A Scarlet Bride (41 page)

He drank in the sight of her. God, he loved her so much. What once he'd had trouble admitting, now he wanted to shout from the podium. He wanted to cry out her name.

The auctioneer raised his gavel, and Connor knew this was the end of everything he'd ever known, ever wanted.

"Stop!"
William shouted, raising his hand to attain the attention of the auctioneer.

Connor tensed. What was his friend doing? He couldn't take much more.

As the crowd of men parted, Alexandra and William made their way toward the podium and the auctioneer. Connor searched Alexandra's face, trying to read why she had come. William refused to look at Connor, his gaze fastened upon his destination, his step determined and unwavering.

What were they doing? What could this mean?

An uneasy quiet settled over the crowd. The auctioneer peered over the podium as if he were watching sinners approach the pulpit.

William and Alexandra reached the top step, and William took the auctioneer aside. Though his words were low, Connor could hear his friend speaking in his most scholarly voice. His words were crisp, and just soft enough that Connor could not hear what they were.

Alexandra stood beside William, refusing to look at Connor, her back ramrod stiff, as she watched William exchange words with the auctioneer.

Finally, unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Connor walked over to the group. As he reached them, the auctioneer took two steps back to the podium.

Picking up his gavel, he slammed it against the wooden stand. "This property is no longer for sale."

The servants cheered in the background, but all Connor could see was Alexandra standing before him, a pensive expression on her beautiful face. His mind swirled with questions. What had happened?

"I don't understand," he said to no one in particular.

Alexandra felt an overwhelming sense of relief as she watched Connor gazing at her, his face stunned. They stood staring at each other, the silence stretching into eternity while the crowd dispersed.

William had quietly disappeared with the others, leaving them alone. Yet words refused to form on her lips as she stared at Connor. Oh, God, she loved him so much, but there were still so many things left unresolved between them. Yesterday he'd said he loved her. Today he had been willing to sacrifice his home just to honor her.

"I don't understand. What just happened?" Connor's eyes searched her face, repeating his earlier words.

She cleared her throat. "The taxes have been paid."

A frown wrinkled his forehead and he looked around, searching for William.
"By whom?"

She couldn't quite contain the smile that came to her lips. "I paid the taxes, Connor."

He raised his brows in obvious shock.
"You?"

"Yes."

For a moment, he stared at her in stunned surprise. Then he grabbed her by the hand and dragged her into the house, slamming the door behind him. He pulled her into his office and locked the door with a decisive click.

"I don't really understand what happened out there a few minutes ago, except that you say you somehow paid the taxes. How? I never told you about the auction, about the problems with River Bend."

Alexandra smiled and laid her hand against his arm. "I know. I just found out today." She took a deep breath. "Why didn't you tell me about the situation with River Bend?"

He took a deep breath. "When should I have told you?
Before or after my declaration of love?"
He shook his head. "I'm sorry, I should have told you a great many things, but the timing just never seemed right."

Alexandra walked around his desk, her hand grazing the top. "What made you decide to return the money to my father?"

Connor ran his hand through his hair. "When I realized I loved you, I couldn't keep it, Alexandra. I should never have made the deal with your father. It wasn't right."

Alexandra felt a profound sense of relief at his words. She walked to within inches of him.

"Oh, Connor."
Love infused her, leaving her reeling with its intensity. He truly loved her.

Putting her finger on his lips, she smiled. "Today, I went with Aunt Clara to see Uncle Sydney's solicitor. That's when Aunt Clara told me you had returned the money from my father. Then the lawyer told me about the auction of River Bend."

He hung his head."I couldn't bring myself to tell you," he said, "not now, not when I was about to lose you."

Reaching out, Alexandra laid a hand over his, his words cutting her to the quick. They had almost lost everything because of their stubborn pride.

"Uncle Sydney left me a small fortune. William went with me to pay the taxes; then we rushed out here to stop the auction."

"But why would you do that, Alexandra? That money was yours. It must have been enough you could live on your own, without me or your father."

"I could have, but there were several reasons for me to save River Bend."

Connor stared at her, perplexed.

She walked across the room. "Yesterday, when you came to visit, I had already decided against publishing
The Banker's Perfidy
. You see, writing
Hester's Revenge
was a release for me. Every word I wrote seemed to ease my pain and give me satisfaction in knowing I could affect Gordon. But
The Banker's Perfidy
was a struggle. My most intimate secrets were being revealed, my most private shame."

"So why did you write it?"

She sighed. "I wanted so badly to be independent of my father. To be out from under his rule, to live on my own, and to completely ruin Gordon for what he had done. To show society I was innocent. I was consumed with the need for revenge."

Connor reached out and ran his hand down her arm, as if he needed to assure her. "I can understand your feelings. I can't say that I wouldn't have done the same. But the inheritance was your chance at freedom without printing
The Banker's Perfidy
. Why aren't you taking it?"

Alexandra stopped pacing and stared at him. "I no longer want to live independently."

Connor gazed at her, and she watched his eyes sparkle in anticipation.

"I've never regretted our marriage," he said. "I only wish I'd been honest with you from the start."

