Castles

by Julie Garwood

  Colin leaned back in his chair. “Did he have anything helpful to add?”

  “No.”

  The brothers lapsed into silence, each caught up in his own thoughts. Colin pushed his chair back and bent over to take his shoes off. He tossed off his left shoe, then his right, and was about to straighten up again when he noticed the lining protruding from his left shoe.

  “Damn,” he muttered to himself. His most comfortable pair of shoes were already wearing out. He picked up the shoe to see if it could be repaired. The thick insert fell into his hands.

  He’d never seen anything like it. He immediately picked up the other shoe and examined it. Flannaghan chose that moment to walk into the study with a fresh decanter of brandy so that Caine could have a drink if he was so inclined. He took one look at what Colin was holding in his hand and immediately turned around to leave.

  “Come back here, Flannaghan,” Colin ordered.

  “Did you wish a drink, milord?” Flannaghan asked Caine.

  “Yes,” Caine answered. “But I want water, not brandy. After seeing Harold tonight, the thought of a hard drink turns my stomach.”

  “I shall fetch the water at once.”

  Flannaghan tried to leave again. Colin called him back.

  “Did you wish some water?” the butler asked his employer.

  Colin held up the insert. “I wish to find out if you know anything about this.”

  Flannaghan was torn between his loyalties. He was Colin’s servant, of course, and was certainly loyal to him, but he had also promised his princess not to say a word about the bootmaker.

  Flannaghan’s silence was a bit damning. Caine started laughing. “From the look on his face, I would say he knows a great deal about something. What are you holding, Colin?”

  He tossed the leather insert to Caine. “I just found this hidden under the lining of my shoe. It’s been specifically made for the left foot.”

  He turned his gaze back to his butler. “Alesandra’s behind this, isn’t she?”

  Flannaghan cleared his throat. “They have become your favorite shoes, milord,” he hastened to point out. “The insert made your shoe fit your heel much better. I pray you won’t become too angry over this.”

  Colin wasn’t at all angry, but his butler was too young and too caught up in his worry to realize that fact.

  “Our princess realizes that you are a bit . . . sensitive about your leg,” Flannaghan continued, “and for that reason she did resort to a little trickery. I do hope you won’t berate her.”

  Colin smiled. Flannaghan’s defense of Alesandra was pleasing to him. “Will you ask ‘our princess’ to come in here? Knock softly on her door, Flannaghan, and if she doesn’t immediately answer, assume she’s asleep.”

  Flannaghan hurried out of the study. He realized he was still holding the decanter in his hands and quickly turned back to the study. He put the brandy on the side table and once again left.

  Caine tossed the insert back to his brother. “Does the contraption work?”

  “Yes,” Colin answered. “I didn’t realize . . .”

  Caine saw the vulnerability in his brother’s eyes and was amazed. It wasn’t like Colin to let anyone see beyond the smile. He suddenly felt closer to his brother, and all because Colin wasn’t shutting him out. He leaned forward in his chair, his elbows braced on his knees.

  “What didn’t you realize?”

  Colin stared at the thick heel of the insert when he answered. “That my left leg was shorter than my right. It makes sense. The loss of muscle . . .”

  He forced a shrug. Caine didn’t know what to say to him. This was the first time Colin had acknowledged his condition and Caine wasn’t certain how to proceed. If he sounded too nonchalant, his brother might assume he didn’t care. Yet if he sounded too earnest and prodded him with questions, Colin might slam the door on the subject for another five years.

  It was damned awkward. And in the end he didn’t say anything. He changed the topic. “Have you talked to Father about Catherine yet?”

  “Yes,” Colin answered. “He promises to be on his guard. He’s alerted his staff, too. If anything else is delivered, Father will see it first.”

  “Is he going to warn Catherine?”

  “He didn’t want to worry her,” Colin replied. “I insisted. She needs to understand this is a serious matter. Catherine’s a bit . . . flighty, isn’t she?”

  Caine smiled. “She isn’t completely grown up yet, Colin. Give her time.”

  “And protect her until she does grow up.”

  “Yes.”

  Alesandra appeared in the doorway with Flannaghan at her side. She wore a dark blue robe that covered her from chin to slippers. She walked inside the study, smiled at Caine, and then turned to her husband. Colin held up the insert for her to see. She immediately lost her smile and started backing out of the room.

  She didn’t look frightened, just wary. “Alesandra, do you know something about this?”

  She couldn’t tell from his expression if he was angry or merely irritated with her. She reminded herself that her husband had vowed his love for her just minutes before and took a step forward. “Yes.”

  “Yes, what?”

  “Yes, I know something about the insert. Good evening, Caine. It’s good to see you again,” she added in a rush.

  She was deliberately being obtuse. Colin shook his head at her. “I asked you a question, wife,” he said.

  “Now I understand your question,” she blurted out. She took another step forward. “Just before you left my chamber you asked me if I had something to tell you and now I realize you’d found the insert. All right, then. I’ll tell you. I interfered. Yes, I did. I had your best interests at heart, Colin. I’m sorry you’re so prickly about your leg, and if you weren’t, I could have discussed my idea with you before sending Flannaghan to the bootmaker. I had to force your man to take on the assignment. He’s most loyal to you,” she hastened to add lest he think Flannaghan had somehow betrayed him.

