Andrea Kane (30 page)

Braden shook his head in astonishment. “Your staying out all night is not reason enough for me to be angry?”

“I meant earlier. At the ball, long before you left the party. Did I behave improperly or do anything to embarrass you?”

Recall hit Braden like a wave of icy water, along with a fresh surge of self-accusation. He remembered vividly the disgraceful way he had treated Kassie. He also remembered why. And he couldn’t allow his softhearted wife to blame herself.

“You did nothing,” he replied, rubbing his knuckles gently against her flushed cheek. “You were every bit as magnificent as I knew you would be. It was me. I suppose I am unused to the … attention you are receiving from other men.”

“You were upset because I danced with your friends?” Kassie was still trying to understand.

“I was jealous as hell.”

Kassie stared at him, stunned. “Jealous? Oh, Braden, how could you possibly be jealous?”

Braden smiled inwardly at the naïveté of the question. “Sweetheart, you may not know it, but you have grown to be a very beautiful woman,” he began. “So it is only natural—”

“I’m well aware of my physical attributes, Braden,” she interrupted in a matter-of-fact tone.

Braden blinked, taken aback. “Oh … but you asked me—”

“I understand
what
you were jealous of,” she qualified, reminding Braden of the refreshing young girl of three summers ago. “What I
don’t
understand is
why
.” She searched his eyes. “I was only being kind to your friends because that is my role as your wife.” She reached up to touch his face, willing him not only to hear, but to see. “I don’t want any other man but you,” she whispered.

He kissed her hand, covering it with his own. “My beautiful, innocent Kassie. Did it ever occur to you that many other men might want you?”

She shrugged her slim shoulders. “That changes nothing.”

“But some might try …”

“They already have.”

Braden’s mouth snapped shut, and he felt rage begin to boil inside him. “Who?” he demanded through clenched teeth.

“Does it matter?”

“Yes. It matters.” He paused, a muscle working in his jaw. “Was it Grant?”

“He’s not worth your ire, Braden.”

Braden’s fingers closed over her wrist. “Did that bastard touch you?”

Kassie winced. “You’re hurting me,” she said softly, and instantly he released her. “He kissed me,” she answered, determined not to lie to her husband. “Or rather, he
tried
to kiss me.”

Braden’s whole body went taut, and Kassie could feel the long-repressed fury and betrayal of the past converge with the explosive rage of the present.

“I’ll kill him.”

“Braden.” Kassie moved up until she was lying over him, staring directly down into his blazing hazel eyes. “He’s not worth it,” she told him softly, stroking his chin, soothing his anger with her touch. “Besides,” she added, her aqua eyes beginning to twinkle, “I don’t think he found my response to his advances quite to his liking.”

“Meaning?”

“I ordered him away from Sherburgh …
after
I slapped him.”

Despite his outrage Braden felt his lips twitch at the thought of his gentle little wife striking Grant across his stunned, traitorous face.

“I don’t believe in infidelity, Braden.” Kassie raised her chin a notch, her expression having grown serious. “Not for either of us,” she added pointedly. “I was on my way to your bedchamber to tell you that when …”

“… when you found Abigail in my bed,” he finished.

“When I found Abigail
undressed
and in your bed,” she qualified.

“I see.” He enjoyed watching the possessiveness on Kassie’s face.

“She didn’t find my response to her advances quite to her liking either,” she informed him, a mutinous look in her eyes.

“Meaning?”

“I slapped her, too.”

Braden wanted to laugh out loud—with amusement, with pleasure—but Kassie was gazing at him with a serious, expectant look on her face.

He cupped her cheeks, forcing her to see the truth in his eyes. “I did not invite her to my bed,” he promised quietly. “I would never humiliate you like that.” He paused, then continued, giving her what she needed, what they both needed. “I have not been with another woman since the day you and I were wed. Nor do I plan to be. Further, Abigail Devon has been banned from this house forever.”

“Thank you,” Kassie said with dignified simplicity.

Braden stroked his fingers through the silky, tousled waves of her hair. “You’re welcome,” he replied solemnly, silently knowing that he had relinquished nothing that had not already been relinquished. The fact was that no woman but Kassandra could satisfy him—not the cravings of his body nor those of his soul. It was an absolute knowledge that Braden accepted, yet one that he could not yet express … at least not in words.

