Kane, Samantha - Brothers in arms 7 (10 page)

way she’d accepted Charles too… He couldn’t stop thinking about it. About the way she’d made him feel, about the way he and Gideon had worked together to make the experience pleasurable for her. The way she’d responded to them had been thrilling.

Charles let his hands fall to his lap and stared at them as they lay there. They were covered with calluses and tiny scars, the hands of a laborer, a farmer. Not the hands of a gentleman. He didn’t belong with them. He slowly closed his hands into tight fists. But he had always fought for Gideon, hadn’t he? Fought by his side in the war, fought for scraps of his affection, fought for his life and his forgiveness. He was a stubborn fool.

Because he couldn’t seem to accept that the fight was over. But his fight was different now. Now he fought to keep a place in Gideon’s life and to make one for himself in Sarah’s.

* * * * *

“Good morning, Charles.”

He paused in the doorway, keeping his face blank as he met Gideon’s stare. Charles blinked first and Gideon smiled triumphantly. Well, that morning ritual was apparently unchanged today. He peered around the room. Sarah was nowhere in sight.

“My wife has not risen yet.” Gideon seemed to almost preen as he said the words, and Charles hid a smile. Charles was sure Gideon would not be amused were he to comment on his smug attitude.

“No? She struck me as an early riser.” Charles walked over to the sidebar and accepted a plate from Anders. He began to fill it with the hearty breakfast fare laid out for them. He wasn’t hungry, which wasn’t all that odd. Normally after the dream he skipped breakfast and went straight to the barn to work off his agitation. But he’d felt that an appearance at breakfast was required of him this morning.

“I’m sure we will learn her habits in due time,” Gideon said nonchalantly. Charles was delighted at his casual inclusion in Gideon’s observation, although he did not show it.

“Yes, quite,” was all he said.

They ate their breakfast in a silence that was typical of them. A few years at war made a man appreciate a hot, hearty breakfast and the silence to eat it. There was no awkwardness, just a mutual enjoyment of the quiet and the fare.

Suddenly Sarah appeared in the doorway. Charles hadn’t even heard her footsteps on the stairs. Either he was preoccupied or she was stealthier than she looked. Both he and Gideon rose from their chairs as she entered, Gideon reaching for his crutches.

“Good morning, Mr. North, Mr. Borden,” she said crisply. She waved them back down. “Please do not interrupt your meal on my account.” She walked over to Anders and accepted a plate with a smile and a murmured thank-you.

“Good morning, Sarah,” Gideon said, his voice rather formal though the greeting was not. Sarah glanced over her shoulder at him in surprise and then with a blush her 51

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gaze cut to Anders, who was busy removing the covers so Sarah could see what was available.

“Good morning, Mrs. North,” Charles offered jovially, and he could see her shoulders relax, as if she’d been waiting for an inappropriately intimate greeting from him. She merely nodded at him politely.

When she had all she wanted, Sarah turned to the table and stopped, indecision written on her face. The table was set with far too many places. Charles had wondered at it, but he now realized the staff wasn’t sure where she would choose to sit and so had made up all the settings. He stood and walked over to pull out the chair to Gideon’s left. “Join us, please,” he asked politely.

“Yes, thank you,” she replied. When she was seated Charles walked back over to his own place at Gideon’s right, directly across from Sarah.

It was painful. What had been a relaxed and quiet breakfast was suddenly fraught with silent tension. Sarah ate quietly, looking at neither Charles nor Gideon. Gideon’s jaw was tense, and he set his fork down beside his half-full plate with a precision usually reserved for holy objects and explosive devices. Several times he looked at Sarah as if he would say something but then thought better of it. He finished his tea with a loud swallow and was startled when Anders immediately appeared to refill his cup. The butler looked as tense as the three of them.

Charles was at a loss. Normally he would have interjected some light conversation to ease the tension, but he found himself tongue-tied. Was Sarah’s nervousness his fault? Should he leave? If he left he would be setting a precedent. He would be shutting himself out of their morning routine, and that was not the way to get what he wanted.

Gideon caught his eye, and though his expression was fierce his eyes were pleading.

Then Sarah set her fork down on the table with a thump. “I am not sure what is required of me.”