  “No, Princess,” Flannaghan argued. “I begged you to let me take on the assignment.”

  Colin rolled his eyes heavenward. “What made you think of the idea?” he asked.

  She looked surprised by his question. “You have a limp . . . at night, when you’re tired, you do tend to limp a little. Colin, you are aware you favor your right leg, aren’t you?”

  He almost laughed. “Yes, I’m aware.”

  “Do you agree you’re a fairly intelligent man?”

  She was turning his words back on him. He held his frown. “Yes.”

  “Then why didn’t you try to reason why you were limping?”

  He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “A shark took a bite out of my leg. Call me daft, Alesandra, but I assumed that was the reason I limped.”

  She shook her head. “That was the reason for the injury,” she explained. “I looked at the bottoms of your shoes. The left heel was barely worn on each pair. Then, of course, I knew what to do.” She let out a sigh. “I do wish you weren’t so sensitive about this issue.”

  She turned to look at Caine. “He is sensitive, though. Have you, by chance, noticed?”

  Caine nodded.

  She smiled because she’d gained his agreement. “He won’t even talk about it.”

  “He’s talking about it now,” Caine told her.

  She whirled around to look at her husband. “You are talking about it,” she cried out.

  She looked thrilled. Colin didn’t know what to make of that. “Yes,” he agreed.

  “Then will you let me sleep in your bed every night?”

  Caine laughed. Alesandra ignored him. “I know why you go back to your room. It’s because your leg hurts and you need to walk. I’m right, aren’t I, Colin?”

  He didn’t answer her.

  “Will you please say something?”

  “Thank you.”

  She was thoroughly confused. “Why are you thanking me?”

  “For the insert.�
��

  “You aren’t angry?”

  “No.”

  She was astonished by his attitude.

  He was humbled by her thoughtfulness.

  They stared at each other a long minute.

  “You aren’t angry with Flannaghan, are you?” she asked.

  “No.”

  “Why aren’t you angry with me?”

  “Because you had my best interests at heart.”

  “What a nice thing to say.”

  Colin laughed. She smiled. Flannaghan came running into the study and thrust a glass of water at Caine. His attention was centered on Alesandra. She saw his worried expression and whispered, “He isn’t angry.”

  Caine drew her attention when he announced he was going home. Colin didn’t take his gaze off his wife when he bid his brother good night.

  “Alesandra, stay here. Flannaghan will see Caine out.”

  “As you wish, husband.”

  “God, I love it when you’re humble.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s so damned rare.”

  She shrugged. He laughed again. “Is there something else you wanted to tell me?” he asked.

  Her shoulders slumped. The man was too cunning by half. “Oh, all right,” she muttered. “I talked to Sir Winters about your leg to gain suggestions. We spoke in confidence, of course.”

  Colin raised an eyebrow. “Suggestions for what?”

  “For ways to make it feel better. I made a list of his ideas. Would you like me to fetch it for you?”

  “Later,” he answered. “Now, then, is there something else you wanted to tell me?”

  The question covered a broad range of topics. Colin decided he’d have to remember to ask her that question every other week in future so that he could find out what she’d been up to.

  She wasn’t about to blurt out another confession until she knew what he was fishing for. “Could you be more specific please?”

  Her question told him there were still more secrets. “No,” he answered. “You know what I’m asking. Tell me.”

  She threaded her fingers through her hair and walked over to the side of his desk. “Dreyson told you, didn’t he?”

  He shook his head. “Then how did you find out?”

  “I’ll explain how I found out after you tell me,” he promised.

  “You already know,” she countered. “You just want to make me feel guilty, don’t you? Well, it won’t wash. I didn’t cancel the order for the steam vessel and it’s too late for you to interfere. Besides, you told me I could do whatever I wanted with my inheritance. I ordered the ship for myself. Yes, I did. I’ve always wanted one. If, however, you and Nathan would like to use my ship every now and again, I would be happy to share it with you.”

  “I told Dreyson to cancel the order,” he reminded her.

  “I told him Albert had decided he wanted it.”

  “What the hell else have you kept from me?”

  “You didn’t know?”

  “Alesandra . . .”

  “You’re pricking my temper, Colin. You still don’t understand how much you hurt me,” she announced. “Can you imagine how I felt when I heard Nathan say that he and you were all set to use Sara’s inheritance to build the company? You made such an issue out of turning your back on my inheritance.”

  Colin pulled her onto his lap. She immediately put her arms around his neck and smiled at him.

  He frowned at her. “The money was put aside by the king for both Nathan and Sara,” he explained.

  “My father put his money away for me and my husband.”

  She had him there, he thought to himself. She knew it, too. “Your father wonders why he’s still in charge of my funds, Colin. It’s embarrassing. You should take over the task. I would help.”

  His smile was filled with tenderness. “How about if I helped you manage it?”

  “That would be nice.” She leaned against him. “I love you, Colin.”

  “I love you, too. Sweetheart, isn’t there something else you want to tell me?”

