by Joanna Shupe
He kissed her head, his arms winding around her. “I apologize. But I’m here now.”
“Were you trapped, then?” Frank asked.
“Yes,” Julius answered. “When the ceiling collapsed.”
“Your fiancée refused to give up on you.” Frank clapped Julius on the back and nodded toward Nora.
“Is that so?” Julius squeezed Nora as he caught her gaze with his own. “Thank you.”
A man moaned and Julius stiffened, his head swinging around. Nora looked over as well—and the breath caught in her throat. “Is that . . . Robert?” She searched Julius’s face. “You saved Robert? But what . . . ?”
Julius scowled at the man on the ground. “He was the reason the sprinklers never turned on.”
“Robert? But why?”
“He had no idea you were here tonight. He’d hoped I would perish and then he could win back your affections.”
“What? That is utterly insane. Did he start the fire as well?”
“I don’t know, but it’s probably safe to assume he did. Otherwise, why sabotage the sprinklers? I wouldn’t be surprised if he were responsible for my stable fire as well.”
She stormed over to Robert, who struggled to gain his feet. “Did you do this?” she demanded. “Are you responsible for this fire?”
The flash of anger and madness in Robert’s eyes was like nothing she’d seen before. He sneered. “He is lying to you. I came here to see the show. I was trying to escape the smoke and ended up in the basement.”
She didn’t doubt Julius’s word for one moment. Not only that, she knew Robert. This was a new, unfamiliar side of him, one capable of violence. “I cannot believe you did this. People might be killed, Robert. Innocent people. This building is destroyed. All to win me back?”
“I didn’t do this,” he snarled and pointed at Julius. “He is trying to cause you to hate me.”
A policeman was walking by and Nora grabbed his arm. Pointing at Robert, she said, “Sir, this is the man who started the fire. He is responsible.”
Robert spun and sprinted away, only his legs must have still been woozy from his injury because he fell to the cobblestones. The policeman easily snatched him up. “This one, miss?”
“You were not supposed to be here!” Robert snapped. “Only him. He should have died, Nora. Then everything would have gone back to the way it was.”
She closed her eyes, the words like daggers in her chest. He’d caused all this destruction, all this terror and death, to kill Julius in the hopes she would reconcile with him? It was too terrible to absorb. What happened to the sweet poet she had been in love with for months? How could he be capable of something like this?
The policeman dragged Robert away while another officer approached Julius. “Mr. Hatcher, we’ll need a statement, sir.”
“Of course, but not until the fire is out and we’ve done all we can here. Where are they taking the injured?”
“The hotel on the corner, sir.”
“Do we know how many lives have been lost?”
“Not yet, sir. It’ll be some time before that’s been determined.”
Julius sighed and, after shaking the officer’s hand and promising to make his way to the hotel, he put his palm on Nora’s cheek. “Why don’t you go home and get some rest? This figures to be a long night.”
“Not a chance. I am not letting you out of my sight again.”
A chuckle rumbled in his chest. “That may be hard to explain when I need to go home and rest myself.”
“A fiancée is allowed to see her injured future husband home and settled in his bed.”
A sandy blond brow rose. “Is that so? Are you still my fiancée, then?”
“Did you mean what you said in the theater, before you left?”
“I never say anything I do not mean. A man’s only as good as his word, you know.”
“Will you say it again?”
He leaned down close to her ear. “I love you, my lady. I’m only sorry it took me so damn long to spit it out.”
A shiver worked its way down Nora’s spine, a wildly inappropriate response considering the grim circumstances around them but one she could not control. But still, he had let her walk away before. How could he be sure? “When did you realize it?”
“I think I’ve known for a while, but I couldn’t deny it any longer when I was trying to push through the pandemonium to get inside to you. I was outside when the fire started.”
She thought of the mob on the staircase, all headed toward the main entrance. “You fought through that crowd?”