"You know, Connor, in the six months we've been married, you've been a cad at times. Yet I've known more happiness in these past months in your arms than ever before."

Connor threw up his arms as if he were surrendering. "You're
right,
I can be a b—"

"If only you would have told me the truth about River Bend, I would have tried to help in some way. If only you'd been honest about the deal with my father. You could have saved us so much heartache."

"You would have forgiven me for marrying you in the hopes of obtaining your father's money?"

"Probably not at first.
I felt so betrayed when I learned the truth. I believed you truly cared for me. Then I found out that I was expecting your child and you were paid to impregnate me."

Connor hung his head for a moment, but then he raised his gaze back to her. "I love you, Alexandra, above all else. From the very beginning, I was drawn to you, and sometime during our time together, I fell in love. I've been too foolish to know the truth. And now, after I've destroyed any chance of happiness we ever had, I realize I was wrong."

Alexandra walked to the window and gazed out at the empty fields, a sense of belonging overwhelming her. "When you told me you loved me yesterday, I feared it was just another trick to persuade me to come back." She paused and walked back across the room to stand before him. "And then today when I found out about River Bend, I knew. I knew you would never have returned the money my father paid you if you didn't love me. I understand now you were willing to give up your home to try to save our marriage. Only a man in love would do what you've done."

Connor gazed at her, an expectant look on his face.

Alexandra looked down at her hands. "I've known from the first time we made love that I loved you, but only recently faced the truth. I don't want to be independent and lonely the rest of my life."

He took a deep breath.

She met his gaze, her eyes warm and loving. "Getting revenge doesn't seem important any longer, only you and the life we could have together. I've found my retaliation here in your arms, and it's the sweetest pleasure I've ever known. I've gotten the best revenge by falling in love with a man who is decent and good, a man who has shown me the value of love."

Joy suffused his face.
"Oh, God, Alex."
He pulled her into his arms. "I dreamed of you saying those words, but thought they would never come true."

She leaned into his arms and glanced up into his face. "You made me realize how lonely and heartsick I've been all these years. I don't want to lose you. I love you."

Connor wrapped his arms around her as though he'd never let her go. His lips claimed hers in a kiss that left them both gasping for air. Finally, she put her hand between them and pushed back from Connor.

He scooped his hands behind her neck and knees and swung her up in his arms.

"Connor, what are you doing? Put me down!"

He gazed down into his wife's eyes. "It's been weeks since I held you in my arms. I'm taking you to bed."

She giggled. "But it's the middle of the day."

"So?"

"What will the servants and your sister think?"

"They'll know the truth. I have a love for my wife that burns so brightly, it blinds me to insignificant details such as daylight or dark."

She rubbed her hand across his jaw, the feel of his skin rough yet tender. "Can you walk any faster?"

Laughing, Connor opened the door to his office and took the stairs two at a time with his wife in his arms.

Alexandra couldn't help but think that, yes, some men were despicable.
But not her man.
Not Connor. Not anymore.

###

For more books by Sylvia McDaniel visit
www.sylviamcdaniel.com

Here's a preview of my next publication due out April 2012!

The Burnett Brides

The Rancher

Texas 1874

Rose
Severin
made her living speaking to the dead. Or at least she pretended to, until she could fulfill her real dream of becoming a famous actress on the New York stage like her mother. But dreams couldn't put a roof over your head or ease the gnawing ache of hunger, and New York was more than a carriage ride from Fort Worth, Texas.

Rose peeked between the
curtain
separating the two rooms and watched her black manservant, Isaiah, settle tonight's customers. She'd drawn an interesting group.
A fairly young woman, a matron, a swanky gentleman, and a cowboy whose burnished hair and rugged good looks certainly caught her attention.

Isaiah stepped behind the curtain and whispered, "Mrs. Florin, the lady who will be sitting next to you, lost her twelve-year-old daughter, Sally, in a carriage accident. She wants to contact Sally and make sure she's all right. The other lady, Miss North, wishes to speak with her brother who was killed in a bank holdup. He was a law-abiding man, just in the wrong place at the wrong time, according to the newspaper."

Isaiah frowned and shook his head. "The gentleman in the brown suit, Mr. Thompson, said very little. The other man, Mr. Burnett, is here because of his brother."

"Burnett. That name sounds familiar." Rose tried to remember where she had heard the name before.

"His mother came in earlier this afternoon. She's the lady who wanted to speak with her missing son. He disappeared during the war and she didn't know if he was dead or alive."

"Yes, I remember her." Rose glanced out the curtain. "What does he want?"

"He wouldn't say."

"I guess we'll find out," she said shaking her head and frowning at Isaiah.

"Are you ready?" Isaiah asked.

Rose brushed back a lock of her dark, wayward curls, checked the bodice of her loose-fitting blouse, and smoothed her skirt. Dressed more like a gypsy than a lady, she took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Madame Desiree is ready."

Isaiah ambled out of the kitchen and turned toward the group of people now gathered around the table. "Let me present Madame Desiree
Severin
, Voice of the Dead."

Rose swept through the curtain. Holding out her full skirt, she gave a little twirl then curtsied to her audience. "Good evening."