Bobbi Smith (36 page)
Authors: Heaven
Alone in the Texas night, Alex felt a kinship with the princess. She had lost Winn. Not to death, but to betrayal and deceit. Tears traced down her cheeks. She didn’t bother to wipe them away.
Alex forced herself to concentrate on her father as she made her slow, painful progress back toward the mission. She would leave the crown there where it belonged and then depart as quickly as she could for London. She didn’t know who the Anthonys were paying at the prison to keep her father locked up, but she was going to find out and see him freed. Alex wasn’t sure how she was going to do it, she just knew she wouldn’t stop until he was.
“Are you sure we’re following the right trail?” Winn asked Matt after they’d been riding for hours.
“I trusted you with the clues, now it’s your turn to trust me. This is one of the things I do best,” he told him as he reined in and dismounted to study the ground by torchlight. “They’re headed to the north and east. It looks like they’re trying to circle around San Antonio and ride straight for Galveston.”
“It would be easier for them to disappear in Galveston, and that’s the nearest port.”
They rode on again, the moon helping to guide them on their way.
Alex had been riding at a steady, measured pace along a creek she remembered from earlier that night. It was near three in the morning when she saw the first flickering light of a torch in the distance. Her heart leapt in her breast, and she spurred her horse to a run, praying with all her might that it was Winn and Matt. She dreaded confronting them after her open betrayal, but even their condemnation was better than the exile of loneliness she was existing in now.
The men heard the sound of racing hoofbeats, and they stopped where they were to peer into the darkness.
“Someone’s riding this way,” Matt announced, his hand moving to the rifle one of the men from the mission had loaned to him for the journey.
“Maybe it’s Alex,” Winn said hopefully.
“Maybe it’s not,” Matt cautioned.
Alex heard the murmur of their deep voices and recognized them immediately. “Winn! Matt!” she cried out into the night.
“Alex?!” Winn shouted.
She heard Winn call her name, and a small fragment of hope sparked in her bosom. She raced toward the light. She needed Winn, wanted him, yet she was sorely afraid of what would happen when she faced him again. As she drew nearer, Alex could make out Winn and Matt in the torchlight at the front of the group.
Winn was straining to catch a first sight of Alex riding in, and when she finally reached the circle of the light, a shaft of pain tore through him. Her blouse was torn and blood-soaked, and her features were pale and tear-stained.
“Alex . . .” He said her name in a tortured groan, believing the Anthonys had hurt her and that he’d failed her by not being there to protect her. Winn all but vaulted from his horse in his rush to reach her.
Alex thought Winn was running toward her because she had the crown. Wanting to end this painful reunion as quickly as she could, she untied the bag with the crown and held it out to him. “Here . . . take the crown.”
“It’s not the crown I’m worried about, Alex, it’s you,” he told her, ignoring the proffered treasure. She was the only treasure he sought. The only treasure he needed. “Are you all right?” His voice hoarse with emotion, as his gaze swept hungrily over her.
“I’m fine . . .” she said softly, fearfully.
“But the blood . . .” He stared at her ruined blouse and puffy lip.
“The blood’s theirs . . . They’re dead . . . both of them . . .”
“You weren’t hurt? You’re sure?” Somehow he was finding it hard to believe that she had come back to him unharmed.
“I’m sure. It’s a long story . . .”
“I have the rest of my life to listen.” His tone was deep with meaning as he reached up and lifted her from the horse’s back, lowering her slowly to the ground. He kept her body pressed close to his. He did not release her but held her tightly to him, savoring her nearness, celebrating her safety. “I love you, Alex. When I thought you were in danger . . .”
She looked up at him, her eyes shining with relief and unbelievable happiness. She touched his cheek with tender devotion. “I love you, too, Winn. Leaving with the Anthonys was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. I thought you hated me . . . I thought what we had was lost forever.”
“Why did you go? What were they holding over you?”
“My father,” she answered quickly, including the others in her explanation. “Philip and Robert framed him for Lawrence’s murder. They had him arrested and he’s in jail in London now. They threatened to let him hang for the murder, unless I helped them find the crown.”
Winn swore suddenly and violently. “Those bastards!”
“I know. When you were telling me about how they came to you at your uncle’s funeral and how they kept trying to force you to give them the book, I understood exactly what you were talking about. They came to me in Boston shortly after we’d met the first time. That’s when they told me that if I didn’t help them, they were going to let my father take the blame for Lawrence’s death.”
