Sainted

by Slade, Heather

  What that would do to Harper was more than I could think about. I wondered how someone like Decker did it. It wasn’t just his wife; now they had a baby, who would be left fatherless if a mission went wrong.

  The ache in my chest was too great for me to allow myself to continue thinking about it, especially given we’d soon be attending a joyous wedding. I rolled my body out of bed, hoping I still had time to run my hands over Harper’s naked, wet body.

  I’d told Harper the King and Queen of Spain would be in attendance, but based on the lack of security entering the estate, I wondered if they’d changed their mind. As long as Kensington showed up, I was sure Rile wouldn’t care a whit. And vice versa.

  I wondered if Harper was thinking similar thoughts. I hadn’t stopped to consider attending a wedding might be difficult for her.

  “I can’t imagine a more beautiful setting,” she commented when we came out of the forest and the view opened to the Balearic Sea.

  The sun shone brightly today, and the sky was a perfect blue, just like the reflection in the pond the first day we’d visited Alfriston.

  We were dropped off right in front of the small chapel that had been on the estate for a hundred years. It was new in comparison to the one where Harper would be ministering, but no less enchanting.

  We had just taken our places near the back on the groom’s side when a hush came over the chapel.

  I recognized the Spanish royalty, but not because they were in their regalia. There was just something about the way they held themselves that set them apart.

  Until they stopped at the front pew and greeted the woman sitting on the bride’s side, I hadn’t realized it was the Queen. Again, she wore simple attire and looked like she could be Kensington’s grandmother.

  “Oh my gosh,” said Harper, putting her hand in front of her mouth. “That’s her, isn’t it?”

  “I believe it is.”

  I was stunned when her eyes filled with tears.

  “What is it, my darling?” Was it the memory of her own wedding that brought her to tears?

  “Everything is so beautiful. Simple, yet perfect. I would love our wedding to be like this. That’s if you wouldn’t mind.”

  “As I’m sure Rile would say about Kensington, you will be all that matters to me the day you become my wife. I love you, Harper.”

  “I love you, Saint.”

  The music changed, the congregation stood, and the bride’s processional began.

  After a short but very moving service, we exited the pews and were greeted by the bride and groom when we reached the door.

  “It was a lovely wedding,” I heard Harper say to Kensington as my eyes met Rile’s. When she stepped in front of him, he took her left hand and kissed the back of it.

  “It is an honor to meet the woman who has captured Saint’s heart.” Rile was one of my closest and dearest friends, and his graciousness moved me.

  We shook when it was my turn, before Rile pulled me into an embrace. “She is the one, my friend. Never doubt it. You will live a long and happy life with her by your side.”

  Some said Rile had a sixth sense. I’d certainly seen it in action in the years I’d known him. This time, though, I prayed what he’d seen, came to fruition.

  “Godspeed,” he said, releasing me.

  “And to you.”

  “Saint,” he called after me. “Keep your eye on the tiger’s.”

  I shuddered at his words, knowing without any doubt that Decker had not shared the details of our upcoming mission with him. None of us wanted Rile’s mind to be on anything other than his bride.

  29

  Harper

  I’d said so many prayers today, I lost track. Not that I ever really kept count. I could tell from Saint’s demeanor—along with Decker’s and some of the other guys’—that whatever they were about to do, was dangerous.

  “Please keep him safe. Please, God, bring him back to me.”

  It was selfish, but I couldn’t help it. Niven St. Thomas had changed my life. He’d changed me. I’d never felt more alive than I had since we met on the plane. I couldn’t allow myself to envision my future without him.

  “Come here,” he said, leading me over to the bed when we returned to our room after the reception’s festivities ended. “We’re going to talk, Harper, and then we are going to make love until we fall asleep in each other’s arms.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t want to talk, Saint.” The words were impossible to speak without crying.

  “We must, my darling. There are things you need to know. There’s also something I want to ask you.”

  I rolled my shoulders, wiped my tears, and sat beside him on the bed.

  “A man will be meeting us in Alfriston tomorrow. His name is Sterling Anderson, and the purpose of his visit is to ensure that if anything were to happen to me, you will be taken care of for the rest of your life.”

  I had no control over the tears that streamed down my cheeks. “I don’t want anything, Saint. I don’t want to be taken care of. I only want you.”

  “And I, you, my darling. Please understand I’m doing this for my own peace of mind. I beg you to indulge me.”

  I wiped my tears, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. “Eliza said your uncle tried to control you.”

  He nodded and smiled.

  “And then she said there wasn’t a man less likely to allow it.”

  “Are you saying you’re acquiescing?”

  I stared into his blue eyes and let my gaze linger on his beautiful face. Why a man like him would want to be with someone like me rather than with a supermodel, baffled me. But he did. And he loved me. Of that, I had no doubt. “Would my protests do any good?”

  He grinned. “Not even a little.”

  “Then, I won’t bother.”

  “If that’s the case, I’ve one more request.”