Feeling his chest tighten with emotion, Braden rolled Kassie to her back, reveling in the rosy afterglow on her face and the joy he saw reflected in her eyes. She looked well loved and, at last, blissfully happy. Could it really be because of him? he wondered. The possibility filled Braden with an intoxicating sense of elation. He drank in his wife’s beauty, wanting always to be the one to bring her pleasure, wanting to protect her from the world and all of its ills.

His train of thought led him to a sudden unresolved question. “You were furious when you left last night.” He stated the obvious, looking into Kassie’s eyes for his answer.

“Yes,” she agreed with a contented smile. “I was.”

“What made you decide to come back?”

“The fact that I love you … and some wonderful insight given to me at just the right time,” she replied softly.

Braden smiled quizzically. “Insight?” he repeated in a puzzled tone. “Into what? By whom?”

She eluded the second question and answered the first.

“For one thing,” she hedged, “into the fact that you might be worried about me. That hadn’t occurred to me until this morning.”

He frowned, her answer reminding him of all he had feared over the past hours. “Don’t ever stay out all night again,” he said quietly. “I was frantic.”

“Um-m-m.” She nibbled on his chin. “I noticed.”

“Kassie, I mean it.”

There was pain in his voice, and Kassie heard it. She nodded. “I won’t.”

“I’m not trying to frighten you,” he said more gently, lowering himself beside her so that he could enjoy the feel of her body against his, “but it isn’t safe for you to roam the endless deserted grounds of Sherburgh alone at night.”

A flash of fear crossed Kassie’s face. “I thought you said there were guards.”

“There are.” He was unaware of her changed expression as he threaded his fingers through her hair, marveling at how the sunlight illuminated each silky tendril. “But that doesn’t make it impossible for someone to steal in somehow.” He felt her stiffen, and his gaze snapped back to her ashen face. “Sweetheart, I’m not telling you this to worry you needlessly, but—”

“Someone was watching me today.”

“What?”

“This morning. Before I came back to the house. Someone was out there. I know it.” She squeezed her eyes shut, remembering the terrifying awareness that she was being stalked, Percy’s inexplicable barking, running away from the sense of danger, finding Charles …

Braden stared down at her, tension knotting his stomach. Seeing the fear on her face, he had no doubt that Kassie was telling the truth. “Did you see anyone?”

She shook her head, her eyes tightly closed. “No. I called out to whoever it was to show himself, but he never did. But he
was
out there, Braden. I know it. Percy knew it, too. He just kept growling and barking, and you know he doesn’t do that unless—”

“Sh-h-h.” He drew her against him, resting his chin atop Kassie’s bright head, trying not to let her see how worried he really was. “It’s all right, love. Just start from the beginning and tell me what happened.” His words were gentle, but his expression was hard.

Her voice trembling, Kassie recounted everything she could recall of her early morning scare. With each word Braden could feel himself becoming more and more furious. When she had finished he remained silent for a moment, willing himself to control.

“Kassie,” he said at last, still stroking her back with gentle, soothing motions, “it’s all right. No one is going to hurt you.”

“You don’t believe me.” There was resignation in her voice.

“I believe you.” His correction was immediate. “And I plan to remedy the situation at once.”

“What are you going to do?”

He weighed his answer carefully. “I am going to take Hunter and search every inch of the section of grounds you mentioned. I shall, of course, question all the guards who are watching Sherburgh, and—”

“And then what are you going to do?” she interrupted softly.

Braden sighed. His wife was making it impossible to protect her from the truth.

“Braden,” she persisted. “
Then
what are you going to do?” She leaned back in his arms, her gaze locked with his.

“Then I am going to do something I should have done weeks ago,” he replied, thinking what a fool he was to have imagined he could hide it from her.

“You are going to see my father.”

“Yes, love, I am going to see your father.” He watched Kassie carefully for a reaction. Her expression didn’t alter, but Braden could feel the imperceptible tensing of her body, see the slight trembling of her lips.