“But how could they have done that?” Matt asked as he dismounted to join them. He was as relieved as Winn that she was safe, and he felt no remorse over the Anthonys’ deaths.
“Evidently my father was the last one to see Lawrence alive, and that same night they’d argued publicly.”
“Alex, you should have confided in me and Matt. We would have helped you.”
“I wanted to, but Philip and Robert told me if I said anything, my father would die. They were animals . . . No, they were worse than animals. Animals don’t kill for enjoyment.”
“What happened?” Winn pressed her, wanting to know how she’d gotten away.
“We rode for hours and then made camp. It was almost as if Philip went mad when he held the crown for the first time. They were celebrating Lawrence’s death and how they’d found the crown in spite of him, and when I defended him, Philip slapped me.”
Winn tensed. If the other man had still been alive, he would have throttled him, himself. He touched her lip delicately, wishing his caress could heal her pain. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to stop him.”
“I was praying that you’d come for me, but I thought you hated me.”
“Never,” he vowed fiercely.
“They bedded down, and I thought they were going to sleep through the night. A while later, I heard something and I looked up just as Philip as about to shoot Robert.”
“He killed his own brother in cold blood?” Matt asked.
“They killed each other,” she finished, shivering at the memory.
Winn enfolded her in his arms. “It’s all right now, love. Nothing will ever hurt you again. I’ll make sure of it.”
“It was horrible, Winn, and all because of their greed. They were so desperate to have the crown.”
She lifted the sack holding the relic again and gave it over to Winn’s safekeeping. He took it from her this time, but turned to those who’d ridden with them from Corazon Sagrado.
“The crown has been returned. Let’s camp here for the rest of the night, and then we’ll take it back to the mission at first light.”
A hearty round of thanks followed. The men were thrilled that their priceless treasure had been saved.
“Winn, Matt,” Alex said to them both, “I have to get to London as quickly as possible. I have to save my father.”
“We’ll go together,” Winn promised. “I’m not without influence there. As soon as we take the crown back to its rightful place, we can leave for Galveston.”
“Thank you.” She looked up at him, her heart in her eyes. “I love you, Winn.”
“I love you, too.”
As everyone looked on, he kissed her. It was a gentle caress for he took care not to hurt her already sore lip. The moment was profound, transcending time and place. It was a moment of true rapture . . . of love that had survived danger and doubts to emerge stronger and more vital than ever.
In his days before Alex, Winn would not have trusted any woman. When she’d ridden off with the Anthonys, he would have dismissed her as a traitorous female. He would have walked away and never looked back. But not with Alex. He loved her. She held his heart in her hands. She had become his whole world.
Twenty-two
One of the men from the mission gave Alex the jacket he’d been wearing and she’d been grateful for his thoughtfulness. The torn blouse was a vivid reminder of what could have happened. Alex trembled in remembrance as she lay with Winn, and he held her close for the rest of the night, protecting her and keeping watch. He was never going to let her out of his sight again if he could help it.
At dawn, the group divided. While Winn, Alex, Matt and several of the men rode for Corazon Sagrado to return the crown, the rest went in search of Philip and Robert’s camp.
The ride back to the mission was much easier in the daylight, and they made good time, reaching the church at mid-morning. The priest heard word of their return and rushed out to greet them.
“We’ve brought the crown back, Father,” Winn announced as they dismounted and prepared to enter the place of worship.
The good priest was beaming with happiness over the news, but his expression faltered when he saw the blood-soaked bag. “What happened?”
“Do you know the legend of the crown’s curse?”
“No,” he answered, slightly bewildered by the thought.
They quickly told him of the danger that followed those who sought the Crown of Desire in greed. They knew Lawrence had placed it on the statue of Mary and the Infant for he knew that theirs was the perfect love.
“We want to return it to you and the mission, Father. This is where it belongs. Not in some museum in London, but here, where it’s bringing blessings to the land and people,” Matt said.
“It’s treated with the reverence it deserves here at Corazon Sagrado. This is truly where it should stay,” Alex agreed.
“Bless you.”
Alex drew the crown from the bag and then they entered the church. She went forward, and with the others looking on she placed the crown once more on the statue of the Virgin.
The moment was one of hushed adoration. They all stood back looking on in quiet reverence. As they were standing there, suddenly the church bells began to ring out. Their joyous melody drew the people to the church, and everyone crowded around, believing a miracle had taken place. Now that the crown was back with them, all would live in peace and harmony at the mission, as was God’s true design.
