Love Finds You in Mackinac Island, Michigan (32 page)

Chase elbowed his way through the crowd of people until he saw his father on the pier.

“Where’s Edward?” he demanded.

There were people all around him—vacationers, residents, and soldiers alike—but he didn’t care if they heard. He wanted to find his brotherin-law—and pummel him.

His father shook his head. “Edward’s gone.”

Chase pressed his fingers against his temple. The trip had taken the longest two days of his life. With every mile the steamer traveled, the pain in his head grew more persistent, until his entire body felt like it might explode. “Where did he go?”

“Let’s get away from the crowd.” His father directed him off the pier and toward the waiting carriage. He still couldn’t believe the little his father had told him on the telephone, that Edward had tried to—

His stomach rolled.

Even if Sarah pretended all was well, he’d guess Edward had had a number of trysts during their marriage. But had he ever tried to force himself on another woman?

At the lighthouse, Elena had used every wile possible to try to win Chase. After he left, was it possible that she’d tried to urge Edward away from his wife? She might have hinted at her interest, led Edward to believe…

He shook his head. It was all wrong. Elena hadn’t used her body to seduce Chase. It had been so much deeper than that, a meeting of their minds and hearts. Her deception—it was nothing like Gracie Frederick’s trying to capture him. Elena’s deception wounded his core.

But still, even though he knew so little of the real woman, he couldn’t reconcile the unassuming Andy in the lighthouse and the scheming Elena seducing Edward away from his wife.

Edward, on the other hand—

He pressed his fingers against his temple again. He couldn’t allow himself to think of what Edward could have done to Elena.

The driver clicked his tongue and the horses moved forward.

Chase lowered his voice. “Tell me, please. What happened?”

“Edward and the Frederick girl…” His father cleared his throat. “They ran away.”

“Ran away—” He stopped. “He should be in jail.”

“They locked him up for a few hours, but they couldn’t keep him there.”

“He tried to…he tried to hurt Ele—Miss Bissette.”

“Well, he won’t do it again. I’m told he and Gracie took the last boat out last night, on their way to Canada.”

Chase never thought he would feel sorry for Gracie Frederick, but he did. Sorry for her and her parents. The Fredericks would hear from Edward again, he was certain of that. Probably with an offer to buy his property in Ohio and, with the sale, marry their daughter. After he secured a bill of divorce from Sarah, Chase hoped.

Chase took off his gloves and placed them beside him then leaned his head back against the seat. “How is Sarah?”

“Better than we expected.”

“And Miss Bissette?” he ventured as the carriage climbed the long drive toward the hotel. Just a little over a week ago, he’d left here angry at Elena for deceiving him and angry at himself for letting her steal his heart.

His father shook his head. “I don’t know.”

He didn’t ask about his mother. He knew she couldn’t be doing well, or she would have been at the pier to greet him.

When he walked into his parents’ suite at the hotel, Galileo greeted him with a lick and jumped onto his trousers. He petted his dog and then hurried into the next room to find his mother. She was propped up on the davenport, sipping a cup of tea.

She nodded at Galileo. “I’ve grown quite fond of that dog.”

Galileo lay down on the floor beside her.

“It appears that he is quite fond of you as well.” Chase kissed her cheek. “It’s been a trying week for you.”

She moved her legs off the davenport and patted the seat beside her. “For all of us, but for Sarah most of all.”

He sat. “Where is she?”

She nodded at the doorway to the adjoining room. “Sleeping for a moment.”

“Is she angry?”

“I believe she is humiliated more than anything.”

“Humiliated?” Sarah asked from the open doorway. “You think I’m humiliated?”

Mother sighed. “I don’t know what you are.”

Sarah’s face was splotched with red, her long hair tangled around her shoulders. “Please don’t talk about me, at least not when I’m not here. You can say anything you want while I’m in the room.”

Chase stood and stepped forward, wanting to hug her but not sure of what he should do. “I want to shoot him.”

“It would only make things worse.” She swirled the drink in her glass. “He wants nothing more than to hurt you. If you were sent to prison, he’d get exactly what he wanted.”

“What did I do to make him so angry?”