His expression softened, his gaze sweeping over her face. “I would walk through the fires of hell doused in kerosene if it meant saving your life.”
Forgetting they were surrounded by people, she raised up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his mouth.
“Now, now—none of that until after the wedding,” Aunt Bea suddenly said from beside them.
Startled, Nora spun toward her aunt, who stood with Uncle James a few feet away. Her uncle slapped Julius’s back. “Glad to see you made it, Hatcher. I heard from the battalion chief that the sprinklers likely saved many lives tonight. People stopped panicking once they turned on.”
“Thank Christ,” Julius breathed. “I must speak to him and then go to the hotel to meet with the police.”
Nora took his arm, not ready to let go of him just yet. “I’ll come with you.” He opened his mouth to argue, so she held up her free hand. “Do not bother attempting to talk me out of it.”
“Love, honor, and obey, Nora. Emphasis on the last one.”
“Then it is a good thing we have not exchanged those vows just yet, Mr. Hatcher.”
The release caught Julius by surprise, the fierce pleasure of being inside his fiancée—his true fiancée, it seemed—too damn much to take. “God, yes,” he bellowed, his stomach heaving. “Nora.” His seed spilled inside her as she continued to ride him, her legs astride his on the mattress, breasts bouncing, her own release having occurred seconds before. He gritted his teeth and grunted, the pulses overwhelming him.
He stopped shaking and she collapsed on top of his chest. They caught their breath as he stroked her sweat-soaked back, his semi-hard penis still buried inside her warmth. “I will never get tired of that. Not even when we’re old and feeble.”
“Good, because I am liable to want that at least once a day.”
“Whatever my lady wants,” he said and kissed the top of her head.
He was exhausted. They had stayed late, helping tend to the wounded and cataloging names to reunite families. Nora had surprised him, selfless and tireless in her efforts to lend aid. He had learned of her efforts during the fire, diverting those stuck on the main stairs to the boxed tier fire escape, and loved her all the more for it. His brave English lady.
In the end, the police had taken pity on the two of them and promised to collect Julius’s statement the following day. The police and fire departments were still piecing together all that had happened, but it appeared the death toll would remain low. Almost all the patrons had been able to exit using fire escapes and the balcony had only been half-full.
Nora had confirmed Robert’s identity to the police and gave a brief description of recent events. Robert had been arrested and led away, yelling the entire time of his innocence.
In the early hours of the morning, Julius and Nora had returned to his house, with Nora sneaking in because he “needed help with his ankle.” He hadn’t really, but who was he to complain?
After a bath to wash away the horrors of the night, they’d ended up in his bed, naked, grateful to be alive and to be together. Julius had no doubt that James Cortland would be on his doorstep first thing after sunrise—towing a justice of the peace along with him.
Which was fine by Julius. The sooner he married Nora, the sooner he’d have her by his side every day. “Are you going to marry me?” he heard himself ask.
She sighed dramatically, her fingers skimming his collarbone
. “I suppose I’ll have to. Otherwise, how will you hold your head up in society?”
Happiness spread in his chest, warming him. “Thank you for your noble sacrifice.”
“You are most welcome. And, just so there is no misunderstanding later, I have no intention of obeying you.”
He chuckled and yawned. “I would expect nothing less.”
She remained silent for a long moment. “Why did I never realize Robert had this . . . darkness inside him?”
“Hard to say. He may not have even known it himself until provoked.”
“I cannot fathom it. I almost married him, a man who just set fire to a theater. People died tonight because I broke off with him.”
“Because of him, Nora.” He tightened his grip on her. “People died because of his choices, not yours. You share no blame in what happened. Only Robert is responsible.”
“If that is true, then why did you pledge a small fortune to each of the twenty-one families who lost a loved one in the fire?”