“Please be careful,” she whispered.

“I’ll be fine.” He pressed his lips to her forehead. “Now I want you to sleep. You are exhausted.”

“And you?”

He pressed her back against the pillows and slid out of the bed. “I’ll rest later … after I’m convinced that our intruder was not your father.” He smiled tenderly down at the worry on her face. “All will be well, sweetheart. I promise you.”

The problem, he thought to himself later as his carriage approached the Grey estate, was that every instinct told him that it
was
Robert Grey who had been stalking Kassandra. Braden’s search of the grounds and subsequent questioning of his guards had yielded no further information. The only people they had seen about this early in the morning were the gardeners, several ambitious guests on horseback, Dobson, and Charles Graves. No one else. Yet Braden knew in his heart that the danger Kassie sensed was real. And that it had to come from her father.

But why? Grey could gain nothing from frightening his daughter; certainly not money, which Kassie had already denied him. If it were money he wanted, it would be Braden he would seek out, Braden he would appeal to. And I would probably give it to him, Braden thought to himself in disgust.
Anything
to protect Kassie from the likes of that bastard.

But in his heart Braden knew it wasn’t money. It was something more. And whatever it was, he was going to find it out.

Robert’s head lolled on the pillow, his hand clutching a bottle beside him.
Elena
… He could still see her face, just as he continued to do day after day, night after night.
My beautiful Elena
… He had almost been with her again, almost chased that frightened look from her eyes … until
he
had come into her life. Damn him. Nothing would be the same until he was gone from their lives. Nothing.

The door slammed open, bouncing off the chipped wall. Robert started, then struggled to a sitting position. “What …”

Braden stormed across the room, tearing open the heavy drapes and letting the morning sun pour into the clammy, odorous room. The bedchamber was filthy, clothes strewn all over, bottles tossed carelessly about, the stench of liquor so heavy that Braden could barely breathe. He flung open the windows to allow the air to clear his head.

Robert whimpered like a small child, covering his eyes with his arm and gagging at the intrusion of light and sound.

Braden kept himself under control with the greatest of effort. “All right, Grey, get up. You were at my home. I presume you were looking for me. Well, I’m here. Now tell me what you want, and then give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you right here in your own excrement.”

Robert blinked at him, desperately trying to focus. “What … I don’t know what you mean. …”

“Why were you at Sherburgh?” Braden demanded. “You were told to stay the hell away from my wife.”

“I wasn’t at Sher—”

“You’re lying,” Braden cut him off. “Kassie told me she saw you.” He took two strides to the bed and grabbed Robert by the arms, hauling him out of bed and watching impassively as he dropped to a crumpled heap on the floor. “Now tell me why, you miserable scum.”

“For money, damn you, for money,” Robert whined, pushing himself to his feet and holding on to the nightstand for balance.

“I gave you one hundred thousand pounds.”

“It’s gone.”

Braden gave him a look of utter revulsion. “And I don’t need to ask what you spent it on, now do I?”

“I needed it.”

“And you don’t care how you got it,” Braden accused, his eyes spitting fire at Kassie’s father. “Even if it meant hurting your own daughter.”

“I didn’t hurt her!”

“Didn’t you?” Braden took a menacing step closer. “Why did you come back again, even after Kassie refused to give you any money?”

“I didn’t—”

Braden was upon him in an instant, grabbing him by his throat. “Don’t lie to me! I know you returned to Sherburgh. What I want to know is why.”

Robert shook his head, reality and fantasy converging, unable to discern between the two. “I wanted to see her … I had to see her again.”

“
Why?
”

“Because I love her, dammit! Because I’ve always loved her.” He closed his bloodshot eyes, seeing the memories once again. “I’ll always love her,” he whispered aloud, “Elena …”

Braden felt ill. “Kassandra is your daughter, Grey, not your wife,” he said quietly but distinctly.

Grey opened his eyes slowly. “Kassandra?” He gave a harsh laugh. “Yes, Sheffield, I
know
that she is my daughter. She is the image of her mother.” At that moment he sounded totally coherent.

Braden took advantage of the opportunity. “When was the last time you came to Sherburgh?”