  She didn’t answer him. Colin reached into his pocket and pulled out her list. She snuggled closer to him.

  He opened the paper. “I want you to be able to talk to me about anything,” he explained. “From this moment on.”

  She started to pull away from him but he tightened his hold on her. “I made it impossible for you to talk about my leg, didn’t I?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m sorry about that, sweetheart. Now stay still while I answer your questions for you, all right?”

  “I don’t have any questions?”

  “Hush, love,” he ordered. He held her close with one hand and lifted the sheet of paper with the other. He silently read her first order and then said, “I have listened to your concerns about Victoria, haven’t I?”

  “Yes, but why . . .”

  Colin squeezed her. “Be patient,” he commanded. He read the second order. “I will promise to soften in my attitude toward your inheritance.” In brackets Alesandra had written the word stubborn. He let out a sigh. “And I won’t be mule-headed about it.”

  The third order made him smile. She had instructed him not to wait five years to realize he loved her.

  Since he’d already complied with that command, he moved on to the next order. He should try to be happy he was going to become a father and he shouldn’t blame her because she was interfering with his schedule.

  Could pregnant wives become nuns? Colin decided to answer the last first.

  “Alesandra?”

  “Yes?”

  He kissed the top of her head. “No,” he whispered.

  The laughter in his voice confused her. So did his denial. “No, what, husband?”

  “Pregnant wives can’t become nuns.”

  She would have jumped off his lap if he’d let her. He held her tight against him until she finally calmed down.

  She did a lot of ranting and raving, too. “You knew . . . all the time. . . . Oh, God, it was the list. You found it and that’s why you told me you loved me.”

  Colin forced her chin up and kissed her hard. “I knew I loved you before I read your list,” he told her. “You’re going to have to trust me, Alesandra. Trust your heart, too.”

  “But . . .”

  His mouth silenced her protest. When he pulled back, she had tears in her eyes. “I’m going to ask you one last time,” he said. “Do you have something to tell me?”

  She slowly nodded. He looked so arrogantly pleased. Dear God, how she loved him. From the way he was looking at her, she knew he loved her just as much.

  Oh, yes, he was happy about the baby. She didn’t have any worries about that. His hand had dropped to her stomach and he was gently patting her. She didn’t think he was even aware of what he was doing. The action was telling, though. He was caressing his unborn son or daughter.

  “Answer me,” he commanded in a rough whisper.

  He was looking so fiercely intent now. She smiled in reaction. Colin always tried to be so serious, so disciplined. She loved that trait in him, of course, but she found she delighted in making him forget himself every now and again.

  She did love to tease him and all because he reacted with such surprise.

  Colin couldn’t hold on to his patience any longer. “Answer me, Alesandra.”

  “Yes, Colin. I do have something to tell you. I’ve decided to become a nun.”

  He looked like he wanted to throttle her. His glare made her laugh. She wrapped her arms around him again and tucked her head under his chin.

  “We’re going to have a baby,” she whispered. “Have I mentioned that yet?”

  Chapter

  14

  An endless stream of visitors demanded Colin’s attention during the following two weeks. Sir Richards was there so often he might as well have had his own bedroom. Caine stopped by every afternoon, and so did Nathan. Alesandra didn’t see much of her husband during the daylight hours, but the evenings belonged t
o her. Colin would catch her up on all the latest developments in his investigation directly after dinner.

  Dreyson proved to be very helpful. He found out a policy had been taken out on Victoria’s life just four months before her disappearance. The beneficiary named on the contract was her brother, Neil. The policy was underwritten by Morton and Sons.

  Through his sources, Colin found out Neil would inherit his sister’s sizable dowry, set aside on the day she was born by a distant aunt, if she didn’t return to London to claim it.

  Sir Richards had joined them at the dinner table. He listened while Colin explained to Alesandra what he’d learned, then interjected a comment of his own.

  “Until a body is found he can’t collect the insurance money or the inheritance. If he’s the culprit and his motive was money, why would he go to such lengths to hide her body?”

  “It doesn’t make much sense,” Colin agreed. “He has a large bank account of his own.”

  Sir Richards agreed with a nod. “He might think he needed more,” he said. “Alesandra did tell us Neil didn’t particularly like his sister,” he added. “There’s another bit of damning evidence wagging its finger in Neil’s direction, too, circumstantial though it is. You see, he offered for Roberta six years ago but she turned him down in favor of the viscount. Rumor has it Neil continued to pursue her even after she was married. Some believe she was having an affair with him. And there, you see, is the tie-in between the two women.”

  “I can’t imagine any woman wanting to be with Neil Perry,” Alesandra whispered. “He isn’t at all. . . charming.”

  “Have you received any other gifts?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “The gift I ordered made for Nathan and Sara arrived this morning. Colin almost destroyed the thing in a rage before he remembered I’d ordered the ship. Thankfully, he only shredded the box.”

  “You failed to mention you had the gift outlined with strips of gold,” Colin said. “It would take five men to destroy it.”

  Caine interrupted the talk when he came rushing into the dining room.

  “They found Victoria’s body!”

  Colin reached over and covered Alesandra’s hand. “Where?” he asked.