Gideon’s gaze snapped to Sarah and Charles’ followed. She stared down at her lap.

“Today.” She blew out a breath and her eyes darted up to flash a look between them.

There was an edge of panic in it. “And tomorrow. What I mean is, do you wish me to take over the house and accounts or leave things as they are? I have been trained to run a household, as you know, but you have been satisfied with the current arrangement and I do not wish to interfere.”

“Sar—” Gideon began, but her eyes grew wide and she glanced at Anders again.

“Mrs. North,” Gideon said slowly, and Sarah breathed a relieved sigh. “I wish you to do whatever it is that you wish to do. As my wife you have every right to run the household as you see fit. Any action you take will in no way be seen as interference.”

Sarah nearly slumped in her seat as the tension in her shoulders disappeared.

“Thank you, Mr. North,” she said with sincere gratitude, reaching out and lightly touching the back of Gideon’s hand. “I am not sure what I would do with myself if you had answered differently.” Gideon’s hand curled into a fist beneath her touch, his two damaged fingers refusing to hide themselves.

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She licked her lips nervously, and though it was completely inappropriate to the situation, Charles felt his cock swell. Damn, she was pretty.

“I was wondering, is there anything that you wish changed? Or anything that you prefer remains exactly the same? Here in the house or around the farm?” Sarah’s questions were a bit tentative, but it was clear she was determined to establish the boundaries of her new duties. She moved away from Gideon’s hand and nodded her thanks to Anders as he set a fresh cup of tea in front of her.

Gideon’s confusion was evident, which was astounding in itself. Sarah seemed to disconcert him routinely, when as long as Charles had known him he had been as stoic as a Spartan. Well, with everyone except Charles. Whether this was good or bad, Charles hadn’t yet decided. Gideon’s emotional recalcitrance may drive him mad, but it was the way they were used to operating. Charles wasn’t sure he wanted to deal with an overly emotional Gideon. God save us. But then Gideon had never had to deal with a wife before. He’d adjust, hopefully.

“I’m agreeable to any changes you should like to make,” Gideon said after clearing his throat. He picked up his fork and began eating his now cold breakfast without so much as a grimace.

Charles sat back in his chair and continued to openly observe the conversation.

Neither Gideon nor Sarah seemed to be concerned about his presence. He was undecided as to whether that was good or bad too.

“If I may,” Sarah said, and Charles could tell she was forcibly interjecting some firmness into her tone. Good for her.
Show him your backbone, my girl
, Charles thought with an inner grin. “I thought I might like to change a few things around the house. It is rather masculine for my tastes. But if that is what you prefer, by all means I shall leave it as it is.”

Hardly a firm demand, but a stand all the same. Charles turned to watch Gideon’s response.

Gideon was looking at Sarah as if she had two heads. “My dear Mrs. North, I care not one whit what you do with the house. As long as I have a bed and desk on the premises, I shall be content.” He looked at Charles in complete bewilderment.

“Charles?”

Charles let his smile show this time. “We did not change anything about the house when we took possession, Mrs. North. None of the decorating is ours. The blame lies solely with the previous owner.” He leaned forward and winked at Sarah, which caused another blush. “And I am very curious to see what you can do with the place.

Change Blakely House any way you like. You have my blessing also.”

“Ah,” Gideon said with finality, “and there you have it. Charles approves.” Charles glanced over at him with a frown. Gideon did not disappoint. “As in all things that go on at Blakely House, if Charles approves, then it must be done.” His tone was dry.

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“Of course,” Charles responded with a polite nod for Gideon’s sally. “One of us has to do more than growl at everyone before anything gets done properly. It’s a wonder you haven’t driven all the servants off.”

“I haven’t managed to drive you off. If growling will work that magic, please let me know.”

“I am not a servant.” Charles was strangely hurt by this morning’s back-and-forth, although they had had almost the same exchange every morning for the last six years.

“No, you most certainly are not.” Sarah’s scandalized tone cut through the room and everyone, including Anders at the sideboard, froze. “Mr. North, I believe that was uncalled for.”

Gideon blushed. Charles wasn’t sure he’d ever seen that happen before.

“You are correct, Mrs. North,” Gideon said coolly. He nodded at Charles. “My apologies, Borden. I did not mean to intimate that you were a servant. Merely that I wish I had driven you off.”