Winn and Alex stood together, their hands clasped, gazing up at the glorious crown on the beautiful statue.
Matt, too, looked on, his heart filled with serenity and love. He had sought the Crown of Desire for as long as he could remember. In the beginning, he had hoped to place it in a museum, but now he knew that this was the right place. It was safe here. No one else would ever know of its existence. Here the crown would protect and bless those who came to worship. What better place of love and peace than in a church? Satisfied with the outcome of their quest, he walked outside into the sunshine. He was eager to get back to New Orleans. Catherine was waiting.
Winn gazed down at Alex as they lingered in the back of the mission. “Alex?” he said her name softly.
She looked up expectantly.
“Alex,” he began again in a low voice for her ears only. “Will you marry me?”
Her smile was radiant and her eyes glowed with the love she felt for him. “After what Philip and Robert had told me about you, I didn’t think you’d ever ask me.”
He looked surprised. “What did they say?”
“When they came to see me in Galveston, they told me that you were quite the dandy in London. They mentioned that you used women for your own pleasures and then left them when you tired of them.”
Winn had the grace to look embarrassed. “Before I met you, I did. Before I met you, I didn’t care about anyone or anything. But now . . .” He paused to gather the courage to speak the deepest truth in his heart. “Now, I have you. I love you, Alex. I wouldn’t want to live without you.”
“I love you, Winn. I want to marry you, but . . .”
“But?” He tensed, hearing the hesitation in her voice.
“But first, I have to free my father. Until I know he’s safe . . .”
“I understand. We can leave right away. Everything is settled here.”
“Thank you.” She put her hand on his arm, and he covered her hand with his own.
“There’s no need to thank me. I love you. I’ve discovered love is the most powerful force in the world. It can conquer even the greatest obstacles, even the greatest fears. We’ll save your father, Alex.” His gaze locked with hers.
Alex looked deep into his eyes. She saw the strength and determination there, and she believed he would help her do it. For the first time since that fateful day in Boston when the Anthonys had shown up so unexpectedly at her home, she felt as if her future was really going to be bright.
“I love you, Winn Bradford,” she whispered and then stood on tiptoe to press a soft kiss to his cheek.
Winn kept a supporting arm around her as they left the church.
Matt was waiting for them just outside. “Are we riding for San Antonio?”
“Yes, and then on to Galveston as quickly as we can. Are you going back to Boston?”
Matt smiled. “No. I’m going to New Orleans. I’m going home to Catherine.”
“I understand,” Winn said, glancing down at Alex.
As they prepared to leave, the priest and the people emerged from the church. Alex wanted to change clothes before they rode for town, so one of the women took her to her home as the men said their good-byes. A short time later, they rode away from the mission—and the crown. They paused on the rise to look down on Corazon Sagrado one last time. The mission shone white in the sunlight, looking heavenly in its setting. Feeling confident that all would be well there, they turned their horses toward San Antonio and toward home.
They reached town that night without incident and stayed in the same hotel they had before. They made their travel arrangements on the morning stage to Galveston and then had dinner together. They retired with the promise to meet early the next morning.
Winn and Alex went to the room they had taken for themselves. They were pleased to find the bath she’d ordered was ready and waiting for her. Winn closed and locked the door behind them. He turned to find Alex already unbuttoning her blouse.
Leaning back against the door and folding his arms across his chest, Winn watched her. A deep, hot desire sparked and burned within him as she unfastened the last button and shrugged the blouse from her shoulders.
“You are so beautiful, Alex. I love you,” he said huskily as he went to her.
Alex went into his arms and rested her head on his shoulder. His embrace was her haven, the one place where she felt secure. Her life would have been perfect had it not been for her worry about her father. When Winn kissed her, though, Alex cast aside her concerns, and for just that little while, she gave herself over to the bliss of his loving.
With infinite care and tenderness, Winn helped her to undress. After shedding his own clothes, he took her hand and led her to the bed, drawing her down beside him. Sure of each other now, they came together in a passionate blending. Winn couldn’t seem to touch her enough. The feel of her silken flesh beneath him was maddening. He caressed her hungrily, exploring her soft curves and tracing arousing paths over her satiny limbs.
Alex reveled in his embrace. She was as eager for Winn as he was for her. She matched him in his ardor, her hands tracing patterns of fire over his chest and stomach and then moving lower to seek the very heat of him. There was no holding back in her lovemaking. She loved him and he loved her. In that moment, nothing else mattered.