Twenty-one families forever changed. The deceased had been patrons too old to keep up with the crowds, trampled or crushed underfoot, then asphyxiated in the smoke because they’d fallen. All because Julius had underestimated Robert. He’d been too busy seducing Nora to concentrate on discovering the party responsible for the fire in the stables. If he’d figured it out sooner, perhaps tonight’s tragedy could have been prevented. “Because I can. It’s a small token of kindness during a tragedy no family should have to endure. And I plan on seeing that other theaters institute safety measures to prevent anything of the same happening again.”
“The police and fire departments said the theater was not at fault,” she said softly.
“I realize that, but there are improvements that would help. Like having exit signs that are in easy-to-spot places and well lit in the dark.”
“Will you rebuild the Athena?”
He hadn’t considered it. “Perhaps, if only to ensure it’s done correctly. If my wife approves of the idea, of course.”
“She might allow it, if husbandly duties are not sacrificed to the cause.”
“Perish the thought,” he said and cupped her breast, fingers rolling her nipple, pinching. She gasped and heat flared in his groin. God, this woman. “I promise to take husbandly duties quite seriously.”
“Even though you never wanted to be a husband?”
“People change. Circumstances change,” he said, recalling his words from days before. “And if I fail, at least I shall have you by my side . . . because I’m not letting you go.”
She was all he needed, until he dropped dead. He’d even set aside his notion of revenge for her. While Pendleton had rightfully paid for his actions, James Cortland did not deserve to be ruined. More to the point, he didn’t want to hurt Nora by destroying her uncle.
She kissed his jaw, then nipped the skin with her teeth. Sensation shot through him like a jolt of electric current, his hips bucking. She chuckled. “I apologize, then, for ruining your plan to spend your life alone.”
“I never wanted to be alone,” he said, though they both knew it to be a lie.
Pushing up on her elbows, she smirked up at him. “If that’s true, then why did you build yourself a castle?”
He rolled her onto her back and loomed over her. “Perhaps I was waiting for a princess to come along and save me.”
Chapter Twenty-One
A knock on the door brought Nora slowly awake. Where was she? A naked man was wrapped around her, his arms holding her close even in sleep. Oh, yes. Julius. She shifted to elbow him. “Julius, wake up. Someone is at the door.”
“What?” His beautiful blue eyes fluttered open, unfocused from sleep.
“Someone is knocking.”
He lifted his head. “Go away!” he shouted.
“Sir, a word, if you please.” It was Weaver, Julius’s valet.
Nora stretched to see the clock on the mantel. Already half past nine. Panic rose in her chest. She hadn’t meant to sleep this long. Last she remembered, she’d planned to shut her eyes for just a few minutes before sneaking home to her uncle’s house. “Oh God, Julius. Get up!”
She started to rise and he put a hand on her shoulder. “Do not move. Let me see what he wants.”
Turning, he angled his long and lithe body out of bed. Utterly and gloriously naked, he strode to the door. After ensuring Nora was properly covered, he cracked the wooden panel. She could not hear the words exchanged, but she saw Julius’s shoulders stiffen.
“Here? Now?”
“Indeed, sir.”
“We’ll be along in ten minutes.”
Julius closed the door and came to stand by Nora’s side of the bed. She tried not to stare at his naked flesh, but it was not easy. The man was dashed gorgeous. His face had her sitting up, however, clutching the sheet to her chest. “Who’s here? Is it my uncle?”
“No, it’s your father.”
Nora’s ears started ringing and she wobbled. Her . . . father. Here? How?
“Whoa, steady there.” Julius grabbed her shoulders. “Breathe, Nora. Take a deep breath for me, please.”
She dragged air into her lungs, her mouth working like a fish on a dry riverbed. Julius sat on the end of the bed and cupped her jaw with one large hand. His serious expression did not reflect the terror currently clawing her insides. “It will be all right,” he said. “Stay calm.”
“Easy for you to say,” she wheezed. “He is . . . He will know we . . .” She gestured to the bed.
“Yes, he will.” His mouth curved into a smile. “Something tells me your father is not a stupid man.”