Charles burst out laughing. “For a moment I actually thought you were going to apologize and I would need the smelling salts.”

“If you faint,” Gideon warned, “I shall have you bundled off on the next coach.

That really would be the last straw, I’m afraid.”

“Duly noted.” Charles’ sarcasm was ignored.

“Mr. North,” Sarah said quietly. She reached out and touched his hand again.

“Surely you don’t mean it. Mr. Borden is invaluable here at Blakely House.”

She frowned and her gaze shifted from Gideon to the window. The frown turned to a delighted smile and she unconsciously began rubbing her fingertip along the top of Gideon’s hand. Gideon sat frozen, staring at her hand on his.

Charles turned in his seat to see what had caught her eye. There were several horses close to the fence, frolicking. They were butting each other with their heads and spinning around, and then one rose on his back legs before crashing down and sprinting off. Spring hijinks in the meadow.

“Why is it called Blakely House?” Sarah asked curiously without taking her eyes off the horses. She watched them hungrily. Why? What about them did she hunger for?

“No idea,” Gideon answered, back to his gruff ways. “That was what they called it when we bought it. I suppose someone named Blakely owned it once or built it or some such thing.”

“Yes, but why House?” Sarah pressed. She looked at Gideon and then Charles. “It is so much more than that now, isn’t it?” She pushed her chair back and Anders rushed over to assist her. Charles and Gideon made as if to stand and Sarah waved them back into place. “Oh stop,” she said absentmindedly. She wandered over to the window and put her hand on the sill. “I suppose if we called it Blakely Home, people would try to ensconce their invalids here.”

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She choked and spun to stare wide-eyed at Gideon. “I…I didn’t mean… That is, I was making a jest. A very poor one, I think.”

Gideon merely raised an eyebrow, his blue eyes piercing her mercilessly. “I am hardly an invalid.”

Sarah shook her head and suddenly her eyes were as bright as Gideon’s, full of what had happened between them all last night. “No sir. No, you are not,” she agreed quietly. The room was suffused with a different kind of tension now.

Gideon stood up abruptly and Anders was there with his crutches. He moved out from the table but didn’t leave. “If Blakely House displeases you, then you may choose a different name. Although I do agree that Blakely Home smacks of the infirmary.”

Sarah blushed a painful red and Charles took pity on her. “I fear we would begin to receive inquiries as to available space for mental incompetents.” Both Sarah and Gideon turned to stare at him and he smiled wickedly. “And we’ve only room for Gideon.”

Gideon smiled back with ill humor. “You become less amusing as the day wears on.”

“To you, perhaps. But the rest of the world dotes on me.”

“And there you have it again,” Gideon rejoined flatly. “We shall name it Borden Home.”

Charles laughed and looked at Sarah, who seemed uncomfortable with their banter.

“What do you wish to call it, Mrs. North?”

She licked her lips and again Charles had thoughts inappropriate for the breakfast room. “I was thinking perhaps Blakely Farm?” she ventured timidly.

“Blakely Farm,” Charles mused. “Yes, I like it. Gideon?”

“If the two of you are satisfied, then I am more than content.” The look Gideon gave them both was inscrutable. Charles wished he knew exactly how Gideon meant his comment. But the hard truths of their past convinced him to take it at face value to the conversation.

Charles looked back at Sarah. “Welcome to Blakely Farm, Mrs. North,” he said gently. Sarah clasped her hands together and gifted him and Gideon with a smile brimming with possibilities.

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As Sarah inventoried the linen she thought about the conversation she’d had with Gideon and Charles at breakfast the other morning. The morning after her wedding night. Sarah had to stop and put her hands to her burning cheeks as she looked up and down the hallway to make sure no one saw her blushing for no apparent reason.

Refusing to let her mind get sidetracked yet again as it had numerous times in the last few days with thoughts of
that
night, Sarah cleared her throat and took another pile of linen off the shelf. Goodness, they had an awful lot of linen. Someone had clearly been saving for a rainy, cold day. She counted the pillow covers. Twenty-seven. Not only was it an odd number, but she was relatively sure that they did not have that many pillows in the house. They hadn’t enough beds to hold them. Thoughts of beds naturally led her to thoughts of that night.