As Alex touched him so intimately, Winn groaned in pure animal pleasure. His mouth claimed hers in a demanding kiss that left them both breathless. He sought the sweetness of her throat, then trailed sensuous kisses down to her breasts.
At the touch of his lips upon her, Alex arched in wanton splendor against the hard heat of his body. She was on fire with her need for him, and she began to move restlessly, wanting to entice him to take her and make her his own.
Winn’s need was as great as Alex’s, and at her unspoken invitation, he moved over her. Settling between her thighs, he murmured words of love as he positioned himself and then thrust within her. Sheathed deep within the hot, tight embrace of her body, Winn knew ecstasy. He began to move as he continued to caress her.
Their passions soared and they reached for the stars. Ecstasy burst upon them as they perfected their love. In the peaceful aftermath of their union, they clung together, savoring the moment.
“It seems a shame to let that bath go to waste . . .” Winn told her as he cradled her to him.
“Um . . .” she agreed sleepily.
Alex gasped as Winn rose and swept her up into his arms, but she offered no protest as he carried her to the tub and climbed in. He sat down, keeping her on his lap, unmindful of the water that overflowed. The water was still warm and they took their time bathing each other. When at last, Winn could bear it no longer, he stood, dried them off and carried her back to the bed. There they made love wildly, coming together in a rush of excitement. Later, their desire sated, they lay wrapped in each other’s arms. Sleep claimed them both as together they pondered the beauty of their love.
Dawn found them on the stage with Matt. heading for the coast to set sail. Their parting at Galveston was painful.
“Will you tell Catherine that you were the best husband I ever had?” Alex asked Matt as she kissed him good-bye.
His ship was sailing first, and they’d come down to the dock to see him off.
“I’ll tell her,” he answered with a bittersweet grin. Next, Matt shook Winn’s hand. “I think we both found treasures more valuable than anything money can buy.”
“You’re right.” He gazed down at Alex. “Be careful on your trip.”
“I will, and you take care, too.” He started to board the ship, then turned back to Alex. “Oh, and Alex?” When he had her attention, he said, “When you get your father out of jail, tell him he missed a great adventure.”
She smiled at his comment. “I have a feeling, Matt, that I’ll be traveling back to Texas with my father one day.”
“Not if I can help it,” Winn spoke up. “I want you with me. We’ll have to find your father another assistant to travel with.”
“Good-bye . . .” Matt boarded and then waved to them from the deck. He hoped all went well for them. Under any other circumstances, he would have gone along with them to London to help, but he believed Winn could handle it. Besides, Catherine was waiting for him. There was nothing more important in his life right now than claiming her as his own.
The ship sailed, and he stayed on deck watching until he could no longer make out Winn and Alex. Ready to begin a new life, he fixed his gaze to the north and east, to New Orleans, where his love awaited him.
Catherine stood in the play yard of the orphanage, hands on her hips, supervising the workmen as they repaired some of the windows on that side of the building. She couldn’t believe how much life had changed at St. Joan’s since Mr. Markham had discovered that Lisa was his granddaughter. He had been a man of his word. He’d sent his workmen over as soon as she’d made her recommendations about the work that needed to be done around the place, and ever since there had been a constant round of improvements.
“Miss Catherine!”
She looked up to see Tommy and Lisa running toward her. A smile broke out across her lovely features as she opened her arms to them and hugged them both.
“Grampa let us come to play again today!” Lisa told her eagerly. Her life with her newfound grandfather was turning out to be more wonderful than she’d ever dreamed. Not only was Tommy officially her own brother now, but she had her own room, too. She was surrounded by love in the haven of her grandfather’s home, and she was blossoming.
Catherine had been impressed by the old man’s sensitivity. She’d feared that once the two children had left St. Joan’s and gone to live with him, she’d never get to see them again. But Markham had recognized the friendships they had at the home and had let them stay in regular touch. Now, all these weeks later, both children were well-adjusted and happy and sharing their newfound security with their friends at the orphanage.
Other books
Finding His Shot by Sarah Rose
By the Fire: Issue 3 by Stewart Felkel
Lethal Expedition (Short Story) by James M. Tabor
The Mammoth Book of Fighter Pilots by Jon E. Lewis
.5 To Have and To Code by Debora Geary
The Shark Mutiny by Patrick Robinson
Escape by T.W. Piperbrook
Wexford 6 - No More Dying Then by Ruth Rendell
Desperate and Daring 02 - Belle of the Ball by Ella J. Quince
MustLoveMusic by Jennifer Dunne