“Oh, heavens.” Her forehead dropped onto his shoulder. “I’ve disappointed him again.”
He smoothed a hand up and down her back. “In this instance I don’t think you are the one he’ll be most upset with.”
She inhaled sharply as something more depressing occurred. “What if he disapproves?”
“Do you honestly think that would stop me? I don’t need his approval to marry you, Nora. He has no power over me and I’m perfectly capable of standing up to him.” He shifted to stare into her eyes. “I will not let you go. Do you hear me?”
She nodded and kissed him quickly. “I won’t let you go, either.”
“That’s settled, then. We should dress and face him.”
“Together? Perhaps I should go down first—”
“Absolutely not.” His lips flattened into an unhappy line. “We go into the lion’s den together. Now get up and I’ll help you dress.”
They were quiet as they donned their clothing. Julius had been kind enough to send someone to fetch a fresh day dress from her maid last night, as the clothes she’d been wearing reeked of soot and smoke. At least she would face her father with a small amount of dignity.
He’s caught you in flagrante delicto once again.
This would be the last time, thankfully. She didn’t think she could survive the mortification again.
Trembling, she held on to Julius as they traveled along the corridors. Julius’s hold on her never wavered, however, his countenance calm and resolved. It was as if he told her not to worry with every step.
The earl stood as they entered the intimate family receiving room. He appeared grim, his silver hair swept off his forehead, mouth turned down in a frown. His eyes missed nothing as he took in Nora’s appearance: her hastily twisted hair, the freshly pressed day dress. His gaze narrowed on where she clung to Julius’s arm.
Julius released her but did not move from her side. He gave a neat bow. “My lord, I am Julius Hatcher.”
Her father’s eye twitched and Nora swallowed. “Hello, Father.”
He said nothing, merely strode forward, long legs eating up the distance until he loomed in front of them. Ignoring Nora, he addressed Julius. “Do you plan to marry my daughter?”
“Indeed, I do.”
Her father struck out his hand. “That was the correct answer. I trust expediency in that regard wil
l not be a problem.”
Julius quickly shook the earl’s hand. “Not a bit, my lord.”
Her father was entirely too businesslike. Was he brokering for votes in Lords or his daughter’s future? “Are you not upset?” she blurted, confused.
He turned to her for the first time. “I am furious—but I am also relieved.”
“I don’t understand.” She glanced at Julius, but found him equally confused.
“Hatcher, may I have a moment with my daughter?”
“Of course.” Julius bent to kiss her cheek. “I’ll be in my office, if you need me.” The two men shook hands once more and she watched with trepidation as Julius departed. Nerves fluttered in her stomach at facing her father alone.
“Shall we sit?” He gestured to the small sofa. “I fear I haven’t yet gained my land legs.”
“When did you arrive?” she asked as they settled themselves on the furniture.
“Last evening. Quite a shock, arriving to learn that my only child almost died in a theater fire. I believe that shaved several years off my life.”
He’d been worried about her? The man who sent her away to find a husband in another country?
“I see you do not believe me.” He sighed. “Honora, I realize you and I have not always been close, a situation I am no doubt to blame for. Your aunt believes your actions in the last year have been about gaining my attention, good or bad.” He shrugged. “Perhaps they were, but I regret I ever caused you to doubt my affection for you. I do not say it often but I do . . . love you, you know.”
She closed her eyes briefly, absorbing the words. She hadn’t realized how desperately she’d needed to hear them. “Then why did you send me away?”
“You know why. You were caught with that boy in front of six prominent men of London society. What was I to do? The only chance we had of saving your reputation was to get you away from the scandal as quickly as possible. New York seemed the most logical place, with your aunt here.”
“So you were protecting me, not attempting to get rid of me?”
He stiffened as his brows rose. “Get rid of you? Good God, no. I thought you’d look at New York as a grand adventure. You’ve always been so fiercely independent.”
