need to settle things here.”
“Things are as settled as they’re going to be.” Callie kissed Seamus on both cheeks, then stood. “My bags are upstairs. I’m afraid there are two rather large ones. Marilyn Farris sent them over, already packed with my trousseau. Undoubtedly she thought I’d be away for more than a couple of days.”
“I’ll get your bags, ma’am, if you’ll tell me which room upstairs.”
“Callie, aren’t you going to change clothes before you leave?”
“No, I don’t see any reason to change.”
Enid stood, lifted Seamus onto her hip, then picked up the bridal bouquet, which Callie had tossed onto a side table when they’d returned home. “What shall I do with this? Will you want it—”
“Throw it into the trash,” Callie said sharply.
“Mama?” Seamus seemed to have picked up on Callie’s uneasiness.
“It’s all right, my little love,” Callie told her son. “Why don’t you go in the kitchen with Aunt Enid for milk and biscuits?”
The minute Enid took Seamus for his afternoon treat, Callie led Leland Perkins upstairs. The two large leather suitcases were just inside her bedroom door.
When Leland went to lift the luggage, Callie laid her hand on his arm. “How long have you worked for Mr. Lonigan?”
“Eight years, ma’am.”
“And have you always known about…about his other business?”
“I’m not at liberty to say, ma’am.”
“I see.” Callie jerked her hand away, as if touching him had contaminated her.
“No, ma’am, you don’t see,” Leland said. “Not really. I can’t say why, but you should have more faith in Mr. Lonigan. I realize it won’t be easy to trust him, given the circumstances, but I know for a fact that he’s a good man.”
Callie searched Leland’s eyes, wanting to see deception, but all she saw was a set of dark brown eyes that seemed to be pleading for her understanding. “How can I possibly have faith in a man who is a notorious arms dealer? I had thought…had hoped that the rumors weren’t true.”
“There are truths and then there are truths, ma’am.”
“What are you trying to say? You’re speaking in riddles.”
“Sorry, ma’am.” Leland lifted the suitcases. “I’ve already said more than I should have.”
When Leland walked into the hall, Callie followed. “Do you truly believe that Mr. Lonigan is a good man?”
Without slowing his steps or glancing at her, he replied, “Yes, ma’am. He’s one of the best men I’ve ever known.”
“We’re taking your private plane?” Callie sat inside the luxurious Lonigan’s Imports and Exports jet.
“Why should we travel like the tourists?”
“Why, indeed.”
“It isn’t my wealth you disapprove of, is it, my darling,” Burke said. “If you thought I’d made my millions in the import-export business, you wouldn’t wrinkle up your nose in disdain. But you assume that all this—” he spread his arms “—is ill-gotten gains. You believe I earned it through illegal means, don’t you?”
She glared at him, refusing to allow herself to admit that she found him unbearably attractive. He had changed into casual brown slacks and a beige cashmere sweater. She, on the other hand, wore her yellow silk wedding suit beneath her woollen coat.
“Didn’t you get all of this through your illegal business dealings?”
“Would you believe me if I said no? If I told you that not one penny of my money was earned by—”
“I’d rather you not lie to me,” she said.
“Very well, I won’t waste my breath trying to persuade you to trust me.”
He turned and went into the cockpit. Callie heard him speaking to the pilot, but she couldn’t make out the words. The interior of the plane was tastefully decorated, but then she had expected nothing less. Burke’s home in Belgravia was sheer perfection, and his suite of offices in the city had no rival.
She stood, eased out of her heavy coat, laid it aside and took a seat on the tan leather lounger. If only Burke were a good man, an honest man. She sighed. If only this marriage was real and we loved each other and were planning a future together—the three of us. Burke and Seamus and I. If only I were looking forward to a real honeymoon, anticipating a wedding night in Burke’s arms. But that wouldn’t happen. It couldn’t. She didn’t dare allow herself to indulge in even the briefest of affairs with Burke. If she did, he might walk away unscathed, untouched by their relationship, but she understood herself only too well. Despite knowing what kind of man Burke Lonigan was, if she became his lover, she would fall in love with him. If the truth were told, she was halfway in love with the man already.
And you’re a fool! she told herself. A bloody fool!
Burke returned, carrying a silver bucket that held a magnum of champagne in one hand and two crystal flutes in the other hand. “If you’re hungry, there’s—”
“I couldn’t eat a bite,” she said, and hated herself for snapping at him. Her belligerent attitude wasn’t helping the situation. Burke hadn’t wanted this marriage any more than she had, but he was making the best of a bad situation. The least she could do was try to help him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so… I promise I shall do better.”
“You have every right to be upset and angry.” Burke placed the champagne and glasses on the table, then sat beside her, leaving several feet of space between them. “Once this is all over, I promise that I’ll arrange for you to get a good position at another company. And if you’ll let me, I’d like to set up a trust fund for Seamus.” When she opened her mouth to protest, he held up a restraining hand. “I know you wouldn’t accept money from me, but a trust fund for Seamus wouldn’t be money for you. It would be security for your son’s future. I feel as if I owe you that much.”
Now why had Burke made
such a generous offer? Why, when she was convinced he was evil personified, did he do something so incredibly nice? He’s one of the best men I’ve ever known. She heard Leland Perkins’s declaration replaying itself in her mind. But how was it possible for someone who dealt in illegal weapons to be a good man? You should have more faith in Mr. Lonigan. Again Leland’s words haunted her.
Don’t do this to yourself, the sane part of her mind warned. Why should you believe Leland? The man is a loyal employee, someone who is probably involved in Burke’s illegal dealings.
“I don’t know what to say.” Callie averted her gaze, glancing at her folded hands resting in her lap.
“Please, just say that you’ll consider my offer.”
“All right. I’ll consider your offer.”
“Good.” Burke smiled, then reached over and lifted the champagne from the silver bucket.
Callie tried not to look at him while he opened the champagne, but her hungry gaze studied him from the top of his silky black hair, down his broad shoulders to his slender waist and hips. While he was busy pouring the bubbly into the flutes, she drank her fill of her incredibly handsome husband. Without warning, the memories of that long-ago night surfaced. She had never known anything like the passion she had experienced in Burke’s arms. Together they had shared a wondrous night. Bodies mated. Hearts exchanged sweet intimacies. Souls touched ever so briefly. She had given him comfort and understanding and all the passionate love within her. And he had taken all that she offered and in return exposed the most vulnerable, tormented part of himself. And he had made love to her with incomparable expertise and an earth-shattering tenderness that she would never forget. Not as long as she lived.
Her Secret Weapon Page 12