  Not only was Saint handsome, but he could charm the dew off the honeysuckle, as my grandmother used to say. “Don’t push it, Saint.”

  He took both my hands in his, and the grin left his face. “Before I leave, I want you to marry me. Be my wife.”

  I choked on the breath I’d just taken, and sobbed my words in response. “Why? No. Why are you doing this?” Every part of me hurt at knowing what was behind this. Saint believed he might not come back. “You begged me to give in earlier. To indulge you. Now I’m begging you not to ask this.”

  “Harper, I don’t want anyone to attempt to contest my will. If you are my wife, that cannot happen.”

  “It still can, Saint, and I have no doubt your uncle would fight me to…” I couldn’t continue. I couldn’t talk about death. Only love.

  “I will meet with him before I leave. I wasn’t certain I’d have time, but I’ll make it. During our meeting, I’ll extend him an offer I am most certain he’ll accept. In doing so, he will relinquish all claims to my estate, and he will allow you to live in Fox Run Cottage for the rest of your life—or as long as you want.”

  I put my head in my hands and prayed out loud. “God, I beg you to keep Niven safe. Keep my husband safe and allow us to spend our lives together here on earth and, one day, when we are very old, together in heaven. Amen.”

  Saint’s eyes opened wide, and his hold on my hands tightened. “Does this mean you agree? You know, of course, that we can still have a traditional wedding later. However, wherever, you want. This is only for us. You and me.”

  “I will agree, but I have a condition.”

  “Name it.”

  “This is the last time we’ll speak of such things until we are with the lawyer and the man who will marry us. Once they both know your wishes, we will not talk about it again before you leave.”

  “I give you my word.” He looked up at the ceiling. “In front of God.”

  “Good. Now, you promised we would make love until we fall asleep in each other’s arms.”

  “A vow I am very happy to honor.”

  With the number of guests leaving Ma
llorca today, Saint and I said our goodbyes without telling anyone we were flying back to London. Neither of us wanted a private plane arranged for us. In fact, we were giddy that we’d be flying first class together again.

  “Can I get you anything to drink?” the flight attendant asked Saint. He raised our hands that were clasped together in such a way that the woman couldn’t help but see my ring.

  “My wife and I would like two cracks of champagne if you would, please.”

  “We aren’t married yet.” I giggled when she walked away.

  “You started it when you called me husband.” Saint’s expression changed from silly to serious. “But aren’t we, Harper? In the eyes of God, aren’t we already man and wife? Weren’t we the night we consecrated our union?”

  I nodded solemnly. “You’re right.”

  His face broke into his movie-star-like smile. “Besides, I can’t stop myself from saying it.”

  We’d agreed this morning that, after he dropped me off at the flat, Saint would go and talk with his uncle on his own. It was fine by me. Whatever they had to say to each other, I didn’t want to know.

  Now that Saint was a partner in the Invincibles, he no longer had to kowtow to Nigel or even listen to his demands, and for that, I gave a prayer of thanks.

  “Hello? Miss Bardwell?” Saint called out when the elevator opened on the foyer of his flat.

  “I’m here,” she shouted, coming around the corner from the hallway.

  My left hand hung at my side, and she raced over and grabbed it.

  “Oh, thank the heavens! It is a perfect fit. The perfect ring for the perfect woman.” Her eyes filled with tears, and she cupped both our cheeks. “May God bless you. You have brought my heart such joy.”

  Saint winked at me, and I smiled at him.

  He carried our bags down the hallway and into the bedroom. I followed to freshen up.

  “I’m off, then,” he said when I came out of the bathroom. “The sooner I do this, the sooner I’ll be back.”

  While he was gone, I made three phone calls. First to my mother, then to my father, and finally to Mouse. I’d left her until last, knowing I would likely need to vent or cry or something after talking to my parents.

  My mother, once she recovered from the shock, cried tears of joy, making me promise Saint and I would visit her in the States as soon as we could.

  My father reacted in the exact way I expected him to. “This is absurd, Harper,” he said rather than “Congratulations!” or “I’m so happy for you, my beloved daughter!” Not that he’d ever used any of those words when talking to or about me. I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d change his tune after our phone call ended, and he researched his future son-in-law. I predicted it would.

  “I knew it!” proclaimed Mouse after I admitted fibbing to her when I told her I was staying with a man I met on the plane and his wife.

  I laughed. “That’s ridiculous. How could you know?”

  “There’s something in your voice I’ve never heard before. You sound different. Happy. At peace. I can picture you glowing like an angel.”

  I couldn’t admit it to Mouse—because I hadn’t told Saint yet—but I had an overwhelming feeling that I was pregnant. There were no signs of it, no symptoms, yet in my heart, I knew I was.

  We ended the call with me promising to be in touch about our plans for a wedding, not the one that would happen in the next day or two, but the wedding we would share with those we loved. The one we’d plan when Saint returned from his mission.

  “Please, God,” I prayed out loud. “Let him come back from his mission.”