Her laugh was bitter. “You made something of yourself, that’s what. You’re determined and hardworking and honest. Everything my—everything Edward is not.”

After years of listening to his sister justify Edward’s sins, he was shocked to hear honesty flow from her mouth. For so long, Sarah had supported her husband in spite of his many flaws. As far as Chase knew, she’d never betrayed Edward’s confidence, nor had she spoken an ill word about him.

She sat on a chair, and Chase returned to his seat on the couch. “You didn’t have to come,” she said.

“Yes, I did.”

She sipped her drink slowly and then spoke, her voice like a child’s. “Thank you.”

“What can I do to help you?” he asked.

She paused for a moment, staring at her glass. “Our—my finances are a mess.”

“I can help you get your affairs in order.” He glanced at his father, who was working at the corner desk. “What else can I do?”

“Go see Miss Bissette,” his mother said. “On behalf of our family.”

“I—I can’t do that.”

“For heaven’s sake, why not, Chase? You were perfectly rude to her at the ball. This will give
you
an opportunity to make amends as well.”

He hated the thought of what Edward had tried to do to Elena, but she was not the woman he thought he knew. How was he supposed to make amends with someone who’d lied to him? And after what he’d said to her, for that matter?

“Perhaps I shall go with you,” his mother offered.

“I don’t know—”

“We’ll go first thing in the morning—and I can make sure you apologize.”

Sarah retreated to her room as Mother leaned over, whispering to him, “What happened to that woman you told me about, the one who captured your attention?”

He shook his head. “She wasn’t who I thought she was.”

“Hmm. That’s too bad.”

“Yes, it is.” He paused. “She was a beautiful artist. I think you would have liked her.”

His father looked up from the desk. “Did you finalize the contract in Chicago?”

Chase nodded. “I did.”

“We have a few matters to discuss, then.”

Chase moved to a chair closer to his father as his mother followed Sarah into her room.

“Nelson can help Richard oversee the production of the telescopes,” he said, “but we haven’t yet been able to find a factory to produce them.”

His father blinked. “A factory?”

Chase nodded. “Someplace reliable.”

His father tapped his pen on the desk, thinking for a moment, before he spoke again. “I have an idea.”

* * * * *

From the upstairs window, Elena watched a yacht glide across the lake. More than two days had passed since Edward had assaulted her, but she still didn’t want to go outside, afraid that people would be watching her and wondering. However, she couldn’t stand to be inside, either. At least she could sit here and pretend that she was free to go where she wanted.

Papa was in his patio chair in the backyard, Mama resting in her bedroom. Papa didn’t seem to know how they would recover all they had lost and were continuing to lose. She wished there was something she could do to help him save his factory, save their home, but now there wasn’t even anyone for her to marry.

A carriage pulled up in front of their house, and she watched Parker emerge from the door. He sauntered up the walk, to the door below her, but this time he didn’t hold an envelope to tuck under the patio chair.

There were few people she wanted to see, but now with Jillian gone, it was good to see a friend. She stepped down the stairs slowly after he rang the bell, meeting him in the drawing room.

He stood up when she walked into the room, his eyes full of pity. “How are you, Lanie?”

She didn’t want his pity. She wanted Parker to make her laugh like he always did.

She smoothed her fingers over her skirt. “Is everyone talking?”

“About what?”

She smiled. “That’s what I love about you, Parker.”

He smiled back at her, but she saw the misery in his eyes.

“Everyone is talking,” he said, “but not about you.”

She watched him closely as she sat on the floral davenport. He tossed his hat onto the sideboard and sat in the upholstered chair across from her, his fists curled up under his smooth chin.

She couldn’t imagine what could possibly be more tantalizing gossip than the disgrace of Deborah Bissette’s daughter. “What happened?”

“Edward left the island…with Gracie Frederick.”

“Gracie?” she gasped. “But—how could they—? How could he? He’s already married.”

Parker shrugged. “It doesn’t seem to matter much to him.”

“I thought Gracie wanted to marry Chester Darrington.”

“Apparently she changed her mind.”

Elena shifted in her seat. There was no relief in the fact that the ladies were talking about Gracie and Edward instead of her and Edward. Poor Sarah Powell…and the Frederick family.

He leaned toward her, whispering, “Our mothers are talking, plotting for our future.”

She sighed. “I guess I should be glad they’re friends again.”

“I don’t know about friends. More like conspirators.”

Nell placed the tea set and a plate of homemade oatmeal cookies on the table between them. As Parker thanked her, Elena studied his face with its laugh lines that were so free to spread joy, eyes that were honest and real. He would be truthful with her for the rest of their lives, she was certain, and he would make her laugh. Her family would have a pleasant future again, and probably a profitable one.

Parker would imagine himself to be all she needed. He wouldn’t understand why she needed more. He wouldn’t understand that longing inside her to escape to a place where she could draw and commune with her thoughts… and most of all, with God. Parker was a good companion to her. A brother. But she couldn’t marry him.

Even if Chase would have her—which he had made quite clear that he would not—she couldn’t marry him either. Not only had Mama evolved into a stalwart opponent of this marriage, but Sarah Powell would despise her, as would the rest of the Darrington family. She couldn’t blame them. In their minds, they would always wonder if she had done something to provoke Edward.

She leaned forward. “Do you want to marry me, Parker?”

His gaze fell to his hands clasped in his lap. “It’s not that I don’t love you—”

“But you love me like a sister.”

A light sparked in his eyes. “Exactly.”

“And you love Jillian like a wife.”

“It doesn’t matter what I feel about Jillian.” He shook his head. “It would never have worked out—you know that.”

“But why wouldn’t it have worked out?”

“She is—” He paused. “My parents said they would disinherit me if I married her.”

“So you make your own money, Parker.”

He shook his head. “I’d be no good as a working man.”

“For Jillian’s sake—”

“I would if I could do it, but I can’t. This isn’t like you and Chase.”

She leaned back. “There is no me and Chase.”

“You don’t have to pretend with me.” He crossed his arms. “You are the consummate socialite, Lanie, and I’ve never seen anyone else break that facade, not like Chase did at the ball.”

“You think I should marry him because I’m angry with him?”

“I think you should marry him so you can stop hiding. It’s not too late for you and Chase.”

She shook her head. “You’re crazy.”

“And you’re clearly denying the truth.”

He leaned forward and poured himself a cup of tea. “Chase asked me about your lighthouse.”

Her mouth dropped. “You told him about the lighthouse?”

“My guess is that he found it.”

“You promised, Parker, never to tell anyone about it.”

He took a sip of his tea. “But he asked me what was on the bluff. I couldn’t lie to him.”

“You could conceal the truth.”

“Nah,” he said with a little wave. “He needed to find it.”

His words registered slowly. “You set us up!”

Parker didn’t seem to hear her. “I told him about the ghosts.”

“There aren’t any ghosts there.”

“I warned him they might not be friendly.”

Since Chase left for Chicago, she’d refused to linger over the memories, the hours they’d spent together. Now they came rushing back. The first time she’d seen Chase at the lighthouse, she’d been so frustrated at him for taking her sketches and encroaching on her sanctuary, and yet he had returned to the lighthouse and wanted to see her again…until he found out who she was.

“I’m betting that the only thing obstructing you and Chase is pride.”

She shook her head. “I’m quite sure he hates me.”

“Hate is often a mask for something else.”

“Like ignorance.”

“Nope.” The familiar grin returned to his face. “Like love.”

She and Chase—they were too far gone to even think of love. What they had, whatever it was, had been splintered into pieces. They could never put it back together.

The doorbell chimed, but she didn’t move. If it was a messenger—or a caller—Claude would send him away. He knew she didn’t want to see anyone except Parker or Jillian.

“You and Jillian loved each other,” she said.

He fiddled with the teacup. “I was smitten, that’s for sure, but—I can’t love her enough to give up everything, nor can I ask her to join me in a floundering attempt to make it in the industrial world.”

“Parker—”

He pushed the teacup away. “Trudy Grunier isn’t too bad, is she?”

How could she argue with him? He was as trapped as she was, in this crazy world where life was planned for them no matter how much their hearts protested.