  30

  Saint

  “Come in, Niven,” said my uncle when he answered my knock at his door. He ushered me into the sitting room, the same one where he’d disparaged both Harper and me. The memory of it made me angry enough to rethink my offer to him; however, my intended outcome kept me steadfast.

  “Where is Millicent?” I asked.

  “Out with friends. Shopping or some sort of thing. But never mind that. Are you here to tell me you’ve had a change of heart? Are you and the American planning to announce your engagement? Once you have, I’ll set the wheels in motion for you to return to MI6.”

  It was sad, really, that my uncle believed he wielded that kind of power when, in reality, he wasn’t important enough to be kept abreast of how many things had transpired that would go against his plan.

  “On the contrary, Uncle. I’ve come to discuss another matter entirely.”

  The pompous ass smirked. “And what would that be?”

  “The matter of your role as foreign secretary and whether you are willing to go along with my demands in order to remain in the position.”

  His beady eyes scrunched, and the tone of his voice became menacing—or it might have been to someone who didn’t know they held all the cards. “Enough games, Niven. Tell me your intentions or leave. If you walk out that door, you’ll no longer receive any assistance from me whatsoever.”

  “Assistance from you? What a joke! You can’t manage to keep your own affairs in order, let alone those of anyone else. That you believe you influence anything is the biggest joke of all.”

  “I beg your pardon?” he bellowed, rising from the chair. I stood as well and stared him down.

  “We both know the financial mess you’re in, so let’s stop with the charade. What I don’t understand is why you didn’t come to me in the first place.”

  He cleared his throat and walked over to pour himself a drink. He didn’t offer me one. “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”

  I withdrew the papers I’d brought from my inside jacket pocket, walked over, and handed them to him.

  “What is the meaning of this?” he asked, staring down at the first page.

  “Enough, Uncle!” I bellowed like he had. “I have little time and even less patience. Are you prepared to listen to my offer, or shall I walk out and leave you to your own devices?”

  There were many other things I thought to say, all of them as disparaging as what he’d said to me over the course of most of my adult life. However, all it took to soothe me was closing my eyes and picturing my darling Harper.

  “I cannot wait to hear this.”

  I reined in the flare of my temper brought on by his snide tone. “First, I am prepared to give you the funds you need to pay off your debts.”

  His eyes opened wide. “In exchange for what?”

  I smiled. This is where it would get good. “I have several requirements.” I motioned to the dining room table, sat when he did, and pulled another set of papers from my opposite jacket pocket. “First, let’s talk about Fox Run Cottage.” I set the papers in front of him. “As you can see, and as you well know, it is not within your rights to sell. If you wish to deny your inheritance, the terms of the title decree that you first make offer of it to the remaining heirs. If either, in this case, wish to take over the property, you must relinquish it to them.”

  “Relinquish it? Never. It’s worth close to a million pounds.”

  I set another paper in front of him. “And, as you can also see, Eliza has signed over her claim to the property. I, however, am prepared to take possession of it.”

  “I will not agree to this.” He spoke far more quietly than he had to this point. “I cannot.”

  “As I well know, which is why I am also prepared to pay you the million pounds you believe is the cottage’s fair market value. A sum quite close to the total amount of your debt.”

  He looked from the paper up to me. “And what are you asking of me in exchange.”

  “First, you give up this flat. You and Millicent may choose any other within the budget I set for you. I assure you, the two of you will live out your days quite comfortably, although not extravagantly.”

  “You would turn us out of our home?”

  I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “A home my mother purchased for you and which you have mortgaged to within a penny of its worth.
Which means you will not have the money to continue residing here.”

  “Where would you have us go?”

  “As I said, you will have the choice. One of the stipulations is that your purchase remains within the budget I set.”

  He sneered. “What are the other stipulations?”

  “That home will remain in your daughter’s name and mine in order to prevent you from mortgaging it as you did this one. Upon your death and that of your wife, Eliza will inherit the property free and clear. Let me assure you, any plans you may have to manipulate her, will result in my turning you out in the street.”

  His face turned red. “What else?” He glared with hooded eyes.

  “You will live within the means afforded to you by your salary as foreign secretary.”

  “But that’s—”

  “My final offer. You will note I am allowing you to remain in the position you hold in such high regard. That can easily change, Uncle. Where do you think I came by all of this information? I’ll answer for you. MI6. And I promise you, Z Alexander is prepared to open a formal inquiry and see to it you are stripped from your appointment.”

  He sat back in his chair, but it was easy to see he was attempting to come up with a different plan. I pushed my chair away and stood. “Every hour that passes without you signing the documents I have given you, the budget for your future home decreases by one hundred thousand pounds. I’d make haste if I were you.” I turned to leave.

  “Wait, Niven!” he called out to me before I reached his front door. “I’ll sign.”

  “Excellent decision.”

  “Before I do, what exactly is the budget?”

  “Five hundred thousand pounds.”

  “You can’t touch anything anywhere near this neighborhood for less than three times that sum.”

  “No, Uncle, you cannot.”